The NSM Committee (better known as the Troop Committee) can be found in almost any army company. The committee which functions like any other committee is made up of a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a secretary. It also has representatives from all the platoons,
The aims of the committee were to resolve problems and collect suggestions that the troops had. These were then brought directly to the Company Commanders attention. This was done by having regular meetings in which minutes were taken and later forwarded to the Company Commander for his remarks. The feedback received from the commander would then be read at the next meeting of the committee. This would then be given back to the troops via their representatives on the committee.
The idea was that the issues discussed on the committee were to the benefit of all the members of the company. To certain members it was easier to bring up a problem at a meeting than going through the various channels, which at times could be a bit embarrassing and too long. Some problems needed immediate attention as well.
The BRAVO/ECHO troop committee held its first meeting on 30 July 1985 at 21h00. The chairman was Rfn D.F.S. Engelbrecht and the vice-chairman was Rfn J. Schutte. There were 14 additional members. The main issue of the opening meeting was that of the food being prepared in B-Mess.
Soon the members for various courses (chefs, signallers, medics, etc.) left and many of the committee members had left as well. A new committee was therefore elected, the reigns going to Rfn Schutte, with Rfn R. Di Giacomo as the new vice-chairman. The main issue during this period was the shortage of passes.
More members were selected to do various courses and on 20 November 1985 a new committee was elected. The new chairman was now Rfn D.J. Wolfaardt and the new vice-chairman was Rfn G.L. Kerr-Phillips. Issues of importance during this period were the long hours spent on patrols in Tembisa, and VTB time (Vryetyds-Besteding).
On 27 May 1986 a new vice-chairman was elected, namely Rfn C.T. Perry. After riots, and the training for border duty, matters which arose in the minutes included : pass, beds and mattrasses, toilets, and the canteen. The most important issue was probably the letter which was sent to the Complaints Office in Pretoria. A certain member decided to use the company's name as a signature. Some untruths were mentioned, and the committee decided to correct this by writing a letter of apology to the Complaints Office to set the record straight.
In November 1986 Rfn Wolfaardt left to join the Navy permanently. L/Cpl W. Ghirlanda was elected chairman and L/Cpl Perry remained on as vice-chairman. Issues that were brought to the attention of the committee were mainly border-related ones : lights bulbs, bad rations, and Rfn Pozyn's compass money. At the same time the committee structure and constitution changed so as to accommodate the company commander and company sergeant-major who could then give immediate attention to the issues mentioned.
The rank promotions, the back-pay for these members, the medics promotion and R10,00 monthly deductions, and Rfn Pozyn's money for the compass he supposedly lost were definitely the main headaches of the committee and each of these issues had at least seven mentions in the minutes. Most of these have been cleared up thanks to 7 SAI, but issues such as that of the medics have still not been resolved.
In the two years that the committee existed it managed to accomplish much, but at times was unsuccessful due to the many walls it walked into. In the two years, the committee met 42 times and has been a strong part of BRAVO/ECHO company. This was mainly due to the dedication of the committee members. THANKS GUYS !
THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO WISH THE MEMBERS OF ECHO COMPANY A HAPPY RETURN TO CIVVY STREET !!!
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