Military Moves to cope with recession
Dom Post 14/03/2009
Air Force pilots are being seconded to Air New Zealand and the army is looking at using the nine-day fortnight to boost territorial numbers.
The initiatives come as the military looks at how it can maintain its reservist numbers and deal with the effects of the recession.
Twenty-seven of the 44 Defence Force personnel in the Solomon Islands are reservists, a 30-strong platoon of reserves serves in East Timor, five are in Sinai, two in Korea and three in Afghanistan.
"The territorials are fundamental to the organisational health of the army," Brigadier Dave Gawn said yesterday, on the eve of operation Boss Lift, which will see 11 civilian employers taken to the Solomon Islands to see what their staff do in the army.
The Defence Force and police are part of an Australasian operation to help restore governance and law and order to the Solomon Islands.
Brigadier Gawn conceded such an operation would be close to impossible without the territorials and more were needed, especially as it was not known what impact the recession would have. It could go either way, Brigadier Gawn said, suggesting that some employers would be reluctant, during tough times, to let staff go for the six months required for a territorial, while others would see it as a financial relief because the army would be paying their wages.
Brigadier Gawn said the army would look at how it could tap into the Government's proposed nine-day working fortnight. For example, the day off could be used to complete the minimum 20 days' training for a rookie territorial. "We haven't gone down that track yet, but it's something that is being looked at.
"Defence is seen as a potential contributor to that sort of thing [a nine-day working fortnight] and the territorial force lends itself to it, particularly as we are looking to grow our numbers."
There are about 1750 territorials but at least 2000 are needed. Retention is difficult because as part-time soldiers get older, family and employment demands intensify. Many are forced to quit their jobs when they are deployed overseas.
Although the use of part-time soldiers has long been a successful practice for the army, it is only now being adopted by the air force.
Air Commodore Gavin Howse said a deal with Air New Zealand could see pilots flying an airliner one day and putting on a flight suit the next. Newly trained pilots already are being released to Air New Zealand for a two-year secondment that sees the air force pay their wages.
Pilots who have left the air force to work for Air New Zealand will also be encouraged to come back on a part-time basis.
The scheme is likely to expand to other areas, particularly to avionic technicians of which there is a general shortage in New Zealand.
"It's more visionary that practical at the moment but we are committed to the relationship."
Http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2260...with-recession