Kiwis to march at Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London

New Zealand will be sending a 42-strong military contingent to march in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant next month.

Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 (file photo). (Source: Getty)

The Defence Force said in a statement the contingent was putting itself through its marching paces at Devonport Naval Base in preparation for the show at Buckingham Palace and its surrounding areas on June 5.

“This is an enormous honour to represent New Zealand at the Pageant and to celebrate Her Majesty’s lifetime of public service alongside our Commonwealth colleagues,” said the Navy’s Kerry Tutty, the contingent's commander.

“This also continues a rich tradition of our participation in jubilees. A contingent was sent to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and we are proud to continue the story.”

A taua (warrior) will act as a symbolic guard as the contingent made its way through the streets of London.

About 11,000 people are expected to take part in the pageant, including 2000 military personnel from around the world.

NZ Defence force struggling to recruit in a tight job market

From Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan, 1:10 pm on 18 May 2022 

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The New Zealand Defence Force is facing a battle of a different kind - trying to attract and keep people in the services of the Army, Air Force and the Navy.

File image Photo: NZ Defence Force

With a really tight job market, recruitment is down and Royal New Zealand Air Force flight lieutenant Emma Raven told Afternoons it was a combination of issues.

"Across the country, there's historically low unemployment with a big demand for skilled workers, which means that there's really attractive employment opportunities elsewhere, and they also include higher pay across the job market.

"If we look at the army specifically, we've had both Iraq and Afghanistan missions conclude during the Covid period, which means there are also fewer opportunities to deploy.

"Last but not least, in addition to this over the last two years, a huge number of New Zealand Defence Force personnel were called upon to support MIQ, which really reduced our ability to train and employ personnel in their primary roles as well as causing disruption to families and home life being deployed away from home so frequently."

 "Across the country, there's historically low unemployment with a big demand for skilled workers" - Royal New Zealand Air Force flight lieutenant Emma Raven duration11′ :29″ 

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 "Across the country, there's historically low unemployment with a big demand for skilled workers" - Royal New Zealand Air Force flight lieutenant Emma Raven

Raven said the attrition rate was slightly up.

The focus was to attract under-represented minority groups and women recruits, she said.

Even those looking for a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) pathways had a place in the Defence Force which was bringing in new technology and aircraft, Raven said.

"So whether you are working on aircraft, whether you are aircrew, whether you are working in sort of that communication space all the way up until now we're starting to branch into cyber and space as well.

"We're moving from more of a domestic support to that global support again."

New Zealand crews distribute Ukraine-bound weapons around Europe

Europe New Zealand News 

 05/05/2022 Posted by Brian Hartigan 268 Views  0 Comments Ukraine

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New Zealand Defence Force personnel deployed to Europe have quickly integrated with international partner militaries and commenced supporting Ukraine’s self defence.

CAPTION: A member of the NZDF air loading team loads pallets to be carried on a C-130 Hercules of either the Royal New Zealand Air Force or Royal Canadian Air Force, in Germany. NZDF photo.

Operation TIEKE is the New Zealand Defence Force’s assistance to Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

NZDF logistics personnel are working within the International Donor Co-ordination Centre (IDCC) in Germany assisting multinational efforts to cohere and coordinate the movement of donated military aid to Ukraine.

The personnel are working as part of the IDCC ensuring equipment donations are in accordance with Ukraine’s operational priorities, coordinating the logistics for donations, and matching transport to aid consignments.

   

The first Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules flights transporting military aid between staging centres in Europe occurred last week.

The Hercules is based at the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton, in the United Kingdom and flies to centres in Europe to load and transport military equipment consignments to forward staging points from which the equipment is moved into Ukraine.

Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour said it was pleasing to see NZDF personnel embedded in international teams, planning air movements and managing the distribution of donor contributions in support of the self-defence of Ukraine.

“Our personnel are professionally carrying out their duties, coordinating well with personnel from other nations on the logistics and transportation of donor contributions.”

RNZAF Wing Commander Lisa D’Oliveira, the commander of the Air detachment, said personnel were pleased to get underway with their first tasks moving military equipment and helping Ukraine, with more to come in coming weeks.

New Zealand Army Lieutenant Colonel Vanessa Ropitini, the commander for the logistics detachment, based in Germany, said her team was working in the international coordination centre, with partners, to get donor supplies to Ukraine.

