Top shooter right on the mark as he gets his Army career underway

Constantly refining his skill has been of the utmost importance to him, and it’s something that’s also seen him take out the Top Shot award on the latest New Zealand Army Reserve Force recruit course, given to the most accurate shooter.

“Shooting in the Army is different than hunting although there’s definitely similarities. It’s important for me to always be at the top of my game in my work, you don’t want to maim an animal, it needs to be a clean shot.”

On the day of the weapons qualification Private Hartnell had his reservations on how well he’d done, but hoped he might be a contender for the award. 

“When I went down to the targets a couple of the guys asked who was on lane one because ‘they’d done amazingly well’.  I was pretty stoked - it was my lane. I hadn’t done as badly as I’d thought!” 

The 33 year old, who grew up on Auckland’s North Shore, but who has lived in the Waikato for the past seven years, liked the idea of helping others and particularly those in need, and decided the timing was right to join the Army’s Reserve Force.

By joining the Reserve Force you can make a real difference locally, in the Pacific and further abroad - whether that’s through civil defence, peacekeeping or combat roles.

Private Hartnell said that while the military is certainly an adventure, it comes with serious responsibilities and sacrifices too.

“At the end of the day you’re a trained soldier who may be required to pick up arms and fight in combat.  

“It’s a good idea to talk to serving soldiers to find out more about the Army so it prepares you for your training.” 

He says the camaraderie between section members has been a highlight for him, and being more experienced in various areas has enabled him to take a step back and help others.

“We’ve learnt to rely on each other and help out when we need to so everyone is squared away.  We’ve become a pretty tight knit group actually.” 

Private Hartnell is heading to 3/6 Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment based in Auckland and is looking forward to being a member of the Battalion. 

Keen on hearing more?

Any Defence Recruiting enquiries can be directed to 0800 1 FORCE.  Each Reserve Force company has its own training programme in line with its battalion’s training focus. Company level training typically occurs one weekend a month with platoon level training occurring once a week.