ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force

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ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
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1                    SAILOR OF
D
                 THE YEAR 2021
E
C              HMNZS MATATAUA
2                   IN ICELAND
1
                HOMEPORT APP
                  WINS AWARD

    ILLEGAL
    FISHING
    TARGETED
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
Contents
04 Sailor of the Year                                                   20 Crossing the line in pictures

07        On patrol in the Pacific                                      24       Recollections from the first ENDEAVOUR

10        HMNZS MATATAUA in Iceland                                     32       Crossed the Bar

14        Navy’s HomePort wins award                                    35       15 Rounds

17        Navy graduate earns wings

                                                                       “	I’ve always had supportive
                                                                          people around me and I feel
                                                                          like any challenges have been
                                                                          achievable because of the
                                                                          support I’ve had.”
                                                                         –L
                                                                           eading Marine Technician (Propulsion)
                                                                          Jemma Hokai-Mataia, Sailor of the Year

                                 04                                                               07                                      24
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    NZDefenceForce                                                      are not necessarily those of the          A SH-2G(I) Seasprite lands
                                 Printed by:                                                                      onboard HMNZS WELLINGTON
                                                                        RNZN or the NZDF.
                                 Bluestar                                                                         after conducting flight training and
                                 Private Bag 39996, Wellington          Defence Careers:                          manoeuvres at sea.
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2   |   Navy Today #261
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
Yours Aye
Chief of the Navy

                                             Rear Admiral David Proctor
                                             Chief of Navy

As 2021 draws to a close, I am mindful         have spent a relatively long period of      partners around the world, representing
it has been a year characterised by            time at sea in recent months where you      Aotearoa/New Zealand at the very
unique challenges and much sacrifice by        have directly contributed to regional       highest level. Iwi Heramana you should
sailors and their whānau. I am especially      stability and security through tasks        be proud of what you have achieved;
aware of the hardships faced by those          such as delivery of vaccines and the        I thank you for your service.
overseas and the majority of the Navy          patrol of our partners’ EEZs.
families who reside in Auckland. I thank                                                   As I look ahead to 2022, I see a year of
                                               Your current task will, once again,         new opportunities for ships and sailors
you for what you have done in response
                                               demonstrate our commitment to               to get to sea and deploy through the
to the pandemic.
                                               regional peace and stability by             Pacific and wider. I see a year where
Balanced against the many challenges,          reassuring the people of the Solomon        we focus on strengthening our culture
2021 has also been a year where we             Islands by being a visible presence.        through the leadership and work of the
have seen our ships and sailors doing          I know you will maintain this operational   Maritime Culture Guardianship Board,
much mahi in and around New Zealand,           mindset by maintaining a readiness to       and that of every sailor, while also
in the Pacific, and wider around the           respond to emergent tasking.                applying effort in our chosen specialist
globe, returning to places we have not                                                     areas, and of course continue our
                                               I also wish to acknowledge the support
operated in for a number of years. From                                                    necessary leadership training. And while
                                               provided to you all by our friends and
Iceland, to the Middle East, to South East                                                 COVID-19 will not go away, we are now
                                               whānau at home. This is, more than
Asia, to Canada, with our South West                                                       in a very different position to where we
                                               ever, at the forefront of our minds at
Pacific neighbours and friends, and many                                                   were 12 months ago. I am committed to
                                               this time of year as we look towards
other places in between, we have seen                                                      us developing ways whereby we can get
                                               the festive period. Your continued
teams of sailors serving as outstanding                                                    back to using sport and team activities
                                               devotion to duty at this time is greatly
ambassadors of Aotearoa.                                                                   as a critical enabler to building crew
                                               appreciated and I wish you all every
And of course, the year is not finished        success for the coming weeks.               cohesion and operational preparedness.
and the tasking continues. As I type this                                                  We can manage the risk… risk is our job,
                                             Albeit targeted to WELLINGTON, I note         it is what we do every day. Fun is also our
Yours Aye article, HMNZS WELLINGTON
                                             the message could apply equally to all        job… it should be what we do every day.
is arriving on station in the Solomon
                                             sailors who have been required to serve       Let’s get after it in 2022!!
Islands. At the request of the Solomon
                                             away from home this year. Your duty has
Islands’ government, WELLINGTON has                                                        As I reread the above, a whakatauki
                                             helped others.
been deployed to provide support and                                                       perhaps best captures my thinking;
a stability presence. This operation was     Regards ‘duty and service’, I am
not planned and I regret the short notice    immensely proud of the security and           “he moana pukepuke e ekengia e te
that will have upset the plans of her crew   military effect Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa      waka” – a choppy sea can be navigated.
and whānau.                                  has provided in 2021. Notwithstanding         It has been a challenging year, however,
                                             the testing environment, the Royal
Below I repeat the message sent by                                                         through the professionalism of you, the
                                             New Zealand Navy has undoubtedly
the Maritime Component Commander,                                                          people of Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa,
                                             delivered its mission and “advanced
Commodore Garin Golding, RNZN, to the                                                      and the support of our families and wider
                                             New Zealand’s interests from the sea”.
ship as she departed Devonport:                                                            iwi heramana, we have achieved much
                                             To you, my comrades, through your
                                                                                           and are in a great position to advance
  As you make way towards the Solomon        efforts and professionalism you have
                                                                                           confidently into 2022 – a year where
  Islands I wanted to thank each and         brought great credit to the Navy and
                                                                                           I encourage a focus on ourselves as
  every one of you for the professional,     delivered security and confidence
                                                                                           naval professionals, on regenerating our
  timely and proactive approach I            to Kiwis during a time of fear and
                                                                                           naval capability… and fun, lots of fun!
  have witnessed in response to this         uncertainty. You have also contributed
  emergent task. I acknowledge that you      security and stability to our friends and     He heramana ahau

                                                                                                                     Navy Today #261   |   3
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
“You learn a lot about
 yourself, and it
 challenges the way you
 think. I enjoy hearing
 different perspectives
 from others.”

