armynews10 June 2008

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Three ServiceS aS one Force, being The beST in everyThing we do

02newsCouragE, CommItmENt, ComraDEShIp aND INtEgrIty

The Army News is published for the Regular and Territorial Force and civilian staff of the New Zealand Army.

Editor: Judith Martin phone 04-496-0227 or dTeln 349-7227 fax 04-496-0290 email judith.martin@nzdf.mil.nz

Correspondents: Linton: Faye Lougher 0274 862 428 gary Parkes 027 212 9109waiouru: Pete Smithies 0273 595 341hawke's bay: caroline williams 021 509 699

Website: www.army.mil.nzPrinting: aPn Print, hastings.design: duncan allan, dPrU

editorial contributions and letters are welcomed. They may be sent direct to the Army News and do not need to be forwarded through normal command channels. Submit them to The editor, Army News, dPrU, hQ nZdF, Private bag 39994, wellington, or by email with a hard copy signed with the writer’s name, rank and unit. hard-copy submissions should be typed, double-spaced and printed on one side of the paper only.nothing in the Army News should be taken as overriding any nZdF regulation. readers should refer to the relevant service publication before acting on any information given in this newspaper. ISSN 1170-4411

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covEr imagE: private Jarley hayden, of the gyro 4 haka party, welcomes the incoming contingent in timor leste, photo: corporal chris moore, australian army.

to bE a mEmbEr of thE nEw ZEaland ordEr of mErit (mnZm):Colonel Timothy Keating - colonels’ List, new Zealand army

Commander Peter Sullivan - royal new Zealand navy

to bE an additional officEr of thE nEw ZEaland ordEr of mErit (onZm):Colonel Paul Van Den Broek - colonels’ List, new Zealand army

to rEcEivE thE distinguishEd sErvicE dEcoration (dsd):Squadron Leader Gregory Burroughs - royal new Zealand air Force

Lieutenant Colonel Helen Cooper - royal new Zealand army Logistic regiment (The duke of york’s own)

Captain Michael De Boer - royal new Zealand engineers

Squadron Leader Timothy Evans - royal new Zealand air Force Squadron Leader Timothy Hopkins - royal new Zealand air Force

Warrant Officer Robert Martelletti - royal new Zealand air Force

Warrant Officer Weapon Technician Wayne Morris - royal new Zealand navy

Major Christopher Mortiboy - royal new Zealand corps of Signals To receive the Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD):Lieutenant Colonel Helen CooperLieutenant colonel cooper was posted to the newly established office of army Transformation in January 2006 and given

responsibility to develop significant parts of the army Transformation Programme (aTP) including the development and oversight of seven transformation projects and co-ownership of the army Transformation Structures Project. For much of the subsequent period, she was the sole full-time army officer managing the aTP. She maintained responsibility for outcomes well above her rank or experience level, including coordinating and guiding the efforts of officers, often much senior to her, who were seconded in at various times as part of the aTP team. despite the complicated nature of the work, the considerable workload and the handicap of not having consistent staff support, she continued to perform to a high standard, always focused on the outcome of producing an optimal army structure. her role also changed from one of support and analysis to a principal member of the aTP, advising army senior leadership on the future structure of army. her efforts also included the development of a key assessment model (the cooper model) which underpinned the eventual Force structure considerations.

Captain Michael De Boercaptain de boer served as the Plans officer, on secondment to the australian army’s Timor Leste battle group Two from June

to october 2007. he was responsible for the planning of numerous operations in an environment characterised by constant change, limited information and a volatile strategic and political atmosphere. his professional competence saw him placed in command of a company sized organisation of australian Forces, comprising infantry, engineers and numerous specialists, for a six week period, and charged with containing growing violence and disorder in the notorious viqueque district of Timor Leste. This operation was of such importance to the strategic climate that it was afforded the status of the battle group’s main effort. in addition to succeeding in all of his tactical objectives of containing the regional violence, he creatively employed all of his command’s capabilities to effect a change in the local population’s attitude, which then allowed operations conducted by the international Stabilisation Force to commence.

To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM):Colonel Timothy Keatingcolonel Keating held the appointment of assistant chief of the general Staff, office of Strategy Management from February 2006

to december 2007 and in this role, served as the chief of army’s principal strategy coordinator, responsible for central strategic planning and decision making and for the army’s performance monitoring and reporting organisation. he was also directed to further develop the army Transformation Process. The development of this process was a particularly challenging assignment, which required a good understanding of the contextual aspects of contemporary and future operational environments and an alignment of outputs to the future environment in which the new Zealand army will operate. The army Transformation Process will involve new capabilities being brought into service, changes to training and the conduct of exercises and ultimately the approaches to conflict. This transformation will however provide the government with much improved land force options and an enhanced responsiveness to be able to act in the national interest. Much of this achievement can be directly attributed to his work and the leadership he demonstrated across the new Zealand army, the wider new Zealand defence Force and the Ministry of defence.

Major Christopher MortiboyMajor Mortiboy was appointed in april 2006 to the post of engineering Project officer for the army command and control

battle Laboratory, part of the army’s experimentation and innovation Programme. The aim of the project, in collaboration with industry, was to identify the most appropriate application of information age capability to facilitate the networking of combat information across the battlefield of the future. he approached this project with passion and determination, quickly assessing the many challenges and then establishing excellent productive and mutually beneficial collaborative relationships with industry partners. in doing so, he succeeded in translating an ambitious vision into a practical, functional plan that will ensure that army accurately articulates its capability requirements to industry, incrementally solves issues that arise, and learns vital lessons as it seeks to meet future capability challenges in a complex fighting and engineering environment. he has done much to ensure that army made this quantum leap forward, by becoming familiar with the challenges and requirements of the digitised battlefield environment.

To be an Additional Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM):Colonel Paul Van Den Broekcolonel van den broek then in the rank of Lieutenant colonel was seconded during 2005 and 2006 to the multi-national

combined Planning group in the United States central command, as a strategic planner. The quality of the work he produced, clearly demonstrated that he was the best strategic thinker within the twenty-four nation combined planning group. Several of the high quality reviews he produced were forwarded directly to the Pentagon and the US Secretary of defence. From april to october 2007 he served in Timor Leste as the deputy commander of the international Stabilisation Force (iSF) and the Senior national officer for the deployed new Zealand contingent. in his deputy commander role, he was pivotal in ensuring effective interaction at the operational level between the iSF, United nations Police and Timor Leste’s own security forces. his proactive approach and well developed interpersonal skills were instrumental in coordinating efforts between these agencies. This action included constantly reinforcing in all forums the iSF role and mandate to ensure a clear delineation of responsibility in regards to the appropriate forces to be used to secure the environment. his tireless efforts to build trust between the local Timorese community and the security forces, and his work on a variety of United nations’ humanitarian and security working groups, has served to greatly enhance the reputations of the iSF and the australian and new Zealand defence Forces in the eyes of both the Timorese and international communities.

thE QuEEN’S BIrthDay hoNourS 2008

NZDF recipientscol keating col van den broek lt col cooper maJ mortiboy capt de boer

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news3news03issue 388 10 June 2008

Forty-five young infantry soldiers were presented with their red diamonds at Linton camp recently in recognition of the completion of their cavalry training and integration into their cavalry company – whiskey company, i rnZir.

The red diamond is a qualification badge worn by members of the new Zealand army who have completed combat corps training.

chief of army, MaJgen Lou gardiner reviewed the parade, and presented the red diamonds as well as course prizes, and medals to other personnel from 1 rnZir.

he told the soldiers and their families who had gathered for the parade that the occasion was the culmination of 12 weeks of intense cavalry training. The red diamonds were a symbol of their integration into the company.

“Today is a very important and proud day for these young soldiers. it marks their graduation into a combat corps, and their acceptance to serve as infantrymen. The battalion is proud to accept you into its ranks.”

addressing the families, MaJgen gardiner told them they should be “rightfully proud of their sons and daughter who had opted to serve. Thank you for your support – we owe you a lot. we are in a challenging career, and we cannot do what we have to do without your support as families.”

he told the soldiers to also be proud of what they had achieved.“i urge you to continue to accept the challenges and strive for excellence in

everything you do. be what you can be.”

Betty May a friend to manybetty May browne, the Levin woman who befriended 16 Field

regiment for 43 years, had a genuine affection for all nZdF people.

betty May died in april after a long illness, and had a semi-military funeral at Linton Military camp.(See army news 387)

while betty May especially adopted an army unit, she also had a soft spot for the rnZaF, especially the now disbanded 14 Squadron.

i was chaplain to rnZaF base ohakea from 1990 to 93 and during that time a 14 Sqn pilot came over to my office and asked me what to do with a plaque that had arrived in the mail from betty May. it was a simple little plaque but inscribed on it were the words: “in memory of herbie Stevens. From betty May.” “aha”, i thought with the wisdom of my years, “i bet she is still grieving a dead fiancee.” not so.

The pilot and i visited the good lady in Levin and enjoyed a most interesting time with her, for through her lovable eccentricity shone a genuine affection for all nZdF people and

a practical concern for the morale and welfare of many of them. She explained the inscription on the plaque. herbie Stevens was her elder brother’s best friend who, at the war’s beginning, had trained as an air gunner in the air Force and was on his final leave before going overseas.

betty May said she was quite distraught at the time so kissed him goodbye and said she hoped he would come safely home. She went on to say that herbie gave her a direct look and said: “i will not be coming home.” indeed, he did not. i had herbie Stevens’ file with me and it related how he died in the crash of a fully laden wellington bomber as it took off on a raid from a base in egypt.

her little plaque now hangs on the wall of the ohakea chapel as a tribute to the courage of all the young people who trained and then went overseas into action and who knew full well they were unlikely ever to see their home, families or friends ever again.

betty May is fondly remembered by many, including myself. i count myself fortunate to have met her.

Group CAptAIN JohN NeAl, prINCIpAl DefeNCe ChAplAIN.

An environmentally sound Armyi would like to see you run an article on the steps the army is taking to provide for

a sustainable future in camps and bases. i’d like to know what the army is doing re its carbon footprint, and how it is educating soldiers on sustainability.

toNI lArkIN

research is underway for an article in the very near future on the NZDf and sustainability – ed.

What about our Solomon boys and girls?i have recently read your fine publication; please keep up the good work. i noticed

however there appears to be very little information about what the new Zealand soldiers are doing in the Solomon islands. My grandson, who is in the Territorial Forces, has served there recently. by all accounts they are working hard there and achieving a lot, and it would be nice to see something in army news.

M. hutChISoN

We will endeavour to provide a Solomons update in our next issue – ed.

have your say. keep it brief and send it to judith.martin@nzdf.mil.nz

Letters to the Editor

why a red diamond?The red diamond, worn on the left shoulder of dress uniform, traces its origin to

22 battalion, 2nd nZ expeditionary Force, who adopted the patch of 9 nZ infantry brigade deployed as part of the british commonwealth occupation of Japan, known as J Force. in 1947 2 nZeF’S brigade in Japan was reorganised and 22 battalion was re-designated 2 battalion of the new Zealand regiment. The battalion was disbanded in 1948 and reformed in July 1959 when the co claimed descent for the new battalion from the re-designated and disbanded, 22 battalion. in 1963 the 1st battalion depot was formed and the red diamond became awarded to personnel who had completed infantry corps training. Later, when the two battalions of the nZ regiment became 1rnZir and 1st bn depot, the patch was worn as a dress distinction by personnel who were posted to the Unit. From 1964 it was awarded to soldiers of the 1st battalion and the 2nd/1st battalion of the royal new Zealand infantry regiment who had successfully completed infantry corps training. in 2007 the patch was approved to be recognised as a qualification rather than a corps distinction and it is awarded to, and worn by, all personnel who have successfully completed combat corps training regardless of unit or posting.

“Accept the challenges – be what you can be”

maJgEn gardiner presents the top soldier prize to pte dylan casey. the prize is awarded to the soldier who has displayed the highest overall results across the categories, including fitness, field craft, weaponry and military knowledge

a warrior leads the parade

the general inspects the ranks

maJgEn gardiner presents the most improved soldier award to ptE wayne lallu. the award is for the soldier who has displayed a marked improvement throughout the course and has finished with an overall excellent result

abovE: the Queen’s colour is paraded; bElow: maJgEn gardiner visited most units within camp, to talk to soldiers. in the vehicle bay he met up with, from left, pte dan vrahasotakis, lcpl aaron clarke, and lcpl robert spring; bottom: ptE sommer gisborne receives her netball pocket for distinguished playing ability, from ca

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SErvINg NEw ZEaLaND LoyaLLy aND hoNouraBLy04NEwS

FIghtINg FItMajor David Voss ED (clasp), Auckland based Specialist Renal Physician, Territorial Force Medical Officer, and NZ National Leader for the 5-nation technical panel on Human Performance discusses some of the agents commonly used in performance enhancement.

advertising is drenched in agents claiming to enhance physical and mental (cognitive) performance. from readily available agents such as caffeine, through to amphetamines and sildenafil (aka viagra®) the individual is bombarded daily with information. some of the marketing claims are unfounded, unsubstantiated or simply lack evidence. many people are using these agents without balanced advice. how can the average nZdf employee sort out the wheat from the chaff?

performance agents (e.g. caffeine and amphetamine) need to be separated from dietary supplements (e.g. multivitamins, minerals supplements and centrum®) and food, fluid and electrolyte replacements (e.g. powerade®, and mizone®). this article addresses only the performance enhancing agents. illicit agents (inappropriately called party drugs) such as “E” and “p” are similarly not discussed here.

many performance enhancing agents are available in combination. in some cases the active ingredient(s) are in a quantity that is ineffective (not to a level to achieve the desired or claimed effect), or sold in a format to make the agent more easily consumed (e.g. ready-to-drink) – often with substantial price mark-up. “performance drinks” such as “5-hour energy”, “v” or “red bull” probably only have one effective performance enhancing agent – caffeine. the sugars contained in these agents will provide some energy (so would a barley sugar or teaspoon of sugar). the guarana and taurine probably have no additional performance enhancement properties alone. taurine has been shown to improve heart pump function at doses up to 8000mg. an individual will need to drink over 3 litres of v® to get this amount of taurine.

most minerals and vitamins are in adequate supply in a balanced diet of freshly harvested (in-season), freshly prepared and eaten foods. this may not always be feasible in the “rat pack” based diet consumed by deployed military personnel. taking supplements of vitamins and minerals from the chemist shop may be beneficial if relying on ratpacks for prolonged periods. wet rations (hot boxes) in the field are provided wherever practicable in long duration deployments for this specific reason. supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals will not enhance an individual’s physical performance.

the internet is a frequent source of information on these agents. with such readily available information, the reader may be lead (or misled) to the conclusion the information is valid or from a reputable source; and use the agent. there

are few good quality studies on performance enhancement agents. users fail to report their true frequency of use or quantity. there are people with knowledge on performance enhancing agents, particularly in regards to their effectiveness and safety. i strongly

encourage the reader to seek valid information prior to trialling performance enhancing agents; and before spending their hard-earned money, or risking their health.

your local nZdf medical officer is likely to be the most readily available authoritative person within nZdf with the required balanced information. the mo will be able to apply the information relevant to you. the mo will allow for your health and performance demanded by your appointment within nZdf. if the mo does not have the information, he/she is able to get the information from sources within nZdf, including the author of this article. such information may need to be worked into a training programme with your pti.

caffeine is an extensively studied, wide used, relatively safe and readily available human performance enhancer. it improves both physical performance (e.g. shortens run times - i can see the espresso machine at the rfl start line), concentration and alertness. tiredness can be reduced and periods of concentration be maintained with the use of caffeine. how much caffeine is needed depends whether or not the individual is a regular user of caffeine. we have observed that up to 800mg of caffeine over eight hours (about 8 to 10 cups of coffee) can maintain alertness and physical endurance in the sleep deprived state. such a benefit can be realised in the military setting where night watch on vessels, op duties, and time lag with sorties (especially long flight times transgressing time zones) require the sustained vigilance.

a further benefit of caffeine is its onset of action within minutes (faster onset when chewed as a gum compared with drinking a cup of coffee), and alertness effect wears off within a few hours; thus sleep at the end of the duty is not affected. many other (legal or otherwise) cognitive performance agents, e.g. modafinal, amphetamine and ephedrine (aka ma-huang) have prolonged effects or more adverse side-effects compared to caffeine.

performance enhancing agents are no substitute for good planning, effective command, wise leadership, appropriate training and rest. sustained operations or the demands of deployed defence force personnel may be assisted with judicious use of performance enhancing agents.

PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT(Or STiMulANTS)

cook island residents will have their health needs attended to over the next fortnight by a 40 strong contingent of mainly army health professionals during exercise Tropic Twilight 08.

The team includes both regular Force and Territorial Force nurses and medics, a TF dental team, as well as several civilian volunteer health Service personnel. it expects to carry out about 50 operations, tend to the dental health of about 300 college pupils, check the environmental conditions at rarotonga hospital, and conduct First aid training as well as advanced cardiac Life Support courses.

The commanding officer of the contingent is 2 hSb’s executive officer, Major Paul Kendall.

nursing officer captain Shaun Fitzell, second –in-charge of the contingent, says the cook island government scanned its outer islands as well as the main island of rarotonga to find suitable patients for the team to treat. Those patients are being brought to the main hospital in rarotonga where their surgery is being done using equipment sponsored by nZ aid.

“The operations are for a variety of reasons, such as hernias, cysts, thyroid conditions, and ear, nose and throat ailments. They are mostly cases that can’t, for various reasons, be dealt with by existing cook islands health professionals.”

captain Fitzell says the teeth of all 630 students at a local college have been scanned, and any dental work that is needed will be carried out by the contingent’s dentist, trainee dentist,dental hygienist, and two dental assistants.

The environmental health team will complete a detailed assessment of the rarotonga hospital, including the hospital’s water sources, food-related areas, and vector control.

contingent members will conduct two first aid refresher courses for local police and nurses, as well as four advanced cardiac life support courses for local doctors, surgeons, nurses and paramedics.

captain Fitzell says the team has taken its own surgical equipment with it, including drugs, bandages, gloves, gowns and instruments. “we only found out shortly before we left exactly what sort of operations we would be performing, but that is good training for when we have to respond to emergency deployments.”

The contingent will return to new Zealand on June 22.

lcpl leah adams is in charge of looking after supplies in the general store.

maJ paul kendall and capt shaun fitzell check the autoclave.

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Tropic Twilight

Key Points

Many performance enhancing agents constituents have no benefit.

Performance enhancers are no replacement for training, planning and leadership.

Some performance enhancement agents are illegal.

Some agents have varying levels of purity or effect. check the manufacturer’s claims and compare active ingredients amount – the more expensive item may have no more active ingredient(s).

Some products are marketed with levels in a dose below that which is effective.

Take care in buying over the internet – especially from overseas; as the product you are buying may require special clearance by nZ customs. your hard earned money could be lost if customs seize the product.

Seek advice from your medical officer before using.

issue 388 10 June 2008news05

a tour of duty in Timor-Leste which saw the attempted assassination of Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister and the death of rebel leader alfredo reinado ended for 142 new Zealand defence Force personnel when they returned home on May 19.

army company commander Major chad Preece said the Kiwi contingent had worked really hard and were looking forward to returning to their loved ones, especially after missing special family occasions like christmas.

“it’s been a busy six months in a constantly changing situation, and i’m proud to have been part of a team that has stepped up to challenges presented by developments in the security and political climate in Timor-Leste during that time. everyone is looking forward to getting home.”

The company drawn mainly from 2/1 rnZir based in burnham are the fourth rotation to serve in Timor-Leste since troops were again committed in May 2006, and they were welcomed by commander Joint Forces new Zealand Major general rhys Jones, family and friends.

TG Gyro Four troops return home from Timor Leste….

and TG Gyro 5 arrives…By Second Lieutenant Bernie LawtonSunday the 11th of May Tg gyro 5 arrived safely into dili. a quick drive to Kiwi Lines gaining hearts and minds along the way

and it was time to pull out the pukanas. The heat was extreme and the adrenalin rush was kicking in. warriors from Tg gyro 4 commenced the powhiri with the wero and laid down a taki. The oc Tg gyro 5, Major Jason dyhrberg, took up the challenge. hundreds of onlookers had gathered as Tg gyro 5 advanced.

Tg gyro 4 cried,“he aha te mahi o nga hoia” what is the job of the soldiers?Major dyhrberg acknowledged their haka and taking the lead Tg gyro 5 advanced once again to commence their haka. The

haka was especially written by Sergeant Shannon Tahu. The feeling amongst the soldiers was, “how we start is how we are going to finish, hard”.

The ground shook and the onlookers trembled as the family of Tg gyro 5 let out a war cry,“Mo matau kua reri nga pu hei haruru te whenua” our weapons are ready to rumble the earth.“Kura takahi puni” we are ready“adeus kolega’s” Farewell my friends

IT’S A JOB OUT OF THE ORDINARY . . .

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

new ZeaLand FieLd inTeLLigenceTri-Service coUrSePRE ENTRY TESTING:21 Jul – 3 aug 08 (3 day blocks)COURSE DATES:18 aug – 26 Sep 08 CONTACT E mail: 1 (nZ) Mi coy or Ph 3477336More info. at:awi-teams/aTg/LoTc/SMiS

Nom’S opEN Now

ptE george tumata of tg gyro 4 leads the wero. photo: australian army

CouragE, CommItmENt, ComraDEShIp aND INtEgrIty06news

Queen Alexandras’s Mounted rifles Company conducted one of their main exercises recently, as Second lieutenant Jarrod Saunders, QAMr, reports on exercises romani and Joint kiwi:

ExErCISE romaNIat dawn on april 28, the men and woman of Queen

alexandra’s Mounted rifles were busy conducting final preparations of their vehicles and personal equipment before departing the command Joint Task Force (cJTF) headquarters (burnham camp) to capture the Free island Party (FiP) terrorists trying to destabilise the government of Motatapu island.

The first phase of the exercise saw all three troops dispersed over the middle of the South island conducting reconnaissance on a number of routes through the Lees valley to hawarden, Kaikoura, and up to St arnaud though the Molesworth, St James and rainbow stations to establish if the routes were capable of taking a truck and trailer. it was also to establish whether some of the areas would be suitable for the placement of refugee camps to house the influx of people escaping the fighting in the north. This saw the new Zealand Light armoured vehicle (nZLav) cavalry Troops covering quite a few kilometres

as they advanced up the island. The first time the troops saw each other was on the night of the 29th at a squadron hide to the west of St arnaud to regroup and receive orders for the redeployment to the Mawhera and hochstetter forests on the west coast.

after a night of rest the troops drove to the west coast and moved in to individual troop area of

operations (ao) to try and capture the FiP cadre operating in the forests, as the enemy prepared to try to disrupt the up coming Provincial leaders meeting at Seaview estate in hokitika. The troops immediately started to build a picture of activity in the area by putting out electronic surveillance equipment and conducting observation posts (oP) in areas of interest.

The squadron received good intelligence that a meeting between the cadre Staff was going to happen in the Mawhera Forest at a little secluded place called no Town Two and three Troop moved from their aos and redeployed into 1 Troop’s ao to conduct a cordon to capture the terrorists. The cordon was set and 2 Troop swooped to capture the enemy at the meeting with 1 Troop close by in an oP giving constant updates. The terrorists were captured and handed over to the authorities

and this meant that the FiP’s plans to interfere with the Provincial Leaders’ meeting in hokitika had been delivered a serious blow.

The squadron moved from the forest to the greymouth army office where a brief pause in operations gave the public a chance to talk to the crews and look over the vehicles. The squadron then deployed to Seaview estate, which included security for the Provincial leaders as they met to discuss the future of Motatapu island. The remaining FiP insurgents tried various methods to disrupt the meeting, including the use of snipers, improvised explosive devices (ied), and the smuggling of weapons into the meeting location. The squadron was successful in making sure that the leaders were kept safe and able to discuss the future of the island.

ExErCISE JoINt KIwIafter the success on the west coast the squadron was then

tasked to move to Lyttleton to board the hMaS Manoora

and redeploy to hawk island to capture the senior FiP leaders

meeting in ongaonga (the central hawkes bay, provided by

7 wellington hawke’s bay battalion group). The squadron

married up with b company from 2/1 battalion at the west

Melton range. The move to and loading of the vehicles

onboard the hMaS Manoora was done with relative ease

and that night the task force sailed towards hawk island to

conduct an amphibious landing at red beach 1 (Perfume Point,

napier). The plan to conduct some rehearsals of the landing

was hampered by sea conditions; however this did not deter

the crew of the ship from getting the vehicles ashore on time.

in the early hours of the morning of 15 May the first nZLav

drove off the Landing craft and up the mats onto the beach.

The troops then moved off to their hides and waited for h hour

from the oc.

it was over as quickly as it had begun. all the troops played

their part in the plan and the leaders were captured. The

enemy had no chance to escape as the nZLav’s sped towards

the target. The infantry in the back of the nZLav cleared

the target building and apprehended the leaders with the

operation under the observation of 1 Troop oP’s and the 16

Field regiment Unmanned aerial vehicle (Uav). The leaders

were apprehended in a matter of minutes and flown back to

the hMaS Manoora onboard the Sea King helicopter.

The cordon was withdrawn and the troops moved back to

the boat and set off for home as the last rays of light faded from

the sky. The operation was a huge success as it meant that the

mayhem that the FiP had imposed on the Motatapu island

chain over the last few years had been brought to a close.

QaMr would like to thank b company 2/1 rnZir, the MTc,

3 Signals Squadron, 3 Logistic battalion, 3 Field Troop and the

16 Field regiment for their provision of manpower to make the

exercise such a success.

By Jane Mortlockboth the new Zealand and australian defence Forces are hailing exercise Joint Kiwi

08 a success, following a week at sea on a round trip from Lyttelton to napier.new Zealand and australia experience a close and longstanding defence

relationship, with similar regional interests in security and stability in the Pacific. The new Zealand-led exercise was aimed at improving interoperability between both nations.

The exercise was straightforward – the government of Motatapu islands (goMi) was experiencing destabilising influences through Free island Party (FiP) insurgency action throughout the island chain. goMi requested assistance from australia and new Zealand in order to stabilise the situation by capturing the FiP leadership, who were meeting on off- shore hawke island, thereby neutralising the insurgency by removing the leadership.

a combined Joint Task Force (cTF) was raised consisting of the australian LPa (Landing Platform amphibious) war ship hMaS Manoora, an amphibious command element from hMnZS canTerbUry and a new Zealand Land Forces combat Team component provided by Queen alexandra’s Mounted rifles and bravo company, 2/1 rnZir. They sailed from Lyttelton to napier on hMaS Manoora, bringing with them 12 Lav, 6 Lov, 1 M1089 recovery truck and eight Unimogs.

as part of the exercise the new Zealand and australian defence Forces conducted amphibious beach landings and withdrawals, designed to increase joint preparation between the two countries, for emergency relief and wider operational employment. as a notable first this exercise was the first time nZLav had been landed amphibiously since its introduction into service in new Zealand in 2004. all vehicles were successfully landed ‘on the beach’ on 15 May.

once ashore the QaMr combat Team rapidly deployed into the area of the proposed meeting, established observation onto the target building using a combination of manned observation posts, remote ground Sensors (rgS) and, on the morning of the cordon, an unmanned aerial vehicle (Uav) from 16 Fd regt. The combat Team then established a cordon in order to seal off the area which resulted in the successful capture of the 3 key FiP leaders (role players provided by 7 whb bn gp). a Sea King helicopter from hMaS Manoora was dispatched to the area to uplift the detainees and return them to the ship and eventual hand over to the goMi. a rapid withdrawal was then conducted back to ‘red beach 1’ at napier with the key point security of a vital bridge being provided by 7 bn. The combat team was re-embarked before last light on 17 May.

“This was a great opportunity for the new Zealand army and navy to gain further experience in amphibious operations leveraging off the australians’ considerable skills,” said Major Mike duncan, Squadron commander of QaMr

“our forces are currently deployed together operationally in Solomon islands and Timor-Leste. exercise Joint Kiwi is just one of a number of exercises that australia and new Zealand conduct together to increase our capabilities and better prepare us for combined operations. The experience has also been the platform for building a strong relationship between QaMr and hMnZS canTerbUry, a relationship that both units look forward to strengthening in the future.”

despite the odd bout of seasickness, exercise Joint Kiwi was a great success. “we were able to achieve what we set out to, and so much more. The new Zealand-led exercise was aimed at improving interoperability between not only the nZ army and navy by also both nations, and giving our soldiers a very realistic amphibious experience travelling by war ship. working closely with the hMaS Manoora ship’s company gave us a better understanding of day to day life on board a war ship, and for us, that was invaluable.”

Joint Kiwi a success

romaNI & JoINt KIwI: Qamr is put through its paces

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HONOURS VIETNAm VETS

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16 field regiment fire a 37 round salute to the vietnam fallen.flag holders lower the their flags to signify 37 troops who were killed in action in vietnam.

SErvINg NEw ZEaLaND LoyaLLy aND hoNouraBLy

There were tears and laughter, and old friendships were rekindled as well as new ones made when thousands of vietnam veterans and their families gathered in wellington for Tribute 08 over Queen’s birthday weekend.

The veterans were welcomed to the city by Mayor Kerry Prendergast at a ceremony held in civic Square which ended with a beat retreat performed by the nZ army.

an honour Parade saw veterans, families, army bands and the central band of the royal new Zealand air Force (rnZaF) marching from civic Square to Parliament.

after being greeted by the Prime Minister, family members carried photos of the 37 personnel who lost their lives in vietnam into the Legislative council chamber as part of a whakanoa (healing) ceremony.

on Sunday morning a waka wairua containing the spirits of those who lost their lives in vietnam was taken from Legislative council chamber to the national war Memorial in buckle Street where they were honoured with a wreath laying ceremony.

The veterans and their families then marched to the basin reserve for a commemoration and celebration including speeches and a 37-gun salute for each of those killed in vietnam. his excellency the governor general of new Zealand the honorable anand Satyanand received a royal Salute from the tri-Service guard of honour.

chief of defence Force Lieutenant general Jerry Mateparae was cheered several times and given a standing ovation after he addressed the veterans.

“i would simply ask for your forgiveness for our shortcomings in the past, and i apologise for the impact these shortcomings have had on you and on your families. you served loyally, you served with honour and i pledge my determination to correct the failings of the past.

i know it is long overdue, but to our new Zealand vietnam veterans -

welcome home,” he said.“our defence involvement in the vietnam war spanned eight years.

This was the longest commitment of our combat forces to a single conflict in new Zealand’s military history. our involvement in the war has had an impact on our nation, those who served there, and their families, that continues to this day. The controversy connected with the vietnam war was corrosive; it was damning; and for many of the men and women of the new Zealand defence Force who served there it became noxious.

