Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Air Force news 1
Change and innovationperspeCtives from green flag eastseasprites in snow
themightyherCulesposter inside
issue 130 October 2011 | Royal New Zealand Air Force
2 Air Force news
COveR imAgeThe mighty Hercules as it departs for exercise green Flag east from Base Whenuapai.
PHOTO: AC ed Beable, Auckland Photo Flight
Our missionTo carry out military air operations to advance New Zealand’s security interests with professionalism, integrity and teamwork.
Air Force News is the official magazine of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) —established to inform, educate, and entertain its personnel and friends.
Published byDefence Communications GroupHQ NZ Defence Force Wellington, New Zealand
EditorRichard JacksonPn 04-496-0289Fax 04-496-0290Email; [email protected]
Design and LayoutDefence Communications Group
Printed byBluestarPrivate Bag 39996, Wellington
DistributionMarianna Robati, Defence Communication GroupEmail: [email protected]
Air Force News is governed by an Editorial Board. Views expressed in the Air Force News are not necessarily those of the RNZAF or the New Zealand Defence Force. Defence regulations over-ride all content in the Air Force News. Editorial contributions and ideas are welcomed. They can be emailed directly to the Editor and do not need to be forwarded through normal command chains.
Contributions need to include • writer’s name, rank and unit • photos provided separate from the text – at least 300dpi.
Contribution deadline for the November Issue Monday 17 October 2011 – 5PM
Contribution deadline for the December Issue Monday 7 November 2011 – 5PM
Air Force News will hold the copyright for submitted articles or photographs it publishes. Articles and photographs published in Air Force News cannot be published elsewhere without permission.
ISSN 1175-2327
6 change and innovation Evolving our structures and the way we operate
10 exercise Green Flag east Perspectives from the deployed contingent
22 The s6 cell: geeks on campus Peacekeepers abroad
24 nZDF women’s Development Forum Leading women encouraging others
30 The Declan cooper Appeal Fundraising for our families in need.
31 notices Welcomes, farewells, promotions
Contents
14 commander-in-chief Our new Governor-General gets sworn in
16 Pullout poster Lockheed C-130 LEP Hercules
19 nZDF Annual Plan
20 seasprites in snow Mountain flying in Marlborough
Air Force news 3
In AprIl i outlined the key priorities that i would pursue as Chief of air force. while these have not changed, we must deliver our objectives in an ever-changing and very challenging environment. the domestic & global economic situations remain volatile and there is increasing pressure for the Defence Force to deliver significant savings to enable us to reinvest in future capability. this is a prize well worth striving for.
however, in tackling this task it is essential to remember that while efficiency is important, it must not compromise us being effective and safe in conducting current and future military air operations. as we introduce our new and upgraded aircraft, with highly complex technology and systems, it will place increasing demands on the management of airworthiness and safety.
we are in the process of putting in place better systems and resources to help ensure we achieve our safety objectives. our operational test and evaluation (ot&e) processes will be managed carefully to ensure our people and our new systems are not committed to operations before it is safe to do so. safety must be inherent in everything we do - in the air and on the ground. for the military, this is all about managing risk rather than eliminating it.
as covered in a recent Air Force News article, airworthiness is another essential element of our core business as an air force in delivering effective and safe military air operations. technical airworthiness is about ensuring we have effective aircraft managed under systems and processes that cover the design, construction and maintenance of our fleets. The second component, operating airworthiness, is about having suitably qualified and competent people that can operate aircraft to approved standards under a managed system.
to achieve the key strategic objective related to improving airworthiness and safety, we are working systematically to upgrade our airworthiness and safety management systems, policies and procedures. we have recently updated our safety policy and the
First WordBy AVM Peter stockwell Chief of Air Force
First word
“it is essential to remember that while efficiency is important, it must not compromise us being effective and safe in conducting current and
future military air operations.”
air force leadership Board has just approved the development of an enhanced safety management system.
the air force is increasingly technologically focused and the introduction of new capabilities only increases the need for strong attention to airworthiness and safety regulations, policies and processes to ensure that we are on track to deliver a modern 21st Century Air Force. I am confident that everyone in the Air Force team will play their part in this vital work.
4 Air Force news
Briefings
Sergeant ron Hermanns rnZAF (retired) turned 100 on 25 september when, as well as celebrating his centenary, he was presented with the nZ defence service medal (nZdsm).ron hermanns joined the rnZaf on the day wwii began, 3 september 1939. he trained as an engineer/fitter and served in new Zealand and in the pacific islands. he had two operational tours: January 1943 –January 1944 serving in the new hebridies and the solomons, then from January – november 1945 in the solomons and new Britain. for his war service he was awarded the 1939-45 star, the pacific star, the defence medal, the war medal 1939-45 and the nZ war service medal.ron stayed on in the rnZaf and served post-war until november 1947, working on the sunderland transport flying boats. the rnZaf had a flight of four sunderland mk iii transport flying boats from december 1944. immediately after the war, the air force provided a quasi-civil flying boat service to the pacific islands until 1 april 1947, when national airways Corporation (naC), the new internal airline, began operations. during this transition period the aircraft were operated by mixed rnZaf/naC crews, but were maintained by the rnZaf. in mid-1947 three sunderlands were handed over to naC, and remained in airline service until 1950.ron remained in the air force until november 1947 when, after eight years of service, he was employed by naC. it is his post-war service that qualifies him for the nZdsm, which was presented to him on his birthday by david watmuff, Collections manager of the air force museum of nZ.
the new approach to planning and timetabling training courses means ted teams on camps and bases will be responsible for course timetabling and getting training resources ready on behalf of schools and instructors. in the meantime, the services have been using existing systems and processes. at Bases whenuapai and ohakea the preliminary evaluation of training started in mid-august. the task of changing from existing service policies and processes is unique to each site. at rnZaf Base woodbourne, senior instructor Ken mcmillan from aircraft training flight says the transition to ted has gathered pace. Ken administers 14 instructors who train around 70 personnel each year, using ground training aircraft like the strikemaster, seasprite helicopters and the mitsubishi
mu2.Ken explained he had been “sitting with the new planning and scheduling coordinators and passing on all the things i do automatically for course timetabling. they were like sponges soaking up this information from me and my predecessor. and it’s not easy because they aren’t in our trade, so it’s a lot of technical jargon and information for them. they also deal with other trades which compounds the difficulty factor.“once ted picks up the planning and scheduling work (and in the future they’ll also help us organise resources for training) it will allow me and my staff to focus on fine-tuning and our actual task of training delivery. it does feel like a loss of control right now, but when the new way works, it’ll be great!”
ted Changes gather paCethis month sees the new nZdf training and education directorate (ted) fully established.
Centenarian presented with nZdsm
Ron during his days in the Territorials
Ron, holding his NZDSM, shortly after the presentation by David Watmuff
Air Force news 5
Briefings
the red Checkers have a busy schedule of events with rugby world Cup displays leading into the start of their 2012 flying season in february and the start of rnZaf’s 75th anniversary celebrations which will see them participating in major events across the country. “it’s going to be a big year,” says sQnldr Jim rankin. “the red Checkers’ flying appeals to a broad range of people—aerobatic displays always draw a good crowd. the Checkers showcase the skills the rnZaf has, and provide a tangible demonstration to the public of our key values of teamwork and professionalism.”upcoming rugby world Cup flypasts and displays:
15/16 OCtOber SemI-FInAlS •
23 OCtOber rugby WOrld Cup FInAl•
displays over auckland harbour centred on the official fanzone at Queens wharf. display will take place late in the day at approximately 1900hrs.
news media announcements closer to the events will give the actual time for the displays.
red CheCKers displays at rugBy world Cup
new head for tedColonel peter wood has replaced Col al mcCone, the former director of training and education. the top job in training and education directorate (ted) is now known as Commandant, nZ defence College.Col wood has been an instructor at the officer Cadet school and school of infantry, attended the Command and staff College in australia, and is completing a phd at massey. Col wood says he is looking forward to moving ted forward.“everything we do has to be for the benefit of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen: giving them the skills they need to operate effectively, whether it’s helping out after a disaster like the Christchurch earthquake, or deploying on a peace-keeping mission.”he says the tri-service model of ted is the right one for an effective Defence Force.“it’s about taking the best from the three services, and then standardising to make sure tools, language and methods are consistent. But – and this is important – it’s also about knowing when to be different.”For more information about TED see the Training and Education Directorate intranet site at http://org/hqnzdf-ted/default.aspx
Visit www.airforce.mil.nz and click on ‘what’s on’ for the Red Checkers flying schedule in 2012.