4   |   Navy Today #261
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
SAILOR OF THE YEAR

                                          SAILOR OF THE YEAR

      LMT(P) Jemma Hokai-Mataia
                                          Recruit Training Squadron Instructor –
                                              Fleet Personnel and Training

Leading Marine Technician (Propulsion) Jemma Hokai-Mataia enjoys
both the challenges and diversity that come with being a sailor in the
Royal New Zealand Navy. Now, as the Sailor of the Year for 2021,
she’ll be a voice for junior sailors and drive initiatives on their behalf.

She says the nomination and eventual      “I didn’t know much about marine            She says instructing is challenging,
award came out of the blue. “It’s         engineering to begin with, but I            but in a good way. “You learn a lot
daunting, but I’m excited,” she says.     thought the trade looked interesting        about yourself, and it challenges the
                                          when I read about it. I’ve really enjoyed   way you think. I enjoy hearing different
Each year the award is given to a
                                          my roles as a marine technician.”           perspectives from others.”
junior sailor who takes action to make
a significant and positive contribution   After Basic Common Training and her         Her biggest challenge in her career
to the RNZN and New Zealand               trade training she posted to HMNZS          is similar to many others – COVID-19.
Defence Force, and who personifies        CANTERBURY and has been involved            “There was a lot of uncertainty around
the core values of the service.           in Humanitarian and Disaster Aid            COVID when we were on ship. But
                                          Relief missions to the Pacific Islands.     we were looked after pretty well. I’ve
Originally from Auckland, LMT(P)
                                          Posting to frigate HMNZS TE KAHA,           always had supportive people around
Hokai-Mataia joined the Navy in 2013,
                                          she helped deliver the ship to Canada       me and I feel like any challenges
two weeks after her 17th birthday.
                                          and did two postings in support of the      have been achievable because of the
“My dad told me to get a trade, to
                                          ship’s Frigate Systems Upgrade.             support I’ve had.”
have something to fall back on. I saw
the Navy as a good opportunity to         She is currently operating “out of
provide a trade, and my family was        branch” as a Recruit Training School
very supportive”.                         (RTS) instructor for the Basic
                                          Common Trainees. Her Sailor of the
                                          Year citation praises her work ethic
                                          with the recruits, describing her as
                                          an “exceptional leader… a passionate,
                                          well-respected and influential
                                          instructor, composed at all times”.

                                                                                                               Navy Today #261 |   5
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
UNITED STATES
NAVY ARRIVES
There’s nothing like                     he had been talking up the port
                                         visit. “New Zealand is an amazing
                                                                                 HOWARD had at least 14 days’
                                                                                 isolation at sea prior to her arrival in
a blustery northerly                     country and an amazing partner.
                                         I’m very excited to represent
                                                                                 Wellington, and all crew had to have
                                                                                 tested negative for COVID-19 before
to welcome a foreign                     the United States Navy and the
                                         7th Fleet here and we are very
                                                                                 disembarking, as well as being fully
                                                                                 vaccinated.
ship to Wellington.                      much looking forward to it.”
                                                                                 She is the same class of ship as USS
                                         HOWARD’s visit to Wellington is         SAMPSON, which came to the Royal
Escorted by HMNZS TAUPO, Arleigh         a routine port visit, typical of the    New Zealand Navy’s 75th Anniversary
Burke-class destroyer USS HOWARD         movements of a US Navy ship in the      and International Naval Review in
arrived in Wellington on Friday 26       Indo-Pacific. “It’s a visible sign of   2016. During that visit, SAMPSON
November, the first United States        commitment to our allies, partners      became involved in the combined
Navy vessel to visit New Zealand in      and friends. We do our best work        task force response to the Kaikōura
five years.                              working alongside those allies,         earthquake.
                                         partners and friends and it enables
HOWARD had already put in some                                                   Rear Admiral David Proctor, Chief of
                                         us the opportunity to conduct
time with the Royal New Zealand                                                  Navy, said the New Zealand Defence
                                         interoperability events, like with
Navy near Great Barrier Island earlier                                           Force and the US Navy have a long
                                         refuelling with the New Zealand oiler
in the week, conducting a two-hour                                               history of engagement and working
                                         just a couple of days ago.”
replenishment-at-sea evolution with                                              together. “The latest example of
HMNZS AOTEAROA to top up her             He said AOTEAROA was a                  which was the interaction by HMNZS
tanks. The two ships also practised      “fantastic” ship and the crew were      TE KAHA and HMNZS AOTEAROA
Replenishment at Sea approaches          exceptionally professional. “The        with US Navy and other partners’
and Officer of the Watch manoeuvres      event was absolutely seamless, and      ships off Guam.” (See Navy Today
as training for both crews.              they were kind enough to give us        October).
                                         some additional time afterwards
Of the entire crew, only her             to run practice runs. We were very
Commanding Officer, Commander            honoured to have an opportunity to
Travis Montplaisir, had been to          work with them.”
Wellington before. He told reporters

6   |   Navy Today #261
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
STRONG MESSAGE
TO ILLEGAL FISHERS
    New Zealand’s contribution to the fight against
   illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the
  Pacific is something the Royal New Zealand Navy
        takes seriously, even in pandemic times.

