5RAR building junior-leader battle skills

By day or night, an infantry soldier is expected to operate, lead and command.

CAPTION: Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, prepare to lead a section during the Section Commanders Battle Course in Darwin, NT. Story by Captain Annie Richardson. Photos by Corporal Gregory Scott.

Members of the 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR) have been learning to do just that on the Royal Australian Infantry Section Commanders Battle Course (SCBC).

The SCBC is a cornerstone for junior non-commissioned officers to refine their leadership skills within the complexities of the battlefield.

Designed to foster safe and strategic leadership skills, participants are tasked with navigating and orchestrating a section of soldiers through various combat situations in urban and wooded environments.

CAPTION: Soldiers work alongside role-players to safely lead them through a simulated battlefield at Defence Establishment Berrimah in Darwin.

Major Samuel Hand, senior instructor on the course, said soldiers from Army’s 1st Brigade were immersed in various tactical scenarios.

“We’ve been training across Darwin, including at the Marrara Sports Precinct and the Northern Transportables [transportable building company], which all enhances the realism and effectiveness of the training regimen,” Major Hand said.

“We’re also using service weapons, which have been augmented for paint ammunition to provide increased realism to the combat scenarios.”

CAPTION: Soldiers prepare to lead a section during the Section Commanders Battle Course.

From urban environments to open terrain, participants of the course were challenged to adapt and overcome a spectrum of challenges representative of modern warfare that, he said, equipped the teams with skills to excel and confront challenges in future operations, including across the littoral environment.

“By practising battle scenarios across diverse landscapes, soldiers gain invaluable experience in manoeuvring and executing missions effectively,” Major Hand said.

“It significantly enhances our individual skills, but it also builds cohesive unit dynamics, which is essential for success on the battlefield.”

The soldiers of 5RAR will put their newly acquired skills to the test as the brigade training season hits full swing in the coming weeks.

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