The soldiers in action in Warrnambool.
ARMY Reservists were put to the test at the weekend with the focus on urban warfare.
About 100 men and women Army Reserve members of the 8/7 Battalion, Royal Victorian Regiment, were part of a training exercise held at the Pertobe Road depot. The training involved using different weapons and tactics to clear buildings.
Corporal Warrick Petering said the urban area training was important because a lot of battles were now in towns and cities rather than jungles.
“In a lot of instances the enemy is now in built-up areas,” he said. “One exercise was clearing through the depot using blank ammunition.
“You’re going through rooms, you don’t know if a guy is going to pop around a corner. It’s quite high-tempo.”
Corporal Petering said most reserves had been drawn to the challenge because of the camaraderie.
“It’s a good culture,” he said. “This is something that’s a bit different.”
Corporal Petering said the training had been utilised recently by seven members who were deployed for eight months in East Timor.
