By Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae
As this publication goes to print, ANZAC Day 2009 is fast approaching. New Zealand’s closest strategic partnership is with Australia. We have a tradition of mutual commitment to each other’s security, and of working together in pursuit of shared strategic interests. At the core of the special ANZAC relationship is ‘mateship’ - a recognition that no matter how much we might want to beat each other on the rugby field or netball court, at the end of the day we have more in common than not.
This is why the Defence Force was proud to deploy a group of fire fighters as part of a wider New Zealand contingent, to lend what assistance we could in the wake of the devastating Victorian bush fires. Read their story: Baptism of Fire for 1st Kiwi Contingent.
This story sits in sharp contrast to the feature on the Defence Force’s connection to Antarctica. From fire to ice. The connection is of course that the New Zealand Defence Force adds value by providing the best people and right equipment for tasks that matter to New Zealanders. Our people are trained and equipped for action in the most demanding environments.
Other stories in this edition of One Force that express the integral part the NZDF is playing in New Zealand society include a look at the Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) scheme. The LSV isn’t “boot camp”, but it shows the type of expertise we can bring to initiatives that seek to help young people at risk of going off the rails. Nothing could be more important to the security of our country than helping our young people realise their potential.
We introduce the new Minister of Defence and the Associate Minister of Defence, and also look at initiatives within the Defence Force that are about NZDF doing its bit to help our nation through these tough economic times. We have the Defence Transformation Programme (DTP) – a programme of work designed to ensure that the NZDF, while preserving military capability, delivers simpler, better, more effective and more efficient support activities in the Human Resource Management, Logistics and HQ areas. This is all about making the New Zealand Defence Force a leaner, smarter, and more agile organisation. There is also an article on our improved corporate management capability, which is helping ensure the Defence Force delivers value for money.
As the article written by Lt Col Ramsden about the prospect of building an enduring peace in Afghanistan makes plain, our deployments are made to support New Zealand’s foreign policy and security aims. It is a useful reminder of the vital role the NZDF has keeping New Zealand secure and contributing to New Zealand’s wider security interests.