6 Air Force news
innovation
Change is nothing new to the rnZaf. ever since the end of wwii, when the rnZaf had over 41,000 regular force staff, we have been evolving our structures and the way we operate, to better suit the roles that the government has required of us, and we are continuously looking for new and better ways to do things.
the rnZaf has consistently tried to reorganise its trades to
achieve best effect. This has led to the disbandment of some
rnZaf trades such as typists, librarians, Chefs and stewards and
the refocusing of trades such as medics and drivers. at times the
rnZaf has elected to merge trades such as combining rnZaf police
and general service instructors together to create the air security
trade, as well as the amalgamation of accounts into the admin trade.
not all trade initiatives have involved the loss of trades. the recent
establishment of the intelligence branch is an example of a trade
which has been created to support rnZaf operational outputs.
in recent times, the support trade rationalisation project has
continued to adapt trades to further maximise the deployable roles
of our uniformed personnel.
CHAnge And InnOvAtIOn In tHe rnZAF
coMMerciAlisATionthe rnZaf has often led the way with commercialisation
by outsourcing non-operational support functions. with the rising costs of conducting military air operations the rnZaf has consistently sought ways to save money by reducing support costs. The RNZAF was the first service to commercialise catering and hospitality support, base security and clothing stores (with the original yaKKa contract). other areas where the rnZaf has outsourced are aircraft deep maintenance, as safe air replaced no. 1 repair depot, and the rationalisation of the various support and administration services with defence shared services.
By Flight lieutenant sean GoodwinOffice of Strategy Management
BAse rATionAlisATionsince wwii, the new Zealand defence force has continually
rationalised the amount of real estate it owns to match our needs. this has led to base closures ranging from communications and logistics bases, e.g. weedons, te rapa and shelly Bay, to our major training base at wigram, and the gradual withdrawal from hobsonville. in the future we can expect further challenges as rnZaf Base ohakea becomes an increasingly important defence force hub.
TrADe rATionAlisATion
Air Force news 7
in June 2010 the air force leadership Board (aflB) approved the
rnZaf Command and Control (C2) project. the purpose of this
project was to effect C2 changes to enable the Chief of Air Force
to fulfil his airworthiness responsibilities as well as aligning the
rnZaf with the defence transformation programme organisational
changes within the nZdf. as a result of this project 488 wing was
created in order to command and control flying operations at
ohakea, while 485 wing continues to do the same in auckland. air
Staff has been adapted to represent the RNZAF’s interests in the
rapidly developing matrix system that the nZdf now operates. the
end-state of this project was to reorganise the rnZaf into a high
performing organisation, operating under a new structure that
enables the NZDF to conduct safer and more effective military air
operations.
the rnZaf has led a number of successful changes in training. one example of this was the establishment of a partnership
with the nelson marlborough institute of technology (nmit). this partnership has continued to develop and, in february 2010, the RNZAF contracted NMIT to deliver the first Aeronautical Engineer fundamentals training course to civilians who have been provided with an offer of service from the RNZAF. This training occurs before recruit course. Benefits include:
an ability to identify individuals, who have difficulty performing • technical tasks prior to their enlistment, and reduced training management costs (reports, failure • management).
rnZAF innoVATion the rnZaf innovation scheme is a web based ideas repository
that was created in late 2007 with the goal of capturing the
creativeness and ingenuity of rnZaf personnel. since its creation
the innovation website has received hundreds of ideas from all levels
of the rnZaf. a couple of examples of the ideas that have been
submitted include the seasprite automatic stabilisation equipment
(ase) repair, resource exchange (reX) website, sure shot initiative
and the rnZaf mentoring scheme.
the sure shot initiative is an idea, by laC lyle wooller, to
replace aerosol cans used by ground systems maintenance flight
with a refillable alternative, thus saving money and reducing the
environmental footprint
the rnZaf mentoring scheme is an idea, by f/s Colin edie, to
create a system that developed the potential of junior personnel by
providing a greater access to support and mentoring from senior
personnel.
these are just a few examples of the creative ideas that
are being generated by the innovation website. if you want to
submit an idea to the website the address is http://org/airstaff/
innovationschemepages/home.aspx. if you want to know more
about the innovation website feel free to contact the site moderator
resource exchAnGe weBsiTethe resource exchange Centre (reX) website is an idea by Cpl
sam shepherd and Cpl Brad hanson, to create a web based notice
board which would allow personnel and units to exchange resources
that might otherwise be unused or even disposed of.
Cpl shepherd and Cpl hanson envisaged an intranet site which
could assist in the redistribution of unwanted and unused resources
across the organisation. personnel are able to post non-urgent
and non-operational items that are no longer required on the site,
for other staff members to utilise at no cost, thereby avoiding
unnecessary purchases. individuals can also post requests for
specific items in anticipation that this resource becomes available.
Such items may include surplus uniform, unused office supplies,
furniture, and non Cis-controlled computer peripherals.
TrAininG iniTiATiVes
coMMAnD reorGAnisATion
8 Air Force news
on friday 2 september in ohakea, the Chief of air force awarded the inaugural rnZaf innovation award to Cpl patrick (yogi) power. This award, which included a cheque for $5,000 is the first of its type in over 15 years to recognise the savings that were made by Cpl power and mr Ken davies with their idea to create the ability to conduct seasprite automatic stabilisation equipment (ase) repairs in new Zealand.
Cpl power was unaware of the nature of the award until it was announced by the Chief of air force at the awards ceremony. mr davies has recently left the rnZaf and is currently on a working vacation in australia. he will be receiving his award on his return to new Zealand later in the year.
the citation for the award is as follows:in 2007 Cpl patrick power and mr Ken davies submitted a
proposal through the innovation scheme, requesting formal training from Kaman in the us. Cpl power and mr davies completed the training and on their return wrote a training package, which has been used to train subsequent personnel. they also rewrote the test
procedures in the manuals to align them with rnZaf manufactured test equipment.
prior to this the rnZaf had few repair facilities for seasprite ase. the rnZaf was limited to replacing sub-components, testing the packs as a complete unit and sending any unserviceable or suspect components overseas to Kaman in the united states.
since completing the training, all ase repairs are now carried out in new Zealand by the rnZaf hydraulic Bay. this change has led to an increase in aircraft availability, due to a combination of a reduction in time taken to repair and an increase in quality of repairs. the savings to the rnZaf have been approximately $100,000 per annum.
these improvements and savings could not have happened without the ingenuity and enterprise of Cpl power and mr davies. it is because of this creativity and professionalism that Cpl power and mr davies are hereby presented this rnZaf innovation award.
innovation
rnZAF InnOvAtIOn AWArdS CeremOny
CPL Power receives his Innovation award and cheque for $5000 from the Chief of Air Force.
Air Force news 9
operational capability
tHe WHenuApAI AIrFIeld upgrAde WOrkS (wauw) project reached an important milestone on 1 september, with the completion of two of the three phases.
Work completed includes airfield lighting installed to the secondary runway, a new parallel section of taxiway alpha linking the hardstanding in front of the hangars to the secondary runway, and works to the intersection of the primary and secondary runways.
Contractors fulton hogan and their sub-contractors have been working since february through some pretty challenging conditions. Bad weather, inconsistent sub-soil and historically uncharted underground services, along with the co-ordination of construction works during continuing airfield operations have all offered challenges.
the upgrade works for the primary runway have now commenced and are programmed for completion in may 2012. this will include
construction over the existing runway of a new structural and
re-profiled asphalt surface, revised drainage, and new approach and
airfield lighting, including the Precision Approach Path Indicator (a
series of lights that indicate if the aircraft is too low or too high when
coming into land).
The completion of these phases is a significant milestone in
the project and also in the historical context of the whenuapai
Airfield. The completion of the full project will arguably be the most
significant volume of work on the operating surfaces at Whenuapai
Airfield since the original airfield construction over 70 years ago.
so it was with considerable satisfaction for the whole project
team as the first C-130 transited the newly completed Taxiway
alpha extension to depart along runway 08-26 on the morning of 2
september.
By sQnlDr ross cookProject Manager
MilesTone For whenuAPAi uPGrADe
10 Air Force news
operational capability
WIng COmmAnder SHeArer explAIned that exercise green
flag east was very valuable in terms of preparing aircrew and ground
support crews for deployment into operational theatres. no.40 sqn
went there to conduct tactical air transport operations—a number
of real-time missions to fly in a simulated threat environment where
they can be shot at, on the ground or in the air. they were pushed
to the limits with the aim of identifying any weaknesses in tactics or
how they operate.
i asked wgCdr shearer a series of questions about the exercise:
What was the purpose of the exercise?
