Joining forces for recruit training
Manawatu may become a hub for a new joint defence recruit training facility in the wake of the downgrade of services at Waiouru Military Camp.
Chief of Army Major General Peter Kelly said he had been approached by the Chief of New Zealand Defence Force Lieutenant General Tim Keating to consider the option of creating a joint initial recruit and officer cadet facility.
The option comes on the back of a plan announced in April to shift basic training from Waiouru Military Camp to Burnham Military Camp in the South Island.
The headquarters training, doctrine command, the army command school and the army depot would also be shifting to Burnham.
‘‘Our original plan was to relocate this all down to Burnham on the basis of the regeneration funding,’’ Kelly said.
‘‘But the chief of defence said ‘have a look at this’, is there the opportunity to colocate some of the training.’’
He said if it were to happen, the obvious choice would be to locate the training in Manawatu, as both Linton Military Camp and Ohakea Air Force Base were already located here.
Cadets from army, navy and air force could be trained at the new facility.
‘‘There is a lot of [common ground] to what we teach so in some parts we could have a shared syllabus,‘‘ Kelly said.
However, if the proposal didn’t go ahead, Kelly said the shift to Burnham was still set to happen sometime after 2021.
The concept of splitting basics training between Burnham and Manawatu was also being considered.
A decision would be made within the next six-nine months, Kelly said.
Kelly reiterated it was only selected units that would be moving from Waiouru, not all training.
‘‘Waiouru will continue to be our premier training area, we will always have soldiers in Waiouru.’’
The Government is set to invest $1.7 billion into defence over the next 15 years, with part of that funding to go to Linton Military Camp.
According to the Army News magazine, said the first improvements will be made to the camp’s workshops, warehousing and vehicle shelters.
New multi-unit, multi-purpose facilities would be built, including a new multi-purpose camp headquarters hub.
New medical and health facilities would also be constructed and new barrack facilities over time.
The work is set to begin in 2017, with the camp headquarters set to begin in 2019.