                                                        Navy Today #261   |   7
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
Last month HMNZS
WELLINGTON
undertook a maritime
resource border
protection operation
in the Western                          “The quotas and rules that the FFA
                                        have in place are there for a reason,
                                                                                  WELLINGTON’s work included
                                                                                  coordinated patrols with the Republic
Pacific, running from                   ensuring the fisheries are managed
                                        effectively for future generations. The
                                                                                  of Fiji Navy’s Guardian-class patrol
                                                                                  boat SAVENACA. Commanding
8 to 30 November.                       New Zealand Defence Force has the
                                        capability to assist the FFA and our
                                                                                  Officer of WELLINGTON, Lieutenant
                                                                                  Commander Philip Davies, said
                                        Pacific neighbours to maintain and        although there was no opportunity to
The patrols, coordinated with the       uphold those rules.”                      interact with the crew at a personal
nations of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu                                             level, the ships operating together
and Tokelau, were backed up with        No boardings of foreign fishing
                                                                                  provided the chance to practise
aerial surveillance using an embarked   vessels were carried out, to ensure
                                                                                  communicating through various
SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopter and a     a contactless mission, but the crew
                                                                                  means and manoeuvring while in
P-3K2 Orion from No. 5 Squadron.        monitored and recorded activity.
                                                                                  close proximity.
                                        Twenty-four vessels from a range
It’s an important job in support of     of countries were identified in the       “These skills are important when
the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries     Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ),           we may be called on to assist in
Agency (FFA), says Commander Joint      high seas corridors and high seas         a response to a natural disaster.
Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral         pockets, and were reported to the         Coordinated patrols also demonstrate
Jim Gilmour.                            relevant authorities.                     New Zealand’s commitment to
                                                                                  combatting illegal, unreported and
                                                                                  unregulated fishing in the region.”

8   |   Navy Today #261
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
ON PATROL IN THE PACIFIC

Within days of returning from
fisheries patrols, HMNZS
WELLINGTON and her Ship’s
Company departed for the
Solomon Islands on December
6, to support New Zealand’s
stability and security
mission. She is part of the NZ
government response to a
formal request for assistance
from the Solomon Islands
Government following civil
unrest in the country. NZ Army
and NZ Police left earlier on
Royal New Zealand Air Force
aircraft.
“2021 has definitely showcased
the ‘workhorse’ nature of
a Royal New Zealand Navy
Offshore Patrol Vessel, even in a
pandemic,” says LTCDR Davies.
“We have delivered scientists to
the Kermadec Islands, travelled
thousands of nautical miles
to deliver COVID-19 vaccines
to the Pacific, and we’ve only
just returned from fisheries
patrol duty in the Western
Pacific. This operation to the
Solomon Islands, in support
of the maintenance of peace
and stability, is what our Ship’s
Company is trained, equipped
and ready to do, and we are
proud to be assisting.”

                     Navy Today #261 |   9
ILLEGAL FISHING TARGETED - New Zealand Defence Force
Defeating
                           the Device
                           You can’t deploy much further
                           than Iceland. Navy Today catches
                           up with the divers at Exercise
                           Northern Challenge.

10   |   Navy Today #261
HMNZS MATATAUA IN ICELAND

It’s a first for the Royal New Zealand       The focus of the exercise is on the          processes, extremely well-thought-out
Navy – having a team at NATO’s               operator, aiming to sharpen their            Standard Operating Procedures.”
premier Improvised Explosive Device          technical skills to effectively neutralise
                                                                                          Some tasks would involve land-based
Disposal (IEDD) exercise held in             devices in scenarios that become
                                                                                          devices, but most were in the water.
Iceland over a three-week period.            increasingly complex and reflect real-
                                                                                          Actors were used as ‘witnesses’,
                                             world situations or challenges.
The annual Exercise Northern                                                              people who had seen a device and
Challenge, hosted at the Icelandic           “The team leader will get the tasking,       were reporting it to authorities, and
Coast Guard facility in Keflavik, involves   and the MEOD team will go out to the         the MATATAUA MEOD operators
around 17 countries coming together to       Area of Operation, do the work, while        would have to question them to try
practise responding to real-life terrorist   directing staff are there, assessing.        and get an idea of what they faced.
incidents involving improvised and           Each evening, all the directing staff
                                                                                          Able Diver Jamie Bell says the high-
military explosive devices.                  will go off, and critique what they
                                                                                          threat environment was a big learning
                                             saw. It’s about constant evaluation
Petty Officer Diver Luke Leadbetter,                                                      curve, with other nations having more
                                             and improvement.” For this exercise
HMNZS MATATAUA, says the Navy                                                             experience than New Zealand. “We
                                             PODR Leadbetter was deployed as
have been sending one or two people                                                       got on with it. A lot of the NATO guys
                                             one of the directing staff.
each year in a directing staff role, but                                                  were happy to share their tips and
this time nine personnel, including a        In other Explosive Ordnance                  tricks, which was quite cool. We’ll
medic, logistics supply specialist and       Disposal (EOD) exercises there are           take this back to New Zealand. It was
five operators, were able to attend as       other elements at play, including            great to be part of the first team from
part of a Maritime Explosive Ordnance        networking with other non-EOD units          New Zealand to go.”
Disposal (MEOD) Team.                        and practising communication and
                                                                                          PODR Leadbetter says New Zealand
                                             integration. “But this is purely about
MATATAUA’s Clearance Divers are                                                           did well at Northern Challenge. “When
                                             the operator. This is real stuff. You’ve
the only trade in the New Zealand                                                         the assessors sit down at night, going
                                             got IED’s with technical switches,
Defence Force that conducts maritime                                                      over what went well and what didn’t,
                                             wi-fi armed, radio activated, all sorts
ordnance disposal.                                                                        you get a gauge of where we stand in
                                             of things. Every device they have to
                                                                                          the world. New Zealand was getting
“Those years we’ve been sending              defeat, is a device that has been used
                                                                                          really good feedback, and we can be
people as directing staff, that’s allowed    in anger somewhere in the world. It’s
                                                                                          really proud of where we stand. We
us to get a foot in the door. It’s about     happened before. Our job is to solve
                                                                                          know we could be a real asset for our
half a decade of groundwork to get to        the puzzle. If you have to do this for
                                                                                          allies. We’ve proven we can do this,
this point.”                                 real, there’s no space for making
                                                                                          and definitely left Iceland with our
                                             mistakes. But we have very good
                                                                                          heads held high.”