WGCDR Shearer: the exercise facilitates the best possible tactical air
transport readiness training for the nZdf. it enables us to validate
our operational readiness training as well as bring the crews up to a
directed level of capability which is what the government expects of
us in terms of nZdf outputs.
the Joint readiness training Centre (JrtC) prepares us
army units for deployment into afghanistan. no. 34 Combat
training squadron based in little rock air force Base, arkansas
supports the JrtC by conducting training for us and invited
coalition partner air lift forces before they go to theatres such as
afghanistan. the participating us air lift Commander, Colonel
dan dager, stated that interoperability and integration with their
coalition partner forces is critical.
What did you train for?
WGCDR Shearer: the training prepared our crews for an
Afghanistan-type conflict—tactical air transport operations in a
medium threat scenario from a forward deployed bare base. that’s
about as tough as it gets for the transport guys.
the typical transport role has a number of tasks from parachuting
personnel to air-dropping and air-landing supplies (food and
ammunition). when you consider an environment like afghanistan
where it can be very difficult to road convoy those supplies through,
the ability to accurately and timely drop those supplies is a huge
the rnZAF sent a C-130 detachment to exercise green Flag east in little rock, Arkansas, uSA during August. the exercise meant eight days of flying in a ‘medium threat’ environment—two missions per day in 40+ºC heat and high humidity. Wing Commander rob Shearer was in charge of the detachment; he spoke to vivienne Sanders on his return to nZ.
exerCISe green FlAg eASt
Air Force news 11
12 Air Force news
the loadmaster’s view By sGT Destry Tumataiki RNZAF, C130 Loadmaster, No. 40 Sqn
the four C-130 loadmasters (f/s sean ‘Big daddy’ smith and
sgt reece ‘funtime’ fenton in Crew 1; sgt Kate ‘snakebite’
staunton and myself in Crew 2) were small cogs in the no. 40
sqn contingent. all crew positions work extremely hard during
an exercise like this, but from a loadmaster’s perspective this
exercise was by far the one that best tests our competence,
confidence, attitude and skills under real time and environmental
pressures.
The first day of the exercise involved our C-130 uplifting
114 us army soldiers (in two sorties) from fort polk, louisiana
and despatching them out from both paratroop doors
simultaneously—a rare event in our squadron’s usual operations.
the days and nights were long, physically exhausting and
mentally taxing as we aimed to stay one step ahead for each sortie
we conducted. the weather was extremely hot—but add another
10 degrees inside the cargo compartment (no air conditioning)
and the C-130 was an oven! Combine that with wearing the heavy
issue alpha helmet (the green protective helmet that all crew are
required to wear on tactical missions) and the loadmaster is soon
‘glistening’ with sweat!
each day of the exercise had some combination of loading
paratroops, hummvees, single or double-marriage pallets and
containers for the Cds (Container delivery system—a type of
airdrop platform with a parachute). during the sortie each load
would then be off-loaded through personnel drops, engine-
running offloads, combat offloads (when no forklifts are available)
airdrops (using the new Centreline vertical restraint system)
or by standard air landings. Whilst doing this the C-130 must fly
low-level, avoiding ‘enemy’ small arms fire, Anti-Aircraft Artillery
threats and de-conflicting with other friendly aircraft.
my crew, sgt staunton and i plus fltlt matt freddy ferris,
operational capability
force enabler. or alternatively, being able to drop personnel into an
area of operation is also a big enabler – however, landing supplies and
troops to forward operating bases is pretty much our core work.
What kind of preparation is required to deploy on an exercise of this
nature?
WGCDR Shearer: it all starts with our planners at Joint
headquarters, up to a year before the activity. this includes liaising
with the usaf in order to ensure the right readiness training
activities are available and ensuring the nZdf can bring the right
capability to the exercise. a comprehensive exercise instruction is
produced that details how the detachment will deploy, operate and
re-deploy.
Closer to the time of the exercise, no. 40 sqn had to select
and prepare the tactical crews, support staff, maintainers and
equipment. other units such as no. 230 (mission support) sqn and
5 movements Company selected and prepared their personnel for
the exercise. there is a lot of preparation that gets more intense the
closer we get to deploying.
Are the conditions different there, from an exercise conducted in
New Zealand?
WGCDR Shearer: there is massive environmental shock associated
with operating in little rock—we’re talking temperatures of 40°C plus
and 98% relative humidity so it doesn’t get much hotter or wetter than
that and it has a huge impact on the ability of the guys to work.
they have to hydrate, look after each other and look for signs
of fatigue. it’s also tough on the aircraft given the tactical landings
onto semi-prepared strips and tactical departures to avoid
simulated threats.
In terms of terrain it’s relatively flat, there were few significant
features—you’re reliant on the equipment and accurate navigation.
in the exercise environment there are time constraints and
simulated threats. Literally they will fire projectiles at you, there
are smoke trails and star bursts to simulate surface-to-air [AA] fire,
which the guys have to manoeuvre to avoid in accordance with their
standard operating procedures.
if they don’t make their time on target and get a good drop the
Air Force news 13
fgoff matt hansen, fltlt matt tristram and sgt david ‘swivel-
head’ Bennett faced the treacherous and deadly conditions of the
arkansas ‘jungle’ successfully completing a sere phase (survive,
evade, resist, escape) evading not only enemy forces, but also
Copperhead and Cottonmouth snakes, scorpions, ticks, poison-ivy
and Black widow spiders, over many, many hours.
every mission was evaluated by a training mentor who provided
advice and feedback on Loadmaster performance. The final day was
special for all the loadmasters, as a former usaf loadmaster who
was onboard a C-130 shot down in an loc province, vietnam in 1972,
spoke to us about how invaluable the training we receive on this
exercise is; he knew first hand!
a pilot’s viewsQnldr andy scott is a C-130 hercules pilot and the hercules flight
Commander for no.40 sqn. “for the guys that haven’t been before,
it’s a really good eye-opener for the type of mission they will fly in a
combat environment. a lot of the tasks run to the real time that you
have to cope with when you are flying—it ‘s some of the best training
that we can get anywhere in the world.”
the no.40 sqn detachment comprised one C-130 hercules with
two crews and ground support personnel including staff from the
parachute training support unit, no.230 squadron rnZaf, and
members of 5 movements Company, nZ army.
the logistiCs offiCerFlying Officer Dan McCormack, a former Napier Boys’ High
School graduate, deployed as the Logistics Officer for the RNZAF
detachment. dan is now the flight Commander, aviation refuelling
Section at RNZAF Base Auckland. This was his first overseas
deployment since he entered the rnZaf undergraduate scheme in
2005 and joined the air force in 2009.
He says he “loved every minute of it!” As the Logistics Officer
for the detachment, he was responsible for liaison with nZ and his
usaf counterparts to source aircraft parts, equipment and
other logistics items needed to maintain the high flying tempo
of the exercise. in addition, he also held the purse strings and
was responsible for managing the finances for the Air Force
contingent.
“i’ve really enjoyed the opportunity on exercise green flag
east. we all developed our skills. the air force has a great culture
and a great mix of work and sports—i enjoy the variety and doing
my part to help and serve nZ,” he said.
the ameriCan viewthe us air force put rnZaf C-130 crews through their paces in
exercise green flag east. the 34th Combat training squadron
(34Cts) from little rock air force Base provides tactical air
transport for the JrtC in fort polk louisiana which conducts
preparedness training for US Army units. The Hercules flew
support missions alongside three other C-130s, from the 317th
airlift group based in dyess air force Base in texas.
the exercise director was ltCol derek waterman usaf,
who said, “it was great to have the Kiwis here! the 317th
airlift group who also participated are preparing for deployed
operations just like the Kiwis are. it’s a great opportunity to
integrate and exercise deploying the whole package, including
maintenance crews. it’s a partnership—we looked forward to
the opportunity to integrate with no.40 squadron and learn from
each other to solve problems”.
over the period 14 – 24 august, the rnZaf detachment
conducted air drops, airlift tasks, tactical air-land missions,
aero-medical evacuation flights, paratroop insertions and,
for some, escape and evasion exercises—eight days with two
missions per day in 40ºC plus. To top the exercise off, RNZAF
Crew 1 took home the top prize of Best overall Crew over the
eight crews that battled for the coveted award.
operational capability
army don’t get their re-supply, which is a big deal if you are a soldier
on the ground running out of food and ammunition. therefore there
is an imperative on the crews to make sure they get their planning
and their navigation right, and they get all their procedures right so
they can deliver the supplies accurately on time and—critically—
survive to operate another day. it’s all done in a free play exercise
scenario which has excellent training value.
