Pandemic preparations
The New Zealand Defence Force is preparing for the role it may have following an outbreak of avian influenza in New Zealand.
While Defence has a "fair idea" of what the government may wish it do in the event of an outbreak, firm decisions have not yet been made, says the Director General Defence Medical Services, Brigadier Anne Campbell.
The NZDF has been involved in all the Interagency Planning Group meetings called to discuss the possibility of an outbreak, and is also involved in 15 other working groups, set up to look at a variety of other issues, including border control, the law, and schools and education.
Brigadier Campbell says defence’s first priority is to preserve its full strength as much a possible, so that it is ready and able to do whatever the government requires of it.
Defence has a stockpile of the anti-viral medicationTamiflu that is for defence personnel who are deployed overseas.
Personal protection equipment packs have been prepared for those personnel who may have to deal with significant risks.
"The most important issue for defence personnel – and for that matter everyone – is personal hygiene. Hand-washing after sneezing, coughing and bathroom use is vital, as is handwashing before food preparation. Sick people should stay at home. Air conditioning systems in offices need to be checked to ensure they are working properly.
"Brigadier Campbell says she feels New Zealand, because of its geographic isolation, and the planning done already, is in a relatively good position as far as a possible pandemic is concerned.
Playground for Afghan children
A Kiwi soldier serving in Afghanistan has used his sparetime to build a playground for children at a Bamyan school.
Lance Corporal Josh Whitehead built a set of playground swings and a basketball set from scrap metal he found in the New Zealand compound.
A member of the New Zealand Provincial ReconstructionTeam (NZPRT), Lance Corporal Whitehead took three weeks to build the items for Markaz Girls’High School.
Playgrounds with proper equipment are rare in Afghanistan and this one, to the best of the NZPRT’s knowledge, is the first to be built in Bamyan.
After putting his ideas to paper, Lance Corporal Whitehead built both items by measuring them out on the ground and making a best estimate of the dimensions. "The biggest challenge was getting the framework of the swing set square because of the uneven ground I had to work on."
"I designed the swing as a kitset so we could get it to the school easily. It only took a handful of us a couple of hours to put everything together," he said.
The playground equipment has proven to be extremely popular with the children of Markaz Girls’High School, (the school also includes boys up to ten years old) with children often queuing for a turn on the swings.
Captain Gauldie, artist
Following in the famous footsteps of one of his predecessors, the recently appointed Army artist Matt Gauldie has been issued with the honorary rank of Captain by the Chief of Army, Major General Jerry Mateparae.
Stepping away from tradition, Captain Gauldie chose to attend a 12-week Basic Training course in Waiouru to gain a better understanding and insight of the Army, and more accurately reflect the true nature of the military in his paintings. Having completed his basic training course successfully, Captain Gauldie graduated on Saturday 26 November. The role of the Army artist is steeped in history. The first of the Army artists was Peter McIntyre who produced a number of paintings during World War Two, capturing the spirit of the war and recording New Zealand’s involvement.
Matt Gauldie, like Peter McIntyre, has been commissioned as a Captain in the Royal New Zealand Artillery.
Matt Gauldie has been appointed as the Army’s artist for the next three years.
Chefs at sea
Navy chefs Taleshah Shailer and Christopher Bowden had a taste of how sailing used to be when they undertook a 10-day deployment on the sail training ship Spirit of Adventure recently.
Able Chef Shailer and Leading Chef Bowden cooked for everyone on board the 45.2 metre barquentine, which has14 sails and is sailed by its mainly teenage crew. The ship is operated by a trust established to offer young New Zealanders the chance to develop their independence, leadership and community spirit.
Able Chef Shailer, who has served with the RNZN in the Gulf, and is now based in the main galley at HMNZS Philomel in Devonport, says the experience was "amazing". "It was lots of fun – just the atmosphere and the range of activities. I’d do it again any time."
The chefs deployed with the Spirit of Adventure to extend their training.
New pilots
Four newly-qualified pilots were presented their Wings at a parade at RNZAF Base Ohakea recently. The presentation of the Pilot’s brevet signifies the successful completion of over a year of flight training.
Pilot officers, from left, Kane Sanson, Mike Garrett, MattFerris and Joel Bradley, are going on to fly either helicopters, C-130 Hercules or P-3 Orions.
Command and Staff College meres
The NZDF Command and Staff College has had 11 pounamu (jade or greenstone) mere made to present each year to the Dux of the College’s Staff Course.The mere are carved from the same stone, and the original, full-size mere will be permanently displayed at the college.
One mere will be presented each year to the student who has achieved the highest grades on the Staff Course, and who has demonstrated sound leadership and good coursemanship.
Mere are traditionally treasured by their owners and handed down from generation to generation. They were used in battle and regarded as essential to emphasise points in effective oratory.
United Nations Mission in Kosovo
The war in Kosovo held the headlines throughout the world for several months in the late 1990s. Six years after the establishment of an interim civil administration, Kosovo is "mostly stable", says New Zealand Army officer Lieutenant Colonel JimBlackwell, who has spent the past six months on a United Nations mission in the conflict-ravaged country.
Lieutenant Colonel Blackwell, pictured at right with Zambian colleague Major Elias Mpaio, deployed to Kosovo as a United Nations Mission in Kosovo(UNMIK) military information officer.
With three assistants, he worked with UNMIK’s military liaison component, which was responsible for various tasks, including liaising with military forces throughout Kosovo. The 38 officers from 27 countries provided military advice to the UNMIK executive and other international organisations operating in Kosovo,and helped assess threats to the security of international civilian personnel.
As a staff officer with the liaison component Lieutenant Colonel Blackwell worked in an information unit to ensure a constant information flow between all the military liaison teams operating in the country. Of the 38 officers only three spoke fluent English, so the responsibility for drafting and coordinating all reports fell to him.
He says the security situation in Kosovo now is "relatively calm".
"It can be fragile at times, however. I don’t think there will ever be an easy solution (to conflict) in the Balkans.
"Lieutenant Colonel Blackwell, who is due to return to New Zealand just before Christmas, is to be replaced in Kosovo by an RNZAF officer.
The NZDF has had a lengthy involvement in the Balkans, with military observers first being sent there in 1992. Two years later New Zealand deployed an infantry company to serve in central Bosnia-Herzegovina. Eleven NZDF personnel are based in Bosnia as military observers. New Zealand has provided a military officer to serve with UNMIK since the mission was first established.