New Zealand Army ranger course

mattyem

New Member
By Land Component Commander Brigadier Dave Gawn

Among all the excitement there is a healthy dose of scepticism around the concept of a Ranger type course.

This is not a Ranger course in the traditional sense – it is not based around insertion skills such as parachuting and cliff assault and there is no intent to re-form a New Zealand Ranger unit.

Rather the intent is to develop the attitudes, ethos and philosophy of Rangers. The self-reliance to adapt, innovate and overcome, regardless of the situation or environment. It is about developing a way of thinking that traditionally sits more comfortably with the Special Forces.

Over the past decade the complexity of warfare has increased. The threat tends to be population based. It can include a stateless and faceless foe that is technologically savvy, globally networked, and motivated by issues and beliefs that we find difficult to comprehend. The environment is invariably cluttered with human and cultural dimensions, restrictive/complex terrain and of course international media.

Close combat is just as lethal as always and the improvised explosive devise is fast becoming a weapon of choice. The environment is complicated by numerous third parties including civilians, non-governmental organisations, PVO’s, contractors and security firms, as well as international forces that may or may not be under a single theatre command.

There is no guarantee that anyone, let alone the threat, is playing by the same rule book.

These operations are played out on the internet and in the living rooms of our families and friends. The enemy has the psychological upper hand – he is a complex adaptive system that will react and evolve to whatever we throw at him.

To succeed a soldier needs to possess particular key personal qualities, including resilience, perseverance, undaunted courage and above all, self-reliance. Self-reliance is the essence that defines the Kiwi soldier, it is what the Ranger Course is designed to enhance.

On this course comfort and luxury are irrelevant — you will not be deterred by misery and privation. You will become self-reliant by being denied the things that you think you need—food, water, rest, shelter, and equipment will at times be cut to the bone. You will be pushed to your limits, and then beyond, and you will learn that you can perform despite your exhaustion and misery. This austere, demanding training will ultimately produce high self-confidence, resilience and trust in your mates.

Unexpected situations will not throw you off balance. You will become more agile, adapting to new environments and situations with ease, and you will develop a propensity for innovation.

This is not a selection course. You do not have to be ‘super fit’. You will need a healthy dose of curiosity; a desire to be a better soldier than you currently are; and a preparedness to share your new skills and attitudes with your units.

By the end of the course you will be fitter, stronger, harder, and more skilled as a soldier, but above all you will have a greater awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses.

This course is not about reward, it is not about promotion, it’s not even about symbols or badges – this course is about being a professional Kiwi soldier with the self-reliance to be comfortable with uncertainty and the confidence and wherewithal to embrace and master any environment regardless of the circumstances. You will become ‘pathfinders’ for a new approach to soldiering within the Army that embraces the spirit of the number eight wire – adapt, innovate, overcome.

Good to see the NZDF providing and up skilling course to bridge the gap between the normal soldier and the SF soldier,

What is everyones view on this?
 

steve33

Member
By Land Component Commander Brigadier Dave Gawn

Among all the excitement there is a healthy dose of scepticism around the concept of a Ranger type course.

This is not a Ranger course in the traditional sense – it is not based around insertion skills such as parachuting and cliff assault and there is no intent to re-form a New Zealand Ranger unit.

Rather the intent is to develop the attitudes, ethos and philosophy of Rangers. The self-reliance to adapt, innovate and overcome, regardless of the situation or environment. It is about developing a way of thinking that traditionally sits more comfortably with the Special Forces.

Over the past decade the complexity of warfare has increased. The threat tends to be population based. It can include a stateless and faceless foe that is technologically savvy, globally networked, and motivated by issues and beliefs that we find difficult to comprehend. The environment is invariably cluttered with human and cultural dimensions, restrictive/complex terrain and of course international media.

Close combat is just as lethal as always and the improvised explosive devise is fast becoming a weapon of choice. The environment is complicated by numerous third parties including civilians, non-governmental organisations, PVO’s, contractors and security firms, as well as international forces that may or may not be under a single theatre command.

There is no guarantee that anyone, let alone the threat, is playing by the same rule book.

These operations are played out on the internet and in the living rooms of our families and friends. The enemy has the psychological upper hand – he is a complex adaptive system that will react and evolve to whatever we throw at him.

To succeed a soldier needs to possess particular key personal qualities, including resilience, perseverance, undaunted courage and above all, self-reliance. Self-reliance is the essence that defines the Kiwi soldier, it is what the Ranger Course is designed to enhance.

On this course comfort and luxury are irrelevant — you will not be deterred by misery and privation. You will become self-reliant by being denied the things that you think you need—food, water, rest, shelter, and equipment will at times be cut to the bone. You will be pushed to your limits, and then beyond, and you will learn that you can perform despite your exhaustion and misery. This austere, demanding training will ultimately produce high self-confidence, resilience and trust in your mates.

Unexpected situations will not throw you off balance. You will become more agile, adapting to new environments and situations with ease, and you will develop a propensity for innovation.

This is not a selection course. You do not have to be ‘super fit’. You will need a healthy dose of curiosity; a desire to be a better soldier than you currently are; and a preparedness to share your new skills and attitudes with your units.

By the end of the course you will be fitter, stronger, harder, and more skilled as a soldier, but above all you will have a greater awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses.

This course is not about reward, it is not about promotion, it’s not even about symbols or badges – this course is about being a professional Kiwi soldier with the self-reliance to be comfortable with uncertainty and the confidence and wherewithal to embrace and master any environment regardless of the circumstances. You will become ‘pathfinders’ for a new approach to soldiering within the Army that embraces the spirit of the number eight wire – adapt, innovate, overcome.

Good to see the NZDF providing and up skilling course to bridge the gap between the normal soldier and the SF soldier,

What is everyones view on this?
Did this course ever get off the ground and how is it going.?
 

steve33

Member
Yes, been running for a few years now, it's called Aumengea and is open to all services but obviously army are the main volunteers.
Thats excellent a Ranger course where they add in the parachuting and fast roping from helicopters would have been good but the course still sounds like it will do a lot for our soldiers.
 

RegR

Well-Known Member
Thats excellent a Ranger course where they add in the parachuting and fast roping from helicopters would have been good but the course still sounds like it will do a lot for our soldiers.
Yea more a development, boundary pushing course to find/test your mettle, miltary in ethos rather than application but yes building a better service person nonetheless.
 
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