Lieutenant Lee Pannett, winner of the Sword of Honour at the 2007 Officer Cadet School Graduation
1 December 2007
Southland man Lee Pannett, 23, has been awarded the Sword of Honour after graduating top of the New Zealand Army’s Officer Cadet School in 2007.
Lieutenant Pannett was one of 40 officers to graduate during a ceremony attended by the Governor General Honourable Anand Satyanand at Waiouru Army Camp on Friday.
The Sword of Honour is given to the officer cadet who displays the qualities of leadership, initiative, integrity, motivation, academic ability and physical fitness that show them to have the most potential as an Army Officer.Lieutenant Pannett said the award could have gone to a number of his class mates.
"I'm proud to be serving with every single person who graduated today. Winning the Sword of Honour is the highest achievement in my life so far," he said.
His mother, Lyn Pannett, remembers well the day she took her son to Invercargill airport with an iron and ironing board to take to Waiouru.
"He takes a lot of pride in wearing his uniform, it's a great career."
The cadets spent 11 months at Waiouru, including around 100 days in the field on exercise, and the rest of their time either in the lecture room or learning the essential military skills required of all members of the New Zealand Army.
Chief of Army Major General Lou Gardiner said Lieutenant Pannett and the other young leaders had committed themselves to serve New Zealand honourably and loyally in the proud traditions of the army.
In January 2008 the graduates will move to their chosen corps within the New Zealand Army for ongoing training and could face deployment on overseas operations within a year of graduating.
ENDS