By John Andrews and Dean Austen
A decision by the Army to stop using live ammunition during training manoeuvres has raised fears that our troops will be ill-prepared for overseas combat duty.
Some Army officers worry that soldiers deployed abroad might injure themselves and harm the New Zealand Defence Force's image because
they are not skilled enough.
The officers shudder at thoughts of soldiers suffering self-inflicted bullet wounds as a result of inadequate training. They blame penny-pinching policies of the force's command at the behest of the Government.
However, the Army said yesterday using live ammunition for training was no longer seen as the best way to prepare troops.
The Chief of General Staff, Major-General Maurice Dodson, said that for obvious safety reasons field-firing exercises must be one-sided, giving no indication of the casualties that might be received.
"There is usually so much emphasis on safety that normal manoeuvres are restricted and therefore unrealistic."
He said the best way to train soldiers was using weapons-effects systems against a live enemy, such as electronic simulator packs that soldiers wore during exercises and which sounded an alarm when hit.
Live field-firing exercises were suspended in July last year. Live firing on shooting ranges has continued as normal.
New Zealand Herald sources have questioned how, without the live field-firing training, the Army can deliver what the Government requires - particularly if asked to supply peacekeeping troops overseas.
One Herald source with links to the Army said: "Some of the officers are almost paranoid. They are concerned about the safety and credibility of the soldiers."
Major-General Dodson said he would consider reviewing the live-firing suspension if a "clear rationale" could be established showing it was the most appropriate training method.
Officers charged with training soldiers have also expressed frustrations over a shortage of 5.56-calibre blank ammunition.
The Army recently lodged an urgent order for millions of rounds from the Wanganui manufacturer of blanks, Belmont Ammunition. Its general manager, Bruce McMillan, said cheaper ammunition from overseas suppliers had led to a "major bother with product that did not work."
An Army spokesman said there had been a temporary shortage of blank ammunition, but that was a supply issue, not a funding issue, and had now been resolved.
