Comp aims to refine soldiers’ skills

THE Papua New Guinea Defence Force 2019 Skill at Arms Meet is a competition that assess soldiers’ skills and ensures weapons are maintained, PNGDF Chief of Force Preparation Col Siale Diro says.
Diro said shooting was a fundamental skill for every soldier, sailor and airforce man and it was important that they knew how to handle them safely.
Diro said he had asked the commanding officer (CO) of the Goldie River Training Depot in Port Moresby, during the opening of the competition, to collect feedback from soldiers to improve their training programmes.
“I have asked the CO and his staff to give me some feedback from you (soldiers) at the end of this competition on what you think our weapon systems are like, our strengths and weaknesses, and what we need to do to improve our capability,” Diro said.
He said the PNGDF had introduced combat shooting into the competition this year and urged participants to maintain their conversional shooting skills of the past during the competition.
Goldie River Training Depot CO and chief instructor Lt Col James Kadiesany said PNGDF units from all over the country would participate in the competition except for Igam Barracks in Lae, Morobe.
He said 15 soldiers (five reserves and 10 shooters) would be selected from the competition to represent PNGDF in the Australian Skill at Arms Meet in Melbourne next year.