Forces still popular

Press, 24 November 1979, Page 22

Forces still popular

The challenge and adventure offered by the Armed Forces continues to attract thousands of inquiries from New Zealanders interested in enlisting. This was the opinion of the Deputy Director of Recuriting for the Army (Major R. N. Walker), and the Director of Recruiting for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (Wing Commander B. E. Gilliver), who were in Christchurch this week to meet local recruiting officers. Major Walker said that most ' people joined the Armed Forces to learn a

trade, for security, and to gain overseas travel. Many were also lured by the challenge and adventure which had always been part of army life, he said. “The role of the Army in peace time is to train for war. The Army is also involved in civil defence, community projects (local and overseas), and search and rescue work, he said. “There is still a need for trained soldiers — that is what the Army is all about.” There had been an in- . crease in the number of women applying to enter the Armed Forces, particularly

the Army. The main problem, with recruiting women was! providing accommodation I for them in the camps. How-' ever, the Armed Forces were bound by the rules of the Human Rights Commission and did not discriminate' between sexes, said Major Walker. He estimated that there would be one woman to every three men in the Regular Force and as many as one woman to everv two men in the task forces. The proportion of women in the! R.N.Z.A.F. and Royal New Zealand Navy was not as high.