“Since the war, others who served have died prematurely, and many vietnam veterans and their families continue to suffer the after-effects of that service. and that is why we are here this weekend. Tribute 08 is an official and visible show of recognition for the considerable contribution and sacrifice of the men and women of new Zealand defence Force who served in vietnam. but today it is the turn of the new Zealand defence Force to acknowledge your service. i say that you served loyally, you served with honour, and i pledge my determination to correct the failings of the past.”

“Today, the defence Force emphasizes the principle that ‘we’, those currently serving in our armed forces and veterans alike, are a family bound together by the ethic of service to our country, a common set of values, and a professional military culture that reflects our national heritage and character – a heritage and character you helped create.

“it is clear that many vietnam veterans believe that the nZdF has not lived up to these ideals. i want to start to make amends by personally welcoming all of our vietnam veterans back into the new Zealand defence Force family. i would understand any hesitation on your part to accept such an embrace. There can be little doubt that you were let down after you returned from the war, and across subsequent decades.

“Unreservedly i say that the defence Force did not do enough to

assist you, our returning veterans – especially those of you who left the army, navy or air Force soon after returning to new Zealand. having been placed in harms way, you arrived back to unwarranted derision. From the security of comradeship and service, you went out into an ungrateful and unwelcoming world. Most people cannot start to imagine how you must have felt.

“The new Zealand defence Force could, and should have done more to stand by you, to provide you and your families with refuge from the storm of negative public opinion you had to weather. nZdF should not have allowed public concerns about the war to shape how returning veterans were treated.

“i have also heard you when you have talked about the other issues that have caused you and your loved ones deep hurt and pain. i acknowledge here your concern about the maintenance of your personal and medical records. i believe your expectations around the integrity and completeness of your files were both fair and reasonable. nZdF let you down. Fortunately, your entitlements are protected under the ‘reverse onus of proof’ provisions of the war Pensions act.

“The issue of your exposure to the defoliant agent orange has been a long and open wound. it is difficult to understand how the critical information about chemical spraying in the areas where you operated lay dormant until the health Select committee inquiry in 2003. as a defence Force we were too slow in readjusting our position in the face of growing scientific evidence, as well as statistical and anecdotal information.

“it was probably inescapable that veterans would interpret this inertia as a deliberate rebuff – though certainly the defence Force’s simple inability to grapple with such a complex issue deserves a good portion of the blame. i believe that various provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding, and in particular the expert Medical Panel which is about to be established, will help us address this more effectively, both

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this pagE: abovE: family members gather outside parliament holding photographs of their loved ones lost in vietnamright from top: ca, maJgEn lou gardiner addresses veterans and their supporters in civic square, wellington; vietnam veteran lt rangi rata leads the parade; veterans march in wellington.

issue 388 10 June 2008tribute0809

during the ceremony 1rnZir was presented with its regimental colour with the Theatre honour – vietnam 1967 - 71, updated to acknowledge all infantry companies that served in vietnam.

The ceremony was necessary because the dates of the original Theatre honour for South vietnam did not include the operational service of all rifle companies that served in vietnam.

Until now all of the tour by victor 1, part of the tours of victor 2 and victor 5, and all of the tour of victor 6 have not been acknowledged in the Theatre honour.

earlier this year, Queen elizabeth gave royal assent for the Theatre honour to be amended to cover the period from May 1967 to december 1971 so as to include all of the service of these companies.

The embroidery on the regimental colour has since been amended accordingly.

nZdf personnel recognised for service in vietnam

Twenty six new Zealand defence Force personnel who served in vietnam were recognised for their service at a ceremony at defence house in wellington on Monday, May 19.

The 26 were presented with the new Zealand general Service Medal (nZgSM) 1992 (warlike) with clasp ‘vietnam’ by the chief of army Major general Lou gardiner and the chief of air Force air-vice Marshal graham Lintott.

The 26 are a mixture of current new Zealand army and royal new Zealand air Force personnel, and former servicemen and foreign affairs staff who are now civilian employees within the new Zealand defence Force.

for vietnam veterans, and for veterans of future deployments as well. “i also want to note the hurt you have told me about the nZdF attitude

that was evident around Parade ’98. From my point of view this was certainly a lost opportunity to rebuild the bonds between the defence Force and veterans. here at Tribute08 i am sure you have noticed that the serving veterans gathered among us today are in uniform. you will note that they wear the uniform with pride, just as you did.

“This is a pride founded on your earlier service and the service of all veterans past and present. Unlike the decades immediately following the vietnam war, the nZdF of today has reclaimed its rightful place, standing proudly amongst the new Zealanders we serve, publicly wearing our uniforms wherever we go.

“vietnam veterans have made a valuable contribution to the nation building of new Zealand in many ways. in particular you can be proud of the legacy you provided for the generations of Service men and women who followed you. your knowledge and fighting skills helped forge the next generation, and lifted considerably the abilities of the new Zealand defence Force.”

LTgen Mateparae paid tribute to what today’s soldiers had learned from the veterans.

“what has been missing from the balance is acknowledgement that what you left behind has ensured that the new Zealand defence Force is a valued partner around the world, helping to build and keep the peace. Today we have nearly 700 personnel actively serving in three major theatres around the globe. we are in countries such as Timor Leste, the Sinai, afghanistan and the Solomon islands. The contribution of our defence Force people is helping maintain stable working and living conditions for thousands of people. you helped build the foundation of today’s new Zealand defence Force capability. we thank you for that.

“on a more personal note, i was a young soldier in the army during the years immediately following the end of the vietnam war. My first

platoon commander was a vietnam veteran: then wo2 baldy Merito. in fact, every commander i have had up until my appointment as the cdF has been a vietnam veteran. So from a personal perspective i have every respect for our vietnam veterans.

“Many veterans i have spoken to consider that they were inadequately equipped for the task they were given in vietnam. your record shows you were at least as good as the best troops new Zealand has ever deployed. you also made good advantage of new Zealand’s earlier experience in the jungles of Malaya and borneo.

“but while our military doctrine and training were proper, some of our kit was not. in spite of this, and in keeping with tradition and with true Kiwi ingenuity, you exploited the military supermarkets of our allies in-country!

“at home, the protest and public debate that arose as a result of the unprecedented scale of media coverage of the war and a general belief that our involvement in the vietnam war was wrong, helped fuel the anti-war sentiment and mass street protests. There were no home-coming parades; you were told not to wear your uniform in public; and compared to other returning veterans there was inadequate support for rehabilitation.

“in sharp contrast to other veterans of earlier conflicts, our returning vietnam veterans in effect became casualties in our own country. Perhaps most painfully of all, some sections of the new Zealand public made it clear that they did not approve of those who had served in vietnam. but the decision to be involved in the war in vietnam was not made by those who fought there, but by the government of the day.

“you had volunteered to serve in the new Zealand armed Forces and you went to do your duty to the best of your abilities when and where required. you served alongside australian troops in the best of anZac traditions in an even more integrated way than other anZacs before you. This has forged a very special anZac bond between new Zealand

and australian vietnam veterans. you also developed a similar rapport with those whom you served from the United States.

“The Memorandum of Understanding signed with vietnam veterans in 2006 goes some way towards addressing the wrongs of the past and provides a solid foundation for putting things right.

“The crown’s public statement in Parliament apologising for the harm done to vietnam veterans and thanking you for your immense contribution to new Zealand is another tangible piece of the reconciliation process. The Memorandum of Understanding package, although i acknowledge too late for some, will serve the current and following generations of the vietnam veteran community. it will also serve other new Zealand veterans both current and future.

“i would like to make special mention of the tenacious few vietnam veterans who at various stages over decades have kept the issues alive. you must be applauded for your determination and perseverance against the odds to get the wrongs of the past put right. your efforts culminated in a Parliamentary Select committee which confirmed what you had been saying for so long – that new Zealand personnel were exposed to a toxic environment in vietnam.

“The nZdF will ensure that no other group of new Zealand veterans is treated the way you were. and one important way we can honour you, is to act upon the lessons you have helped us learn. in conclusion, on behalf of the new Zealand defence Force, i would simply ask for your forgiveness for our shortcomings in the past, and i apologise for the impact these shortcomings have had on you and on your families.

Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for your contribution to new Zealand. i know it is long overdue, but to our new Zealand vietnam veterans -

welcome home, nau mai haere mai pike mai kake mai.”Photos: LAC Rachael Main

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this pagE: abovE: ltcol Evan williams, whose father, the late col (rtd) lg williams served in vietnam, meets up with two of his father’s friends, veterans mike farland and brian cudbybElow: two veterans rest awhile following the civic ceremony.far right: the nZ army band; vietnam veteran peter harris, who came over from western australia with kathy clark to take part in tribute 08

CouragE, CommItmENt, ComraDEShIp aND INtEgrIty10our people

The royal new Zealand army Medical corps is celebrating its centenary over six days from July 8.

The Linton-based celebrations will include a two day medical conference, a centennial medical challenge, a poster competition, cocktail party, centennial parade, and a century of Service ball. They will conclude with a church service in Palmerston north.

The new Zealand army Medical Services date back to colonial times (pre 1900) and although the nZ Medical corps was constituted at the outbreak of world war i, and dates from 1908, a colonial Medical corps existed from the time a small body of volunteer surgeons were attached to the militia and volunteer formations in 1855.

in 1839 a select committee of the house of commons in england recommended that the new Zealand settlers be enrolled in a militia. So settlers prior to departing england were invited to sign an agreement that they would consent to be trained in a militia on arrival in the colony.

Three militia regiments were formed in auckland, Taranaki and wellington. Surgeons were appointed to these formations and these men could be rightly taken to be the founders of the royal new Zealand army Medical corps. This force of 1500 was reinforced by an imperial Force from england of approximately 9000 men. with the imperial Force was surgeon Sir James Mouatt, vc, cb, the Principal Medical officer. he organised the colonial Medical Service and in 1861 it consisted of 12 surgeons and assistant surgeons. Medical supplies were provided from imperial sources.

The imperial Force and colonial regiments were involved in the Maori Land wars during the latter half of the 19th century. Upon the withdrawal in 1867of the imperial Force back to england the colonial forces now approximately 17000 remained under the governance of Sir george grey. The new Zealand Medical Service was now in the hands of dr grace, an officer of the imperial army who had retired and settled in wellington. The service was made up of 3 surgeons and 18 assistant surgeons. Several medical officers had gained distinction in the new

Zealand wars; Temple and Manley were awarded the vc, dr J. gibb, was recommended for the nZ cross and assistant

Surgeon walker (of the armed constabulary) gained the nZ cross in 1869.

during a period of relative peace the colonial Forces waxed and waned in strength and by the middle of 1872 only certain districts had militia still serving. Shortly after July 1872 they were released from service and the Militia

as an embodied force ceased to exist.in 1882 a board of officers sat to consider the

re-organisations of the defence Forces. amongst the recommendations made was the appointment of a volunteer

Surgeon-general and the formation of ‘ambulances’ but it took a further 5 years before the appointment was made.

however there was no progress in the development of the Medical Services with no

medical equipment available and medical officers having to provide at their own expense, drugs and dressings for camps and exercises. This state of affairs continued till 1898.

on 23 June 1898 four field ambulances were formed and a volunteer bearer company attached to each district and

for the first time equipment was supplied to the surgeons.

a Principal Medical officer was appointed to each of the military

districts, auckland, wellington,

christchurch and otago.The outbreak of the South african war (1900 - 1902) saw a

number of men volunteering for service and new Zealand had no difficulty in recruiting the 10 contingents of Mounted rifles, in all 6505 officers and men were embarked. This included 20 medical officers, all volunteers who served under the umbrella of the royal army Medical corps (raMc) in South africa.

col eugene o’neill, a medical officer at dunedin hospital recalled the day “i have a clear recollection of the strictness of the medical examination, particular attention being paid to eliminating all under 5’6” in height and of course all had to be able to ride. we trained at newtown Park in wellington for a couple of months on foot and horseback and at some stage the medical officers were each given a medical orderly who we had to train ourselves.

before going overseas we were supplied with a medical and surgical pannier, some stretchers and surgical haversacks. we had a medical companion chest amongst whose contents perhaps the most valued was a small black tin with 14 numbered bottles containing various tablets and pills”.

Pill colocynth co was a large black pill kept in bottle no. 9. anecdotal stories tell that when the pills ran out of no. 9 their loss was met by dispensing three no. 3’s or if need be a no. 5 and a no. 4!

The summary of deaths of nZ troops in this conflict reflected the general sickness wastage:

Killed in action or died of wounds 68

accidentally killed 25

died from disease 139

Total nZ deaths 232

The duties of a medical officer in South africa largely conformed to the pattern now familiar to past and current medical officers, namely sick parades, camp inspections and the never ending battle to inculcate and supervise the principles of elementary hygiene and of course the emergency care of sick and wounded.

new Zealand had no medical formations and relied on the raMc units to provide further treatment. Patients were evacuated to their Field ambulances by ox-cart transport or by horse drawn ambulances. The new Zealand Field ambulances that were later formed were based on the raMc however due to their experiences in South africa, the new Zealand Medical officers ensured the nZ Field ambulance were better equipped and more mobile when they embarked for world war i.

The volunteer force doubled its strength during the South africa war and was re-organised from companies to battalions. Upon return to new Zealand, new regulations were formed and medical officers were transferred to the medical branch and appointed to the medical list where they were able to parade regularly during the year and twice yearly for easter camp.

in 1905 colonel Skerman was appointed Surgeon general. regulations were amended - the chief amendment being the formation of a new Zealand Medical corps. at this time there were two distinct corps: the medical officers attached to bearer companies and the new Zealand ‘defence Medical Staff’ on the ‘general List’. Provision was now made for the formation of a corps of officers to be called the ‘new Zealand Medical corps’. commissions were granted and appointments and promotions made by the Surgeon general. The rank structure for the new corps was the same as the army officer ranks of Lieutenant colonel, Major and captain except it was pre-fixed with ‘Surgeon’ thus denoting the medical officer profession.

a new Zealand Medical corps nursing reserve was authorised, affiliated to the royal army nursing reserve (britain). The ranks were: Matron in chief, matrons, sisters and staff nurses. a Miss Janet gillies was appointed as the first Matron in chief.

Thus the corps was born and the date 7th May 1908 was officially recognised as the corps day (birthday).

To register for the rnZaMc centennial 8-13 July 2008 contact nicole.peretini@nzdf.mil.nz or go to www.army.mil.nz

army health professionals celebrate 100 years of service

sEmpEr agEns, sEmpEr QuiEtus

royaL NEw ZEaLaND army mEDICaL CorpS

news11issue 388 10 June 2008

our people11during the past 100 years the corps has provided

assistance in peace support operations, disaster relief and humanitarian aid as well as armed conflict. recently this has been in areas as diverse as somalia, bosnia, bougainville, afghanistan and timor-leste. here a corps member, warrant officer class two tim crowe, says the changing dynamic of conflict is seeing a corresponding shift in medical training in the new Zealand defence force.

By Bas BolynFrom iraq and afghanistan to shores closer to home, warrant officer class

Two crowe has seen action around the world as a medic in the nZ army over the last 23 years and he now applies this experience to training at Joint Services health School at burnham army camp in christchurch.

“we are relearning, adapting and updating training in many diverse aspects of military medicine all the time. evidence based medical research from the current conflicts in iraq and afghanistan shows both similarities and differences in injury patterns from earlier conflicts such as the vietnam war,” says wo2 crowe.

“injuries from mines are now more likely to involve vehicle strikes than ‘step on’ incidents, advances in body armour have meant less acute chest injuries (e.g. the classic gunshot sucking chest wound) but more severe limb and head injuries which previously wouldn’t have been survivable. now the medic deployed into an area of conflict such as afghanistan is likely to encounter ied’s (improvised explosive device) of varying size which produce their own distinct injury patterns and often involve multiple casualties.”