                                                                                                                  Navy Today #261 |   11
AROUND                                               SEA TRIALS
THE FLEET                                            CONCLUDED
                                                     HMNZS TE MANA
                                                     In late November in Esquimalt, Canada, TE MANA’s
                                                     sea acceptance trials period concluded, marking
                                                     yet another milestone in the Ship’s Frigate Systems
                                                     Upgrade story. Ahead are more sea training weeks,
                                                     including a short passage to Seattle, as the ship and
                                                     her company prepare for the passage to New Zealand
                                                     early next year.

     WELCOME
     HOME
     HMNZS CANTERBURY
     Sporting a very nice paint job is HMNZS
     CANTERBURY, captured by Navy
     photographer PO Chris Weissenborn on
     her arrival back in New Zealand on 23
     November.
     CANTERBURY has been in Singapore since
     August, undertaking her 15-year survey and
     docking maintenance. The work included
     new underwater hull coatings, removal and
     maintenance of the propeller shafts, rubber
     stocks and underwater valves. The side and
     stern ramps were removed for overhaul and
     the topsides and shell plating received a new
     paint scheme.
     Ahead is a modernisation of the Embarked
     Forces’ heads and bathrooms, and the
     replacement of the galley floor.

12    | Navy Today #261
AROUND THE FLEET

                                                        MAINTENANCE
                                                        TICKED OFF
                                                        HMNZS MANAWANUI
                                                        HMNZS MANAWANUI eased out of the Calliope
                                                        drydock on 16 November, following a three-
                                                        month maintenance period. 2022 will be a busy
                                                        year for MANAWANUI as she implements training
                                                        at sea, including crane operations and Maritime
                                                        Explosive Ordnance Disposal training.

SYDNEY
HMNZS TE KAHA
Snapped by Navy enthusiast Chris Sattler, HMNZS
TE KAHA is looking sharp as she enters Sydney
Harbour on 15 November. The Australian stop was
near the end of an Operation Crucible deployment
that included joining the UK Carrier Strike Group and
Exercise Bersama Gold with the Five Power Defence
Arrangements partners in Singapore.

                                                                                          Navy Today #261   |   13
HOMEPORT
NAV Y
MOBILE
APP SAILS
OFF WITH
INNOVATION
AWARD

From left, Scott Sargentina, Public    HomePort, the mobile app designed         contact details for base welfare
Affairs Manager – Navy; Grace Poole,   to give Royal New Zealand Navy            support, career guidance and even
Navy Information Manager; Russell
                                       personnel immediate access to the         how to tie a cap tally. HomePort also
Martin, Navy Portfolio Manager;
CAPT Shane Arndell, Assistant Chief    administrative information, processes     allows for important notifications to
of Navy – Delivery.                    and regulations they need to know         be transmitted direct to registered
                                       for their role, has been awarded          users, as well as displaying the Navy’s
                                       New Zealand Defence Force                 Facebook page.
                                       Innovation of the Year.
                                                                                 Only six months after launch of
                                       The app replicates the detailed           HomePort, two-thirds of Navy
                                       information contained in the Navy         personnel have downloaded the app
                                       Divisional Handbook and makes it          and more are registering each week.
                                       available as a downloadable app that      Further enhancements to the app are
                                       all personnel can access 24/7.            planned to ensure that HomePort is
                                                                                 constantly evolving and providing the
                                       The idea for the app came from a          functionality and value that personnel
                                       workshop three years ago when             are looking for.
                                       problems over access to important
                                       administrative information were raised.   The Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David
                                                                                 Proctor, has been a key supporter of
                                       “The feedback that drove the project      the HomePort project from the start
                                       was that no sailor is going to carry      as he wanted to remove the hurdle of
                                       around a weighty divisional handbook,”    sailors getting the information they
                                       said Russell Martin, Navy’s Portfolio     needed. He was impressed that the
                                       Manager. “Many junior sailors don’t       idea for a Navy tool came from the
                                       have regular internal online access       Navy itself.
                                       to find the information they need.
                                       But they all have mobile phones and       “Innovation doesn’t just come from
                                       they all use apps. This is where the      international think tanks or idea
                                       HomePort app idea was born.”              incubators. In HomePort’s case, it has
                                                                                 come from sailors who simply asked
                                       Now sailors can access almost             ‘can we do better?’ Three years later,
                                       everything they need to know about        and with a lot of effort from a lot of
                                       their Navy, when and where they           people, we can say ‘yes we can and
                                       need it. Resettlement assistance,         yes we have’. Receiving the NZDF
                                       leave queries, financial advice, urgent   Innovation Award is testament to that.”

