About 20 young people aged between 12 and 17 from Brewarrina, Walgett, Moree and Bourke have attended the six-day To Reach Your Potential (TRYP) military-style boot camp near Nowra, funded by a NSW Police Force Aboriginal Strategic Direction grant.

Jamarlia Orcher, 16, was one of four students from Brewarrina who made the trip, and said the camp was challenging but rewarding.

"It is tough, but it's going really well," she said.

"They're sending us to training and letting us learn all about discipline, friendship, respect."

The camp is run by Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Col Watego, an Indigenous army officer with 40 years experience in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Camp trainers use physical challenges and team-building exercises, such as bushwalking and late-night challenges, to instill struggling young people with confidence, discipline and respect.

Service providers and community workers, from police and teachers to FACS (Family and Community Services) caseworkers also attended the camp, and RSM Watego said they played a pivotal part in the process.

"It's imperative for [members of the] community to do the program with the youth," RSM Watego said.

"If you're going to have an impact in someone's life, you've got to establish a relationship. And by establishing that rapport, when those young fellas go back home, when they start to struggle, they've got those people they can go and talk to, and trust."

Darling River Local Area Commander Superintendent Greg Moore attended the camp, and accompanied Jamarlia and the seven other kids from Brewarrina and Bourke.

The command's top police officer endured a few sleepless nights at the camp, but said "if we change one of these children's lives for the better, it's worth it".

"Some of these youths have had a point in their time where they've had a challenging time and now they're facing a fork in the road," Superintendent Moore said.

"It's making sure we're supporting those youth to choose the right fork."

"We are seeing a significant change in the way they are interacting with others, their confidence, [getting them to] take these values and try to instill them to change their lives and have the confidence to ignore bad choices and the enemy, and the enemy in everyday terms could be drugs, alcohol, it could be truanting, violence, abuse."

Jamarlia said having the local copper along for the adventure was a bit weird, but good.

"He's been very encouraging along the way," she said.

And she said the camp was definitely a "great opportunity" and a life-changing experience.

"It feels good, overwhelming," Jamarlia said about what she had achieved during the week.

"After going through an obstacle called graveyard - a narrow passageway going through trees, going down hills and through ditches at about one in the morning - I pretty much overcame all my fears," she said.

"After that I reckon I can do anything."