How Are NZ Reserve Force Soldiers Enhancing Operational Readiness?

Wellington, July 29 (NationPress) Over 300 reserve soldiers from the New Zealand Army participated in a significant combat training exercise designed to bolster operational readiness and promote seamless integration with regular forces.

As stated by the New Zealand Defence Forces (NZDF), the nine-day event, dubbed Tauwharenikau, took place at the Waiouru Military Training Area and included more than 70 personnel from the regular forces. The training involved combined arms exercises based on a simulated conflict scenario that featured civil unrest on a fictional island in the South Pacific.

Commanded by the 5th/7th Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, the focus of the exercise was on executing missions informed by intelligence and realistic field conditions, including sub-zero temperatures.

According to Lt Colonel Shaun O’Connor, Commanding Officer of the lead unit, the exercise was crafted to enable personnel to quickly integrate into the first (New Zealand) Brigade as required.

"The efforts dedicated to maintaining combat readiness are central to our mission as an organization, equipping us with the skills, tools, and resilience to respond effectively to any situation when called upon," he remarked.

Reservists are trained to meet the same standards and operational levels as their Regular Force counterparts, contributing a valuable mix of backgrounds, expertise, and skills to the Army.

The Reserve Force, consisting of over 2,000 personnel, plays a crucial role in supporting both domestic and international operations.

Colonel Brendon Jull, Assistant Chief of Army for Reserves, noted that the training showcases the Army’s ability to manage concurrent large-scale commitments. While Exercise Tauwharenīkau was in progress, nearly 700 NZDF personnel were deployed to Australia for Exercise Talisman Sabre.

"This demonstrates our capacity to operate across multiple domains and collaborate with our international partners," Jull added.

Looking ahead, the Reserve Force intends to deploy a company-sized contingent to the upcoming Talisman Sabre exercise in 2027.

The training scenario featured a command-and-control center, a light infantry rifle company comprising three platoons of 33 soldiers each, and supportive units such as engineers, signallers, armoured personnel, intelligence specialists, medics, and dental staff.

Other resources included unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) detachments from the Army’s 16th Field Regiment and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), explosive detection dogs, infantry support dogs, and a mounted reconnaissance team from the Waikato Mounted Rifles.

Typically, Reserve Force soldiers train bi-weekly or monthly and can participate in NZDF exercises both nationally and internationally, depending on operational requirements and their availability.