14   |   Navy Today #261
DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A TANGIBLE
CONTRIBUTION TO SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE
NAV Y? TAKE ACTION NOW TO GUIDE THE NEXT
GENERATION OF TALENT INTO THE RANKS

Our future workforce needs help              LIFE OF A NAVY RECRUITER
navigating the journey from civilian to
sailor and Navy recruiters are at the        Your day will be focused around
forefront of our engagement. It’s a          achieving two objectives;
rewarding job, adding tangible value         • Attracting candidates
with a real sense of purpose. And            • Processing candidates
there is nothing like the feeling of pride
                                             Day-to-day your role will vary based on
in seeing your recruits graduate as
                                             which objective you are working on
sailors in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
                                             Attracting candidates includes:
You’ll also directly influence your
                                             • Conducting experience events
trade by raising awareness of the
                                               on bases, including Defence             HOW DO I APPLY?
opportunities available and mentoring
                                               Careers Experiences and Defence
high quality recruits through the                                                      Required rank: PO or CPO
                                               Experience Days;
application process.
                                             • Visiting local high schools;            Application Process: Talk to your
                                             • Attending careers expos and other       career manager. Potential recruiters
                                               engagement events;                      are interviewed by our staff to
                                                                                       determine their suitability. You will be
                                             • Navy trade-specific engagement;
“If you ever wanted a                        • Career advice and guidance;
                                                                                       required to work autonomously, handle
                                                                                       private information discreetly, and
 role, where you can                         • Anything that involves interacting      engage with young people in schools
 influence and your own                        with the public.                        and the community.
 personal experience is                      • Processing candidates includes:         For enquiries into becoming a
 valued then recruiting                      • Supervising recruit fitness testing;    recruiter, please email:
 is it. An awesome                           • Conducting one-on-one interviews        W/O Carol Voshaar, Recruiting
 opportunity to                                with candidates;                        Organisation Warrant Officer:
                                                                                       carol.voshaar@nzdf.mil.nz
 showcase your learned                       • Completing reports and
 skills and passions to                        documentation;                          For those interested in upcoming
 the next generation.”                       • Assisting future sailors through the    recruiting events, please email your
                                                                                       respective Regional Recruiting Officer:
                                               application journey;
  LT Nathan Atkinson RNZN                    • Providing one-on-one support to         Northern:
                                               recruits for your trade.                defencecareersnorthern@nzdf.mil.nz
                                                                                       Central:
                                             WHY SHOULD I APPLY?                       defencecareerscentral@nzdf.mil.nz
                                             The perks:                                Southern:
                                             • High degree of trust and freedom to     defencecareerssouth@nzdf.mil.nz
                                               achieve your objectives
                                             • Flexible work schedule
                                             • See tangible results for your efforts   NOT KEEN TO JUMP IN
                                                                                       FULL TIME?
                                             • Opportunities to engage with the
                                               NZ public outside of main centres       You can represent your trade in your
                                             • Working in a tri-service environment    local community by signing up to the
                                                                                       Recruiting Ambassador Programme
                                             The challenges:                           (link located at the bottom of the ILP
                                             • Will need to work outside of            Homepage).
                                               traditional work hours (some
                                               evenings and weekends) however,
                                             • You will accrue time in lieu
                                             • Fair amount of travel
                                             • You’ll be provided with a work
                                               phone, laptop and vehicle and have
                                               a chance to see the country!

                                                                                                               Navy Today #261 |   15
SAILOR AWARDED
FOR EFFORTS TOWARDS
INCLUSIVENESS
Commander Trevor                          One that values whanaungatanga
                                          (the building of relationships), ako
                                                                                       programme the Navy has received
                                                                                       several expressions of interest from
Leslie has been                           (learning) and growing Te Reo Māori
                                          capability and connection through
                                                                                       women across the NZDF wanting to
                                                                                       undertake the next professional diver
awarded the NZDF’s                        creating diving-specific haka, waiata
                                          and karakia.
                                                                                       transfer course.
                                                                                       CDR Leslie has been in the Navy
Peter Rule Inclusion                      CDR Leslie has also made efforts             since 1986, qualifying as a Navy Diver
                                          to increase gender diversity within          soon after joining. Since then, diving,
Award for 2021.                           the Navy divers. He championed a             explosive ordnance disposal and mine
                                          mentoring programme for women                clearance has been the bulk of his
The annual award recognises               interested in military diving, facilitated   Navy career.
New Zealand Defence Force                 the commissioning of an academic
                                                                                       CDR Leslie is pleased to accept the
personnel who have made a                 study to support female recruitment
                                                                                       award, but says the success is not
positive contribution to diversity        and selection strategies, established
                                                                                       his own.
and inclusion in the workplace, and       diving representation on the Gender
CDR Leslie as Head of Trade for           Advisory Board, and initiated projects       “While I may have set the tone and
the Royal New Zealand Navy Dive           aimed at delivering more gender-             conditions for a positive diversity
Team impressed the judges with his        appropriate diving equipment and             and inclusion culture, the success
commitment to improving the culture       systems utilising technology and             can be attributed to all the personnel
and gender diversity amongst the          lightweight composite solutions.             within the RNZN Diving Trade who
RNZN Diving Trade.                                                                     have fully embraced the programmes
                                          His leadership and advocacy is already
                                                                                       and initiatives and turned them into
As Head of Trade for the Navy Divers,     achieving results with the last RNZN
                                                                                       positive action.”
CDR Leslie instigated a programme         Defence Diver Couse (graduating
for divers built around Te Ao Māori       in June 2021) passing three female           The award honours a pilot whose
that aims to grow a positive, inclusive   students, which was 50 per cent of           distinguished 20-year career was
and high performing culture for divers.   the course. Through his mentorship           ended in 1975 because of his sexuality.

