Keeping you up to date with the latest news from the New Zealand Defence Force:
Operation Canterbury Quake Disaster Relief
Following the 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch on Saturday 4 September, the Defence Force sent a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying Urban Search and Rescue personnel and dogs to the stricken region. Two Iroquois helicopters from No. 3 Squadron at Ohakea were also tasked to conduct aerial reconnaissance and damage assessment as required by Civil Defence.
The New Zealand Army provided accommodation, catering, medical support, engineering support and transport services. An unarmed NZ Army contingent worked closely with local police in the city and light Operational Vehicles (LOVs) toured Selwyn to check damage to rural areas. From first thing on the Monday morning following the quake Burnham military camp placed 160 of its soldiers in central Christchurch to support local police with the cordoning of the town. Engineers from 3 Field Troop provided engineering support and assisted with the purification of the city’s water. Three Army medical teams provided additional support. Reservists played their part too, supporting ‘Operation Chicken Rescue’ – the rescue more than 20,000 chickens from a farm in Weedons, whose coops had been wrecked by the quake.
Chief of Army, Major General Rhys Jones visited Christchurch after the quake, where he surveyed the situation and reinforced the Defence Force’s commitment and support for the city. The NZ Police said they were extremely impressed by the professional commitment of the Defence Force assisting with the cordons around the Christchurch central city area. Police Inspector John Price said, “We value the Defence Force’s assistance and the manner in which they have gone about the task at hand. This was a partnership and team approach between Police and the New Zealand Defence Force. It shows that in a crisis situation such as this civil emergency the strengths of both organisations come together to benefit communities. Having the Army on the ground has provided a huge amount of reassurance for the people of Christchurch.”
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Merchant Navy Day
New Zealand’s first official Merchant Navy Day was marked by a wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial on 3 September. During WWII the merchant fleets were the lifeblood of the Allied war effort. They operated in every theatre of the war, carrying troops and supplying military forces with food, weapons and ammunition. This was an aspect of war that was hard, monotonous and dangerous. The ships not only faced attack by aircraft, warships or U-boats, but also the usual hazards of voyaging at sea. The men of the Merchant Navy are the only civilians to be honoured at the National War Memorial. At least 120 New Zealanders died while serving in Allied merchant fleets and around 130 were captured or interned.
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Operation Hopeke
SH2G Seasprite helicopters usually carry Maverick missiles, but it was potting mix that was in the payload when the Navy re-supplied Department of Conservation (DoC) outposts in the Marlborough Sounds in August.
Potting mix, timber, coal, water tanks and a sewerage system were among thousands of kilos of stores transported by HMNZS CANTERBURY (and her embarked helicopter) to DoC bases on Stephen’s Island, Maud Island and Brothers Island in Cook Strait. The remote islands are home to some of New Zealand’s rarest and most endangered species, including Tuatara and Takahe.
Every year the DoC must resupply the islands, usually using a barge and commercial helicopters. This year CANTERBURY did the job in just three days, lifting loads commercial helicopters can’t manage.
Mike Aviss, DoC’s Area Manager said the capability that CANTERBURY bought to the operation was “awesome”.
“I’ve never worked with the Navy before. It’s all part of whole-of-government co-operation, and making wise use of our resources. The size of the operation is just so different when working with a ship instead of a wee barge. And with a huge helicopter lifting loads of a size we haven’t lifted before.”
As well as delivering stores CANTERBURY and her helicopter removed rubbish and old infrastructure from the islands. The highlight was lifting a rusting tractor, weighing 1,100 kilos.
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RNZAF Orion in Medevac in Antarctica
A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft from No. 5 Squadron picked up a seriously ill member of the United States Antarctic programme who had been working on the ice over the winter period. A medevac during the winter months is a rare event and carried out only when weather conditions permit. It was minus 35 degrees Celsius on the ice when the aircraft landed, refuelled and returned to Christchurch.
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Navy Museum to Open in October
The Navy Museum has a new home in Torpedo Bay in Devonport and will be open to the public from Saturday 9 October, 2010. On an historic naval site overlooking the water, the museum will show an extensive range of exhibitions. Entry is free.
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Troops Support Election Security in Solomon Islands
Thirty seven New Zealand Defence Force personnel helped assure peace during the August elections in the Solomon Islands. The New Zealand Army personnel from Burnham and a Royal New Zealand Navy non-commissioned officer from Auckland deployed in July and worked with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, the Participating Police Force, and the Australian, Tongan and Papua New Guinean personnel who make up the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The elections, held on 4 August, ran smoothly with only minor disruptions in outlying areas of the region. The Kiwis conducted patrols and were on standby as a ‘Quick Reaction Force’ if the Police required them.
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Kiwi Co-Host Scheme Provides Safety Net for Apprentices
The Defence Force is partnering with industry to provide a safety-net to apprentices - by encouraging them to join the Reserve Forces. After a successful pilot scheme the Defence Force and Group Training Organisations (GTOs) and Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) have created the Kiwi Co-Host Scheme – an initiative flowing from the Prime Minister’s Job Summit. Apprentices belonging to these trade-training organisations will be invited to join the Reserves, and if their apprenticeships run into trouble and their GTO or ITO can’t immediately place them, they are eligible to receive up to six weeks of trade supervision from the Defence Force.
