Introductions: Chris

[flagg]

G'day Rangers,

My name is Chris and I'm a serving soldier in the NZ Army(Reserves), currently in the role of Infantry Platoon Sergeant.

I've been in for 12 years and love my part-time job.

I have completed our Ranger Course(now called Aumangea Assessment Programme) and manage to keep getting invited back as a facilitator/instructor.

On civvie street I'm married with kids and own a local HD dealership.

I'm here to learn!

[Jim]

Welcome Chris, after more than three years of lurking. Please tell us more about yourself. We have a NZ Army thread on the site. Many of us served with ANZAC units in Vietnam! Let us know how we can help.

Those of us who served as advisors to the Vietnamese Ranger units have a great working relationship with the Australian veterans of the Australian Advisor Team Vietnam (AATV). A couple years ago one of their members, WO Arthur "Robbie" Robinson was selected to be an Honorary Member of the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning. Robbie served as an advisor to the VN Ranger Training Center.

We remember them each ANZAC Day.

[flagg]

Cheers Ranger Jim,

I've done a SASO tour to the Solomon Islands back in 2006.

And I've done 3 short tours to Afghanistan in 2012/13/14 on leave of absence from Army working as a capacity building contractor for our version of State Dept called MFAT.

I've read about AATTV and NZTTV, and had the opportunity to meet 2 fellas who served in NZTTV a few years back. Some really interesting history there and some early coalition operations that have become so commonplace in recent years.

Besides Family, Harleys, and training my Soldiers, my interests lie largely in the gap that exists between RF(regular force) and SF/SOF and what has filled that space in history.

I'm a "bit" of a geek when it comes to our own local SF/SOF history(as well as light infantry/SOF/SF history around the world), mostly interested not in the "XYZ" of combat operations, but in the "ABC" initial formation assessment and selection to try and identify opportunities and activities to benefit my Soldiers under training and Candidates under assessment.

On the topic of history, I had the opportunity to visit and jump at the 70th Anniversary of D-Day earlier in the year and briefly met a few of the current serving Rangers who attended as well as some of the surviving D-Day veterans.

The words "standards" and "accountability" seem to carry more weight when you hear them 1st hand rather than just read them when exploring points of difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Thanks for having me!

[Jim]

Chris, Please post what you want us to know about the NZ Army on the other peoples Army thread on the bottom of the site.

[Slowpoke]

We had some Kiwis attached to the 173rd Airborne in RVN. We never operated with them but I did run into several in our rear area at Bien Hoa. They drank like fish and couldn't speak English for shut..... all in all good guys and fun to party with, especially when they got really drunk and danced their Hake.

Welcome aboard Sarn't.

[flagg]

Chris, Please post what you want us to know about the NZ Army on the other peoples Army thread on the bottom of the site.

Will do Ranger Jim!

[flagg]

We had some Kiwis attached to the 173rd Airborne in RVN. We never operated with them but I did run into several in our rear area at Bien Hoa. They drank like fish and couldn't speak English for shut..... all in all good guys and fun to party with, especially when they got really drunk and danced their Hake.

Welcome aboard Sarn't.

Cheers Ranger Slowpoke.

Although I should add that while I'm filling the role of Infantry(Reserve) Platoon Sergeant, I'm still a Corporal until I finish my SNCO course in 2015.

I've had the chance to befriend a few fellas from 173rd in recent years, including one who served in the Ranger Regiment. Great bunch of fellas.

The Haka is a pretty big thing down here. Everyone from the All-Blacks to units to schools have them.

A very good friend(young infantry officer) just got married this past weekend and his groomsman busted out the unit Haka and laid down the challenge and he ripped out a great one in return. Great way to finish off the reception speeches and toasts and getting down to the serious business of having fun.

I'm a fan, and they seem to go over well with visitors or when overseas, but like them used sparingly to avoid diluting the value.