17 August 2016

Officer Cadets Begin Jungle Warfare Training

More than 50 New Zealand Army Officer Cadets are pitting themselves against the elements and an enemy in a steamy Brunei jungle for the next three weeks.

Exercise Kepimpinan is a joint exercise between the Officer Cadet Schools of the New Zealand Army and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. It seeks to develop leaders and provides close-country training in a tropical environment.

Platoon groups will be mixed between the two countries, which Land Component Commander Brigadier (BRIG) Mike Shapland says provides the best opportunity for the Kiwis to learn from their Brunei counterparts.

“This Officer Cadet School jungle exercise has been running for several years in Brunei, which means we can maximise the opportunity of an overseas exercise and working with another nation to improve the leadership abilities of our Officer Cadets,” BRIG Shapland said.

“The cadets will be tested by a fictional enemy party as well as the jungle environment, developing their close-country jungle warfare and giving them experience in Platoon Command in an unfamiliar setting. The exercise also provides experience in the conduct of an overseas deployment and reinforces the New Zealand Army’s longstanding links with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.”

The exercise begins today and runs until 8 September in Brunei Darussalam.

ENDS

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