What was your role?
WGCDR Shearer: as the detachment Commander i have tactical
command of the whole detachment to ensure that the operation
is achieved in accordance with the air Component Commander’s
intent. it’s very much an oversight and trouble shooting role.
And the competition between the forces?
WGCDR Shearer: we had a competition against the americans to
which there were two components: drop accuracy, and overall score.
the americans measure all the dimensions of the exercise (they do
10 of these a year). they measure time on target, turn-around times
on the ground, drop accuracies, response to simulated threats and
responses to other problems that get injected. for the mission
planners and intelligence officers their ability to integrate, brief,
extract and disseminate information was also assessed. even some
of the soft skills such as our attitudes towards the exercise scenario
were assessed.
all these measures are put into a database and compared to
previous rotations so you can actually see how well you’re doing
against the rolling average, which has quite a powerful effect on the
planners and aircrew.
the most accurate drop was won by a usaf crew. the overall
competition, taking all the components of the exercise into account,
was won by our crew!
14 Air Force news
our People
tHe kApA HAkA group performed admirably, and the nZ army
Band and rnZaf fanfare trumpeters were very well received. the
tri-service royal guard of honour paraded the Queen’s Colour of
the rnZn, the Queen’s Colour of the 1st Battalion rnZir and the
Queen’s Colour of the rnZaf—which were only dipped in salute
after sir Jerry completed his oath of allegiance and his oath of
Office; he was then able to inspect his Royal Guard of Honour. He
took the opportunity to chat with some of the members of the
guard, many of whom would have been known to him from his four
year term as Cdf and career in the nZ army.
The Swearing-In Ceremony was conducted before the officials
representing the full structure of our government: the prime
minister, the Chief Justice, the speaker of the house, members of
the executive Council and members of parliament, the dean and
members of the diplomatic Corps, the Chief of the defence force
and Service Chiefs, officials from most Government departments,
as well as whanau and friends of the new governor-general and the
general public.
sir Jerry said he and lady Janine considered it a huge honour
and privilege to be selected to serve the Queen and the people of
new Zealand. in his address, sir Jerry said he and lady Janine are
committed to meeting as many new Zealanders as they can during
their five year term at Government House.
after the swearing-in Ceremony, then meeting with mps in
parliament, sir Jerry and lady Janine laid a wreath at the national
War Memorial. They were later the guests of honour at an official
reception in the Beehive’s Banquet hall.
the role of the governor-general
as governor-general and Commander-in-Chief, ltgen rt hon sir
Jerry mateparae is the Queen’s representative in new Zealand. he
and lady Janine mateparae will be patrons of many charitable, service,
lieutenant general rt Hon Sir Jerry mateparae, the former Chief of the new Zealand defence Force said he stopped to “pinch himself, one last time” before the ceremony at parliament to officially recognise him as new Zealand’s governor-general on 31 August. the mood at parliament was buoyant as Sir Jerry and lady Janine were welcomed on to the forecourt with a powhiri.
COmmAnder-In-CHIeF
By sarah chandler Defence Communications group
Air Force news 15
sporting, cultural and community organisations. among their many duties and responsibilities they will officially open buildings, schools and other facilities, address conferences, host overseas guests, present awards, and launch special events and appeals.
sir Jerry said in his speech at the ceremony: “the prospect of being able to serve both our Queen and the people of new Zealand as governor-general is a privilege that only a few people have the opportunity to take up. like my predecessors, i have taken the oath of allegiance to her majesty the Queen of new Zealand and the Oath of Office. The two oaths together reflect my commitment to our country and the people of the realm of new Zealand (including the Cook islands, niue and tokelau) that i will serve faithfully and impartially.
Over the next five years I want to take the opportunity to meet and talk with as many new Zealanders as i can. what i identify as the essence of being a new Zealander was put neatly by sir edmund hillary when he said that “in some ways i believe i epitomise the average new Zealander: i have modest abilities, i combine these with a good deal of determination, and i rather like to succeed.”
as a people, new Zealanders are in equal measures informal, strong-willed, competitive and yet also modest about all we have achieved. we have a strong sense of community, where public-spiritedness is appreciated and valued. we are inclined to be considerate and prepared to lend a helping hand to those in need. Yet we also like to get on and do stuff—we admire individual ingenuity and those who have a sense of adventure.
it is our hope that we can encourage people to think about how New Zealanders can make a difference. We look forward to promoting and celebrating those things that positively unite us as new
Zealanders: our virtues, our heritage, our way of life and our future.”
rnZAF peOple On pArAde:element Commander Fltlt nigel dicksonColour bearer FgOFF luke elliottColour W/O W/O Anton toomeyColour escort F/S martin ellisColour escort F/S Adrian bennieColour Orderly Sgt Warrick trembath
COmmAnder-
16 Air Force news
rnZaf serviCe: 1965–present A Lockheed C-130 H (NZ7003) drops flares while testing its self-defence suite on 14 april 2011
lOCkHeed C-130H (lep)
Air Force news 17
CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NEW ZEALAND
18 Air Force news
celebrating 75 Years of service to new Zealand
LOCkhEED C-130h hERCuLES
teCH SpeCSLength 29.8m(98ft)
Wingspan 40.5m (133ft)
height 11.7m(38ft)
Basic weight 34,927kgs (77,000lbs)
Gross weight 70,307kgs (155,000lbs)
Max payload 17,250kgs (38,000lbs)
Max fuel 28,540kgs (62,920lbs)
Ferry range Approx 7,400km (4,000NM)
Typical range Approx 4,100km (2,200NM) with payload of 12,700kgs (28,000Ibs)
Cruising speed 555 km/h (300kts)
Operational altitude Sea level - 12,802m (42,000ft)
Crew Two pilots, one navigator, one flight engineer and two loadmasters
Passenger configuration 92 troops or 64 paratroops
Medivac configuration 74 stretchers
Freight configuration 6 cargo pallets
The RNZAF’s fleet of five C-130s is
undergoing a Life Extension Programme
(LEP), to fit the aircraft for future air
traffic control standards and re-equip
the cockpit with modern, digital
instrumentation (a ‘glass cockpit’) and
navigation systems. As well, aircraft
are being fitted with an improved self-
defence system, which fire flares to
distract infra-red guided missiles.
The RNZAF accepted its first (of three)
Hercules in 1965; we became the first
Air Force to operate the new h-model
hercules. Two more hercules were
delivered in 1969.
The aircraft gave the RNZAF both a
strategic and a fresh tactical transport
capability; hercules were soon seen
across the Asia Pacific region and further
afield. No.40 Squadron Hercules airlifted
NZ troops to South Vietnam, while other
tasks took our hercules to Moscow and
Beijing, Burma and Bangladesh.
Our C-130s have responded to tropical
cyclones and tsunamis in the South
Pacific and they gave the RNZAF the
capability to fly to the Antarctic; a role
that has continued every summer since
1965/66. As well they have undertaken
Search and Rescue missions, and
emergency aeromedical evacuations.
In 1997 New Zealand sent a Truce
Monitoring Group to Bougainville. No. 40
Sqn provided daily flights there, including
airlift of three Iroquois helicopters,
aircrew and support personnel.
RNZAF hercules were deployed to the
Gulf War (1991) and the East Timor
intervention (1999). humanitarian airlifts
were conducted by hercules and Boeing
aircraft of No.40 Squadron in the Middle
East and Rwanda. They have flown on
many other peacekeeping missions to
Somalia, Iran and Afghanistan, where
they continue to be regular visitors in
support of the NZDF contingent.
While the Air Force’s workhorses may
look the same, inside is a very different
story.
the lep modernisation includes:
‘glass cockpit’ with electronic moving »map
night vision imaging system (nvis) »compatible flight deck
digital engine instrument display »system (eids)
digital fuel Quantity indication system »(dfQis)
modern flight management system »
Traffic Collision Avoidance System »(tCas) ii
advanced Communications suite »
replacement of 98 percent or 85 »
kilometres of original wiring, and
Centre wing refurbishment. »
two lep hercules have been delivered,
with the other three to follow over
the next few years. the rnZaf is now
undertaking the operational test and
evaluation of the upgraded aircraft, before
they can be accepted for the full range of
air transport operations.
