Army Fundamentals: From Making Soldiers to the Limits of the Military Instrument

How does an Army recruit attain an identity with soldierhood? What do they give up and what do they gain? What happens when a young officer, indoctrinated in a military way of thinking, is thrust into the academic, free-thinking environment of a university? When military units are deployed in insecure environments to enhance security and governance while facilitating reconstruction and development, what separates the humanitarian from the soldier? And are the roles in fact compatible? The New Zealand Army is facing challenges in recruiting and retaining women — how does the Anzac legend and national identity contribute to that? Can a modern warrior be a woman? Do NZDF personnel on deployment really ‘punch above their weight’ or is this a myth? What happens when our forces overseas move into policing?

All these major issues are addressed in this fascinating and compelling book, in which expert authors delve deep into New Zealand’s modern-day Army. As the foreword notes, this book delves ‘into some of the seemingly idiosyncratic aspects of the New Zealand Army’s culture, value system, enculturation practices and operational learning with vignettes, case studies, and observations that help explain military purpose, action and effect. It shows how the New Zealand Army’s traditions, practices and values seek to fit its members to cope, survive and succeed in contemporary operational settings.’