12 December 2008
Five Auckland region employers received awards on Thursday night from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for the support they have provided to their employees who also serve as part-time members of the Royal NZ Navy and the NZ Army.
NZI, The National Bank, NZ Steel, Vaudrey Miller Yachts and the Northern District of the NZ Police were all recognised for the support they have provided to their staff who have served in Korea, The Sudan, The Solomon Islands and Timor Leste with the New Zealand Defence Force. The NZ Police were named as employer of the year.
The awards were made by the Auckland / Northland Region Territorial Forces Employer Support Council which was established by the NZDF to provide support to employers of reserve military personnel in recognition of the fact that some of the demands of reserve service can potentially place a strain on normal working relationships.
Council Chair, David McGregor said, “Military reservists are vital in enabling the NZDF to meet commitments to international deployments. In the same way that top level sports teams must have trained team members on the bench ready to cover any contingency, it is important that the Defence Force has reservists who are trained and ready to be used, as and when the need may arise.
“Many part-time military personnel get the opportunity to serve on peace-keeping operations and this can strain the relationship with their employers. While some personnel leave their jobs in order to serve overseas, others receive the support of their employers, often at considerable expense to the employer and these awards recognise those employers who are prepared to go the extra mile to enable their staff to serve their country.
“Military service has many advantages to individuals and their employers, each of the employers recognised tonight has noticed the development of leadership abilities, the development of presentation skills and the increase in self confidence and personal pride that part-time military service has given their staff members and the contribution this in turn has made to their business”, said David McGregor.
ENDS
There are presently 673 NZDF personnel working in 16 operations from Timor Leste to Afghanistan alongside our international partners bringing security to communities spread throughout the world.
For further information contact Lieutenant Jeremy Seed, NZ Army: 021-0233-2663.