Image Gallery: May 2007
NORFORCE soldiers train indigenous recruits
16 May 2007
Experienced NORFORCE mentors are assisting with the training of 17 recruits from various communities across the Northern Territory, on their Army Reserve Induction Course.
Mentors often attend induction courses to provide support to younger indigenous recruits who might be finding it difficult adjusting to the military family.
All NORFORCE soldiers can speak English, but as it is quite often not their first language, mentors are able to translate certain words or offer alternate explanations on unfamiliar processes.
Army Reserve recruits attending this induction course have traveled from remote indigenous communities as far a field as Alice Springs, to learn basic soldiering skills such as handling an F88 Austeyr rifle and using radio communications.
The participation of indigenous patrolmen that reside in a squadron's area of operations provides a distinct advantage of familiarity on the ground to a patrol that would otherwise have to rely on absolute pinpoint map-to-ground navigational accuracy in a land that changes by the season.
Indigenous patrolmen have varying levels of bush survival and tracking skills that do not originate from their military training, but are highly sought by patrol commanders in achieving tasks set down by Border Protection Command.
In his civilian job, Private Namarini works as a bush mechanic, fixing community vehicles in a region where spare parts are not easy to come by.
| 20070509adf8243523_07 Experienced NORFORCE soldier Private Richard Namarini from the Raminging Community in Arnhem Land explores an area of scrub in the Kangaroo Flats Training Area in the Northern Territory. He will teach recruits about the use of night vision equipment in the field. (Date taken: 09 May 2007) Low Res | High Res |
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| 20070509adf8243523_21 NORFORCE soldier Private James Gengi from the Gapuwiyak Community in Arnhem Land explores an area for a night lesson for recruits at the Kangaroo Flats Training Area. (Date taken: 09 May 2007) Low Res | High Res |
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| 20070512adf8243523_07 Officer in Command of Training Squadron Captain John Killen with his recently-graduated NORFORCE recruits, who take up a defensive firing pose for their Army Reserve trainers, after their return from a three-day field phase to complete basic training at Kangaroo Flats, south of Darwin. (Date taken: 12 May 2007) Low Res | High Res |
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| 20070512adf8243523_10 Army Reserve truck driver Private Marie Wilson from Darwin gives some final goodbyes to three indigenous mentors she worked closely with on the two-week NORFORCE induction course at Kangaroo Flats.From left: Private Peter Garaiwrrtja from Gapuwiyak, Private Richard Namarini from Ramingining and Private James Genghi from Gapuwiyak in the Northern Territory. (Date taken: 12 May 2007) Low Res | High Res |
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