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The work we do takes bravery and sacrifice. This can impact our people and their families and whānau in complex ways. We’re here to support both service people and whānau.

The people who support our soldiers, sailors, and aviators are just as important as our service people. We acknowledge the significance of your contribution and what you bring to the Force.

A Royal New Zealand Navy sailor with some of their family.

NZDF Community Wellbeing Support and Force 4 Families

Whānau and families are vital to the success of NZDF. They give our people the strength they need to serve and protect Aotearoa New Zealand, and to support nations all over the world who need our help. Force 4 Families is a community and support hub for the friends and family of NZDF personnel.

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Managing your health and wellbeing

We’re committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our people and their families. Whānau are important members of our community, so we've developed a range of resources designed to help them stay well.

Marae staff and other navy personnel practice using Taonga puoro (Maori musical instruments) at the Marae.

Connecting with the Defence community

The NZDF community support team is made up of both Defence Community Facilitators and Naval Community Organisation. These people work across all three services of NZDF to make military life easier for family and whānau.

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Resources for families of deployed personnel

The psychology team at Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand has developed resources for families of deployed personnel to help them prepare and better understand what everyone is going through while their loved one is away.

Our other areas of work