16   |   Navy Today #261
NAVY GRADUATE EARNS WINGS

MILESTONE
TICKED
FOR NAVY
PILOT
There’s pride, there’s                    He’s earned his brevet on the T-6C
                                          Texan II fixed-wing trainer, operated
                                                                                     He says the ‘Wings’ course is tough.
                                                                                     “You’re going to struggle at some point
excitement and                            by No. 14 Squadron. The ultimate
                                          destination for a Navy pilot is the
                                                                                     – we all struggled at different bits, but
                                                                                     we all had each other’s backs, and
there’s an entire                         Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopter,
                                          operated by No. 6 Squadron in
                                                                                     we helped out as much as possible.
                                                                                     Camaraderie is really strong.”
future to look forward                    Whenuapai, so his next step is the
                                          six-month conversion course to rotary      His training has to take a short pause
to. But most of all, it’s                 flight, on the Air Force’s A109.           as he takes his turn with Operation
                                                                                     Protect, the NZDF’s support to
                                          ENS Debenham says he has always
a massive relief to                       aspired to be a military pilot since he
                                                                                     the Managed Isolation Facilities in
                                                                                     New Zealand. He’s now doing a six-
                                          was young, when his late grandfather
graduate, says our                        took him to air shows at the now-
                                                                                     week rotation as a Managed Isolation
                                                                                     Facility assistant at the M Social hotel
                                          retired Wigram Air Force Base. He
newest Navy pilot.                        studied engineering at the University
                                                                                     in Auckland.
                                          of Canterbury in 2018 before being         “There’s a while to go, but I’m
                                          accepted as a pilot.                       looking forward to getting out on
Ensign Andre Debenham, 22, from
Christchurch, was awarded his pilot’s                                                operations with No. 6 Squadron.
                                          “I applied for both Navy and Air Force.
brevet at the graduation of the 20/01                                                It will be really cool.”
                                          I was really keen to fly helicopters and
‘Wings’ Course at Ohakea last month.      I was open to either option. I got the     If he was to give a pep talk at his old
He was among eight pilots graduating,     job offer from the Navy and thought,       school, Cashmere High, he would tell
including five Air Force and two Royal    let’s go.”                                 people it’s challenging. “You might
Australian Navy pilots, from the Flying                                              think, you aren’t good enough. But if
Training Wing at Ohakea.                  Prior to the ‘Wings’ course, ENS
                                                                                     you want it enough, do your research
                                          Debenham undertook the 22-week
“It was a long 18 months,” says ENS                                                  and give it 100 per cent. It’s worked for
                                          Junior Officer Common Training
Debenham, “and it’s a massive relief                                                 me so far.”
                                          (JOCT) course in Auckland. “I
at the end of it. It was definitely one   did JOCT 19/02, just before the
of the hardest things I’ve ever done      lockdowns. It was a real eye-opener
– although I feel like anything I do      into Navy culture and a great
from now is probably going to be the      experience to be trained in Navy
hardest thing I’ve done.”                 leadership.”

                                                                                                              Navy Today #261   |   17
1           2

4                                         5

                             8                9

                                 11

    18   | Navy Today #261
3

                  OUR
                  PEOPLE
                  1. Sailors promoted and awarded
                  aboard HMNZS TE MANA. From left,
                  LSCS Tema Viliamu (promoted); ACSS
                  Renee Lawton (awarded her first Good
6        7        Conduct Badge); LSCS William Smart
                  (awarded his third GCB); LCSS Epoki
                  Sakisi (awarded his second GCB).
                  2. SLT Shannen McErlain receives a
                  Commanding Officer’s commendation
                  from CDR Alastair Howieson, HMNZS
                  WAKEFIELD.
                  3. LT Maddy Win, HMNZS
                  WELLINGTON’s Engineering Officer,
                  catches up on paperwork during
                  Operation Calypso.
                  4. RADM David Proctor, Chief of Navy,
                  with the Commanding Officer of visiting
                  US Navy destroyer USS HOWARD, CDR
                  Travis Montplaisir.
                  5. From left, ACWS Briar Miller
                  (Scott Base Comms Op), LMED Max
                  Neustroski (Scott Base Comms Op) and
                  ALSS Jana Ebbett (McMurdo Logistics
                  General Assistant), deployed to Scott
                  Base as part of Operation Antarctica.
10
                  6. It’s early days for the Movember
                  moustache for trainee OMED
                  Matthew Shore, BCT 21/2.
                  7. MID Aaron Barron puts in the hard
                  work for Bellona Division during JOCT
                  21/2’s Efficiency Cup trial.
                  8. A/CDRE Shane Arndell, Deputy Chief
                  of Navy, stands with AM Kevin Short
                  (right), Chief of Defence Force, following
                  A/CDRE Arndell’s promotion.
                  9. LSTD Daniel Hill sets the table in the
                  wardroom of HMNZS WELLINGTON
                  during their Operation Calypso mission.
                  10. JOCT 21/2’s Bellona and Royalist
                  Divisions get ready to go head-to-head
                  for the honour of the Efficiency Cup.
                  11. HMNZS TE KAHA’s Ship’s Company
                  form a ‘gumboot’ on the flight deck
                  in support of Gumboot Friday, a
                  charitable trust that helps support
12           13   young New Zealanders with depression.
                  The crew raised $2,429.14, topped
                  up by the Ship’s Welfare Committee
                  to reach $6,000 donated.
                  12. CPOLSS Ben Owens, HMNZS TE
                  MANA, receives a Commanding Officer’s
                  commendation from CDR Mike Peebles
                  for “ongoing outstanding work” during
                  the ship’s Frigate Systems Upgrade.
                  13. POSCS Thomas Katu entertains
                  his shipmates in his messdeck
                  in HMNZS WELLINGTON.

                                       Navy Today #261 |   19
When a Navy
 vessel crosses
 the Equator, it can
 prompt a ‘Crossing
 the Line’ ceremony,
 a lively Navy
 initiation not often
 photographed.
 LWT Isaac Inwood-
 Reardon gives us
 an insight during
 HMNZS TE KAHA’s
 deployment in
 South East Asia.