The changing face of conflict, known in the army as the “3 block war,” means that all soldiers increasingly require an element of medical training. The 3 block concept describes the situation where a nZdF troop on patrol may face anything from providing humanitarian assistance on one street, to peacekeeping on the next, escalating to a combat engagement in the third, all possibly on the same day.

acknowledging this need, nZ army basic training will be enhanced from 13 to 26 weeks in early-2009 to a format which will encompass recruit-wide medical training.

These skills will also be the foundation for recruits looking to further specialise as medics like wo2 crowe.

wo2 crowe says the changing nature of global security as well as the weapons being used coupled with advancements in drugs, science and medicine means medical training needs to be equally fluid and constantly developing to keep pace, albeit based on a foundation of demonstrated evidence and research.

“we previously thought that training in applying ivs and introducing morphine was important in the initial phases of treatment. now we know that practicing stopping haemorrhaging and focusing on getting the basics right such as keeping the patient warm and their airways secure are more vital skills. it sounds simple, but in a high risk/ high stress environment, it takes a lot of practice to do well.

“in places such as afghanistan and the Solomon islands we are also dealing with multiple diseases such as malaria and Tb on a frequent basis. Preventing our forces from being infected or reducing the risks is part of the job. communicable exotic diseases rare or non-existent in nZ are commonplace complications when dealing with injured or ill civilians as well. in Timor-Leste for example, our medics found dealing with acute childbirth emergencies brought on by febrile illnesses like malaria in remote locations was a regular situation they were encountering, and this required adaptation of our training,” wo2 crowe says.

“our medics train for the operating environment they will encounter when they deploy as well as at what they may face in the field in new Zealand,” wo2 crowe says,

“These environments often differ to say, St. John ambulance or other civilian national agencies, in that we often need to act and operate in a high threat situation.”

“a lot of what our work is Primary health care, general Practice-type stuff. we’re first on the scene in trauma and sometimes the only available

health care provider for people in remote locations. we have to deal with all types of conditions: Knee injuries, open wounds, diarrhoea, rashes, the flu, conditions both mundane and serious. 80-90% of what we do is supporting the troops as the first point of contact in the field.”

developing a relationship with a makeup school a few years ago has also augmented training.

“we identified the need to increase the realism for training and what that also meant was to make the field training environment more dynamic. one of the team touched base with a professional industry training provider in auckland that also did horror and casualty-type makeup as part of their courses. This has helped our moulage work develop significantly.”

Tim has personally focused on enhancing his casualty moulage techniques since 2002 and he is considered among the best in the field.

“The realism helps our students ask: how do i deal with this now? realistic trauma training teaches students to get through initial stress responses and tunnel vision present on arrival at a scene and makes the students think and act faster and more effectively.”

wo2 crowe says the training is paying dividends and the feedback from students is consistent. They appreciate the chance to be challenged in an environment that is as real as we can make it.

“They want to make a difference in an area where difference can be made. They recognise they can make a huge impact to people’s lives.”

a centennial Medic challenge is to be held during the centennial celebrations at Linton Military camp on 10 July 2008.

The challenge will commence in the bahrain room of 2nd health Support battalion with a quiz and will conclude at the Linton camp, Parsons range with a quick reaction range shoot.

The challenge is a series of cumulative individual stands in or around the Linton camp confidence course. it will combine corps knowledge, medical skills, physical agility and shooting skills. it is open to all soldiers regular and reserve.

The skills stations and scenarios are assessed and points weighed based on the individual’s training level, thus enabling new and experienced soldiers to participate equably. The tests involve a written test, a short battle run, and confidence course with medical scenarios at various stations, including a resuscitation stand. The challenge will conclude with a range shoot.

Participants will be required to come with a medical bag (nZceS2165), kitted out to their preference as well as any ‘extra’ kit they choose to carry. remembering this is a test of endurance as well as medical skills. camouflage uniform (dPM or dress no. 3) with webbing to be worn.

Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd as well as a trophy for the overall winner is to be presented at the rnZaMc centennial cocktail Party.

Message from Chief of Army, MAJGEN Lou Gardiner

To all ranks of the royal new Zealand army Medical corps, both past and present, on behalf of the wider new Zealand army, i would like to congratulate you on this occasion the 100th anniversary of the official founding of your corps.

although your official birthday dates from the year 1908, it is worth noting that your corps was already in existence and providing support to the new Zealand army before then, both at home and overseas.

Since your official establishment in 1908, you have continued to provide distinguished support to the army: at home during peacetime, natural disasters and civil emergencies; and overseas in such theatres as egypt, gallipoli, France, Flanders, Palestine, greece, crete, north africa, italy, the South Pacific, Korea, Malaya, vietnam, iraq, Somalia, bosnia, bougainville, east Timor, indonesia and afghanistan. you have provided support in times of peace and in times of war, in times of peace support operations, disaster relief and humanitarian aid.

we are indeed fortunate in the new Zealand army to have the support of a Medical corps which is so renowned for its high standard of professionalism. we are also fortunate to have the support of a corps which continues to bring into service so many prominent new Zealanders from all walks of medical life. in fact, your corps is adorned with the names of many eminent men and women of the new Zealand medical profession. This has meant much to us as we have worked to maintain the high level of combat readiness and morale of the new Zealand army. as history has aptly demonstrated, soldiers who are well supported medically tend to have a greater willingness to fight and put themselves in harms way - something we ask our personnel to do on a daily basis.

For your record of distinguished and meritorious service, we express to you our most heartfelt thanks and congratulations. in the difficult days that lie ahead i am confident that the rnZaMc will not be found wanting in maintaining the proud tradition of service which it has so worthily established over the past 100 years.

as a prelude to the rnZaMc celebrations, brig brian McMahon, the colonel commandant rnZaMc was recently invited to present operational service medals to members of 2 hSb (nZ). Seven members of the unit were awarded medals for service in Timor Leste, Solomon islands and afghanistan. “we were absolutely delighted to have brig McMahon review the parade and issue medals,” said the commanding officer, Lieutenant colonel oiroa Kaihau. Sgt reuben blakely, heSc, was also awarded the brig Le Page cup for academic excellence in the diploma of Military Medicine.

lEft: brig mcmahon congratulates lcpl david christmas on the award of his operational service medal and gsm timor leste. right: lt col kaihau, wo1 hucker and brig mcmahon inspecting the ranks

we’re first on the scene in trauma

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12our peopleSErvINg NEw ZEaLaND LoyaLLy aND hoNouraBLy

They’re young, relatively new to the army, and developing as many skills as they can in their chosen careers. and soon they may have the chance to not only showcase their skills to the rest of their industry, but possibly win an all-expenses paid trip to canada.

The contestants in the recent wellington regional worldSkills competition recall what it’s like when the pressure is on…

“The atmosphere in the workshop was busy and hectic from the word go. Most of us were rushing ( some faster then others) to find wiring faults, dismantle gearboxes, measuring cylinders and crank journals. i love the feeling of being busy and having a deadline to work to. but along with that not compromising my work ethic when i am in a hurry is another big factor. you may think that it is easy to dismantle a gearbox, but there are a lot of small parts inside that take some caressing to get into position. you also have to make sure that you place all parts back into the gearbox so it operates. when working in a workshop environment you also have to make sure you keep all your tools in one spot and that you use the correct tool for the job. it was hard to keep this up for hours when you had the judges watching.

you have a good time and learn heaps at this competition, especially how other apprentices are trained in the industry. i have gained a lot out of this experience and look forward to going to nationals and hope to travel to canada for the worlds.”

PTE Timothy Corney, apprentice automotive engineer

“There were eight army and a group of civilians competing. on the first day of travel we went to check out the venue. it was pretty relaxed but a little worrying that we didn’t bring any equipment and had to rely on welTec to provide it all, and there was a lot. Three nZdF stewards and two civilian competitors were split into two groups. The activities were: decant red wine, flower arrangement, table setting, laying and changing a table cloth, silver service of soup and main course, speciality coffees,crepe suzette on the guerdon, service of red and white wine, six napkin folds, blind wine identification (3 white, 3 red), spirit identification, two classic cocktails and a non alcoholic cocktail. The event started at 0800hrs and finished at about 1630hrs with a lunch break in between. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed. i think the best thing you can do is relax, go with it and have fun. yes it is scary wondering what those judges are writing down on that clip board, that seem to be chewing through paper watching every little thing you do. but it is all about experience and learning new things. one thing i noticed was the different terminology that we use compared to welTec and some different ways of doing things. i learnt a lot and had an awesome time and yes, winning was great.”

PTE Kirsty Lister, apprentice steward

“we had six stands with an hour allowed per stand. we were partnered off with a civilian competitor, which gave a bit of a real competition feel to the atmosphere, wanting to beat the other person with not only speed but with skill, workshop tidiness, safety, correct tool selection. These were all things the judges were looking for and marking us on. our skills were tested in a variety of stands like gearbox dismantling and rebuild, finding and rectifying electrical faults in a vehicle. we had to check and service brakes, locate and test sensors on a vehicle, inspect steering and suspension along with set up the dunlop wheel alignment machine and inspect and dismantle a engine block. all the stands tested our knowledge on what we had learned the year before in c.e.a.T.S course. we all found it very challenging and had to work smartly and in a safe manner to get the task done in time. it was good to meet new people in the trade and especially compare my knowledge with that of civilian apprentices and how they were taught. i found the competition a very good experience and a good way to keep what i had learnt refreshed and even extend my knowledge that bit more. overall i found it a enjoyable weekend and recommend others to give it ago and maybe win their chance at the nationals and maybe even the big overseas trip!”

PTE Dylan Gulliver, apprentice automotive engineer

“i took part in the regional competition with 5 other nZdF chefs from Linton. The atmosphere in the kitchen was busy and hectic right from the beginning. chefs were rushing from left to right, filleting fish, chopping fresh herbs, whisking

frantically at bowls. i love that feeling of busyness and having to meet a deadline at the same time as producing a good quality dish which not only tastes good but looks great as well. you may think that producing the yummiest and best looking dish will win you instant gold; it won’t. chef competitions are more then just cooking. it’s how well you utilise your time, food wastage, keeping your area clean (clean as you go), keeping yourself clean and right down to keeping your plates at the right temperature. it’s hard out and you have to keep your mind on all those factors at the same time as

worrying about the judges watching every move you make for four hours.

you have a good time and learn heaps, especially how civilian chefs work and are trained. you gain a lot of experience on how competitions work. hopefully these experiences will contribute to me winning the nationals and hopefully going to canada. Fingers crossed! “

PTE Amy Williams, apprentice chef

“i competed with five other army vehicle mechanics. The competition was split into six individual stands. each stand had a five minute brief, an hour to get the task complete and ten minutes to pack up and refurbish the task. during the morning i completed my first three tasks - engine management, brakes and electrical. with engine management up first it was a steep leaning curve being handed a task and not really knowing what needed to be done. once i worked out what the task required i got stuck in and learned a lot. Second up was the brakes stand. armed with the knowledge of how the competition was to work i tackled the brakes stand and completed it without missing too much out. The last stand of the morning was electrical. i’m not sure if it was because i was getting hungry or that i had confused myself but the electrical stand did not go as well as it could have. This seemed to be a common theme throughout the day with the majority of competitors.

after having a wonderful cut lunch i got stuck into my forth stand -gearboxes. This stand went well as i managed to complete the required tasks within time, without too many problems. next up was suspension which would have been one of my better stands as i didn’t drop too many points and finished well within time. Last up was the engine reconditioning stand. This stand was one of the hardest stands but also my favourite to compete in.

at the end of the day i was very pleased with how the competition went. The judges were all very experienced which made the whole day run very smoothly and also allowed the competitors to learn valuable information and skills.”

PTE Ryan Beetham, automotive engineer

army apprentices showcase their trades

the nZdf also hopes to be able to field representatives for the national competition in electrical wiring, plumbing, carpentry and welding.

if anyone knows of any young trades people within nZdf who would like to compete and are under 22 yrs as at 31 dec 08 convince them to give it a go and contact lt rick anderson, the nZdf world skills coordinator. they may win a trip to canada to compete in the international world skills competition.

contact details:lt rick anderson nZdf regional worldskills coordinatorc/- trade training schooltrEntham military campdteln 347-7526

young, skilled and excited

PTE Amy Williams

PTE Ryan Beetham

PTE Dylan Gulliver

PTE Timothy Corney

PTE Kirsty Lister

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our pEopLE13issue 388 10 June 2008

The waiouru garrison club recently presented a cheque for $2701 to canTeen, a charity that supports teenagers living with cancer.

The money was raised when the club hosted an all ranks charity function last year.

it held a number of lucky wheel raffles culminating with an auction for items donated by the waiouru agi and Lion breweries. organisers say a great night was had by all who attended.

on Sunday 18th May 2008 the club presented the cheque to canTeen’s chris carey-Smith, the Member Liaison coordinator for the Manawatu. chris said canTeen was very impressed with the donation, and he indicated the money would be put towards helping fund future activities for the children.

cpl Saunders, PMc of the waiouru garrison club said although the event was hard work to organise, conduct, and host, it was well worth it. he thanked everyone who attended the function for their generosity, and challenged other Messes and clubs within army to undertake the same sort of activity for charitable organisations within their regions.

By Jane MortlockMalcolm darby had tears in his eyes when he realised the

morning tea being put on was for him. despite retiring after 40 years working in the boiler house at burnham Military camp, he really was taken aback that they had gone to all the effort!

in 1968 Malcolm began work as a fitter for the Ministry of works at burnham. he spent a lot of his time maintaining the old gallipoli boiler house and shovelling coal into the hoppers of the many satellite boilers around the camp before a new

boiler house was built.

Throughout his 40 years Malcolm has

seen many changes at burnham, including

many companies working alongside the

camp come and go. he has only good

things to say about Fulton hogan who he

currently works for, and his workmates,

who he will truly miss now that he has

retired.

“it is people like you, Malcolm,

who make this place tick along,” said

commander 3 LFg Lt col Phil McKee at

Malcolm’s farewell. “your knowledge and

expertise will be sorely missed, but we are

grateful for having had you for as long as

we have.”

Malcolm’s colleagues said that they

would miss his dry sense of humour, his ‘arkwright’ impressions

and his hunting and fishing stories, often ending with advice

on how to keep warm when sleeping in the bush – a good swig

of straight rum before bed.

Malcolm’s wife dale is looking forward to having her

husband at home more, although she is resigned to the fact

there may now be a whole lot more fishing and hunting trips

with mates and old colleagues from work.

army general Staff in wellington now has one of the country’s top administrators in its ranks.

Shona dowden was placed second equal in the recent association of administration Professionals of new Zealand awards for the administration Professional of the year.

an administrator with the army for the past five years, Shona won second place after answering a series of questions, writing a description of her role, and being interviewed by a panel of judges, who asked her, among other things, to describe her career aspirations and passions.

She says she is “very happy” to have been placed, and feels it reflects that “i really enjoy the work i do.”