Air Force news 19
sQnldr tania hoeymans passed away suddenly at her home in Wellington on 8 September. Tania was a long serving RNZAF officer who was very well respected and popular among her colleagues and friends. she touched many hearts.
the air force and members of the wider defence force joined the family to farewell tania at the family funeral service held in auckland on 14 september, and then at a memorial service in wellington held on 16 september at old saint paul’s Church.
may you rest in peace tania.
reMeMBerinG TAniA
nZdf annual planThe NZDF has produced its inaugural Annual Plan. This year’s approach gives the NZDF a collective plan for the year ahead, which has been agreed to, and signed by, all members of the Defence Force Leadership Board (DFLB).
in the past the three services and hQnZdf Branches each had their own plan.
group Captain grant Crosland, director strategy execution in the NZDF Office of Strategy Management, said the Annual Plan will also constitute Cdf’s performance agreement with each of the dflB members for the execution of nZdf’s new strategy and the delivery of our outputs. it builds on information in the 2011-2014 statement of intent and the 2011-12 output plan.
“having one cohesive annual plan that we are all working to means we can create the joint military effect that CDF desires,” he said. “it is giving us a much more joined-up approach to what all the different parts of NZDF will be doing in this current financial year to achieve our mission and vision.”
gpCapt Crosland said the plan would help ensure resources are all focused on activities that align with our strategic reform programme and the intent of the defence white paper 2010.
“It is critical in the current fiscal environment to ensure that everything we do contributes to achievement of our end state vision for 2015, and that we stop doing what no longer contributes to us reaching our goals.”
as well as stating what work is to be done over the year to help renew our capabilities and reform the organisation, the annual plan will identify where changes will be made in the nZdf; identify how the intended savings from the Efficiency Programme will be realised; identify the allocation of resources to nZdf activities; and state what dflB members will contribute to achieve the objectives in the annual plan. the annual plan will be used for strategic level leadership, accountability, command, management and reporting purposes throughout the year.
ANNUALPLAN
THE 2011-2012 NZDF
wgCdr rodger pringle, who has managed the production of the Annual Plan, said the plan outlines the first year’s slice of the ‘reorganise’ phase of the Cdf’s reform campaign. the ‘reorganise’ phase runs from 2011 to 2015.
our People
leadership
20 Air Force news
SeASprIteS In SnOW
In mId-AuguSt no. 6 squadron rnZaf deployed two sh-2g(nZ)
Super Seasprite helicopters to Woodbourne for mountain flying in
the local area. the aims of the exercise (ex BlueBird) were to qualify
aircrew in mountain flying and to allow qualified aircrew to maintain
their annual flying currency in the mountainous environment.
Mountain flying demands a high level of skill among the aircrew
and a lot of emphasis placed on crew resource management.
Mountain flying can be very challenging, but at the same time very
rewarding, given the scenery our beautiful country has to offer.
over 40 people deployed south, and there was always the
potential for the unexpected. on the transit day, the weather
packed in, but by adjusting their flight plans, both aircraft arrived at
woodbourne safely, albeit two hours apart. despite an early start on
the first day, foul weather limited the amount of flying. Fortunately
from the second day on no one was left sitting around.
it was a quiet, crisp morning on the tuesday—blue skies and the
sound of morning birds chirping and feeding their young—when, all
of a sudden, the peace was overwhelmed by the roar of two sh-2gs
starting up! Both aircraft lifted and eagerly made a bee-line towards
the richmond and st arnaud ranges.
once in the mountains it was time to get down to business. with
a lot of instruction and teaching theories being applied, the crews
were working hard. The Qualified Helicopter Instructors were in their
element—mountain flying tests the tester! With relatively young
aircrew taking the controls, adrenaline was definitely running, tied
in with apprehension and nervousness. however, the key aviation
principle applied—always have an escape!
ex BlueBird provided the opportunity for a number of people to
experience what mountainous terrain has to offer. From all reports
and seeing their photos, there were some very happy customers. a
operational capability
By cPohcM Ati wynyardHelicopter Crewman Leader, No. 6 SquadronPhotos by Gavin Conroy
Air Force news 21
mid-week formation sortie was programmed which allowed aviation photographer gavin Conroy to gain rare photos of the sh-2gs in action in the mountains. the marlborough area is beautiful from the ground, but when observed from 8,000 feet, it is stunning.
operating in an unfamiliar environment allowed the aircraft to land in bowls, on top of pinnacles and even make approaches to land in snow. By the end of the week, No. 6 Sqn had successfully qualified four aircrew, currency-checked eight aircrew, conducted 27 flying hours over 18 sorties, eaten 280 lunches, conducted 70 landings and used 12 escapes!
an invaluable exercise, which tested all involved.
22 Air Force news
Our rotation, CriB 18,
deployed into the
afghan summer. our s6
(Communications) cell
comprised a team full of highly capable
individuals, employing expertise from
the royal new Zealand Corp of signals,
the rnZaf, and even the British army.
a small team of four, we are employed
for the operation and maintenance of
communication systems used by the
provincial reconstruction team (prt) from tactical systems—
talking to people in afghanistan, to strategic systems—talking back
to nZ. this is achieved through various data networks, satellite
systems, servers, computers, phones, and radios.
the work of an information systems operator is never done. a
newly installed network and server system in our now ten-year-old
camp infrastructure meant that we had a significant amount of
work to do on our arrival. the harsh environment we operate in
proves very tough on the equipment and cabling which is alternately
baked then frozen in this country’s extreme weather conditions.
Computers designed for a nice clean office environment, often look
like someone has thrown a shovel-load of sand into them. over the
course of several months, our team has removed, replaced, and
upgraded several kilometres of data and phone cable.
we have been kept busy with a number of projects, including
upgrades further out at the forward patrol Bases. while many
may only see a few or small changes, a lot of work goes on in the
background to make everyone’s life just a little bit better while being
so far from home.
ensuring that welfare systems are always operating is an
all-important part of the job. the welfare systems provide camp
personnel with the ability to call home by phone, keep in touch
with the rest of the world using the internet, and allow the camp
Peacekeepers
tHe S6 Cell: geekS On CAmpuS
"Fixing problems on a high tech system, usually with limited supply and support, can at times prove challenging."
By cPl Aaron oxenham, RNZAF, CiSTeCH
Air Force news 23
Peacekeepers
to watch the all Blacks by satellite tv. with the rugby world Cup,
our capability to watch the matches was highest priority on our
‘to do list’!
day to day, this job is anything but routine. additional duties
like airfield security for inbound aircraft, arranging sound systems
for ceremonies and even being the camp’s photographers, are just
some of the various tasks that keep our Cell occupied.
working alongside new Zealand’s and other nation’s armed
services and government organisations means an interesting mix
of people are frequently at our door asking us to provide technical
assistance. you never know who you are going to answer the door to.
tasks can come out of the blue and we are always prepared to jump
to it—demands usually have a due date of ‘yesterday’!
another, and arguably the most important, role we also play is the
helpdesk function—assisting those with technological requests.
usually this is as simple as resetting passwords or helping where the
operation of an application is unknown. But more often than not, it’s
the repair of personal laptops people bring in to us, where the problem
can range from a virus infection to a foot through the screen.
while many people comment on the large amount of work
they see us doing outside and around the camp, the majority of
our work goes unseen. deep within the virtual world that our job
encompasses, you’ll find us working late nights and early mornings
to take down and repair services while everyone else is in bed.
fixing problems on a high tech system, usually with limited
supply and support, can at times prove challenging. a number 8 wire
approach doesn’t quite cut it with it systems, so thinking outside
the box, putting into practice years of training, employing a bit of
brain matter and—sometimes—‘google’, usually results in some
innovative solutions.
for the most part, if systems are working, we have done our
job. Keeping Communication systems running for Command and
Control is the reason we are here, but keeping deployed personnel
happy is always the end goal.
CPL Oxenham’s rotation, CRIB 18, are due to rotate out of Afghanistan
as this issue reaches readers.