“The work of the logistics team had been essential to ensuring the most appropriate tasks for the Hercules were identified and confirmed, and the team was proud their efforts to secure the first tasks had been successful”, she said

“Everyone is pleased they’re doing tangible work to get military aid to the Ukrainians.”

The deployment of the Hercules, air transportation and logistics personnel is in addition to the deployment of NZDF intelligence staff to the United Kingdom, an officer to the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters and a liaison officer to work at a NATO headquarters in Belgium.

NZDF’s open-source intelligence capability is also being used, and a consignment of helmets, body armour, radios and other equipment was sent earlier to support Ukraine’s self-defence.

Kiwi Defence Force personnel return from Solomons early after tensions ease

George Block19:03, Dec 15 2021

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See video here https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300479253/kiwi-defence-force-personnel-return-from-solomons-early-after-tensions-easeNZDF

Kiwi police officers and soldiers are heading to the Solomon Islands after unrest in the capital, Honiara.

Some New Zealand military personnel deployed as part of the international assistance mission to the Solomon Islands have returned home early.

They will even be out of MIQ (managed isolation and quarantine) in time for Christmas after the whirlwind deployment.

The decision to pull the personnel back came after the security situation in the capital, Honiara, calmed following days of violence and unrest that preceded the call for help from the Solomon Islands Government at the start of December.

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A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) spokeswoman on Wednesday said about 20 Defence personnel had returned from the Solomons already, after less than two weeks away.

The deployment of military personnel and police officers was scheduled to last for 30 days.

READ MORE:
* New Zealand quietly deploys navy ship to Solomon Islands
* NZ police officers report calm in Solomon Islands amid fears of renewed violence
* More New Zealand personnel arrive to help defuse tensions in Solomon Islands
* Solomon Islands unrest: Defence force and police staff take off for weeks-long mission

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“We are in contact with Solomon Islands authorities and other international partners, and all report the situation on the ground in Honiara as calm.

“Accordingly, some personnel have now returned to New Zealand and further decisions will be made in the coming days based on the security situation.”

Dozens of Defence Force personnel, including 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment soldiers from the High Readiness Task Unit, began deploying to the islands nearly two weeks ago.

About a dozen police officers were also sent to the country.

Their deployment came after the embattled government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare requested assistance from New Zealand.

ELIZABETH OSIFELO/RNZ PACIFIC

NZ Defence Force troops arrive in Honiara to start peacekeeping duties.

The New Zealand police officers and soldiers arrived several days after personnel from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and after the unrest receded following days of violence, protests and looting in Honiara.

The protesters, mainly people from the most populous island of Malaita, demanded Sogavare’s resignation.

The prime minister has been widely criticised by political leaders on Malaita for a decision two years ago to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, favouring mainland China.

AP reported the unrest began from a peaceful protest driven by economic issues, the country’s increasing links to mainland China, and internal regional rivalries.

There were fears of renewed violence in Honiara last week as parliament debated a motion of no confidence in Sogavare. That motion was defeated on the evening of Monday, December 6.

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Speaking to Stuff earlier that day from Wellington, Inspector Dave Rose, the manager of the police overseas assistance programmes, said the team was finding the situation calm in the capital as businesses and the port reopened.

PIRINGI CHARLEY/AP

The aftermath of a looted street in Honiara's Chinatown, Solomon Islands.

“The situation over there is calm, so it has given them the opportunity to become familiar with the layout of Honiara.”

They initially isolated but after all returning negative Covid tests following their arrival, they were beginning to undertake community patrols, he said.

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While military and police assistance was requested by the central government in Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal, the international personnel were not welcomed by all.

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Inspector Dave Rose farewells the team heading to the Solomon Islands on Saturday.

ABC reported Malaitan Premier Daniel Suidani accused the Australian Government of "holding up a corrupt leadership" by sending advisers to help the Solomon Islands police during the protests.

Sogavare fired back, telling ABC Suidani was asking his government to be at the “mercy of criminals and hooligans”.

Stuff has sought comment from Sogavare and Suidani.

Rose said last week his team had been welcomed.

“New Zealand as a country and our people are well-regarded by the Solomon Islanders and NZ police enjoys a great reputation with the people of Honiara.

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“So we have certainly been welcomed and our team are happy to be there.”