Shona mainly administers the army’s overseas individual training for soldiers and officers.

what makes a good administrator? “i think you have to be well organised, get on with people, and be versatile.”

shona wins in admin quest

farewell malcolm

shona dowden

ltcol mac grace was presented with the customary 25 year bayonet by chief of army, maJgEn lou gardiner when he left the army recently. the mounted bayonet is awarded to rnZir officers on completion of 25 years’ service.

major Justin de la haye accompanies mrs laura bush, wife of president george bush, during a visit to the nZ prt in bamyan, afghanistan in June.

rear admiral david ledson chief of navy presented medals to members of hmnZs philomel and hmnZs canterbury. here sgt fitzell receives the nZgsm (timor leste)

cpl saunders pmc, pte goodley , cpl teepa dpmc, lcpl maaka, kristy fecser, spr klaasen, sarah day, Edward waho, lcpl withers, Jaiden rowan, chris carrey-smith, anna hocyard, kathryn harris, cpl duncan, Jess aupouri.

malcolm darby and dale

linton an correspondent faye lougher received her graduate diploma in Journalism studies from massey university recently. faye stiudied for the diploma extramurally.

Canteen benefits from Waiouru function

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14our peopleCourage, Commitment, Comradeship and integrity

our people15issue 388 10 June 2008

The New Zealand Defence Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron premises were officially opened at Trentham Camp in May.

The new capability means greater security for New Zealand, and brings together skilled service personnel with expertise in explosives disposal.

Defence Minister Phil Goff opened the headquarters of the new and enhanced bomb disposal squadron. “The prospect of a terrorist attack in New Zealand using chemical, biological or radiological devices is lower than in many other countries. Yet given the serious consequences of such as attack, we cannot afford to be complacent,” Mr Goff said.

“That is why the establishment of this new capability for the 1st New Zealand Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron is in New Zealand’s national interest. This significant financial investment provides a major strengthening of our ability to respond to these types of threats.

“The new capability is operational now and the squadron will build up in size over the next 18 months to more than 72 personnel. Old equipment is being replaced with remote controlled robots, new detection devices and other electronic tools as well as new decontamination equipment and clothing.

The new facility is funded by $22 million in capital and ongoing operating funding approved by the Government in 2005. It is part of this government’s

$4 billion 10-year Long Term Development Plan for Defence.The squadron’s headquarters and training base are in Upper Hutt and

three new operational units will be sited close to the CBDs and air and sea ports of the main centres – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. They will provide much improved response times across the country and greater overall security for New Zealand.

Mr Goff said the squadron was also necessary to guarantee a level of protection around New Zealand’s ability to host internationally significant events such as the Rugby World Cup.

“The EOD Squadron has conducted joint exercises with Police, Fire, Airport Security and Customs. A fully coordinated response across all of government is important,” he said.

“The enhanced capability builds on the New Zealand Defence Force’s expertise and professionalism – for which it has a long history and gained a well earned reputation, both at home and internationally – in the area of explosive ordnance disposal. While the potential risk of chemical, biological or radiological devices creates the most dramatic and frightening scenarios, in fact the greatest probable risk remains in the area of orthodox explosives,” Phil Goff said.

By Judith MartinIt sounded like it could be one of the best Guy Fawkes

displays in the country – 100 tonnes of fireworks going up in smoke in the middle of the North Island.

But there were no elements of display in this burn-off. It was all just part of the job for members of the 1st New Zealand Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron- the bomb squad.

The fireworks, which were all past their use-by date and unable to be sold or used, were taken to an isolated area of Waiouru where they were placed on pallets in a pit, doused with diesel and set alight.

Military ordnance, which is old or unusable, is disposed of similarly. Pits are carefully dug in an isolated area, and the ordnance placed in layers, between which is positioned the initiating explosives. With operators standing about 1000 metres away, the pit is blown up remotely.

Safety is paramount when EOD personnel undertake any disposal task.

“There is a procedure to follow, and a very methodical way of completing the task,” says Chief Ammunition Technical Officer, LTCOL Wayne Boustridge.

The EOD Squadron is relatively new - it celebrated its first birthday a couple of years ago – although in New Zealand the Army has traditionally been one of the official organisations that deals with the disposal of explosives.

The squadron is manned by tri-Service personnel and is responsible for explosive ordnance disposal, which includes improvised explosive devices containing a chemical,biological or radiological, or straight explosive

payload - in other words, bombs. It also disposes of unserviceable commercial explosives and ammunitions.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the New Zealand government recognised the need to be able to respond to a wide range of potential terrorist attacks, hence the establishment of the EOD Squadron. The New Zealand Army has taken the lead in introducing and developing the new capability.

While the biggest risks for the squadron are associated with improvised explosive devices, the disposal of military ordnance must also be undertaken very precisely.

“We are often called to dispose of, for example, ammunition or a grenade brought back from a war and discovered in someone’s shed, or on any number of current or former live firing ranges and New Zealand War battle sites.Military ordnance is designed to kill, and it may have become unstable through age. Operators are trained to recognise the item and effectively and safely dispose of it,” says LTCOL Wayne Boustridge.

But bomb disposal is much more complex.An improvised bomb can look like anything, and can

be made in many ways, and you don’t know immediately what could trigger it. It could be made by kids who have read about it on the Internet and are into experimenting, or by someone with much more sinister motives, such as in the Trades Hall bombing in Wellington in the 1980s.

It often doesn’t matter if a bomb is simple or sophisticated – both can be effective.

When an incident occurs, such as something suspicious is left in a public building, other emergency services - the police, fire brigade and ambulance - are involved. Cordons

must be established and buildings evacuated.EOD operators are dealing with the unknown, and may

have to work with it remotely, using a robot. Sometimes they must rely on the description provided by witnesses, which can be inaccurate.

The training involved in becoming a disposal operator is extensive.

Operators are taught about bombs, what’s inside ordnance, and how it works. Safety is a huge issue, so they are taught how to protect themselves and the public. Importantly, they are taught to deal with the unknown. That, according to instructors, is often the hardest part – ensuring operators are prepared for anything.

Instructors have an array of equipment that can be used, and they are taught what equipment can be used in different scenarios. They learn to work methodically so they don’t miss anything. Some tasks are simple, and they can be dealt with quickly. Bomb disposal can take up to five hours to deal with, and, because they have been designed by someone to kill, disfigure or scare, can be complicated and very dangerous.

Bomb disposal operators spend much of their time upskilling, reading research, and familiarising themselves with overseas trends.

They usually possess certain personal characteristics, says LTCOL Boustridge. “As well as needing to have technical skills, they have to have the right temperament. They have to be confident, and able to cope with stress. Psychological assessment for suitability is a critical component of the selection process.”

New capability means greater security, and

more expertise

The complexities ofbomb disposal

eod squadron

The Explosive Ordnance Squadron’s role is to

Provide support to civilian authorities •(EOD, commercial disposals). Provide Military EOD support •- humanitarian work (such as de-mining), peace stability (remnants of war), military operations (battlefield clearance, safety and education). Search for, and dispose or render safe, •improvided explosive devices)Be the centre of excellence for training, •historical and modern developments.

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PHOTOS: LAC Rachael Main

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SErvINg NEw ZEaLaND LoyaLLy aND hoNouraBLy16our people

By LTCOL Richard TaylorThe key literacy skills of reading, writing, numeracy and critical thinking are the

tools that underpin all other competencies. it is estimated, however, that 1.2 million new Zealand adults, including soldiers, do not have sufficient literacy skills to fulfil all their living and working requirements.

during 2007, MSi began investigating the issue of literacy in the army, with the objective of developing a framework to support soldiers through their careers. it is doing this in partnership with the Upskilling office of the department of Labour, and with training support from the Manukau institute of Technology.

as the first stage in this process, during november 2007 MSi personnel evaluated the literacy and numeracy skills of over 100 recruits at the army depot. This was done using Skills check, a computer-based literacy screening tool developed in the United Kingdom and adapted for new Zealand conditions. Skills check assesses students within three grades: 1 (basic) to 3 (adequate for most working and social needs). it takes students approximately 15 minutes to complete the test.

in future, all new recruits at The army depot will undertake Skills check during their training. Those who are identified as having some weaknesses will undergo more detailed diagnostic testing when they arrive in their new units. The diagnostic testing, and resulting remedial action, will be provided by regional MSi detachments. This will involve a mix of one-on-one teaching, working in small groups, and short courses, subject to their parent units’ unit training and other work commitments.

MSi will separately test all current corporals and below, as opportunities permit. The chief of army, MaJgen Lou gardiner, stated his objectives for the literacy

project during his speech to mark the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between army and the department of Labour.

“The literacy strategy has two major goals. This first of these is to ensure that all corporals are at a minimum of Level Two,” he said. “The second strategic goal is to provide for the ongoing development of our soldiers’ literacy standards, to ensure that they are able to meet the challenges of the more complex education and training programmes they will have to complete as they work through their careers.

“of course, this involves much more than simply “sending soldiers back to school”. rather, it will mean a holistic approach to literacy development, which applies best practice in adult teaching and learning methodology throughout the army education and training system. it will also involve a greater emphasis on workplace training,” he concluded.

By PTE Jerry Crocombe, MSI Burnhamduring april and May 2008, members of the royal new

Zealand army education corps undertook training in developing literacy frameworks. The training was provided by the Manukau institute of Technology (MiT) School of Foundation Studies, and was based on the unit standard “develop adult learners’ Literacy and numeracy Skills within a Training or education Programme.” This unit standard is part of the national certificate in adult Literacy education.

The course aims to provide students with an understanding of wider literacy issues, and how they impact on individuals, the workplace and the community. it teaches how to assess students’ literacy needs, how to help those with difficulties in a particular area, and how to develop literacy frameworks for the wider workplace.

The training was run by MiT tutor Tina rose. it included group discussions, online internet research, and individual study. The participants all learned new and interesting material that will be beneficial in their various roles as army educators, with a particular emphasis on working with learners who may have issues with literacy and numeracy. The course was well received by all participants, due to its interactive nature and direct relevance to their roles as educators. it also provided a valuable opportunity for networking within the corp.

The chief of the army, MaJgen Lou gardiner, formally opened the first training session on 8 april. he stressed the importance to army of upskilling

its soldiers’ literacy and numeracy skills, and expressed his support for the project. “The training you are about to undertake, and the additional skills you gain, will be of enormous benefit to our soldiers now and in the future,” he said. “it will ensure that all our soldiers have the foundations skills and confidence they require as they progress through their military training. This will help them with their army careers, and also when they leave the organisation.”

The newly-appointed colonel commandant rnZaec, LTcoL (rtd) S.J. Fraser also paid a visit on the second day of the course.

The new Zealand army has joined with government’s literacy, language and numeracy Upskilling Partnership Programme to enhance its soldiers’ development and provide more fulfilling career paths, says Lieutenant colonel richard Taylor, the commanding officer of the army’s Military Studies institute.

Lieutenant colonel Taylor said that many of the army’s new recruits reflect the characteristics of the wider workforce, including having poor literacy and numeracy skills that may stop them from achieving their full potential.

“For many reasons, such as individual learning issues or poor experience of formal education, some of our recruits come to us with poor literacy skills. The upskilling partnership will help us to identify the literacy skills of all of our soldiers, and target specific training to address any individual skill shortages that are identified.

“by committing to this programme, the army is ensuring that its junior soldiers are given the key foundation skills that they will require for personal development and career progression,” Lieutenant colonel Taylor said.

Under the Upskilling Partnership Programme, the new Zealand army will use Skills check, a testing tool adapted by the Ministry of education for use by new Zealand employers, to conduct diagnostic testing of all new recruits and junior soldiers.

The results of these tests will be used by army education

corps personnel to develop remedial programmes where required, to ensure that every soldier is able to meet the range of literacy challenges he or she will encounter. These programmes may include formal instruction, one-on-one tuition, and working in small groups.

These foundation skills will be built upon and developed through more advanced programmes that will prepare soldiers for progression into higher ranks and more challenging roles.

The Upskilling Partnership Programme is a multi agency initiative led by the department of Labour to assist and encourage employers to create training programmes aimed at improving the literacy, language and numeracy skills of people in the workforce.

Manukau institute of Technology is the tertiary education partner in this programme. “as a specialist in applied and vocational training, MiT welcomes the opportunity to deliver this programme in the context of army training and life,” said dr Stuart Middleton, director external relations at MiT.

“Literacy is an area where training is much more effective when that training takes place within real life scenarios and where real examples give a clear and sharp purpose to that training. This fits well within the culture of education and training in the new Zealand army.”

Manukau institute of Technology also provide language training to soldiers prior to their deployment throughout the world.

stepping up: the army literacy frameworkNZ Army joins upskilling

partnership programme

literacy training commences at msi

mou upskilling partnership programme, l-r stuart middleton - mit, ca maj gen lou gardiner, chris blake cEo of dol sign the memorandum of understanding tutor tina rose, from manukau institute of technology (left) with lt sarah starkey, and

ptE Jerry crocombe.

lcpl shalamar solomon, of msi, works with tutor tina rose on ways to improve soldiers' literacy and mumeracy skills.

LITERACY Q & A.Q. What exactly is literacy? Isn’t it just about reading and writing? a. no. it involves the range of skills an individual needs to function effectively

in the workplace and in their day-to-day life. These include reading and writing, speaking and listening, numeracy, and critical thinking. They are usually used together, such as filling out a bank form or making a decision about which car to buy.

Q. So why should the Army be concerned about it? a. at the individual level, improving soldiers’ literacy skills will help them have

more productive and fulfilling careers, by ensuring they have the skills and learning confidence they will require for their work and ongoing training. at a wider level, it will support the development of other capabilities, such as leadership; and may also assist retention by enabling better rank progression and opening up opportunities for trade changes.

Q. How might literacy impact on other training?a. Training will be most effective if it is delivered at the level that is appropriate

for the learner group. as a recent example, during 2007 it was noted that many recruits and junior soldiers had problems with the terminal test for the Law of armed conflict (Loac): Level one. MSi and Loac instructors reviewed the teaching material, and amended it to reflect the literacy levels of the target group. although the questions and scenarios are the same, minor changes in the language used has made it easier for students to understand the questions. The module now has a 100% pass rate.

issue 388 10 June 2008our people17

The commander’s cocktail Party was held at waiouru camp in May. it is an annual event held for local landowners , business owners, government departments and Local body representatives, to show LTdg’s appreciation for their valued support throughout the year. it also provides an opportunity to maintain relationships and establish closer communications. Photos: Kat Oliver

LTDG says thank you to

local community

clockwisE from top right:ltdg commander col roger mcElwain

welcomes visitors to the camp: ca, maJgEn lou gardiner, gayna setters

and betty mulvay; maj blandina diamond, capt banuk, maryrose ragagalo,

lt col kerry ragagalo mbE; maryann roberts, sgt te rangi maniapoto, wo1

tama hiroti; flora rose, wo2 dean kimber, franco rose; friends from their

primary school years, lcc brigadier dave gawn and mrs anne mcElwain;

wo1 ian mackenzie, lachlan harding, maj terry o’neil; capt Jane derbyshire

and sandra cattermole; david lumley, vanessa lumley, wo1 pat cooney

(rsm), 2lt dean mayhew, sandra cattermole; and wo2 dave chamber,

dca, brig phil gibbons, stevie vine, lachlan harding.

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CouragE, CommItmENt, ComraDEShIp aND INtEgrIty18survival drills

Military drivers are required to operate vehicles that carry a variety of stores and equipment. Knowing exactly what your load is, and in particular, the weight of the load, is important for a number of reasons. There are legal requirements with respect to the compatibility of items i.e. there are certain items which must be segregated or carried separate to others. Then there are the axle and vehicle weight limits that must be adhered to. we need to consider load type and weight when we are considering the distribution of the load on our vehicle, and the amount of restraint required. Lastly, but importantly, drivers must have an understanding of load type and weight in order to adjust their driving technique accordingly.