LIFE IN THE SINAIBy lAc scotty Brider rnZAF,Driver, NZ Contingent, mFO
it has now been four months here in the multi-national force and
observers (mfo) for our contingent; we all quickly adapted to the
multi-national environment and the environment of the sinai in
general. our team of drivers has covered a lot of kilometres in the four
months we have been here.
the road conditions on the peninsula often pose a challenge;
ranging from washed-out roads to road works, reverse cambering
on corners, sand drifts and congestion. driving in israel is also not
without its challenges and patience is a key element to negotiating
much of the country.
our mack mp8 trucks are invaluable in these harsh conditions of
the sinai peninsula. they have been extremely dependable. our other
vehicles include volvos, mercedes buses and Chevrolets. we work a
lot of weekends and teamwork is essential.
we do organised personal training three days a week with
both the australian and Canadian contingent, have regular sports
competitions against other contingents within the force, and practice
Kapa haka weekly.
i have been lucky enough to get on a few duty tours while over
here. it has been a great opportunity to see historic locations which
otherwise would have been out of my reach had i not deployed on this
mission.
the internet, though intermittent at times, has been a great tool
to contact home via skype and email and the phone connection is
excellent.
we have also had some memorable nights here at north Camp,
both within our own established recreational area and with other
contingents. we have made many friends with the other nationals and
i’m sure this will continue with rotations to come.
we have recently had a new rotation arrive. of course we were
sad to see the original crew go, but it is good to see some new faces
around the place. the new drivers have done a great job getting in to
the swing of things.
By the time you read this we will be heading home; it will be great to
be back in nZ and see green again!
24 Air Force news
our People
nZdF WOmen’S develOpment FOrum
By FllT lara Blackmore rnZAF
you would be forgiven for thinking that you had walked into some alternate dimension had you walked into the trentham wos and snCos mess on the evening of 22 august. the room was full, there was an air of excitement
and conversation flowed, as women from across the NZDF came together for the inaugural nZdf women’s development forum.
a small cluster of men stood outside—few ventured in to join the groups catching up with friends and colleagues. i overheard one man remark at how intimidating it was to walk into a room so overwhelmingly filled with females! Welcome to our world. We make up 17% of the defence force, a statistic that hasn’t really changed since integration of women into the services in 1977.
During the Forum every minute of the two days was filled with some issue related to our experiences as women in the nZdf. the forum tackled serious issues like barriers to recruitment and the potential effect of civilianisation on the percentage of women in uniform.
i had heard people remark at the perceived inequality of a dedicated women’s forum and at times i have questioned its relevance myself. however, the forum provided an opportunity to come together, identify, and provide solutions to issues affecting women in the nZdf. in an era of talent shortage we must ensure that we are able to recruit and retain the best people regardless of their gender, ethnicity, race or sexuality. equity and diversity is about ensuring that everyone is given the chance to succeed.
ensuring that we have a diverse workforce is not about creating L-R: Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett, hon Judith Collins and Vanessa Oakley
Air Force news 25
our People
an image or being politically correct; diversity has real implications for our organisation’s performance. it’s not that one group of people is any better than another, but a diverse workforce brings different ideas, ways of thinking and approaches to the table. in doing so, the research has shown, that we will experience greater innovation and performance.
no one wants to be given an opportunity as part of some quota, to be the token ‘skirt’. we want those opportunities because we deserve them, because we have proven ourselves and are good at what we do. so it is important that we create an environment where we are all able to contribute to the best of our abilities. we must identify and remove barriers so that we may all make career choices that benefit the defence force.
a common theme that was heard throughout much of the discussion was that many of us have just wanted to ‘fit in’ and not be seen as different. There is a perception that to be part of the team you don’t do anything that reminds anyone that you are, in fact, a woman.
In some cases, ‘fitting in’ has led to women adopting male behaviours, particularly related to leadership styles and in the way they interacted with others. many of us could look back and recognise a time or two where we have done something similar.
i was particularly impressed by a few of our guests on day two. vanessa oakley, general Counsel for telecom, presented on the importance of female membership on corporate boards and executive management teams. She was young and confident, giving us a snapshot of her background as a corporate lawyer on the executive team at telecom with experience in global women’s leadership programmes. as i listened i mused “yeah, but i bet she won’t have a family”. Then she told us how she finds it challenging to network as she would rather go home to her five-year-old child than join her male colleagues for five o’clock drinks. Wow! Girls can do everything!
dr megan mcKenzie from victoria university has spent much of her academic career researching resistance to integration of women into combat trades in militaries around the world. her research has focused on three of the commonly quoted objections to integration; physical ability, the moral argument and social cohesion. all of which
provide for interesting conversation, the arguments being ‘she won’t be able to, it’s just not right and she will ruin the cohesion of the unit’. physical ability aside, the moral argument and social cohesion are difficult areas for academics to research. Dr McKenzie has spent time trying to get to the bottom of these arguments and in doing so has spent time talking with very senior military personnel from around the world.
time and again the importance of coaching and mentoring in assisting women to succeed was raised, both by our own people and by invited speakers. here the air force can be proud that it leads the way with an in-house mentoring programme. the programme is open to anyone in the organisation and allows the wisdom of our mentors
“The Forum provided an opportunity to come together, identify, and provide solutions to issues affecting women in the nZDF.”
SuPPoRT FRom THE ToPBy sarah chandler,Defence Communications groupaccompanied by rear admiral Jennifer Bennett of Canada our Cdf, ltgen rhys Jones, opened the forum and reiterated his commitment to women in the military and the importance of women as an equal and valued part of the armed forces. Cdf highlighted that new Zealand has been a leader in western militaries in integrating women into the regular forces since 1977, and was a world leader as it subsequently enabled women to undertake combat roles.
Cdf also drew attention to the lack of women in higher ranks and leadership positions, but stressed promotion must be based on merit. he invited the forum to make a submission about how we can further develop women within the defence force.
the honourable Judith Collins, currently the highest ranked woman in parliament, then spoke on the subject of leadership, advising women to embrace the opportunities before them. The Minister of Women’s Affairs, the Honourable Hekia Parata, later talked about the benefits of a diverse workforce and the importance of creating the environment for opportunity and success. she also stressed the importance of representation of women in senior leadership roles in the public and private sectors.
the forum also included a workshop element which examined challenges and opportunities for women in the defence force. planned post-forum activity includes the development of recommendations and action points arising from the workshops, as well as the collation of other ideas developed during the forum. this includes the popular recommendation regarding the development of a recognised nZdf mentoring system for all members of the armed forces (male and female) similar to the current rnZaf scheme. this, and other recommendations, will be examined further as part of the evaluation process.
to be exploited by mentorees in an effort to achieve their own goals.
the mentors gain from the relationships too, in that they have an
opportunity to positively influence someone’s experience within the
air force.
some of our own women contributed to the forum. i would like
to thank, on behalf of all attendees, fltlt Becs maynard, sQnldr
susie Barnes, w/o Barbie attwood, Cpl demelza Challis-Kolk, fltlt
Caro pezaro and fltlt Karen wemyss for the time they put into
their presentations and the information they shared. hearing the
stories of the women who have pioneered the integration of women
into the military reminded me of how lucky i am. they had stories of
overt discrimination and harassment, and anecdotes of handbags
on parade, id cards kept in bras (as women’s uniforms didn’t have
pockets) and the mysterious cases of odd pieces of metal breaking
washing machines (turns out the pieces were bra under-wires).
these women paved the way for the rest of us and we owe it
to them, and ourselves, to continue to strive for excellence and
challenge things that don’t make sense. have we come a long way?
absolutely. are we there yet? what do you think?
26 Air Force news
the Commander’s perspeCtive
Defence logistics command
GPCAPT Adrian ‘Sid’ Collins explained that the Defence
Logistics Command’s (DLC) consolidated approach for high-quality
logistics functions, processes and solutions now underpins all
our military capabilities. “Though we have had to grapple with
significant challenges, the Defence Logistics Command has much
to celebrate in munitions and category management, consolidated
freight and fuels procurement and a range of other significant
areas.”
He said logistics support programmes for planned flying hours,
and business improvement initiatives have been the focus for the
RNZAF including:
trials of alternative support concepts for Seasprite •
Intermediate Level Maintenance,
options researched for improving Fixed Wing Transport Force •
logistics, and
market testing for outsourced logistics solutions for the B757 •
fleet.
“In addition, we have leveraged off Air’s maintenance capacity,
to support the Army in Linton and the Navy at Devonport. This
has forged positive tri-Service relationships and built capability at
RNZAF Ohakea and RNZAF Auckland, with better productivity and
collaboration,” GPCAPT Collins concluded.
By AircDre P.l. GuyCommander Logisticsit’s timely to think about what defence logistics Command has achieved since our
Command stood up on 1 July 2010. first, we’ve brought our new organisation to life, we’ve formulated our Campaign plan to
2015 and we’ve settled into a steady state of work at high tempo. we have also established leadership by highly capable commanders, we’re creating a professional logistics culture, and we’ve had a raft of successes during challenging organisational reform.
