Defence News

• New CDF
• Tour extended
• Antarctic stopover
• New Cadet Unit formed

	The new Chief of Defence Force from 1 May 2006 will be Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae.

New CDF

Major General Jerry Mateparae will be the new chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, and be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Defence Minister Phil Goff announced today.

Major General Mateparae will serve in the position for three years from 1 May, replacing Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson, whose term is ending.

Helen Clark and Phil Goff also announced the appointment of Major General Lou Gardiner as Chief of Army, and Air Commodore Graham Lintott as Chief of Air Force, at the rank of Air Vice Marshal, to take over from Air Vice Marshal John Hamilton.

Rear Admiral David Ledson has had his term as Chief of Navy extended to 30 April 2009, to bring the appointment into line with the other senior roles.

Helen Clark congratulated all the appointees on their new positions.

“Major General Mateparae has had a distinguished career and will serve New Zealand well as chief of the New Zealand Defence Force. I also congratulate Major General Gardiner and Air Commodore Lintott on their appointments.

"I'd also like to thank Air Marshal Ferguson and Air Vice Marshal Hamilton for the outstanding service they have given to the Defence Force over many years."

Phil Goff said the new Chief of Defence will be responsible for maintaining the current high standards of operational performance while at the same time managing and driving ahead the Defence Sustainability Initiative.

“He will continue towards the vision initiated by Air Marshal Ferguson of the Defence Force as being 'Three Services, One Force'."

Phil Goff said the State Services Commissioner was instructed by the government to manage the recruitment process to ensure a merit-based and professional process.

Major Gen Mateparae, 51, joined the Army in June 1972. He graduated from the Officer Cadet School at Portsea, Australia, in December 1976, and subsequently commanded at platoon, company and battalion level, and served with the SAS.

He became the Army’s Land Commander in December 1999, and was named Chief of Army in February 2002.

Major Gen Mataparae commanded the combined-force Truce Monitoring Group on Bougainville in 1998, and was Joint Commander for New Zealand Forces in East Timor from December 1999 to July 2001. He also had a one-year tour of duty as Chief Observer with the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organisation in Southern Lebanon from May 1994.

Rear Admiral Ledson, 55, joined the Navy as a cadet midshipman in January 1967, and underwent initial training at the Royal Australian Naval College.

He did his sea training on the HMNZS Taranaki, and also served on the Otago and the Waikato, the command of which he was given in October 1989.

In July 1992 he was appointed as Chief of Naval Development, and was posted to the US Navy War College from July 1994 to June 1995. He was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff in April 2000, and then Maritime Component Commander in July 2001. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in April 2004 and assumed the position of Chief of Navy.

Major General Lou Gardiner, 53, joined the Army in January 1971 and did his officer training in Duntroon, Australia.

In April 1994 he was posted to the United Nations Operation Somalia as the Deputy Chief Logistics Officer on the Force Headquarters.

In December 1998 he became Deputy Chief of General Staff, with the rank of Brigadier. He was named Land Commander in January 1999, and in 2000 was deployed to East Timor for 12 months as the Chief Military Observer to the United Nations Transitional Authority. In July 2001 he was made Project Officer at Defence Force Headquarters. He was posted as Head New Zealand Defence Staff, Canberra, in December 2001 and named Commander Joint Forces in November 2004.

Air Commodore Lintott, 50, joined the Air Force in 1973. In November 1985 he was posted to the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai as Flight Commander of the ANZAC Rotary Wing Unit. He commanded the New Zealand contingent from February 1986.

In May 1986 he took command of 141 Flight in Singapore. He was commander at Ohakea from November 1998 until November 2000, and then Air Component Commander at Joint Force Headquarters in February 2002. He became Joint Forces Commander in September 2004 and was appointed Assistant Chief Strategic Commitments and Intelligence, Defence Force Headquarters, in November 2004.

Tour extended

New Zealand's contribution of 26 Defence Force personnel to the Sinai Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) has been extended for two years until 1 April 2008, Defence Minister Phil Goff announced today.

Mr Goff's announcement comes a day before he meets with the Director General of the MFO, James Larocco, who is visiting New Zealand.

“The MFO plays an important part in enhancing security in the Middle East. It also underpins the important relationship between Egypt and Israel by maintaining two decades of peace on a border that was once regularly fought over,” Mr Goff said.

“New Zealand has participated in the MFO since 1982. Both Egypt and Israel value our participation and want it to continue.

“Supporting the MFO has a number of benefits for New Zealand. It demonstrates our commitment to collective global security; contributes to confidence building in the Middle East; illustrates New Zealand’s commitment to the Middle East peace process; underlines our reputation in the region as being even-handed, and provides valuable operational experience for Defence Force personnel.”

Mr Goff said that since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last year, the MFO had played a leading role in creating conditions under which border guards could be deployed and border crossings opened.

“New Zealand's key contribution to the MFO is the Training and Advisory Team (TAT), which prepares contingents for duties in the Sinai, including monitoring their performance and advising on ways in which it may be improved. The team trains and tests over 1800 personnel per year.

“We also contribute truck drivers, an engineer, and staff officers to the Force Headquarters at El Gorah, and hold several high profile staff appointments,” Mr Goff said.

Antarctic stopover

On 16 January 2006 RNZAF P3-K Orion NZ4203 touched down on the ice runway at Pegasus Field in Antarctica. This was the first time an Air Force Orion had made a full stop landing on the southern continent. The crew of the Orion remained overnight at Scott Base, the New Zealand research station before heading back to Dunedin.

New Cadet Unit formed

Te Whanau a Apanui Cadet Unit paraded on the Te Kaha Marae grounds on Saturday 26 November 2005 at 1000 hours to celebrate the opening of their new unit.

The Reviewing Officer for the parade was the Land Component Commander, Brigadier Warren Whiting. The Commandant of New Zealand Cadet Forces; Lieutenant Colonel Robert Campbell was also in attendance.

A welcome onto the Marae was followed by the parade march on, lead by the Cadet Unit Commander, Second Lieutenant Tani Haerewa. Following the inspection of the parade and the address the members of the Cadet Unit performed their Unit Haka.

The formation of a Cadet Unit came from Constable Jack Ferguson, a member of the NZ Police stationed in Opotiki, who broached the concept of a Cadet Unit with the Marae kohmatua, which culminated in the parade held on 26 November 2005. The Unit has 65 cadets enrolled and three commissioned officers. A number of the cadets have already completed Junior and Senior Non Commissioned Officers Courses. The Unit will commence the three-year training programme at the beginning of 2006.