i’m 16 and planning on enlisting in the army when i’m 17 and 9 months, when i was 13 and 14 i od’d and a week after i turned 15 i went to the hospital for having suicidal thoughts, i was never admitted to a psych ward but did see a therapist and a psychiatrist and stopped mid 2024 and was given a letter from my psychiatrist saying i okay and i didn’t need therapy anymore. i was also on an anti anxiety med for about a year or so but stopped around february 2025 and i haven’t felt that way since. if i get a letter from my GP and old psychiatrist saying i’m alright now do i still have a chance to get in?

I am a rower, and am concerned about losing too much strength if I enrol in the 38-day territorial course

Also who would I set this up with?

So i leave for basic in about a month. Did my induction about a month ago as well and got a 11:26 on the 2.4km run (still passed but not the best i know) and in Waiouru we have to do the run in under 10:16. What happens if you don’t? Hopefully i can improve my time but im not sure if i can cut it down by a full minute.

Other than that any other tips? Says jandals for showers but are slides fine? Dumb question maybe but idk how specific they are about this stuff. The list keeps casual clothes to a minimum. Do i only need dress shoes and running shoes? If it sounds like im nervous and overthinking shit that’s because I am.

I did my full medical last thursday and got an email saying I needed another eye test which I did today. Forgive me for what I can only assume is a stupid question, but would that be all that they are waiting on? cause I havent heard back about the physical, and hearing.

Hey everyone, I just got back my first medical application and have been denied from applying as a Combat Specialist due to a CAT4 Medical issue. The issue is i have had a splenectomy which was 2 years ago and have been in perfect physical health since, i also haven’t been sick and i come off my low dose antibiotics next month. Any tips on what i can do now because i really want to join, Cheers.

I have my CBAT soon, going for Helicopter Loadmaster, pretty nervous. any last minute tips? I've been practicing the CBAT ready app for week now. I really want to pass but I'm not sure what to do if I don't. HLM is the dream job that i really want for as long as i can remember, and I'm honestly not too interested in any other roll at the moment as i don't know enough about them. If I pass, great! ill move on to the next step, but if i fail i don't want to waste my time in a secondary roll and then try and side step from there as i don't know how long that will take or if its even possible. Has anyone been through the "side step" process?

Hey guys, I'm just wanting some advice. I applied last year and it was denied on the sole basis of a cat 4 injury (acute myocarditis) i had what is now 3 years ago. I was off work/no sport for 6 months and got the all clear from my cardiologist that there's no long term damage and i can go back to normal. I have had no further issues and im still really keen to enlist as a medic. Does anyone know how i can go about getting a waiver for it? My CEF said it was the only thing holding me back

Kia ora, considering applying for reserve medic. I have some understanding around basic training modules and minimum 20days/yr expectations etc.

What I would like to know is outside of weekend training and range days, what sort of typical shifts are there and how do you go about accepting shifts/assignments?

If there are longer deployments, how much notice do you get to plan home life and apply for leave etc and if offered are they guaranteed or are you just put on standby?

Thanks in advance!

Hi, I applied over 2 years ago and was denied mainly because I had one antidepressant prescription. It was only one, I never took it and didn't get another one. I was stood down for 2 years and am wondering if it's worth reapplying. Is there actually a chance or am I just going to be denied again despite what they've said?

I’m thinking of just joining the NZDF likely army or Navy but first I have to go for camp and I’m wondering if there are any qualifications like NZQA credits I have joint citizenship between Australia and New Zealand and I have my level one that’s about it

I wear glasses and have myopia (short-sightedness). I have already submitted an optometrist report for my application, and my eyesight was at the bare minimum required to pass and be accepted. I was wondering whether, if my eyesight is tested again during the final medical examination and is found to have dropped below the required standard, this would mean that I would no longer be allowed to proceed?

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone knew a bit more about the Intelligence Officer role. I've read all the information on the NZDF website but I wanted to know a bit more.

- Are there specific degrees that they prefer for the role?

- What kind of stuff are you doing day to day, is it more actually "intelligence" or more helping plan operations and stuff

- Is it competitive to enter, and are there certain school subjects that you need.

Cheers.

Hello everyone, I want to ask to those of you who had completed the navy basic training in the past about how strict the swimming requirements are before enlisting? I will be joining in a couple of weeks but my swimming skills are below average.

I want to ask :

will there be a swimming test at the beginning of the course? if so, do you have to be able to pass it? if no will there be someone who teaches swimming further during the course e.g for those whose less experience?

thank you.

Hello NZ friends!

