Warrant Officer Dennis Moratti
Warrant Officer Moratti was born and raised in Taranaki, completing his education at Opunake High School. He enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force on 17 January 1977 as an Airman Cadet mustered in the Avionics trade.
Warrant Officer Moratti completed his trade training at RNZAF Base Wigram with 24 months of on the job training at RNZAF Bases Woodbourne and Ohakea. On completion of his Avionics Technician Course in August 1981 he was posted to RNZAF Base Ohakea where he was employed at various Avionics servicing units. Promotion to Corporal followed in March 1983. Warrant Officer Moratti was selected for training on the A4-K Skyhawk Radar system as part of Project Kahu and promoted to Sergeant in November 1987.
Warrant Officer Moratti was posted to No. 2 Squadron and subsequently completed a posting to Naval Air Station Nowra, Australia 1991 – 1993 in support of Skyhawk operations. He completed a short 18-month tour as NCOIC MB339 Macchi Flight Simulator before returning to No. 75 Squadron (A4-K Skyhawk) on promotion to Flight Sergeant. During his time on No. 75 Squadron, he participated in numerous exercises in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Australia as a Maintenance Shift Leader and occupied the role of Flight Line Manager when the Squadron was in NZ. Warrant Officer Moratti was awarded the Chief of Air Staff commendation in 1999.
A posting to Avionics Squadron in December 1998 was followed by 10 months in the Logistics Evaluation Unit in an audit role. Warrant Officer Moratti was promoted to his current rank in April 2002 and appointed Base Warrant Officer at RNZAF Base Ohakea. During his time on No. 3 Squadron, he completed numerous exercises in various roles including Maintenance Flight Commander and Camp Warrant Officer. He deployed to the Solomon Islands on Operation Rata as Detachment Maintenance Flight Commander in January 2004.
In November 2004, Warrant Officer Moratti represented the New Zealand Defence Force on Operation Valhalla as a bearer for the Unknown Warrior. In May 2005, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Warrant Officer Moratti completed a Diploma in Business and the New Zealand Diploma in Management in 2006 and was awarded the New Zealand Chartered Accountants award for top graduate from the WelTech School of Business 2006. In 2008, Warrant Officer Moratti attended the inaugural Warrant Officers Advanced Course.
Warrant Officer Moratti was posted to Airstaff in August 2006 to the position of Career Manager (Tech) in the Directorate of Career Management, completing this post in January 2010. He successfully completed Joint Junior Staff Course in March 2010 and this was followed by a posting to the Air Force Plans area in the Office of Strategy Management. Warrant Officer Moratti was appointed to his current post of Warrant Officer of the Air Force on 1 May 2011.