Quick thinking, rapid deployment, and long days are what Territorial Force soldiers can expect this week in Waiouru as they undertake their annual week of intensive field training. "Exercise El Maadi" is the Territorial Force annual field exercise that will bring together Reservist soldiers from across the North Island to enhance their skills and train them toward deploying overseas.

The week long exercise will begin with a number of small scenarios designed to confirm individual skills such as leadership, patrolling, medical procedures and vehicle checkpoints, culminating in a three day exercise that will combine these skills in a peacekeeping role.

"Exercise El Maadi will challenge the territorial soldier in the same way that they would be challenged in any deployment," says Colonel Jon Broadley, Deputy Commander for the 2nd Land Force Group. "This will enable them to fully prepare for participation in Army deployments like those in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), Afghanistan, and Timor Leste."

Currently 40 Territorial soldiers and officers are part of the 562 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 14 operations, in 10 countries on UN missions and defence exercises around the world, in places such as Antarctica, Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, and Korea.