LTGEN Mateparae, Chief of Defence Force
By Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, Chief of Defence Force
In any large and complex organisation there is a tension between how much effort needs to be invested in the “here and now”, and how much of an eye needs to be kept on the future. This holds especially true for the New Zealand Defence Force, which must not only provide the best people and right equipment today to tasks that matter to New Zealanders, but also be ready to react at short warning to requests from Government to respond to new crises as they unfold.
These dual needs are amply demonstrated in this latest edition of One Force: Our people were quick to respond to humanitarian disasters in the Pacific – the tsunami that struck Samoa and Tonga (see story Rapid Response to Pacific Disaster) and recently the Cook Islands (see story Operation Cook Islands Assist), as well as contributing in Haiti, via an exchange programme with the Canadian Navy. As this magazine was going to print, a C-130 Hercules was deploying to Fiji carrying disaster relief supplies following a category four cyclone. Meanwhile, in the Sudan under the “blue berets” of the United Nations our people are helping maintain peace and stability (see story Reflections on Sudan), just as they do in our other UN commitments in the Middle East, and the Republic of Korea. In Afghanistan our people are building an environment where human rights and human dignity can prevail. We do this both through provincial reconstruction, and through the NZSAS preparedness to respond to insurgents in and around the capital, Kabul, which has been in the news of late.
To be effective in all these environments requires a highly professional force with good people at its heart. We invest in training and developing our people because the skills and trades taught to them in the Defence Force will be used in some of the most hostile, demanding and dangerous environments on earth. It also requires investment in modern equipment. In this edition of One Force we look at the Navy’s new Offshore Patrol Vessels the OTAGO and WELLINGTON; the Army’s new combat service support vehicles; and the Air Force’s new light helicopters – the Augusta A109. Lastly, it requires an organisation prepared to pursue excellence and to challenge itself to look for new and better ways of doing things. The Defence Force is doing this through its transformation programme which has begun delivering significant results.
Through these efforts we are delivering today, and will continue to be ready for the challenges of tomorrow.