20   |   Navy Today #261
CROSSING THE LINE IN PICTURES

             Navy Today #261 |   21
The honour of crossing the equator,        The event is designed as a break in
and being inducted into the realm of       routine and a hilarious morning of
King Neptune and forever labelled a        enjoyment and levity.
trusty ‘Shellback’, is not given lightly
                                           A Golden Shellback is a sailor who
to ‘Tadpoles’ – those who have never
                                           has crossed the equator where it
had the honour.
                                           intersects with the International
And so, on the morning HMNZS               Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Last
TE KAHA crossed the Equator during         year the Ship’s Company of HMNZS
her Operation Crucible deployment,         MANAWANUI earned the honour
King Neptune – and his assistant,          during their deployment to Rim of the
Davy Jones – held court in his throne      Pacific Exercise in Hawaii. Even rarer
on the flight deck while his ‘Bears’       is an Emerald Shellback, a sailor who
rounded up the Tadpoles summoned           crossed the equator at the Prime
to appear and be initiated.                Meridian in the Gulf of Guinea near
                                           west Africa.
Usually the Tadpoles are facing a
serious charge – presuming to cross        LWT Inwood-Reardon, already
the line without seeking the consent       initiated to the Order of Shellbacks,
of King Neptune. The speeches are          was able to document the event,
grandiose, the costumes and props          taking over 400 photographs.
are elaborate, and the rituals of the
                                           “Crossing the line ceremonies are not
lively and rough ceremony are steeped
                                           usually documented, and when they
in history. The Tadpoles are expected
                                           are, there are very few photos of the
to be reluctantly hauled before the
                                           event taken or released. So to have
court, endure various indignities such
                                           this many photos vetted and released
as being covered in muck, hosed
                                           to the Ship’s Company is not common.
down and made to lie prostate before
                                           The photos were well received!”
the King, before being dunked in salt
water – the final baptism into the
Ancient Order of the Deep.

22   |   Navy Today #261
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

‘WELLNESS’
SUPPORTER NAMED
DEFENCE VOLUNTEER
OF THE YEAR
An Auckland naval reservist who
developed a charity dedicated to the
trauma of first responders has been
chosen as the New Zealand Defence
Force Volunteer of the Year.

Able Musician Rebecca Nelson, who             A recent boost for the charity            “I’m still singing at events, but that’s
joined the Royal New Zealand Navy             came from former All Black Sir            currently on hold right now because
Volunteer Reserve as a part-time              Buck Shelford, competing in the           of COVID. The Te Kiwi Māia work is
vocalist in 2014, has created Te Kiwi         TV programme Celebrity Treasure           getting so much bigger, and there’s
Māia (The Courageous Kiwi).                   Island. Shelford, a former Navy sailor,   so many people involved. There’s an
                                              pledged his winnings from the show to     amazing advisory board, helping with
Its objective is to provide rehabilitation,
                                              Te Kiwi Māia.                             the growth and decision-making,
recovery and respite to New Zealand
                                                                                        and we wouldn’t be able to do what
Defence Force personnel and first             AMUS Nelson, who is attached to
                                                                                        we do without them. I don’t see
responders, who – as a result of their        Reserve Unit HMNZS NGAPONA,
                                                                                        the success of Te Kiwi Maia as a
role in safeguarding and caring for           says she still hasn’t taken in the news
                                                                                        goal in its own right – it’s about the
New Zealanders – have physical or             of winning the NZDF award properly.
                                                                                        mutual success of all organisations
psychological injuries.                       “You don’t always get thanked as
                                                                                        in ensuring the wellbeing of all those
                                              a volunteer, so it’s wonderful to be
AMUS Nelson has a close friend who                                                      who put themselves at risk for other
                                              acknowledged.” She is aware of
suffered from depression after being                                                    New Zealanders.”
                                              how many people – Defence Force,
medically discharged from the Royal
                                              veterans and first responders – would     She isn’t able to share future plans at
Marines due to a back injury. Her
                                              potentially have need of the charity;     present, but says 2022 will be a “huge”
friend’s journey to recovery involved
                                              it’s something she carries with her as    year for Te Kiwi Māia.
the British charitable organisation Help
                                              she works.
for Heroes, which has inspired AMUS
Nelson to create a similar charity in         Her other charity work this year
New Zealand.                                  included being a committee member
                                              at the Devonport RSA, a Poppy
Over two years AMUS Nelson has
                                              Appeal ambassador, and the ongoing
built relationships and connections
                                              restoration of over 130 headstones
within the first responder community,
                                              of service personnel at the O’Neill’s
resulting in the first “Wellness
                                              Point Cemetery in Devonport – initially
Workshop” last year. The charity’s
                                              on her own, but now with support
goal is to have their own facility where
                                              from the Navy and Sea Cadets. In her
people in need of their services can
                                              classical singing profession, she has
take time to recover.
                                              recorded three albums, performed the
                                              national anthem at All Black matches
                                              and has frequently sung for residents
                                              at retirement villages.

                                                                                                                 Navy Today #261 |   23
H M N Z S   E N D E A V O U R   I

                                          “That image brings back
                                           memories,” says Bob Pinker,
                                           former crewman of netlayer
                                           HMNZS ENDEAVOUR (I), the
                                           Royal New Zealand Navy’s first
                                           Antarctic supply vessel.

24   |   Navy Today #261
OUR HISTORY

                          H M N Z S               E N D E A V O U R                             I

                       When HMNZS AOTEAROA heads to Antarctica
                      next year, it will be the first visit and resupply to
                    McMurdo by an RNZN ship in over fifty years. Editor
                     Andrew Bonallack talks to former crewmen about
                      the first missions to Antarctica in the late fifties.

