8 February 2007
An Auckland man has been handed the responsibility of leading the team of New Zealand Defence Force bomb disposal experts deploying to Lebanon tomorrow.
Lieutenant Commander Steve Lenik, from Takapuna, will lead a team of 10 battlefield clearance specialists to Lebanon to help defuse the multitude of cluster bombs littering the countryside after the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
“I’m looking forward to leading a team with such a specialised skill-set,” Lt Cdr Lenik said. “It will be a great feeling to know that our assistance makes an instant and tangible difference to the lives of Lebanese people.”
The New Zealand team, made up of four navy and six army personnel, will spend six months in Lebanon liaising with United Nations and Lebanese authorities to survey dangerous sites and dispose of unexploded ordinance.
The United Nations has already helped dispose of tens of thousands of cluster bombs in Lebanon but it is estimated that more than a million remain alongside other unexploded ordinance scattered throughout the country following years of conflict.
Lt Cdr Lenik said his team had been well trained and equipped for their mission and the New Zealand Defence Force was well regarded for its bomb disposal capability.
New Zealand bomb disposal experts have recently deployed to Afghanistan, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands and have a long and illustrious history.
Being away from his family will be difficult but he will be able to keep in touch by phone and e-mail, he said.
Since joining the Navy in 1995 he has spent time on both of the New Zealand Navy’s frigates - HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana.
ENDS
Currently 394 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 19 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world.
For further information please contact James Heffield, Defence Public Relations, on
04 529 6033 or 021 569 14