The New Zealand Short-Term Maritime Training Team (S.T.M.T.T) conducted practical training on Friday at the Police Maritime Wing situated at the Mata-Utu Wharf to upskill members of the Samoa Maritime Police.

Officials from the New Zealand Royal Navy have led their first maritime initiative, both theoretical and practical, in Samoa before their departure to other countries. Samoa is the first country to benefit from this initiative.

Commander Phil Rowe, Fleet Seamanship and Executive Officer for the New Zealand Royal Navy, said the initiative provides short-term maritime training to Pacific partners.

The training team comprises 18 members and is based in Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand. According to Commander Rowe, their primary focus is to ensure their ships and crews are safe and able to conduct operations.

“The training is conducted over four phases - phase one was to visit here and to find out what maritime training was required. We are now in phase 2,” said Commander Rowe.

“We have been providing medical training, search and rescue training and the ability to board vessels to conduct the searches,” added Commander Rowe.

Phase two consists of the officers learning basic first-aid, how to perform CPR, and the bandaging of people.

Phase three will be in two weeks and involve the inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Taupō from New Zealand. This is the phase where the officers will tackle the boarding aspect.

Phase four which will involve the new launch, will have some first aid and according to Commander Rowe a possible phase five once the patrol vessel Nafanua II is back in Samoa's waters.

According to Commander Rowe, 32 Police officers from Samoa Maritime Police are participating in the initiative; these officers will gain a certificate for participating in the program. 

Culture Assistance, Desmond Bentin,  is involved in the practical training and said the training has been good despite not having all the equipment at the moment. 

“We do understand that in New Zealand and being part of a defence force, we have to do everything at a certain time” said Bentin.

“I do know when coming back home for our people, it’s like if you put on a one-hour PowerPoint without breaks - it’s gonna be really rough,” added Bentin. 

Bentin works closely with other trainers to ensure that the training processes are tailored more to the maritime officers than the trainers themselves. 

“We try to adapt to make it a lot more fun and easier for them to take in the knowledge”, added Mr Bentin. 

Bentin hails from the village of Magiagi; he was onboarded as a culture assistant for this program but is usually positioned as an Intelligence specialist for the Navy.  

A navigator trainee,  Rosalia Manutulila, told the Samoa Observer that she has enjoyed her experience in the program so far.

“It’s easy for now because the theory goes hand in hand with the practical. We are given scenarios then we have to plan how we will work around the scenario.”

She said that training like this is very important because it is not only useful at sea but can also be useful to her community and at home.

Manutulila joined the maritime police in 2018 as one of the first three females in the workforce. Fast forward to 2023, only two other women officers have joined.

Despite the job being male-dominated Manutulila  said that women can work just as hard as men.

The program ran for this entire week, with classes starting at 9am and finishing at 3pm.