In the last financial year to 30 June 2011, I’m pleased to report that we were able to make $7.31 million of efficiency gains. This has positioned us well for this current financial year when we need to have achieved $18.5 million in savings. I’m confident that this is achievable.
our prime objective is to deliver logistics support for nZdf outputs and for our force elements. alongside that we have to be smart about our spending on logistics. we must be sure that we are getting the best value we can.
i’m very pleased with the way everyone gets on with the job—supporting the three services, ensuring that the nZ defence force ticks over and sustains itself.
logistiCs support for the air forCe
Air movements personnel loading a 40 Sqn C-130 hercules
AC Teresa Wharewera at work in the supply warehouse
Air Force news 27
our people
rnZAF bAttle OF tHe bAndS is an annual event held at rnZaf
Base ohakea and run by the ohakea musicians Club (omC). it started
off as an idea by SGT Tim Spencer and CPL Rodney Keegan while
on deployment with no.3 sqn in timor-leste in 2007. after some
hard work this idea became a reality on 14 november 2008, with the
inaugural ‘Battle of the Bands’.
sQnldr Ben stephens founded the ohakea musicians Club
in early 2009 on the back of the inaugural Battle of the Bands, to
complement the event and provide a means for musicians to form
bands. it has also been formed to encourage participation in playing
and performing music, maintain high morale, encourage teamwork
and leadership amongst club members and get musicians and those
interested in music together to have some fun.
on 26 august this year the fourth, and by far the biggest and
most exciting, rnZaf Battle of the Bands took place. the calibre
of bands was impressive and with a variety of music genres
ranging from irish rock to heavy metal, there was something for
everyone—an exhausting five hours of raging live music!
the judges this year were gpCapt darryn webb (oC 488 wing),
pltoff louise nelson and mr tony aspden from music planet Palmerston North. They had extremely difficult decisions to make for all the prize categories. this year’s bands were (in order of appearance): symphony, Jess in leather, 4mtd, spank inferno, Concrete Jungle, overtorque, semirigid and the vespas.
the top award, the spencer trophy—for overall best band went to ‘the vespas’, who were also voted the crowd favourite.
Best original song was awarded to ‘Concrete Jungle’—for their three originals. they received eight hours of free recording time for a master Cd at Creative sounds palmerston north.
Best new band was ‘Jess in leather’—their irish rock and rock mixture went down very well with the audience.
other categories included the best of individual instruments, the most ‘lost in the music’ and the ‘craziest stuff’ on the stage.
the event aims to raise money for the club, to upgrade old gear and purchase new equipment.
By cPl Alex Mcneil
Interested in joining the Ohakea Musicians Club? Contact SGT Tim Spencer (OMC Club Captain). A club may be formed in Auckland in the near future, contact CPL Gareth “Tools” Jenner for more information.
rnZAF bAttle OF tHe bAndS 2011
28 Air Force news
sport
after an internal tour and ‘development’ year in 2010, this year’s nZdf men’s and women’s hockey teams were fortunate to head overseas to australia to play the
australian defence force (adf) teams. having only met once previously in recent years, we knew we were heading over to some tough competition.
Owing to slight technical difficulties and a subsequent Herc ride, we landed in Canberra for five days of training and a warm up game. we were based from hmas harman and travelled daily to the turf. This was the first opportunity we had to train together as a collective and playing hockey in the hot weather was a novelty for most. Our first game was against an ACT Combined Team, which included several players from the adf teams we would play later in the tour. the warm-up game was particularly useful as we got to adjust to the aussie referees and their interpretation of the rules. The women played first and had a convincing win 5-0, the men followed in the same suit winning 5-1. player of the day for the ladies was sgt Carley frederickson and for the men Capt Craig Thorne. Off the field the highlight of our time in Canberra was our trip to the australian war memorial, which boasted impressive displays from early Australian colonial conflicts to present day peacekeeping operations.
after bussing north, we found ourselves in sydney, based at randwick Barracks. the three match series would be played at the sydney olympic stadium and luckily for us, we were able to practise on the turf prior to our first game. For most of us this is the highest level of hockey we will ever play and being able to utilise such a world class facility was something pretty special. with training done, we had the weekend to explore sydney.
almost ‘touristed’ out, our attention turned solely to hockey. Facing a largely unknown opponent is always difficult and both teams headed on to the turf with some minor reservations. the women kicked off the three match series, playing first. Scoring
nZdF HOCkey AuStrAlIAn tOur
PTE Matt Rousseau beats two Australian players
Coach FLTLT Iggo gives a team talk during game against ACT Combined
AC Eden Sutton takes the ball down the sideline against ACT Combined
The NZDF and ADF hockey Teams at the Sydney Olympic Stadium
By lT laura clague3rd Workshop Company
Air Force news 29
sport
mud, sweat and tears – a walK in the parK… yeah right! By LAC Jaime Dow
Air movements Christchurch
on a typically cold mid-winter sunday morning, a group of keen individuals from
Christchurch air movements stepped out of their comfort zone and took on the challenge
of ‘mud, sweat and tears 2011’.
the event run annually by the shoe Clinic, consists of teams or individuals completing a
5 or 10km track, full of mud, sweat, and of course, tears. why would we sign up for such an
event? ask f/s ‘frog’ francois.
on race morning, we turned up to motukarara racecourse, amped up and ready to show
our fellow Cantabrians what the air force is made of.
with over 1,000 competitors, we found ourselves stuck at the back of the race for the
first 1km or so, but after a slippery, muddy water slide we decided it was time to step up.
for the remainder of the race f/s ‘frog’ francois and i ran together, with our fellow team
members Cpl steve Brogan and mrs leisa francois not too far behind.
over and through obstacles including water trenches, barbed wire and horse jumps, we
decided the right thing to do was to wait for each other at the end of any difficult obstacle.
That is until F/S Francois got sight of the finish and left his trusty companion behind - me!
on completion of the race we were all a lot muddier, smellier and very grateful for
the beer we received. thanks go to our wonderful support crew, lorraine Kingi and f/s
Francois’s daughters Georgia and Ruby. Having come in at 10th place, this is definitely a race
we will be competing in again next year.
maybe next year the rest of Christchurch air movements will step up? piki ake team!
a goal not long into the first half helped to boost our confidence and the NZDF women went on to win 2-0, with player of the day being our Captain, poet tamara dudley. the men once again followed the women’s example winning 3-1, with player of the day going to sig Krishan gajadhar.
heading into the second test, the australians had clearly been studying our game plan, with a couple of tactical changes, including the female goal keeper. the adf put two goals away against the women in the first 15 minutes. With another goal in the second half the adf women went on to win 3-0. the nZdf women player of the day was Cpl shonalla (tK) tangaere-Kaiwai. the men also got off to a shaky start with the ADF men being a lot more competitive and leading at stages throughout the game. the nZdf men, however, pulled through to win 4-2, effectively winning their tournament despite there being one game left to play. the player of the day for the men’s second test went to lt ambrose o’halloran.
The final day was really all about the women, with one game a piece, it was a must win for both teams. unfortunately, it was not meant to be for the nZdf. while playing one of our best games of the tour the women were unable to beat the adf women; the final score was 3-1. Player of the day went to aCh sarah hannam, the highest goal scorer for the nZdf women for the tour. the men, however, made it a clean sweep, winning their third game convincingly 6-3, with lt o’halloran taking a hat-trick. player of the day for the men was once again their captain, Capt Craig thorne.
trophies were presented to both the adf women’s and the nZdf men’s team by the australian patron of hockey and Chief of army, lieutenant general david morrison, ao. the teams departed from the turf and carried on celebrations together at the Coogee Bay hotel. overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to get away and meet some new people. we were able to build some relationships with our australian counterparts, play some excellent hockey, and visit new and interesting places. we look forward to being able to host the adf hockey teams in new Zealand in the near future. L-R: CPL Steve Brogan, LAC Jaime Dow, Mrs Leisa Francois, F/S Tony Francois
30 Air Force news
our community
By rnZAF Force Protection Auckland, Woodbourne and Ohakea.
declan Cooper has a challenging medical history and the waipapa
lions are supporting fundraising for a vehicle capable of transporting
his powered wheel chair.
