Anzac feature: The benefits of serving in the armed forces are multi-facetted

That’s the view of Joel Bradley, who with his wife Deeanna is responsible for coordinating the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) at Number Twelve, in Te Kūiti.

The couple met at high school, then joined the New Zealand Army one year apart. Deeanna served as a chef and Joel, as a rifleman.

He rose through the ranks to become a corporal which he has many stories about, one being deploying to Iraq where he commanded a small team who provided security for Kiwis training Iraqi soldiers.

Eleven years later the couple decided it was time to move back home with their family of three boys. In their new civilian roles, Joel and Deeanna have been running the MTFJ rural resilience programme which has placed 65 young people into work since July last year, mostly with local companies.

“The training I have had helps me so much in my role now,” Joel said.

“There are too many young and not so young people who aren’t prepared for work or life. Regardless of the job you do, you need to be reliable, able to work in a team, have good communication skills and be able to deal with conflict and take critical feedback. We have helped so many young people develop these skills, and it is these skills that will help them not just keep the job but thrive in it.

“Employers too are really appreciating our efforts as this is the area they struggle with. We are now training facilitators for the Youth Employability Programme and are loving delivering this at Te Kūiti High School and Te Wharekura o Maniapoto.

"It makes sense to learn and reinforce these key modules with fun activities whilst they are still at school. As this is the first year of the Youth Employability Programme, we are all still learning but so far, the feedback and engagement from the students and school has been awesome.”

As to leading the operation, for this Joel credits skills and values he and Deeanna acquired during their years of military service.

“It’s simple, without the army there is no way Deeanna and I would be where we are today,” Joel added.

The military does not have to be a life-time career, but it can provide an excellent start to a greater career.

“And if you are not into university; the army, navy or air force can provide a perfect start. You are paid to train while you get your qualifications and you are saving right away, whether it be for a car or buying your first house.

“You get to travel the world for free – I have been lucky enough to go to Australia, Samoa, Hawaii, Singapore, and Iraq.

“While each trade brings its own specific training, which a lot of them you can use later in civilian life – you acquire so many values and skills that are not written down on paper, which stay with you for life. Some of these are the life and leadership skills you get working in a team and the respect and bond you have with your teammates.

“In the army you learn the value of a team because at the end of the day it could be life and death. The bond and sense of brotherhood you gain from those around you just can’t be beaten. Getting to the realisation of seeing the value in a team is a skill set in itself.”

Then there is the work ethic.

“You work hard when it is time to work. You may be out in the bush for two weeks, or possibly up to six weeks at a time and there are no weekends o . This expectation is hard to match in civilian life but military people take it on board. It’s just part of the job.”

He was born and raised in Te Kuiti and is the son of Journey Church pastors Terry and Rowena Bradley.

As a youngster he went to Pukenui Primary School and Te Kūiti High School.

“I always knew that I was going to join the army because that was my dream job because my dad was in the army as well. So that was basically my focus during my schooling. I loved high school, though definitely I was more of a sports player than an academic.”

Then came a shock. In Year 13 Joel went through the full process of applying to join the army but failed his aptitude test.

“You only get two shots at that, so it was a wakeup call. I felt lost and did not know what to do but our principal Bruce Stephens phoned me and said I could join the military services academy the following year and it would be a perfect preparation to reapply.

“It was an opportunity to grow, get fit and build these really good military skills. And they gave me additional maths tuition which helped me pass the test.”

Joel joined the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1RNZIR) then later, Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles (QAMR) which is the mounted rifles unit which works with Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVS).

“Then in 2014 I did the sniper’s course and passed that which was easily the biggest success of my army career.”

In 2015 he was posted into Recon platoon in the sniper cell and from there he was promoted to lance corporal and sniper team leader. He then passed his sniper supervisor’s qualification to become a sniper sergeant, which involved running sniper training.

“That’s when I got to be deployed to Iraq as a section commander providing security for New Zealand Army security teams and assisted in providing training for Iraqi army security forces, which was enjoyable.”

Coming back to New Zealand Joel did a few more years with the army and then he and Deeanna spent their final year as instructors at the Army Youth Development Unit in Whenuapai.

“It was great to go full circle, from being a student in the academy, providing the same experience which had led me to join the army 10 years earlier. The living proof that the military academy works, and what a success it can be for youngsters.”

This piece was one of a four-part Anzac feature, focusing on the next generation to serve and protect. Others in the feature include Zoe Ball recalling her time in the navy straight from school, Hannah Searancke's decision to leave university for the New Zealand Defence Force, and a look at the knitted poppies that have been donated for local services.