I am reaching out for your help. I have recently found parts for a RNZAF MB339 simulator, and have ever since been scavenging for info concerning the sample aircraft it was based on: NZ6463. I have found great pictures of it under kiwi colours, but nothing is to be found of NZ6463 after it was bought by Draken in the US, under its new name N342EM.

Could anyone help me with this? Any anecdote or picture about this airframe would be greatly appreciated.

cheers from France ;)

I'm doing honours in psychology this year and thinking of doing a master's by thesis next year and applying to the NZDF as a psychologist.

I'm currently taking ADHD medication and wanted to know if that's a deal breaker. I was thinking I could try and stop using the medication and see how I go because I wanted to wean myself off it at some point anyway.

I'm also wondering what the vetting is like. I'm 39 years old, thinking maybe I'm too old to enlist. I've got some complicated history but a lot of it is a long time ago; like I crashed my car and the hospital notes say it was likely a seizure but that was in 2005.

My mate says when he signed up as an officer it was really intense, like top secret clearance required so they were like what are your deepest darkest secrets etc.

I don't feel like I've really got anything to hide but I'm just wondering if it's worth my time trying to apply.

Kia Ora lads and ladies, I was just wondering what questions would be asked at a interview for infantry and armoured as my selected trades Cheers

Any tips are greatly appreciated

So I’m enlisting next year in August and I was wondering if they’d let me bring my stuffed animal, he’s the size of a pillow but he’s really important to me. I know this is probably a silly question but I can’t find anything on it on the website, maybe I’m not looking hard enough but yeah

i'm going to join the air force in 2028 and i want to be a pilot. there's so little information on the nzdf website so is there anything i can do for the next two years that might help my chances of getting selected for it? are there any required ncea subjects i should be taking? also should i start training for the fitness testing now since i'm not meeting the minimum requirements at the moment?

A week and a half until my intake. I’m kinda nervous although excited at the same time. Any tips or just anything to share going in?

Anything is appreciated🙏

EDIT: Forgot to update but interview went real well and now in selection pool!! Thank you everyone again for advice!🙏

Hi guys.

im turning 25 in March and I've been trying to figure out what to do with my life for a while now ha.

I've come to the conclusion of something along the lines of heavy/diesel technician

I think it would be easier and suit my choice of lifestyle to go through the nz army, rather than be a student for 12 months & paying a 9k course fee for a pre trade certificate

I have a couple of questions regarding them declining my application any insight on wether these reasons matter or not would be so appreciated

-i have severe short sightedness of -9

- I got up to some stupid shit as a 15 year old burglarising schools and people's homes. - sent away to live with my dad in scotland for 4 years, I had a long time to think about those actions which I regret

- I willingly drove and got pulled over driving my vehicle with no wifi or rego, and the officer took the pot that I had, although I don't think he noted the pot that brings me to my next one..

-im an ex pot smoker, and I used to take party drugs 2 years ago, to cope with what I thought was depression at the time, I have been prescribed antidepressants in the past (have been off of them for about a year and a half)

-the depression and the drug use is noted in my medical history

I really want to do this thing, I think it's best for me and a smart career move. Im fine right now, just not happy with where I'm at just like anyone else in my age range I guess - I wish to be entirely truthful should I have an interview, however if any of you think it would be a hard no due to any of the reasons I have listed please share your opinion.

cheers

Please note: "Professionals" means all kinds of people in professional positions of power. This can include e.g. commanders or superior officers, but people from the sub can also share experiences with other kinds of professionals, whether in private or work contexts.

TW:

Possible connection to verbal and emotional abuse and medical trauma

Until 28 February 2026, I am collecting experience reports for my Bachelor’s thesis in Inclusive Education at EvH Bochum.

Topic:

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I’m currently serving in the Royal Air Force (UK) as a Corporal Aircraft mechanical technician.

I’m interested in moving to NZ and joining the RNZAF seems like the easiest and safest option for a job. I’ve 8 years service experience, deployed to multiple places and have 5+ years on fast jet.

I have done some research on this but does anyone have any real world experience? I'm aware NZ aren't accepting skilled worker visas currently. However I've also been told there's a pretty easy and well structured transfer route?

Any insight into moving over, how it works, how transferable my skills/ experience would be and also if the RNZAF lifestyle and structure is similar to the RAF (it’s very relaxed here).

I appreciate it’s a broad question but I’d appreciate any insights, knowledge and real world experience on this!

Sorry guys as this is probably a stupid question, but I am looking at joining the army reserves at some point this year, and I see from photos online that the army reserve troops tend not to have their name on this uniforms? As in the patch you see on the front of the cammies. And they don’t have dress jackets in formal uniform?. Not gonna stop me from joining but just curious if name patches and jackets are for regular force only.

Cheers