Army to take to streets of Wanganui at weekend

Soldiers from the Wanganui based, 5 Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Battalion Group (5WWCT) will be training on the streets of Wanganui during the weekend of 16-18 November.

Soldiers will be conducting urban patrol training in the Castlecliff area and in the city over the weekend and residents should not be alarmed to see armed soldiers conducting patrols on foot.

The urban training is being conducted as part of a wider training programme to prepare 5WWCT personnel for possible deployments to the Solomon Islands as part of the New Zealand Defence Force commitment to the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands.

All members of 5WWCT are part time soldiers in the Territorial Force of the New Zealand Army who predominantly train in the weekends. There are currently 15 members of the Battalion Group deployed to the Solomon Islands who have taken time out from their civilian employment to undertake this military task.

5WWCT personnel are recruited from the Taranaki, Wanganui and Wellington regions and hold a wide variety of civilian jobs.