We would like to wish a happy Corps Day to one of the smallest and youngest corps in the New Zealand Army, but one with an important role in developing and maintaining the Army’s well-being, health, and fitness: The New Zealand Army Physical Training Corps.
The word “PTI” usually sends shivers down the spine of anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting one in the gymnasium, but they are by far one of the most important aspects of a soldier’s life. The sole focus of a Physical Training Instructor is the health, fitness and wellbeing of their fellow soldiers. They ensure soldiers are physically capable to conduct their day-to-day and operational duties, empower soldiers to strive to excel, support mental health and wellbeing, and enable leadership development through team-based activities. A PTI also fosters community spirit through recreational and sports activities, and supports soldiers in rehabilitation to recover from injury. Summed up in one phrase? A PTI ensures our forces are “Fit to Fight”. As well as causing the requisite physical discomfort, they are also our friends and colleagues, with a high level of personal and physical standards, and scientific and technical knowledge, that inspire.
In its earliest form “physical training” for New Zealand soldiers was confined to mainly route marching with the only intent to keep up battle fitness, and post-WWI (pre-WWII) gymnastics was added by platoon sergeants and commanders. It was not until 1949, when two British physical training instructors were sent to New Zealand for a two-year stint, that formalised and scientific-based physical training was introduced. New Zealand owes its world-class military fitness instruction to Warrant Officer Jimmy Page and Sergeant ‘Jacko’ Jackson who, based in Trentham Camp, ran the Assistant Physical Training Instructors Course (that still runs along similar lines today) and the most loved-to-hate profession within the New Zealand Defence Force was born, although the Corps was not officially formed until 1987.
Learn what WWI soldiers got up to when they were not at the front.