Loads affect vehicle handling, especially during acceleration, braking and cornering. The forces placed on a vehicle vary depending on load weight, distribution and height. Laden vehicles require greater distances in which to slow down or come to a stop. Likewise, vehicles with heavy loads require more distance when moving from rest and accelerating. drivers therefore must know their load and take this into account when driving. read the road ahead to identify potential hazards and anticipate the worst case happening. reacting early will lessen the chance of you having to make sudden stops or movements. consider the weight of your vehicle when selecting gaps at intersections and prior to passing manoeuvres. obey the mandatory speed limits and

take note of advisory signs. This is especially important when cornering and negotiating descents.

Much of our road network now has signage which advises drivers of the safe speeds to negotiate bends and corners. it is a good rule of thumb for drivers of heavy vehicles to adopt speeds of 10 kph less than the posted advisory speed. remember to complete any gear changing and braking prior to entering the bend. Steep descents and gradients require the heavy vehicle driver to adjust their speed at the top of the hill. This enables the driver to maintain a safe speed throughout the descent as the vehicle gathers momentum.

The safe driving techniques described above are applicable to all drivers, and in particular those that operate heavy vehicles. Knowing your load and the weight of your vehicle allows you to take this into account when making driving decisions. you need to anticipate and be prepared for the hazards that you will encounter during your journey in order to avoid sudden or violent vehicle movement. an easy way to give yourself more time is to drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions and the vehicle and its load. drive to the road and load.

Know your load

Ensure your vehicle is legal and in good working order?

maintain two hands on the steering wheel?

obey the speed limits?

obey all traffic signs and signals?

avoid sudden lane changes?

overtake correctly?

avoid harsh braking and acceleration?

use indicators correctly to communicate intentions?

select sufficient gap when joining or crossing the flow of traffic?

read the road ahead and anticipate situations that can develop?

regularly check all the mirrors?

maintain safe following distances?

adjust your speed to the conditions?

avoid driving when tired?

plan alternative transport when you know you will be drinking alcohol?

always wear a safety belt when driving and as a passenger?

take extra care for cyclists and pedestrians?

avoid using cell phones or being distracted whilst driving?

show courtesy to other road users e.g. let them into a gap?

stay calm even if other motorists annoy you?

yes no

use the checklist below to assess your driving performance. do you:

arE you a good drivEr ?you can be by simply changing any of the attitudes or behaviours you ticked above as ‘no’. when driving you constantly have to make decisions based on the conditions you are faced with. along with your knowledge and skill, attitude plays a big part in the choices you make- whether to obey the rules, play it safe or drive responsibly in any given situation.

Every 3kms the average driver makes 400 observations and forty decisions.

THINK…DECIDE…ACT

news19issue 388 10 June 2008

NEWS

SURVIVAL DRILLS 05

KNOWYOUR LOAD

Load type and weight affects vehicle handling especially during braking and cornering.

Know the load you are carrying and consider the load in your driving decisions.

SErvINg NEw ZEaLaND LoyaLLy aND hoNouraBLy20our people

Changes are being made to improve services to veterans with Veterans Affairs New Zealand becoming the single agency responsible for all aspects of War Disablement Pensions.

From 1 July 2008 veterans will gain a single point of contact for all enquires about entitlements and services – making access to assistance simpler and more efficient.

cabinet has agreed to a proposal that will see the provision of services to veterans improved and made more efficient, veterans' affairs Minister, rick barker has announced.

"currently the responsibility for war disablement Pensions is split between veterans affairs new Zealand (vanZ) and the Ministry of Social development. From 1 July 2008 the policy relating to, and delivery of, war disablement Pensions will be transferred to vanZ. This is good news for the veterans community," Mr barker said.

"This decision makes vanZ the sole agency responsible for the delivery of war disablement Pensions and recognises the lifetime responsibility of the chief of defence Force to veterans. vanZ will continue to sit within the new Zealand defence Force and will lose its semi-autonomous status.

"The men and women who are put in harm's way defending our country rightly occupy a special place in new Zealand society. This is why this government is committed to ensuring the services delivered to them are of the highest standard and that our duty of care to them is maintained.

"Two reviews of the current arrangements found that there were inefficiencies in the delivery of war disablement Pensions, and whilst staff in both organisations work professionally to give as good a service as possible, the whole system needed to be re-engineered so that one agency had responsibility for policy and practice and facilitating the provision of services and support to veterans who are in receipt of war disablement Pensions.

"The changes will mean that veterans will be able to deal directly with one organisation for all enquires about entitlements and services. This is a significant change which will improve outcomes and support for our veterans. Put simply they will have a single 0800 number to contact rather than two. improved efficiency and clearer lines of responsibility will also enable improvements to be made in the time taken to process war disablement Pensions.

"all veterans are different in terms of the level and kind of support they require and providing them with one point of contact when accessing service is an important step. vanZ will now also be able to broaden its role in brokering services for veterans and case manage their claims for any state assistance."

Throughout the review of vanZ, veterans' groups such as the royal new Zealand returned and Services’ association have been fully consulted.

"i would like to thank all the staff involved and the veterans themselves for their patience and understanding while this process has been going on. ensuring that we came to the right conclusions and did our best by the veterans' community has always been the paramount concern. i believe we now have a system to put in place that will make access to assistance for veterans simpler and more efficient," Mr barker said.

veterans with questions or concerns about the process will be able to contact war Pension Services or their veterans' affairs new Zealand case manager in the usual way.

Questions and answers:What is changing?From 1 July, 2008, responsibility for the administration of war disablement and Surviving Spouse

pensions will rest with veterans affairs new Zealand (vanZ). in addition, vanZ will cease to be a semi-autonomous body, and become an operational unit of new Zealand defence Force (nZdF).

Is anything changing to the way the Veterans Pension is administered? no. The administration of veterans Pensions is staying with the Ministry of Social development

and a new number for contacting this group will be announced prior to 1 July 2008. in the meantime, veterans can still contact the war Pension Services or veterans' affairs new Zealand in regards to these services.

Why have these changes come about?The change is being driven by the goal of improving the services and support delivered to

veterans. The two agency model of delivering services to veterans was inefficient. This change will make one agency responsible for the delivery of all services.

How will things improve for veterans?From 1 July 2008 veterans will gain a single point of contact for all enquires about entitlements

and services – making access to assistance simpler and more efficient. improved efficiency and clearer lines of responsibility will also enable improvements to be made in the time taken to process war disablement Pensions.

Will anything else be changing?yes, when announcing these changes veterans affairs Minister rick barker signalled that

veterans affairs new Zealand will be broadening its role in brokering services for veterans and case managing their claims for any state assistance.

Have these changes come out of the blue?no. The government signalled its intent to improve services for veterans when it ordered a review

into the delivery of war disablement Pensions. Throughout the review veterans' groups such as the royal new Zealand returned and Services’ association were fully consulted.

Why is VANZ becoming an operational unit of NZDF?vanZ currently sits within the new Zealand defence Force, the change here is that it will lose its

semi-autonomous status. This will improve the lines of accountability and better recognises the lifetime responsibility of the chief of defence Force to veterans.

If veterans have any questions, who can they contact?veterans with questions or concerns about the process can contact war Pension Services or their

veterans' affairs new Zealand case Manager in the usual way.

One point of contact for veterans’ services

b1008390 cPL rP davieS 10-dec-07T1009740 LcPL TS PicKFord 20-Feb-08J1015458 LcPL LT raKaUPai 26-Mar-08L1017323 LcPL TJ Kreegher 10-apr-08d1015568 LcPL dd SMiTh 10-apr-08X1016874 LcPL KJ brown 14-apr-08M1021349 caPT g.M Faraday 15-apr-08e186327 SSgT gJ vaUghan 15-apr-08S1009417 LcPL TT FonUa 16-apr-08g56057 SSgT PQ griFFiThS 18-apr-08d1013590 cPL nJ higginS 18-apr-08X1017472 LcPL KM Lord 18-apr-08d753046 chaPcL3 d.P o'caLLaghan 18-apr-08h1009753 cPL bM good 24-apr-08L1014655 LcPL Lw McgrUer 24-apr-08Q1011554 LcPL JK nichoLLS 24-apr-08e990982 SSgT PJ hoUia 10-dec-07r759038 wo2 wS braMLey 26-Feb-08b1014071 LcPL Jw arMSTrong 11-Mar-08e1010923 cPL SJ roXbUrgh 30-Mar-08e1008416 LcPL bJ dyer 4-apr-08d1000043 SSgT Twe edwardS 4-apr-08g1013478 LcPL oJ KiLLiP 4-apr-08e1016006 LT e.a SincLair 9-apr-08d1010699 LcPL gr diXon 10-apr-08K1017483 LcPL T oLTacheS 10-apr-08w1008363 LcPL JP adaMS 21-apr-08T1003369 cPL LJ TayLor 21-apr-08b997235 SgT TP aMbLer 23-apr-08g1015387 LcPL TJ ParKin 23-apr-08r1017466 LcPL KM coLeMan 24-apr-08U1015491 cPL Me henry 24-apr-08n1019510 LcPL FJ hogan 24-apr-08y1011033 cPL Ma Moroney 24-apr-08y1011539 cPL gd PraTT 24-apr-08e1019341 LcPL TF STodarT 24-apr-08n1013806 LcPL bJ arnoTT 28-apr-08v1009374 LcPL JM ngaha 28-apra1015864 LcPL Jn ThoMPSon 28-apr-08r1005621 LcPL rKn Trinder 28-apr-08P1014704 LcPL Jv waenga 28-apr-08U1015974 LcPL rJ waTi 28-apr-08P1004584 SgT bJ MUnro 29-apr-08e1016512 LcPL cS Moore 1-May-08v1002980 LT S.a MUdFord 2-May-08J1001152 LT P.d STevenS 6-May-08Q1008081 MaJ S.c haLLigan 9-May-08a56603 wo2 Jc vicKerS 7-apr-08Q1001917 SgT Tw King 8-apr-08T1007716 cPL SK dowaLL 24-apr-08F1001126 cPL KM draPer 24-apr-08d1018788 SSgT ga bradShaw 30-apr-08h992572 SgT Jb dobSon 30-apr-08w1019702 LcPL JJL SUTTon 1-May-08K1002579 cPL Jd edwardS 7-May-08

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S1009417 LcPL TT FonUa 16-apr-08g56057 SSgT PQ griFFiThS 18-apr-08d1013590 cPL nJ higginS 18-apr-08X1017472 LcPL KM Lord 18-apr-08d753046 chaPcL3 d.P o'caLLaghan 18-apr-08h1009753 cPL bM good 24-apr-08L1014655 LcPL Lw McgrUer 24-aprQ1011554 LcPL JK nichoLLS 24-apr-08

REGT NO RANK INITS SURNAME EFFECTIVE REGT NO RANK INITS SURNAME EFFECTIVE REGT NO RANK INITS SURNAME EFFECTIVE

promotions

newly promoted Sergeant brent Menzies, an armourer at Trentham camp, says the variety of the work he does is the best part of his job.

an instructor at Trade Training School, he joined the army eight years ago. in 2004 he deployed to iraq attached to the new Zealand army engineer group which served there for six months doing humanitarian and reconstruction work alongside a british defence Force engineering unit.

SgT Menzies, 26, says teaching armourers how to, among other things, inspect and repair weapons is a big change for him, but the job is a great challenge.

“what i like most is the variety – i can be in the field, in the workshop, instructing. no day is ever the same.”

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diversity means all the ways people differ including visible differences such as gender, age, physical appearance and underlying differences such as thought styles, religion, and sexual orientation. diversity is about valuing and respecting these differences as an organisational priority and harnessing the strength that diversity brings to the organisation.

“valuing diversity is an integral part of competent leadership. it is about valuing and respecting differences of all individuals in the nZdF and using these differences to help build a better workforce. Understanding and valuing diversity will also enhance the nZdF’s reputation and differentiate the nZdF in deployment situations as ambassadors of new Zealand,” says nZdF’s Principal hr adviser (capability & equity), christine Johnson.

globalisation is creating more demands for deployment in different cultural, social and regional settings so we need a workforce with diverse styles, outlooks and approaches in order to build strong external alliances and to be operationally effective, she says.

THE JOURNEY TOWARDS EQUITY AND DIVERSITY1977 integration of women into the services began.• The focus was on sexual harassment prevention and unacceptable behaviour being seen as the major obstacles to integration and was not a holistic approach1998 the burton report • - audit of gender integration of women in the nZdF showed many instances of good practice and initiatives of enduring significance but there were areas for improvement. all recommendations were accepted and actioned2000 cdf removed all policy barriers for women in combat •roles2005 the hanson burns review of progress in integration of •women in the nZdf. identified significant and substantial progress towards gender integration. benefits of integration were widespread resulting in a better deal for all personnel including other minority groups.

a key recommendation from the hanson burns review was for the nZdF to develop an overarching equity strategy to set the direction

and priorities for equity, including gender equity, across the whole organisation. The strategy needed to have a clear and demonstrable link to nZdF’s overall strategic goals.in 2006 representatives from Single Services and headquarters contributed in developing the equity Strategy. Many of these people were members of the defence equity Management group which consists of equity co-ordinators from navy, army, air, Joint Forces and hQnZdF as well as the capability/equity cell, dhrPc.

DIVERSITY STRATEGYcdF signed off the ‘The new Zealand defence Force

diversity Strategy – ‘valuing diversity: Leadership in action’ in July 2007.

The Strategy signals a clear move to a more sophisticated understanding of equity in the organisation. The emphasis of this ‘move forward’ is to focus on diversity as a vehicle for further change.

The objective of the strategy is to optimise performance through strengthening nZdF’s inclusive culture. it recognises that the strength of our culture is partly derived from the differences that each individual brings to the organisational team.

The diversity strategy for the nZdF is defined overall as:The further embedding and normalising of diversity throughout the

daily business of the nZdF at all levels for both military and civilian staff subordinated only by operational requirements.

a strengthening of the link between leadership and its influence on diversity values. nZdF requires competent leadership at all levels that embodies different perspectives and approaches that draw upon different backgrounds and truly values a variety of opinion and insight.

The move to the next level is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, says christine. “The nZdF needs to build on and consolidate the sound progress in equity already made and focus on appreciating and integrating difference into the fabric of the nZdF.”

This will be done by implementing initiatives under the following four goals:

goal one: leadership committed to valuing diversityinclusiveness is an integral part of competent leadership. nZdF

leaders need to be accountable and have an important role to drive diversity behaviour and model diversity principles

goal two: positioning the nZdf for a stronger futurein a tight labour market, the nZdF must ensure that it is tapping into

all of the potential recruitment marketsgoal three: an inclusive and safe working EnvironmentThe goal is about maintaining and further developing what we have

already, our education programmes, and our anti-harassment networkgoal four: Effective monitoring of diversity initiatives

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION - WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ALREADY? a communication Strategy has included briefings to Service

Leadership Forums in late 2007, briefings to the Personnel branch Forum, the air women’s Leaders Forum, warrant officers Forums, and dissemination of hardcopies to Service equity co-ordinators for wider distribution within each Service.

The employment and Management of Pregnant women in the nZdF dFo 17/2007 has been signed off together with guidelines on pregnancy management and equity modules have been developed for Service promotion training and for civilians.

a huge achievement was the selection of the nZdF as the Public Sector winner of the eeo Trust work & Life diversity award 2007 which featured the diversity Strategy. This special award was to mark the 10th anniversary of the awards.

a link to the diversity Strategy on the intranet is: http://dcsbhost2/pers/equity/equity-divers-strat.htm

THE DIVERSITY OF OUR NZDF WORLDwhat’s a diversity strategy, and what does it have to do with you as an officer, soldier or civilian?