An apprentice who initially joined the scheme, Sapper James Dodd, said, “So far the Reserve Forces has been an amazing experience. But if it wasn’t for the scheme I probably wouldn’t have joined. I think it’s a really good idea for the Army to employ skilled tradesmen they can use on exercise and deployments. It also benefits us in the civilian world in that if everything turns pear shaped and we run out of work or lose our jobs, there’s a place for us to go to further our skills.”
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First Combat Air Drop in Afghanistan
Following an urgent request for re-supply of ammunition and rations from a United States Marine Corps unit, the RNZAF’s No. 40 Squadron made their first combat airdrop near Helmand, Afghanistan. The operational airdrop was a test of the crew’s training and teamwork. Instead of a simulated threat there was the possibility of a real engagement, which meant just one chance to drop. At the Calculated Air Release Point, the Loadmasters cut eight bundles of vital supplies away. The bundles rolled perfectly out the back of the C-130, landing right on target.
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New Air Ambulance for Boeing 757
The Royal New Zealand Air Force has developed air ambulance capability to transfer patients safely around the world in its Boeing 757 aircraft.
The multi-role Boeing is used for many tasks, including moving freight, and VIP and passenger transfer. The new Aero-Medical Evacuation (AME) platform caters for a range of situations, from minor illness to critical care. It has the ability to complete a bed-to-bed (hospital-to-hospital) transfer on one single stretcher. It includes a work station pallet and pallets for critical care patients. AME Project Manager, Wing Commander Steve Hunt said, “The AME capability is a national asset that provides choice and flexibility to the New Zealand government. It contributes to New Zealand’s range of defence outputs which can include disaster relief, evacuation of injured New Zealand citizens overseas, or response to a terrorist attack.”
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OTAGO Homecoming
The first new Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMNZS OTAGO, received a warm welcome when she arrived at her homeport of Dunedin in July. Under the Command of Lieutenant Commander Simon Rooke, the ship was open to an excited public and the crew were involved in various activities in Dunedin. OTAGO and her sister ship WELLINGTON will deliver substantial new capability to the Royal New Zealand Navy. These ships can go further offshore, stay at sea longer, and conduct more challenging operations than the Inshore Patrol Vessels, and will enable the RNZN to patrol and survey New Zealand’s 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the southern ocean and the Pacific.
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Civilian at Helm in Afghanistan
Dick Newlands is the first civilian to take charge of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in Bamiyan Province since the Defence Force deployed there in 2003. The NZ PRT continues to be involved in road projects, and in building hospitals and schools. Despite his military background, former Air Force officer Newlands said he is keen to see the number of Kiwi troops eventually reduced and the local people take control of their future.
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Golden Results for Army Shooters
The NZ Army combat shooting team struck gold recently at the Central Skill at Arms (CENTSAM) military shooting competition at the Bisley ranges in the United Kingdom. Twelve kiwi shooters competed in team and individual events, winning a number of events and finishing a creditable third and fifth overall. “It was an excellent result considering many of the teams competing train all year round. The standard of shooting our guys produced was exceptional,” said officer in charge Captain Jason Tinsley.The CENTSAM competition is attended by military shooting teams from around the world and is the best known of all international military shooting competitions. Out of 240 individual competitors, Staff Sergeant Darryn Mitchell of 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry finished third and Corporal Mark Duncan of 7th Wellington and Hawkes Bay finished fifth. “I was very proud to be part of the NZ Army Shooting Team. All the hard work we put in prior to the competition has paid off,” said team member Corporal Mark Duncan.
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Youth in Action
Rain, wind or shine it’s an 0500 hrs start for Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) participants at the Trentham and Hobsonville military camps.
Echoes of “YES STAFF” can be heard across the camps as the volunteers follow instructors through a series of drills. By day three of the course the young people taking part are wearing uniforms with pride, marching to meals, attending classes, and have had been challenged by the first of the regular physical training session.
LSV courses have been held at Burnham military camp in the South Island for several years but the scheme recently expanded, so that this year almost 2000 participants will also go through LSV programmes at Trentham and Hobsonville. Participants, aged between 17-25 years, volunteer through the Work and Income area of the Ministry of Social Development.
The LSV scheme is geared to assist young people to confidently enter the workforce and to arm them with new life skills – some will feel they have a genuine chance at competing in a tight job market, while others will find they can make positive choices for change in their lives.
LSV instructors command attention and are positive role models through a six week journey: “Many instructors have had experience in youth work or in training roles within the Defence Force. Having a passion for the role is vital,” says Squadron Leader Pete Rowe.
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Search and Rescue
On 18 August, following reports of the sinking of the Korean-flagged fishing vessel Oyang 70, a P3 Orion promptly reached the scene 400 nautical miles east of Otago, assisting with the recovery of 45 survivors. The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) frequently calls on Royal New Zealand Air Force capability to help cover one of the largest search and rescue areas in the world. In 2009/10 P3 Orion aircraft flew 2,110 hours of maritime patrol, including 200 hours dedicated to search and rescue activities.
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Naval First
In June 2010 Lieutenant Alex Hansen took charge of HMNZS PUKAKI, becoming the first woman to command one of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s four new Inshore Patrol Vessels. Alex, 28, joined the RNZN in January 2005 as a Sub Lieutenant training as a Seaman Officer and her previous roles include navigating the multi role vessel HMNZS CANTERBURY.
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