Sinai Defence Force Driving Skills

By SSGT Paul Connor

The New Zealand Defence Force recently proved that we have the best Defence Force drivers—in Sinai. Competing in the annual Force Skills Driving Competition (FSDC), ‘Team Kiwi’ convincingly won the competition for 2010 with a total of nine points.

Tasked by Force Commander, Major General Warren Whiting to conduct the FSDC, the New Zealand Training and Advisory Team (NZTAT) rose to the task and designed an innovative competition to test around the Force Standing Orders (FSO).

Participating Defence Forces included:

• United States of America
• Hungary
• Uruguay, and
• New Zealand

Contingent teams of two pairs—each having a vehicle—competed over five stations. Teams were awarded points for the placements on each station, with the winners being awarded one point, the second placers two points and so forth. Each team members’ results were then combined for an overall team score. The team with the least amount of points were the winners.

The competition comprised the following five stations:

Station One

Theory test

The test comprised 40 questions from the Force Road Code and FSO Vol 2 Chapter 32 Vehicles and Driving. Contestants were tested on the legal requirements—for driving in Egypt and Israel—and safe driving habits.

The winner of this station was the Kiwi Team.

Station Two

Skilled driving circuit

This was designed to test driver’s ability to manoeuvre the vehicle at slow speeds through obstacles, both forwards and in reverse.

The obstacles where:

• a parallel park
• diminishing alley
• traverse angled ramp
• off set alley
• off set garaging
• slalom, forward and reverse
• reverse over a angled ramp and into a off set garage, then
• forward through another off set garage to a forward judging distance obstacle.

The Hungarian team topped this station.

Station Three

Convoy Preparation and IA Drill

This station was designed to test teams in their preparation and conduct of convoy procedures which included their incident responses as detailed in the FSO. The contestants were given a task brief—to complete the required convoy request documentation and procedures. Then they were tested on their response to difference situations, which included:

• people throwing stones
• taking photos of the Multinational Force and Observer’s (MFO) vehicles, and
• Improvised Explosive Devices with secondary devices.

The Kiwi team won this station.

Station Four

Servicing and Wheel Change

Each team was asked to complete a 14:55 pre-driving inspection (First Parade) on two vehicles. The aim of this station was to identify that contestants can conduct thorough inspections on their vehicles and also ‘safely’ change a tyre. Generally the inspection and the wheel change were conducted well.

The Uruguayan Team won this station.

Station Five

First Aid

This was designed to test the competitor’s response to a vehicle accident scene.

Teams were marked on their response to:

• the accident
• force protection
• safety aspects and,
• knowledge and application of first aid.

The winner of this station was MEDCO (Medic’s) from 1 US Support Battalion—no surprises there!

Overall, the FSDC was a solid platform to test the level of driver safety, and convoy procedure competencies within the MFO. The ‘contestants’ where all assessed at a good standard, so the training ‘competition’ was successful. Let’s just hope that when the Kiwi contingent returns home they remember to adhere to the New Zealand road code!

Results

• 1st place
  Team Kiwi from New Zealand with 9 points

• 2nd place
  US HHC of 1 SB from United States of America with 26.5 points

• 3rd place
  Team Elijah from Fiji with 27.50 points

Image Gallery - Issue 116