2025 in review - another significant year for Ngāti Tūmatauenga

The holiday season is often a time of reflection. An opportunity to look back at the year that was, which in the case of Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army, has been incredibly significant.

I want to first acknowledge those who have passed this year. It is incredibly difficult when we lose a member of our team, whether they be in active service or a member of our veteran community. It is our responsibility to honour their service and commitment to our country. My thoughts are with those about to share a first Christmas or New Year without a loved one, a spouse, a parent, or a comrade and a mate.   

We have reached the end of the year far quicker than I suspect most expected, which is in a large part testament to the tempo and operational demands upon our Army as we pivot to meet a deteriorating operational environment. With that, I want to take a moment to thank all of those who serve our nation across both our civilian and uniformed members, as well as the whānau and friends at home, who also sacrifice so much in enabling their loved ones to commit their efforts to our Army and country.

2025 has been exceptionally demanding both at home and overseas, and the outstanding achievements and efforts of our people do not go unnoticed nor taken for granted.

We’ve continued to deliver a global presence across exercises, activities and deployments around the world.

From a sizeable Army and NZDF contingent at Talisman Sabre, to the deployment of an infantry platoon in the Republic of Korea, our ongoing support to the vitally important work in Europe supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Operation Tīeke, delivering training and courses for partners across the Pacific, as well as all the other mandated missions and deployments where New Zealand Army personnel continue to serve across the globe with unwavering commitment, including Antarctica, South Sudan, the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) mission in the Sinai Peninsula and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in the Middle East.

The standard of our training and the strength of our soldiering continues to be recognised by our peers as world-class.

This year saw a team from 1(NZ) Brigade winning the Skill-at-Arms in Fiji as well as earning our latest gold medal at Cambrian Patrol. Members of our infantry platoon in the ROK achieved the US Army’s Expert Infantry Badge at a pass rate comfortably above the average.

These are tangible examples that give me confidence that how we are training, and the way our soldiers and personnel conduct themselves on operations, is the envy of many of our partners.

2025 has also been a significant year for deepening some of our strongest and most important relationships. Our increasingly close alignment with our ally, Australia, as well as our core relationships with partners throughout our region and further afield, will only increase in importance next year, in the challenging strategic environment. 

Our relationships across the Pacific, and with our key partner militaries, are entrenched and deepened because of the value our people bring to operations, deployments, training courses and exchanges, and by our ability to strike up genuine and authentic partnerships, which will be critical on any future battlefield.

The past year has also seen us get after and achieve several significant milestones across both Army General Staff functions, as well as our operational units, including the decision to amalgamate Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Riles and 1^st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment earlier this month. 

I am excited to see 1RNZIR take advantage of its new structure, while also laying the groundwork for most effectively looking after our people and achieving our military outputs in the future.

Which brings me back to our people, without whom our increasingly valuable work could never be possible.

I could not be prouder of all those who contribute to Army, and especially those who have selflessly gone above and beyond this year, whose achievements and commitment during what has been a challenging year are beyond commendable. We know there are areas to continuously challenge ourselves for improvements, which will continue to be a focus for us next year. 

I can guarantee that 2026 will be another significant year for the Army and the NZDF. In some areas, it will see us turning the decisions of 2025 into the actions of 2026. In others it will be continuing to support and enable deployments and overseas activities that we expect to continue in both frequency and scale.

And to all those who will be holding the fort during the holiday period, and to those serving and deployed overseas – thank you for your ongoing commitment and service to serve our country.

Meri kirihimete, and I wish you all and your whānau well over the next few weeks.