Dedication required

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 33

Dedication required

A career as a commissioned officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force claims the highest expressions of a young person’s talents, both mental and physical, as the few who are chosen will occupy some of the most demanding jobs available in this country today. It is a commitment not only to a professional career, .but also to the defence of New Zealand. ■ .Officers must demonstrate dedication to their assignments, willingly accept responsibility at an early age, think critically and creatively and have the ability to communicate with clarity and precision.

They must be able to mature and develop within the service and be willing to accept constant change due to the continuing advance of military technology not only in the air, but on the ground and even under the sea. This is as true for the officers who work on the ground as it is for the aircrew. Engineers and administrators have a crucial responsibility in supervising the servicing of aircraft and supplying the needs and back-up for the men who fly them. R.N.Z.A.F. officers never stop learning. Their education is ongoing as they attend training courses in many different

subjects apd at varying levels throughout their careers. It is not enough just to know how to fly an expensive piece of aeronautical hardware, even though this is an extremely skilled and demanding accomplishment in itself. It is necessary to understand all the implications of the occupation they have chosen and are trained to carry out At Staff Colleges in New Zealand and overseas, officers study international politics, economics and the disciplines of man-management as well as military law and tactics. Some time early in

their careers, officers are usually given a secondary appointment, in charge of an airmen’s club or sporting activity within the service. This is all part of the training system, and helps to develop latent organisational abilities and broadens the officer’s base of human experience. Those entering the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the General Duties Branch, (this is pilots and navigators) must realise that one day they will be “grounded” and then take up a different but just as important and demanding task, that of executive management.