Adventure and Recreation
Mission Statement
To provide and promote Adventure Training for Naval Personnel and wider Communities to enhance and develop the transferable skills required to carry out their duties.
There is little need to justify the philosophy of adventurous training. A good Serviceperson needs mental and moral self-discipline as well as physical strength and endurance; he/she needs to become accustomed to danger, hardship and challenge and these are not easy to provide within the constraints of normal peace time training.
The basic skills and craft required acquired during training in challenging pursuits in a natural environment enormously enhance the complementary military skills essential in all Service personnel. These skills, which are basically those of the traditional back countryman, are less and less inherent in the young people of today brought up in an increasingly urban environment. Such skills were traditionally developed through outdoor pursuits in a rural environment that is increasingly difficult for contemporary young adults living in our expanding urban environments to experience. Additionally, adventurous training strengthens self-confidence, forces those participating to accept responsibility and to make decisions; it is thus invaluable in the development and training of potential leaders.
The aim of adventurous training is to provide these opportunities through participation in challenging pursuits and expeditions, and those participating are to be considered as on duty. Until 2001, the above aims were met by organised adventurous training and/or expeditions by the New Entry Training School (NES), Command, Management and Divisional School (CMDS) and other proactive departments or individuals. To complement this, the Navy Adventure Training Centre (NATC) has been set up to actively promote and provide resources for Adventurous Training, Adventurous Expeditions and Recreational Activities within the RNZN.