Spreading their wings
New MCW to provide training for Bushmasters

Light Horse heritage now shared: OC MCW Capt John Papalitsas receives 20th Light Horse Regiment memorabilia from Commandant CATC Col Peter Singh at the official opening of the Motorised Combat Wing in Puckapunyal. Photo by Cpl Damian Shovell, Army newspaper

By Cpl Damian Shovell

ARMY is preparing for the introduction of the Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV) with the official opening of Motorised Combat Wing (MCW) at CATC Puckapunyal on June 17.

Commandant CATC Col Peter Singh opened MCW where he entrusted a saddle blanket, cavalry sabre and spurs from 20th Light Horse Regiment (20LHR) to MCW as it prepares to take up its role in providing all IMV training on the six Bushmaster variants to both Army and Air Force.

“Today MCW was stood up in preparation for next year when it will commence training more than 400 trainees annually,” he said.

He said the training provided by infantry, transport, artillery, armoured corps and Air Force instructors would be of the highest standard and charged MCW with the responsibility of enhancing the capacity of infantrymen to manoeuvre, impose firepower and be protected on the battlefield.

He said CATC was about training soldiers to attain professional mastery and fighting spirit and in line with this, told MCW to take inspiration from Australia’s rich history in its mounted rifles and light horse regiments.

“With the advent of the IMV, the modern infantryman returns to the mounted rifles and light horse concept,” he said

He said the light horse heritage will now be shared between motorised infantry and the armoured corps and as a symbol of this, MCW will display the memorabilia from 20LHR, a direct descendant from the Victorian Mounted Rifles raised in 1885, which evolved into the 20th Motorised Regt in WW2.

OC MCW Capt John Papalitsas said ADI would commence training 24 ALTC maintenance instructors and six MCW instructors from July 19.

MCW expected to begin training predominantly 7 Bde soldiers and Air Force Airfield Defence Guards from May 2005, which will be delivered in three 16-day courses.

“The IMV Drivers course will provide training on driving, and driver-level maintenance and recovery,” Capt Papalitsas said.

“The Operators course will provide training on employment of the vehicle in tactical formations at platoon level, and the Supervisor’s course will train junior NCOs [and] officers in the supervision of tactical IMV operations within an environment of threat.

Capt Papalitsas said the Army was in the process of developing a number of new tactics, techniques, procedures and training for IMV employment within both the Army and the Air Force, and that the six MCW instructors would have the Training Management Plan completed this year.

“This has required the development of new skill sets, and the re-learning of old lessons that now lie in our heritage,” he said.

Further information on MCW is available on the Defence intranet at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/MCW/ or by calling the MCW inquiry line on (03) 5735 6299