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OPERATION - WHEKI Activity Type: First bushcraft exercise for the Basic Cadets of the Squadron. Objective: To build on knowledge gained and confirm understanding of the bush covered in lectures. Location and Date: Orangimea Station - (Waitotara Valley) 4 - 5 Sept. 04 Exercise Numbers: Staff: - NCO's: - Basic's: - Total: - Report: Training - An updated training programme is attached with other changes that occurred included in the following;
Majority at ATC just after 0800, with the first arrivals being there around 0745. Roll checked and group leaders checked that all cadets had adequate clothing, ration packs issued, trailer packed and we departed for Waitotara where we meet Miss Hawken. Outside the woolshed at Orangimea Station the group food and equipment was distributed, FLTLT Cleveland conducted a briefing for walking in including timings and where we were going. Miss Smith and I headed in leaving marker poles along the way to ensure all made it to the camp site. Miss Smith dropped her pack at the camp site and returned to the edge of the bush take Cadet Sheperd to the camp site via a different track to avoid where wasp nest have been known to be in the past. On her first trip on this track she was greeted by an inquisitive deer who moved away and then returned to investigate. By the time the cadest had arrived the deer was long gone. All arrived at the camp site, where FLTLT Cleveland ran the briefing followed by the sections moving to their respective campsites. The NCO’s gave the cadets an orientation of the area and in a departure from previous years the NCO lecturettes were conducted in the section campsites and this worked very well. The sections then set up their respective camp sites, began to collect firewood and had lunch. We moved back out dowe the valley and carried out ground to air signalling without having a flypast. While FGOFF Frericks conducted the afternoon exercise on traps and snares the rest of the staff started setting up the confidence course. Late in the afternoon the discussion on how to use the Squadron ration pack was carried out in the three sections and the NCO’s also completed the 30 second hanging test in readiness for Sunday’s confidence course. After the evening meal we split into two groups, Section 2 and one of Section 1’s groups and Section 3 and the other group from Section 1. The night exercise was held using Section 2 and 3 camp sites, allowing the staff to have better control when considering the size of the areas and the number of cadets. Final debrief of the day with times advised for Sunday, then back to their respective sections for a drink, lights out, with the staff completing the final check of the cadets for the day once all were in bed.
All up by 0730 and breakfast under way. A check of the traps and snares with the area being tidied up. A Spot and seek exercise was held under the direction of FGOFF Frericks while the NCO’s assisted in the tightening of the ropes on the confidence course. All back to their campsites for a drink and a snack, followed by a leadership exercise run by Miss Smith. A small confidence course was tackled with great deal of enthusiasm and completed in groups. Cadets returned to their sections and started to clean up, have lunch, staff inspection of the section camp sites and following the debrief by the staff we departed in the groups for the road and back to Wanganui. Equipment returned to the store, tents pitched in one of the Army garages, vans cleaned and cadets then were able to go home.
The basic skills of bushcraft were taught well, with a wide range of cadets prior knowledge being seen. The knowledge and skills gained by these cadets will be built on in future exercises. There are promising signs for some very good NCOs to come from this years basic cadets in the future. This was one of the larger groups we have taken into the Tongou valley and it is an ideal basic cadet campsite. If the preceding weather and the weekend’s weather forecast had not been so good we may have had to consider using the Mangamingi Valley (the other main valley). The very good weather assisted in making this an enjoyable and successful weekends training. Report By: 16 September 2005 |
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No. 9 (City of Wanganui) Squadron |
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