Jeremy Spencer of Spencer Painters and Decorators meets with his employee PTE M Pomare and locals from Mbarama village (MC09-0081-293)
19 March 2009
Eleven Kiwi employers from Rotorua to Timaru saw their employees in action at their ‘other job’ in the Solomon Islands during March.
The employers travelled there as part of 'Exercise Boss Lift', an initiative to show employers the work their Reserve Force employees do, close-up in an operational environment.
They had a unique experience seeing how their employees ate, slept, trained and worked on operation.
They also tried on riot gear and went through crowd control drills, saw their part-time soldiers on patrol, visited local villages, interacted with local communities and explored the Honiara area of operations and its surrounds.
Their respective Army Reserve soldiers come from a variety of professions that range from painting and bartending to law and Viticulture.
Director-General of New Zealand Defence Force Reserves Brigadier General Tim Brewer says the intent of Boss Lift was to help develop an understanding and appreciation of the work of Reserve Force soldiers on overseas operations.
“We appreciate the huge commitment for employers to release valued staff for training and importantly for operational deployment.”
“Hopefully the Bosses’ have seen the leadership, confidence, teamwork and communication skills their employees developed in the Solomon Islands and the benefit that this will bring their organisations,” says Brigadier Brewer.
“By the same token, we thank and acknowledge the employers for the significant support they give their staff which is essential to ensuring Army Reserve soldiers can serve their country.”
The 43 mostly Army Reserve soldiers in the Solomon Islands serve on a four-month deployment.