Hundreds of Army reservists have participated in the largest training exercise in nearly two decades — testing their combat readiness in the remote central North Island.
The New Zealand Reserve Defence Force say the reservists are ready to aid if called upon.
A mix of everyday Kiwis assembled for the significant event, with both New Zealand and Australian Army personnel engaging in a week-long training exercise.
1News joined troops loading into the Air Force's NH90 as they deployed into the rugged landscape of Waiouru.
Troops faced various missions, including being under simulated fire and securing hostile locations with precision. Specialised teams, including explosive detection dogs and mine detectors, swept the area for hidden dangers.
NZ Army Sapper Henry Wallace and explosion detective dog Flicker swiftly located a buried guns cache.
With more than 300 reserve force soldiers participating, the week-long training aims to replicate real-life scenarios.
The reserves are a diverse range of new Zealanders who come from all sorts of backgrounds, professionals, students, and tradespeople. Bringing unique skill sets that enrich the army's combat readiness.
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Nick Jones stressed the importance of preparedness for potential combat situations, highlighting the value of civilian skills in military operations.
"We bring a certain skill set from our civilian lives into the NZ army that provides a unique point of difference that enables us to add value to be a combat-ready army.
"It’s all about our contribution to security and stability in our region.
"When we talk about combat ready we mean it, we're prepared, and what we train for are the kind of scenarios that we know we may face on operations."
The joint exercise with Australian allies underscored the significance of cross-training and interoperability for future operations.
Major John Dunn of the Australian Army highlighted the invaluable experience gained in unfamiliar environments.
"It’s actually super important for us, for multiple reasons, primarily one for our reserve force to actually train, deploy overseas and for our soldiers to train in a whole new environment, they have not been in this type of cold weather we are seeing here let alone the terrain itself is completely different to what they get on the east coast of Australia," Dunn said.
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