1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment

03/04/2026

Our LAV crews proving themselves on the world stage.

🟫🟥🟩

♦️

02/04/2026

Ka rawe to our crews who competed in the USMC ‘Bushmaster Challenge’. Taking out the Top Crew prize and representing the Battalion with professionalism and mana.

Well done lads.

Onward

♦️

🟫🟥🟩

27/03/2026

1st (NZ) Brigade Skill At Arms Competition

Our Battalion’s Skill at Arms team did themselves, their Companies, and the Unit proud at the Brigade SAA competition.

They delivered outstanding performances across multiple stands, achieving some of the highest scores of the day. Out of 13 competing teams, they secured a very strong 2nd place. 🥈

A big thank you to:
• SSGT T from Support Company, our Team Manager, for the dedication and hard work in preparing the team.
• CPL R from RSS Platoon, for stepping up and leading the section so well.
• All the Battalion members who ran the stands and provided support throughout the competition.

To the entire SAA team — hold your heads high. You represented the Battalion with mana and professionalism.

Well done, lads.

Onward ♦️

15/03/2026

Ka rawe CPL Voice!

All of our Medical Team are valued members of the Battalion and key enablers to our combat capability.

Onward ♦️

STORY📰 Digging trenches and setting up ambushes is just as much a part of the job as providing trauma aid to casualties, for medic and marksman shooter, Corporal Amanda Voice.

Over the past three years, Corporal Voice has spent three months in the United Kingdom on operations, and deployed on exercise across the Pacific from Australia to Fiji and New Caledonia.

Corporal Voice recently attended Exercise Nui Dat in Waiouru, where soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment honed their skills across both mounted and unmounted weapon systems. This included high explosive and anti-armour support weapons.

“I always wanted to be a medic, and that combined with the physicality of being in the Army is the main reason I joined up.” ~ Corporal Amanda Voice

Read more ➡️ nzdf.mil.nz/CPL-Amanda-Voice

24/02/2026

23/02/2026

Ex Nui Dat - Update

As the exercise progresses, the companies are moving through more complex and challenging live firing iterations.

Victor Company’s LAV troop has moved out to Te Rotete Track for mounted section quick and deliberate attacks. Whilst their dismounts are honing their pairs and section battle drills, as well as throwing HE Grenades.

Concurrently, Whiskey Company complete are conducting dismounted quick attacks whilst their Bushmaster PV-M work up to platoon mounted live firing runs.

Training hard. Staying sharp. Ready when needed.

Onward ♦️

19/02/2026

Exercise Nui Dat is progressing well, with strong results across the gunnery camp.

High-explosive live firing has been completed successfully, qualifying our 40mm grenadiers, 84mm Carl Gustav teams, and M72 firers.

LSW section gunners have qualified out to 600 meters, demonstrating good consistency at longer ranges.

Section marksmen have qualified on the Designated Marksman Weapon, strengthening the sections' precision capability.

NZLAV sections have completed their Zulu LAV fire and maneuver exercise and are now focusing on mounted maneuver, utilizing the vehicle's mobility and firepower to advance and engage effectively.

Concurrently, all Battalion members have been qualifying on the G***k pistol and completing extensive Close Combat shooting training under our highly capable trainers.

A1 Echelon and Bushmaster live field firing has commenced in Paradise Valley, building integrated combat power and sustainment.

These achievements continue to push the Battalion forward, ensuring infantry, armor, and support elements train as a cohesive team, ready for operations.

Training hard, staying sharp, ready when needed.

Onward. ♦️

17/02/2026

Exercise Nui Dat is in full swing, and 1 RNZIR has started the year strong with an intensive gunnery camp.

Over the next three weeks, multiple ranges are running concurrently. Today our soldiers completed pistol and LSW qualifications, worked on close-quarter shooting skills, and conducted a static NZLAV field shoot.

Victor, Whiskey, and Support Companies are steadily building toward platoon-level combined live-fire exercises—day and night—incorporating both NZLAV and Bushmaster vehicles by the end of the exercise.

This training is a key step in maintaining the Battalion’s combat readiness, bringing infantry, armour, and support elements together as a cohesive, capable team—ready for operations when called upon.
Training hard. Staying sharp. Ready when needed.

Onward ♦️

03/02/2026

Ka rawe CPL Jane and the rest of our personnel on the response to support the Tairāwhiti - East Coast community in their time of need.

Onward ♦️

For 🪖 Corporal Brian Jane, being tasked as one of the 140 NZDF troops on the ground to help isolated Tairāwhiti communities is something very close to his heart 💓.
He has family ties to the Matete whānau in Whangara, Pewhairangi whānau in Tokomaru Bay, and the Greening, Mc Clutchie and Te Ngaere whānau in Ruatorea.
“The feeling of being able to come back to Tairāwhiti to help after the recent flooding gives a real sense of pride,” says Corporal Jane. “Being able to give back to the communities gives a strong feeling of reward.”
He’s been involved on the logistics side, driving trucks 🛻 to transport stores, food, water and machinery to help sustain the response efforts.
Ka rawe Corporal Jane – welcome home. 🏡

NZ Defence Force

06/12/2025

1RNZIR Haka to farewell LTCOL Tinsley

06/12/2025

06/12/2025

1RNZIR Commanding Officer handover and Amaglamation parade♦️

At the end of a distinguished tenure in command of 1RNZIR, Friday saw LTCOL Jason Tinsley hand the colours of the Battalion to the incoming CO, LTCOL Caleb Berry. In a parade overseen by the Chief of Army, LTCOL Berry took command of the Battalion and lead the amalgamation of QAMR and 1RNZIR to form the Motorised Infantry Battalion (MIB) known as 1RNZIR.

1RNZIR represents a significant step forward in combat capability for the NZ Army that is now reflected in both our garrison and field structures. It has seen the integration of hundreds of passionate and dedicated warriors from many Corps to form this Battalion.

1RNZIR thanks LTCOL Tinsley and his family for his efforts as CO, and we wish him every success in his future postings.

ONWARD ♦️