Valuing diversity is an integral part of competent leadership. It is about valuing and respecting differences of all individuals in the NZDF

an anzac biscuit with healing powers designed by andrew Lyall, age 11, of cambridge has won the new Zealand defence Force’s operation Kiwi competition.

andrew’s winning entry was chosen from over 600 entries in operation Kiwi, a design competition for year 6 to 10 students which aimed to raise awareness of anzac day and get children thinking about the role of Kiwi defence personnel currently serving overseas.

entrants were asked to design either a memento of new Zealand for nZdF personnel serving overseas to remind them of home, or a piece of equipment that would make life easier for nZdF personnel currently serving overseas.

The competition was judged by weta workshop director richard Taylor who said, “Judging the competition was extremely difficult as the ideas were incredibly innovative and so diverse. i had such a wonderful time looking at these fabulous entries. i chose andrew’s innovative anzac biscuit because i knew it would bring a smile to military personnel overseas and surely this is the best thing that can be sent from home.”

andrew’s prize includes a day at the naval base in devonport, a large collectible from weta workshop as well a $200 for his school, cambridge Middle School.

Second prize was awarded to Flynn Schikker, 9, of ashburton for his design of a kiwi robot, third prize to brady inwood, 13, of Motueka for his design which incorporates a map of new Zealand into camouflage material..

Anzac biscuit idea wins Operation Kiwi

op kiwi competition winners - l-r andrew lyall, weta workshop’s richard taylor, flynn schikker and brady inwood at the prizegiving

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CouragE, CommItmENt, ComraDEShIp aND INtEgrIty22our pEopLE

By MAJ Wayne Henderson, NZCFThe city of christchurch cadet unit turned out in support of the 28th Maori battalion (nZ) association (otautahi branch) recently

at a service which begun with a march on to the nga hau e wha national Marae in Pages road, christchurch. The service is conducted on each Sunday before anzac day, to commemorate the battalion assembling before departing for world war 2.

The service included former servicemen, serving nZ army personal, cadets, whanau and friends.There were four cadets from city of christchurch cadet Unit supporting the service as the catafalque guard, parading with 1942

enfield pt.303 drill Purpose rifles, in keeping with the occasion. Two 28 battalion members, Privates henry norton and eric henry, also participated in the service, as did italy Star association

members bob Le vaillant, Tom Sherlock, Frank harvey, Peter Scott and Jack cummins.

cezarne rodgers, the cadet Unit commander of ashburton cadet Unit, has been promoted to Major, the most senior rank in nZ cadet Forces (nZcF). Major rodgers has been a member of nZcF for 20 years and is thought to be the first female in nZ cadet corps to start out as a cadet at the bottom level, progress through every rank and reach the top. a Unit spokesman said she had also made a significant contribution to nZcF, at local, regional and national levels, having staffed numerous training courses, including officer training, cadet training and outdoor leadership training. “Major rodgers is a very experienced and effective officer and has wholeheartedly earned her promotion to Major.” her new rank was affixed at a recent ashburton cadet Unit parade by nZcF area coordinator (Southern), w/o buzz harvey and Major rodgers’ mother, Mrs Judy rodgers.

City of Christchurch Cadet Unit Supports 28th maori Battalion (NZ) Association

the nga hau e wha national marae welcoming party, preparing for the powhiri, and the catafalque guard preparing to march on.the cadets forming the catafalque guard are, from left to right; cdt turner, cdt dowdell, sgt stone and guard commander sgt stevens.

the parade marches on, with veterans being supported by nZ army personnel and cadets from city of christchurch cadet unit.

Being a member of the rNZmp is not your average nine-to-five

job. It takes a special type of person to do

the work we do

do you want

interesting experiences? to work unsupervised? to make a difference? to make decisions?

make a change for the better - Join theroyal nEw ZEaland military policE

for recruiting information call:

0800 50 11 22or your local mp unit

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issue 388 10 June 2008entertainment23

CroSSworD BY MIKE DUNCAN#084

CROSSWORD

PREVIOUS PUZZLE

BY MIKE DUNCAN

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20 21 22

23

ACROSS:1 All units assigned to a base

for defence and operation of facilities (8,5)

7 One of the martial arts8 Restrain10 Raps11 Insurgents13 Party formed by Adolf Hitler14 Salary (abbr)15 Country at odds with the

West over its pursuit of nuclear capability

16 Standard-sized cartridge with an extra powerful charge

18 Deprive of something20 Waste drain21 Wake-up call23 Promulgated command re-

maining in force till amended or cancelled (8,5)

DOWN:2 Position one’s nation along-

side another nation3 Brush-off4 Satellite (abbr)5 Taking no side6 Course9 Depression in land surface12 Offi cer below Major General13 Desensitises14 Japanese warrior caste17 Rays shorter than X-rays19 Worth22 Vegetable

W E A P O N O F M A S SH I O A EI M P L O D E S G R I DR L C V EL O C A T E I M P E L SY G S E TB I K I N I M U S T E RI N N S UR I D G E S C L I N I CD E P M TS A L T E Y E T I E I

T C E S OC A P I T U L A T I O N

stars

h

seeingh

h

h h

hh

AqUArIUsJan 21 to Feb 19It is time for a change of pace. Perhaps you could move from idle into first gear. Actually, even reverse would denote at least some kind of activity.

PIsCEsFeb 20 to Mar 20When your superiors don’t seem able to grasp the gravity of a dodgy situation, feel free to hit them with the inflatable softball bat you have hidden behind your back. It could well shock them into reality, and it will impress them that you have been able to carry around an inflatable softball bat without anyone noticing.

ArIEsMar 21 to April 20Well, it did say to check it out on a bit of skin that you wouldn’t be too embarrassed about if it turned as purple as a baboon’s bum. It was in rather small print at the bottom of the tissue piece of paper that came with it and you used to clean your ears with. Still, it does look kind of funny. To everyone else

TAUrUsApril 21 to May 21Your passionate nature could put you in an awkward position. Especially if you get your foot caught in the kitchen drawer. And anyway, not where there’s food around. Yuck.

GEMINIMay 22 to June 21It’s probably meant to make that sound. Put some CRC on it and see what happens.

CANCEr June 22 to July 23Nope. Nothing. Blank. Not a bad blank, just a clueless blank.

LEoJuly 24 to Aug 23Trust your own judgement. It’s only ever failed you 30 or 40 times in the past.

VIrGoAug 24 to Sept 23Stick close to the people you love and trust. No, not that close. That’s better.

LIbrASept 24 to Oct 23Be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions. Or at least maybe tone down the whining sound you make when the Finger of Consequence starts pointing your way when it all goes horribly wrong.

sCorPIoOct 24 to Nov 22A life-changing experience is heading your way. Fast. I advise hiding behind a big rock till you are able to ascertain whether it is one of those good life changing experiences, or the kind you only really want to see on the news.

sAGITTArIUsNov 23 to Dec 20A big project you have always wanted to be involved with may be coming together sooner than you think. It’s time to put on your Commitment Trousers. Or skirt. Whichever you feel comfier in.

CAPrICorNDec 21 to Jan 20A change is as good as a holiday. So give your jubblies a trip to the Riviera with a new set of undies.

hamilton graphic designer and historian richard Stowers has published a number of books covering aspects of new Zealand’s military history, including “bloody gallipoli: the new Zealanders’ Story” in 2005. This year he has added “waikato Trooper: history of the waikato Mounted rifles” to the list. in “waikato Trooper”, Stowers relates the military history of the mounted troops hailing from new Zealand’s waikato region, from their service as volunteer cavalry in the new Zealand wars of the 1860s and 1870s, as mounted riflemen in the South african war and the First world war, as armoured vehicle crewmen (amongst other roles) in the Second world war, up to their present-day service as members of the Territorial Force’s waikato Mounted rifles Squadron.

The sections of the book from the Second world war to the present day include a number of interviews with veterans and serving members of waikato mounted units, and these are excellent. also included are a number of profiles of men who served in earlier conflicts. one such profile is of Trooper alf ‘cocky’ Swayne. cocky enlisted in the 1st nZeF in 1914, and went to gallipoli in May of the following year. he was wounded at chunuk bair in august 1915, and was evacuated home to new Zealand to recover. he rejoined the nZeF as soon as he was fit, serving on the western Front with the 1st battalion, canterbury infantry regiment. he was wounded for the second time at Messines in June 1917, and evacuated to england. he returned once again to the

western Front, this time with a commission, only to be wounded again in March 1918. after another period of convalescence in england, cocky went back to the front, only to receive a fourth wound in august 1918. enough was enough, and he was declared unfit for further service and repatriated. cocky Swayne was discharged from the nZeF in June 1919, but that was not the end of his military service. he served as a Temporary captain in the cambridge home guard during the Second world war. cocky continued to serve his comrades in subsequent decades, marshalling the cambridge veterans at anZac day commemorations until shortly before his death in 1975. cocky Swayne’s inspirational story is one of many presented in this book.

The book is large-format, and this shows off the excellent photographs admirably. along with the interviews and profiles, i think the photographs (many of which have not been published before) are the highlight of this book. They are, by and large, of high quality. The book as a whole is well-produced, with clear text and excellent photographic reproduction. as he did in ‘bloody gallipoli”, Stowers lists the names and regimental details (and, sometimes, photographs)

of wMr men who served and died in the various campaigns and conflicts on the relevant pages of the text.

on the title page of “waikato Trooper” is a photograph of a hat badge that was worn by Trooper

charles rope at the battle of rafa in January 1917. a bullet hit rope in the head after passing through the

badge. he died soon afterwards, and the damaged badge was sent home to his family. The photograph

of the broken badge is a poignant reminder of the potential cost of military service by new Zealand’s citizen soldiers. between 1860 and 2008, the mounted

soldiers of the waikato have played a full part in new Zealand’s military effort, and this book is a magnificent

tribute to those men and women. i unreservedly recommend this excellent book to the soldiers of the new Zealand army, and to the wider new Zealand audience.

copies of the book may be purchased directly from richard Stowers, by writing to him at 62b Matangi road, r.d.4., hamilton 3284, or by emailing him at rstowers@xtra.co.nz For a large-format book of this quality, it is very well priced at $40 (plus $8 for postage and handling). richard Stowers also maintains a website that will be of interest, at www.kiwisoldier.com.

Waikato Trooper: History of the Waikato Mounted Riflesby richard Stowersreviewed by lTCOl Terry Kinloch

BOOK REVIEWS

SErvINg NEw ZEaLaND LoyaLLy aND hoNouraBLy24Sport

Two days in waiouru at the end of March might not suit everybody. it was perfect, however, for the 600 motorcycle riders who attended what has now become the annual Two day Trail ride.

Termed ‘ride the wonders of waiouru’, this two-day event is being hailed by those who attended as the best trail ride in the north island and possibly even in new Zealand.

The event organiser, woi Mike ross, called the event “a stunning success. This is only the second year the event has been run, and we now have 600 riders attending the two-day event.”

with positive comments about the ride, and command approval to run another event, it is possible the number of riders supporting the event could increase, benefiting the waiouru community.

The trail ride, staffed by military and civilian riding enthusiasts, is a fund-raiser for the Linton Multisports to fund adventure and sporting challenges in which army personnel wish to participate.

“we have the potential to assist more soldiers in sporting activities nationally and internationally, events like the Mt everest Marathon, the international Six day enduro, iron Man, cat eye 24hr Mountain bike race, and numerous marathons and cycle events, as the support for this event grows. The challenge for Linton Multi sports will be to manage the growth and quality of this event so as to expand interest and support,” says wo ross.

Thanks need to go to the commander and Staff of LTdg waiouru, all waiouru units and residents,he says, for making the land available and putting up with the noise of motorbikes and the dramatic increase in the waiouru population over the weekend. “without the understanding and support of waiouru, this event would never have been possible.”

“This event has the potential to raise the profile of the army and be one key component of the army’s recruiting campaign as it attracts riders who are ideal candidates to join the army and spread the word. it also attracts owners of successful businesses who are in a position to encourage their employees to join the Territorial Force,” says david greenslade, one of the civilian event helpers.

The consistent comment from riders as they departed on Sunday afternoon was “a fantastic two days, you army people have done yourselves proud and we will be back next year and intend to bring our friends.”

a stunning success indeed. well done Linton Multi Sports club and supporters for raising not only much needed funds, but also the army profile, and thank you waiouru for supporting the event.

Wondrous Waiouru on Two Wheels

By Faye Lougher competitors in the command Trophy Sports inter Sub Unit 10 x

1 Mile relay at Linton on april 30 had an added incentive to post good times, with heavy rain featuring in the forecast that day.

event organiser corporal Lisa harrison said as soon as the relay ended and everyone was preparing to leave it started pouring with rain.

The 10 x 1 Mile relay is a traditional military event which placed teams in a head-to-head competition to find the fastest platoon in camp. each team consists of a maximum of 10 runners from the same unit, preferably from the same platoon. To promote maximum participation, in addition to the open men’s grade there was a mixed grade (females and males over 40 years with males under 40 making up the numbers) and a 350 open grade (either single gender or mixed, with the 10 runners having a total combined age of 350 years or more).

Points towards the command Trophy were awarded equally in all grades, but although sub units could enter more than one grade, they could only collect command Trophy points in one grade.

cpl harrison said this ensured there was a bit of strategy involved rather than just being the fastest team.

“The units could have teams entered in the open men’s and 350 open grades and come first in the 350, but if they’d said they wanted points from the open men’s grade counted, they would get no points for that win.”

Three hours was allowed for the event but the first competitors took less than 55 minutes to complete the course. even the team that came last was only 12 minutes behind them.

“People had been training up for it and they were running a mile in six minutes so we expected them to finish in an hour. it was very competitive. 2 workshop company was leading at one point then 5 Movements overtook them and then SMe was in the lead for a while.”

cpl harrison said more than 200 competitors took part and a further 100 people supported them along the route.

“it was very popular, we had a quite a few teams entered. Four had to pull out because of the school holidays or because people were on block leave but we still had a good turn out,” she said. “once people got started they really enjoyed themselves.”

OPEN MEN

Team Name Unit Time Place Pts

Mighty workshop Team 1 2wksp coy 0:54:13 1 80

one SMe 0:54:40 2 70

Mighty Fighting Five 5Mov 0:55:07 3 60

run Kippie run ocS 0:56:53 4 50

Trifector 2Fd Sqn 0:57:15 5 40

25 eSS 25eSS 0:57:22 6 30

hornets Log coy 1rnZir 0:58:40 7 20

Team Super Swift Sigs 2Sigs 0:59:29 8 10

Team Taniwha 21 Sup coy 0:59:40 9 0

Mighty workshop Team 2 2wksp coy 0:59:58 10 0 MIXED TEAMS

Team Name Unit Time Place Pts

Team Sig Super Strutters 2Sigs 1:02:00 1 80

Tpt rockz 10 Tpt coy 1:05:27 2 70

barts bunch Lac 1:06:59 3 60 350 TEAMS

Team Name Unit Time Place Pts

old School workshops 2wksp 0:59:31 1 80

chicken runners 2hSb 0:59:36 2 70

Tims Tearaways hQ2LFg 1:01:33 3 60

hQ bty 16Fd 1:04:10 4 50 Teams with blank boxes in the points were not their units designated team

and therefore are not eligible for the points. 2wksps played their cards right with their designated team winning their category, and then another team placed well, minimising the points available for the teams in that category.

who’s fastest at linton?

