The 2009 Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry dinner was held at the Duxton Hotel in Wellington on Wednesday 14 October 2009.
Category C Winner
Over two hundred and seventy guests attended the awards dinner. The Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp was the Guest speaker and he presented the awards to the winners and Highly Commended certificates to the finalists.
Dr Mapp said that the Awards celebrate and give recognition to companies that have delivered exceptional service to the New Zealand Defence Force.
“The NZDF is a highly professional Defence Force, a fact that is recognised and celebrated by many New Zealanders. Its response to the recent tragedy in Samoa and Tonga is a case in point. New Zealanders value and rely on the safety and security the NZDF provides to us and our neighbours abroad.
“The security and the professionalism of the NZDF is worthy of celebration. So too is the excellence of the companies that support the NZDF in that professionalism,” Dr Mapp said.
Two of the three awards were won by companies involved in RNZAF projects. The success of these companies reflects positively on the many RNZAF personnel involved in both projects, whose contributions have been critical to successful project outcomes.
2009 Award Winners
- Winner Category A
Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aerospace)
- Winner Category B
New Zealand Ocean Technology Limited
- Winner Category C
BECA Applied Technologies Ltd
Outstanding Achievement Medal Awarded
GPCAPT Mary Cox
New Zealand’s Defence Attaché to the Republic of the Philippines, Group Captain Mary Cox of the Royal New Zealand Air Force was honoured by The Department of National Defence (DND), Singapore, when she was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Medal on 6 August, 2009 at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The“Outstanding Achievement Medal” is awarded by the Secretary of National Defence for distinguished and extraordinary achievement for services in the advancement of science or in socio-economic, technical, and military fields related to the national defence or for public service of the highest order.
It was awarded to GPCAPT Cox for her contributions in the enhancement of military and security relations between New Zealand and the Philippines with the New Zealand Mutual Assistance Programme. GPCAPT Cox was instrumental in the successful conduct of several activities aimed to aid the DND and Air Force Philippines in enhancing expertise as well as gaining knowledge and experience in the performance of the military profession.
GPCAPT Cox is the first female officer to serve as Dean of the Foreign Armed Forces Attaché.