Born 14 weeks prematurely on 7 december 2002, declan spent
the first 103 days of his life in National Women’s Hospital. But lack of
oxygen to his brain led to Cerebral palsy and he had a weak immune
system. at Conductive education he learned how to crawl, then
walk, but he was sick a lot. at the age of two, he had his adenoids and
tonsils removed.
he was able to walk with a frame and was doing well, including
having Botox treatments to free up his leg muscles. then at the age
of four, declan had major surgery on his hips, but sadly hasn’t been
able to walk since. in 2009 he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus,
which explained why he had been unable to walk and led to the
first of several brain surgeries. After the first surgery he was doing
things he hadn’t been able to do for three years—unfortunately this
improvement only lasted for six weeks, before he was back to square
one with the added complication of Syringomyelia (a syrinx or fluid in
the spinal cord).
In 2010 he had two brain surgeries—the first to measure the
pressure in his head and the second to put in a shunt to drain the
excess fluid. But the syrinx in his spinal cord kept getting bigger and
there was a danger he could become paralysed.
in January this year he had further surgery to replace the shunt
with one that could have its flow adjusted; a follow-up in April showed that the syrinx was still the same size and that his brain was suffering over drainage—a serious side effect.
in may, blood tests showed declan had developed type 1 diabetes, then on 24 may at whangarei a Ct scan showed he had suffered a major bi-lateral sub-dural haemorrhage (bleeding on the brain). Declan needed emergency surgery and was flown by helicopter to starship that afternoon. he endured a total of four emergency operations in less than three weeks. meanwhile declan’s parents had to have diabetes training so they could give insulin injections and test declan’s blood sugar levels.
at present, it looks like it will be a very long time, if at all, before declan can walk again.
declan has a powered chair but it is at declan’s school, as the family have no way to bring it home. Being able to take the powered chair home would mean that declan could be included in a lot more family outings, and also reduce the physical stress on his mother, who currently has to lift declan in and out of the family car. many have commented on how happy, bright and chatty declan is. But he does miss being able to go out with his family.
declan Cooper is the eight-year-old son of f/s “Coops” Cooper who is based at RNZAF Base Auckland. Declan suffers from Cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, and his family desperately need a new family vehicle in order to transport his specially adapted wheelchair.
sgt pete Barrass, who runs the military dog unit at auckland and knows of declan’s plight is rallying support from the air force by organising a sponsored charity event. from 1-7 november the three force protection sections at rnZaf Bases woodbourne, auckland and ohakea will combine to attempt to cycle, run and row the equivalent of the length of NZ (Cape Reinga to Bluff).
the force protection sections will carry out this challenge in their respective gymnasiums, racing against each other to try and gain the fastest time and, in doing so, raise funds on the individual bases towards the declan Cooper appeal.
rnZAF Force ProTecTion suPPorTs The DeclAn cooPer APPeAl
charity event 1-7 november
declan Cooper – a tough start to life
If you would like to support the Force Protection race in November, please contact SGT Pete Barrass - [email protected]. If you would like to help the Lions to help Declan, you can write to them at PO Box 96, Waipapa 0472.
Air Force news 31
SGT G.k. WRATT, Aircraft Technician, 11-Nov-11
A/CP L J.M. WATTS, Senior Photographer, 7-Nov-11
SGT A.h. COLLIER, Logistics Specialist, 7-Nov-11
CPL D.h. COOk, Senior Force Protection Specialist, 31-Oct-11
A/SGT N.P. hAWkE, Senior Firefighter, 25-Oct-11
A/SGT J.G. JELLYMAN, Armament Technician, 10-Oct-11
A/CPL A.W.T. SMITh, Avionics Technician, 7-Oct-11
A/WGCDR P.J. BEDFORD, Air Engineering Officer, 30-Sep-11
FLTLT L.A. ELLIOTT, Engineer, 28-Sep-2011
FLTLT R.W. JAMIESON, Engineer, 28-Sep-11
A/SGT N.M. O’DWYER, Logistics Specialist, 21-Sep-11
SGT J.A. BuLFORD, Senior Firefighter, 19-Sep-11
A/CPL M.R. GORDON, Senior Firefighter, 19-Sep-11
A/CPL M.S. LIDDICOAT, Communications and Informations Systems Technician, 19-Sep-11
FLTLT G.S. IREMONGER, General Service Officer, 14-Oct-11
A/CPL D.B. SWANSON, Logistics Specialist, 12-Sep-11
A/SGT k.P. MuRRAY, Avionics Technician, 11-Sep-11
A/W/O R.C. ANSELL, Air Load Master, 11-Sep-11
A/CPL A.W.T. SMITh, Avionics Technician, 9-Sep-11
our People notices
Base Auckland
LAC M.h. MEAD, Aviation Refueller, 18-Sep-11
SGT R.L. MITChELL, Logistics Specialist 20-Sep-11
SGT L.R. AShBY, Air Engineer, 22-Sep-11
SQNLDR C.S. CARTER, Air Warfare Officer, 25-Sep-11
F/S R.L. BLuChER, General Service Airwoman, 25-Sep-11
LAC L.A. O’CONNELL, Logistics Specialist, 26-Sep-11
W/O T.R. STAThAM, General Service Airman, 29-Sep-11
LAC S.B. FRASER, Senior Firefighter, 30-Sep-11
SQNLDR J.N. SENIOR, Pilot, 1-Oct-11
CPL L.k. FRANkEN, Force Protection Specialist, 3-Oct-11
LAC A.J.T. MARShALL-huDSON, Logistics Specialist, 9-Oct-11
Base ohakea
SGT M.J. hAVILL, Force Protection Specialist 11-Sep-11
SGT D.S. CARLINE, Avionics Technician, 18-Sep-11
AC A.C. NEVTARD, Photographer Specialist, 23-Sep-11
CPL A.W. NOCkELS, Aviation Refueller, 23-Sep-11
SGT k.A. WALTERS, Logistics Specialist, 25-Sep-11
CPL S.P. RILEY, Aviation Refueller, 30-Sep-11
SGT M.G. ANDREWS, Aircraft Technician, 3-Oct-11
CPL S.G. VAN DEN BOSCh, Avionics Technician, 7-Oct-11
PLTOFF J.S. COLE, General Service Officer, 9-Oct-11
Base woodbourneAC J.J.G. TYSON, Avionics Mechanic under training, 11-Sep-11
SGT M.J. MILLER, Force Protection Specialist, 28-Sep-11
CPL J.L. JOSEPhS, Logistics Specialist, 29-Sep-11
wellingtonSQNLDR J.M.E. GOODWIN, Human Resource Officer, 25-Sep-11
F/S J.W. DOOLAN-TINDALL, Flight Steward, 29-Sep-11
SGT D.J. MCCuRDY, Logistics Specialist, 30-Sep-11
christchurchSGT D.M. WhITE, Logistics Specialist, 18-Sep-11
promotionsCongratulations to the following personnel for their well-deserved promotions.
farewellThe RNZAF bids a fond farewell to the following.
A/SGT B.S. NORThOVER, Senior Force Protection Specialist, 29-Aug-11
CPL N.L. DAVIES, Medic, 29-Aug-11
A/SGT R.M. O’BRIEN, Aircraft Technician, 28-Aug-11
LAC N.C. BRuNETTE, Logistics Specialist, 27-Aug-11
LAC J.A. DORNBuSCh, Logistics Specialist, 27-Aug-11
LAC M.A. hIRST, Logistics Specialist, 27-Aug-11
LAC M.D. MAITLAND, Logistics Specialist, 27-Aug-11
LAC J.D. MCLEAN, Logistics Specialist, 27-Aug-11
A/SGT J.P. hARRISON, Parachute Jump Instructor, 25-Aug-11
A/SQNLDR W.P. ThOMAS, Engineer, 22-Aug-11
The Air Force Proms coming in November!
enjoy the annual proms Concert with the Central Band of the rnZaf, featuring:
stunning Christchurch violinist fiona • pears
a host of pipes, brass and drums, and• mark hadlow as master of Ceremonies.•
this popular concert, in its 11th year, will be held at the michael fowler Centre in wellington on sunday 6 november.
once again the concert will include a select number of secondary school musicians to play alongside the band for part of the concert. Bring along family and friends and be surprised by the range and accessibility of music performed by the band.
get your tickets from ticketek now by calling 0800tiCKet - produce your nZdf identification and receive a discount!
32 Air Force news
FEATuRING MARk hADLOW 2.30PM SuNDAY 6Th NOVEMBER, 2011MIChAEL FOWLER CENTRETICkETS $20/$10 > FROM 0800TICkETEk BOOkING FEE APPLIES