2 lfg commander col keating, at left, and the co 2hsb(nZ) lt col kaihau being handed the baton from maj brooks oc 2hst

principal nursing officer major lee turner finishes his lap

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1st = 2SigS & 2wKSPS 80 pts3rd = SMe, 10TPT & 2hSb 70 pts6th = 5Mov, Lac & hQ2LFg 60 pts9th = ocS & hQbTy 50 pts11th 2Fd SQn 40 pts12th 25eSS 30 pts13th Log coy, 1rnZir 20 pts

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issue 388 10 June 2008Sport25

it was the early morning of Saturday May the 3rd. a small group of new Zealand army soldiers and officers stood round in the soft darkness of dawn, watching the encroaching morning rays slowly reveal the lake before them.

The mood was eager, for some this day would be the result of a long period of preparation, for others the result of a challenge set from somewhere within, but as daylight increasingly highlighted the course they were to follow, the feeling of nervous anticipation increased. The distance was obvious and striking.

For many this would be their first marathon, and they did not know quite what to expect.The rotorua marathon has been held annually for the last forty four years. its 42 kilometres

spans a beautifully scenic course around Lake rotorua. voted one of the country’s top marathons, rotorua has become one of new Zealand’s most run long distance races.

For this army team however, it all began early February this year when members of the Second health Support battalion (nZ) began organising a unit group to travel up to rotorua to compete in the marathon. The idea was quickly taken up by PTi cpl boardman, who, having run several marathons , extended the offer to a camp-wide event while kindly offering a comprehensive training programme to anyone interested. Lt brownie of 2hSb Q-Store, was also crucial to the event in that he organised the training and race stores, rations, transport and accommodation for the runners and made the race an army event as much as possible.

From here on the long arduous process of training began. it is often said the hardest part of any event is the preparation, and this was very much true in this case. Many long hours were spent alone on the road. Slowly conditioning the body for the demands of a marathon. This was made even more impressive by the fact that many of the runners had little athletic background and minimal if any running experience. an example of this is that is of 2hSb medic, olivia newman. being under the minimal age to run the race, and having no previous running experience, olivia applied for discretionary entry into the marathon. once accepted she began a rigorous training programme, consisting of frequent runs beginning at 7-15km and extending up to 30km in the weeks leading up to the race. olivia finished the race with a very respectable time.

The race itself began at 0900, Saturday morning. after a night of final preparation the team found themselves bunched together with 1800 other competitors at the start line in central rotorua. a cold wind blew through the crowd, making it cool to stand around. The crowd rippled with the chatter, laughter, and nervous anticipation. Soon the clock overlooking the crowd began its final 10 second count down; all became fixated, the excitement building with every second. Then the Lion Foundation cannon fired a single shot and the race began. a giant stream of bodies poured through the central streets of rotorua. Twisting this way then that, there was no sense of distance or time, just the runners to your front and to your sides. The pavements were lined with cheering spectators, photographers and advertisements.

at about the 6km mark the column began to thin. we were now leaving the outskirts of rotorua and entering the gentle rolling hills of the northern lake. it was here that the initial adrenal excitement left, the spectators where gone, the rest of the team scattered.

This period of relaxed meditative running was the most enjoyable and scenically beautiful period of the race. as the course rounded the lake and began along its eastern facing, the once surrounding fields now receded to dense native bush.

The half way point came into view, 1hr 20… a promising time. a reward of electrolyte solution awaited. it tasted good. another 5 km through the bush, by this point i could feel my body beginning to fatigue. not to worry… only another 17km left to go.

The bush now gave way to farmland. it was approaching midday and the heat was disheartening.

at the 30km point the route intersected the main highway. it marked the start of the final 12km of the race… 12km of undulating, almost dead straight road along the western shore of the lake to the finish point. here a large group of spectators waited. i eagerly downed several cups of water and a banana. My body craved more but i wasn’t exactly the best of mates with my body at this point so i kept on running. at the 31km mark the cramp hit. both legs locked up almost simultaneously, causing my knees to come close to hitting the ground. after a quick stretch i continued on, but the cramp returned within a hundred meters. There really was no choice but to run on.

by the time i reached the 40km mark i was distraught that there was another 2km left to go. coming all that way, it still seemed like so far to go. Stumbling forward, trying to ignore the pain, wishing i was finished. Just had to keep on running. and then there it was… Stumbled under the finishing line and i was done… finished. it was smiling faces all round. Shaking hands with others that had all ready completed the race, smashing back the water, knocking back a banana… then somebody handed me a free T-Shirt… The day could not have been any better.

The rotorua Marathon is a challenging event. Looking at the relief and sense of achievement on the faces of those runners just completing the race is a clear indication of the challenging and rewarding aspects of the race. although it is a difficult distance to run it is very much achievable.

in January of this year i flew over to australia to spend a week with the cronulla Sharks first grade rugby league team. The purpose of the trip was to watch how the pro’s went about their business on a day to day programme and gather as much information from them as i could. i left early in the morning and arrived in high sprits although slightly jaded from the early morning flight. First stop was their training ground and there i was circled by Sharks.

The first person i met was their coach, riki Stewart who just happens to coach the australian super team. Sorry to offend any Kiwi League fans but you have to give them credit for the way they destroyed us last year in the test at wellington. riki was very cool, held nothing back, and was very pleased to have

me there. i spent time watching all their teams train from the top team to the under 16’s. we had two boys with us who were trailling for them in the under 16 and 18 grades. i’m happy to report that both lads were snapped up and have been offered contracts with the Sharks.

during the time i was there i learnt so much, such as new drills, great cardio work outs that are challenging but have good progressions, tactical skills, weight room work outs specific to each individual and their chosen position, agility training, a bit of yoga, boxing and wrestling just to round it all off. So all those lads keen and looking at stepping up for army rugby League duties in 08 look forward to some good and interesting training ideas from one of the top nrL clubs in history.

6 hauraki battalion confront rotorua marathon

also running in the rotorua Marathon were four representatives from a coy, 6 hauraki battalion They included PTe Lee Morgan, PTe greg west, LcPLTony roche and LT John Molloy, who traveled from as far as auckland, opotoki and Taupo to attend the event.

First in was Lt Molloy with a gun time of 3hr 59mins, followed by PTe greg west (4hr 34mins), PTe Lee Morgan (4hr 46mins) and LcPL Tony roche who finished despite a knee injury with 5hr 20mins. it was a special moment and occasion for the final three hauraki finishers as this was their first ever marathon. congratulations and well done to the boys who have made a coy, 6 hauraki bn proud. all eyes on the 45th rotorua Marathon in 2009 where 6 hauraki will be taking on this challenge again.

Linton team “take on the Lake”

circled by sharksBy CPL Johnny Pritchard

By Pte Joseph Konlechner

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cpl pritchard (right) with cronulla sharks coach rikki stewart

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CouragE, CommItmENt, ComraDEShIp aND INtEgrIty26sport

By Captain Dan Wildycompeting at the central Skill at arms Meeting

(cenTSaM) at bisley in the UK is an excellent way the nZ army can test whether it is in fact world class.

Furthermore, if the nZ army combat Shooting Team (nZacST) performs well, mana may be earned. competing and doing well would help fulfil both aspirational facets of the nZ army vision – to be a world class army that has mana.

Selection for the team began on 28 april and finished on 2 May. given current operational tempo and manning restrictions, turn out for the trial was excellent. during selection week, weapons were selected, training provided, and various matches run. The last of which, a 2.4km run in patrol order followed by a “run down” match, pushed trialists and tested not only their shooting ability, but their physical fitness also.

The selected team represents a good cross section of the nZ army. Trades represented in the team include an infantryman, engineers, medics, and an intelligence operator. The Territorial Force is also represented. even more encouraging is the fact that all members of the range of corps are both proficient shooters and physically fit.

The team is now well into it's pre-deployment training. The average training day consists of early morning battle PT, followed by several matches – most of which include “run downs” from one mound to another, and finishes with weapon cleaning. There is also considerable discussion regarding the best

position to shoot in, now that the wearing of body armour is a compulsory requirement for all matches at cenTSaM.

Training will continue until late Jun when the team deploys to cenTSaM to compete in the early July competition. Updates on the team’s performance will be relayed through Lcc as they become available.

a big thankyou to all those who have helped make training possible, including; Tad Q-Store, Transfield regional Sizing Store, Transfield range control, hQ LTdg staff, waiouru wTS facility, LT J Mclean, and wo2 T witton.

The team: caPT d wildy (Team captain), wo2 P Mumm (Master coach), SgT K Mcgregor (admin assist), cPL Fitzgerald (armourer), caPT davis, SSgT hally, SSgT Muschamp, LcPL Miller, LcPL Folu, LcPL wade, SPr velich, SPr Johnson, PTe hitch, PTe Lupi and PTe hows.

Army combat shooting team (NZACST) prepares for CENTSAm (UK)

the team practises its cQb standing snap

lcpls miller and wade on the obstacle course run

lcpl wade negotiates a two metre wall

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Photos: Kat Oliver

issue 388 10 June 2008sport27

By Major Save Seruvatu (Manager) andSSGT Missy Paul (assistant Manager)The nZ army womens rugby side mustered in Linton

camp on the 18th May 2008, for a four-day preparation, prior to taking on the british army womens side that was in new Zealand for a centennial tour. The nZ army women's side was drawn from various camps around the country and included thirteen rookies. The coach, wo2 JJ.Lloyd and his assistant, wo1 r.McLean worked hard for three day to put a combination together, and coupled with a huge amount of enthusiasm from the team, we were confident of giving the touring british side a run for their money.

Skippered by Sgt S.Stack and assisted by current black Fern, capt a. Tiplady, the nZ army team went into the match wanting to maintain their unbeaten record against the U.K side, and were determined to showcase a brand of rugby that would attract other female members of the nZ army to join army rugby. with good support from the Linton camp personnel (plus other camp members), the match kicked off with both sides fighting hard to register the first point on the board. The touring U.K side made clear their intent that they were here to level the score by immediately launching a barrage of attacks on the nZ army try line, only to be denied the opportunity to score by an equally determined home side. crunching defensive tackles were the order of the day, as the Kiwis and the brits guarded their line.

The deadlock was finally broken by capt Tiplady who calmly slotted a penalty to give the nZ army side a 3-0 lead. The british army team refused to allow the home side points advantage and replied with a well-worked try in the corner after the ball travelled through the entire width of the field with some

scintillating passes. The conversion failed and both teams went to the break with the british army side leading by 5-3.

The second half kicked off with the same vigour as the home side, encouraged by the now excited crowd, raided the opposition line. The determined attack was met by resolute defence. it wasn’t until the 30th minute of the second half when the evergreen nZ army hooker, SSgt d.ixie Jones found a rare opportunity on the defensive line and pounced, scoring in the far corner. Lcpl Mata oltaches who had now picked up the kicking duties after capt Tiplady was carried off the field, failed to find the mark with the conversion. Just as they did in the first half, the british army womens team fought back and strung various phases of play starting from their half working patiently towards their try line. after the 5th phase the ball was swung wide by their backline where it found the hands of their winger who calmly danced her way through 3 defenders before off-loading to her team mate who was supporting on the inside. The winning try was scored just before the stroke of full-time with the visiting side winning by 10-8. both teams are now locked on a one win and one loss each and are looking forward to a rematch in the near future.

The Management of the nZ army womens rugby wishes to acknowledge and thank the wider nZ army for the support shown towards this match, particularly the Unit commanders who released their players and those soldiers covered for the players whilst they were away. Special thanks also go to comd 2 LFg,coL Tim Keating, wo2 b.Linton, Mr gordon Forrester, wo1 Shaun Thomas, cpl n.wickam and Lt col o. Kaihau for their invaluable assistance.

NZ Army womens rugby clash with UK counterparts

By CPL Jess Blairon May 9 personnel from the australian war Ship hMaS Manoora came to

burnham camp to engage in three games of sport: volleyball, netball and soccer. The ship was berthed in Lyttleton as a part of exercise Joint Kiwi 08, for which they deployed to the north island with QaMr and bravo coy. This sports afternoon was an excellent opportunity to develop international relations in a competitive environment, and also gave our teams a run in the spirit of healthy trans-Tasman rivalry.

The teams from the hMaS Manoora arrived at 1300h and were greeted by 3LFg’s acting commander Lt col Phil McKee. Shortly after the respective teams dispersed to their playing areas eager to get going as the refreshing South island weather was not quite what they were used to.

volleyball started immediately in the gymnasium. There were three games played, of which burnham came out on top winning both games. The burnham side was scraped together at the last minute as several players failed to show, but team manager SSgt geoff bright was never in any doubt that burnham volleyball would pull through.

There were two games of netball played at the outdoor courts. The cool, wet

weather did little to deter our burnham teams, coming away with a win in both the women’s and Mixed games. congratulations to SSgt nicky ruki and her players on a winning effort.

The soccer shaped up to be a highly contested match. Teams looked even on the paddock with the burnham strikers taking more quality shots at goal. however; there was one man standing in their way and that man was the hMaS Manoora goal keeper. he had a few advantages over our guys, one being that he is also the goal keeper for the australian defence Force Soccer Team. a man of some pedigree, he was bitter sweet to watch and he proved to be the nemesis of the burnham team. Some may argue that our own goalie, 2Lt chris holter, could wear that title with a half time score of 1-0 to burnham and a full time score of 3-2 to the hMaS Manoora. we thank the aussies for a very competitive game. well done to referee and team manager Sgt rana Stevens for his hard work and enthusiasm.

rounding off a top afternoon, the ‘red bull girls’ made an appearance with their Mini and cans of product which was much appreciated by all participants. after the sports there was a prize giving followed a function at the Sportsmans bar. Thank you to all the referees and to the team managers; SSgt geoff bright, SSgt nicky ruki, and Sgt rana Stevens for organising the sports teams.

they came, they played, they lost… well, two out of three anyway

kiwi amiee plays for the britswhat’s a Kiwi doing playing for the UK team? new Zealand army officer captain aimee bywater-Lutman

who is posted to 17 Port and Maritime regiment, royal Logistics corps until december 2009, took to the field with the UK women’s team.

aimee, 26, who plays in the hooker position,is the daughter of colonel (rtd) bob bywater-Lutman, who now works for the nZdF as Judge advocate general.

aimee’s regiment is based in Marchwood, Southampton. She assumes the post of operations officer in a couple of weeks after a six months deployment in the Falkland islands as the Port controller of Military Shipping calling in to Port Stanley.

from top lEft: the lineup before the game; pte kirsty lord has possession, and she’s away; a nEw Zealand tackle; ssgt dixie Jones runs into the tackle area to help team mates pte hekz te maipi, lcpl sekola niutau and cpl rachel rouxel.

the manoora goalkeeper clears the ball under pressure from major rob wilson (back to camera) and captain neville mosley.

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a world class army that has mana10 June 2008

The inaugural north island army vs South island armyrugby Tournament - Senior Men- academy- women

all interested Players Please contact:

North vs South

NORTH ISLANDsenior menw02 Lyall Mooney

academy

womenSSgT dixie Jones

SOUTH ISLANDsenior menw02 chris neil

academy w02 chris neil

womenSgt Karen walker

REGIONAL POC’Swaiourucapt P.c. Milner367 7350

lintonwo2 Lyall Mooney369 7380Mr Troy holmes369 7623

trenthamwo2 richie Player347 7053

burnhamwo2 chris neil337 7811

tf persThrough their respective rSM's

linton military camp - 9 July 2008

one chance, one shotmate vs mate

Attention All RF, TF & NZDF Employees

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lt Elisha may tackles an opponent during the nZ army/ british army womens rugby game at linton. (see page 31) photo: ssgt Eddie paku