He’s looking at the image opposite,     components for Scott Base, which
taken in the beginning of 1958 near     the ENDEAVOUR crew helped build.
Cape Evans, Antarctica. “In the bow,    In the 1957/58 season, Hillary used
facing aft, is Able Seaman EA ‘Tag’     the tractors to create supply depots
Wilson, while on the left rowing is     between Scott Base and the Pole
Chief Joiner E Voison.” He recognizes   for Fuchs’ transcontinental journey
Able Seaman Brian ‘Brushes’ Nolan       from the opposite side of Antarctica
on the oars on the right, notable for   (Hillary famously decided to continue
being the youngest RNZN seaman          on and reach the Pole before Fuchs).
to serve in the Korean War at age 16.
                                        Mr Pinker ultimately did nine trips
The closest person to the camera is
                                        to Antarctica in his Navy career.
Able Seaman Ray Tito. A year earlier,
                                        In 1956 he remembers boarding
A/B Tito had hoisted the flag at the                                                and he reckons that inspired the
                                        ENDEAVOUR in Bluff in December,
new Scott Base, built to support                                                    purchase.
                                        with 18 dogs and a load of mutton
New Zealand’s participation in the
                                        for dog food. He says ENDEAVOUR             “ENDEAVOUR I was very
Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic
                                        had stopped at Wellington, Lyttelton,       comfortable,” he says. “She was a
Expedition of 1957–1958, the overland
                                        Dunedin, apparently fundraising for         diesel electric ship and a wooden
crossing of the continent by British
                                        the Expedition on the way down              ship, she wasn’t cold like a steel ship.
explorer Vivian Fuchs with Sir
                                        from Devonport. “We had about 50            She made very little water, and the
Edmund Hillary in support.
                                        fruitcakes donated from a local high        galley got most of it. There’s no water
                                        school, and schoolgirls were knitting       in Antarctica. It took a gallon of diesel
                                        us gloves and scarves to take with          to make a gallon of water. But we had
                                        us.” Mr Pinker had obtained a 16mm          plenty of beer – Leopard lager.”
                                        projection licence, in order for him to
                                                                                    Mr Pinker had received training in
                                        show movies on the trip down.
                                                                                    diesel electric engines in Australia, at
                                        “We didn’t celebrate Christmas until        a time when the usual propulsion was
                                        29 December, when the ship stopped          steam turbine. It made him valuable
                                        in the ice. I’ve got a picture of Hillary   for both ENDEAVOUR I and II.
                                        sitting on the ice next to the ship
                                                                                    There are a variety of stories of
                                        eating Christmas dinner.”
                                                                                    clashes between Sir Edmund and the
In the picture, the crew are on their   He remarks that the White Ensign            ship’s Commanding Officer, Captain
way to Scott’s Hutt at Cape Evans       they sailed under was a different one       Harry Kirkwood RN. “I remember
to screw a brass plaque to the hut.     than today (the Navy Ensign changed         Hillary wanted to send messages out
“I’m in the boat somewhere. I had a     from the Royal Navy White Ensign            without the Captain’s approval and the
special drill the Navy gave me, and     to the New Zealand version in 1968).        Captain said, there’s only one captain
I wouldn’t lend it to Voison.”          “I remember the crow’s nest often           on this ship. Get down below.”
                                        was in a ball of strange colours they
This was during EM1 Pinker’s                                                        This acrimony is something Ann
                                        called St Elmo’s Fire.”
second trip to Antarctica, on board                                                 Nolan, Brian’s widow, remembers
ENDEAVOUR I, also the ship’s second     His nine trips including missions in        from her husband’s stories.
mission to the continent (1957/58).     the second HMNZS ENDEAVOUR,
The wooden-hulled ship had been         the former USS NAMAKAGON
purchased and commissioned to           (AOG-53) that he helped deliver from
transport and support the Expedition    the United States to New Zealand in
and a year earlier (1956/57) had        1962. He says in January 1957 the
                                                                                    Above: HMNZS ENDEAVOUR I stops for
transported Sir Edmund Hillary and      USS NESPELEN (AOG-55), a sister             Christmas. Sir Edmund Hillary is in the
his team, Hillary’s Massey tractors,    ship to the NAMAKAGON, berthed              dark blue on the left eating Christmas
two aircraft, dog teams and the         alongside them in McMurdo Sound,            lunch. Photo supplied by Bob Pinker.

                                                                                                             Navy Today #261 |   25
H M N Z S         E N D E A V O U R                            I

                                “What Captain Kirkwood said was           He remembers ‘bad years’ when the
                                law,” says Mrs Nolan. “He was a           ice was so bad the ships couldn’t
                                cleanliness fanatic which was a good      get into McMurdo. “Everything would
                                thing on a ship but that is where         have to be offloaded, to go into
                                Hillary and Kirkwood’s friendship         sledges towed by tractors. It could be
                                came to grief. Hillary was not used       11 miles.” The second ENDEAVOUR
                                to such a regime of cleanliness and       was a huge improvement, he says,
                                Kirkwood’s rules were “my ship, my        but it wasn’t really designed for the
                                rules, like it or leave” and everyone     ice. “After one mission, you could see
                                accepted that except Hillary.             the ice had pushed in the hull against
                                                                          the ribs, all the way along.”
                                “Captain Kirkwood loved the ship as
                                he had captained it when it belonged      Another former sailor, Geoffrey
                                to the Falklands Dependency and           Bourke, was a junior watchkeeper
                                called the JOHN BISCOE. He was            in ENDEAVOUR I for the 1958/59
                                a real English gentleman and the          mission to Antarctica. He served in
                                crew referred to him as “my father”.      the Navy from 1951 to 1985, finishing
                                He was such a nice man and kept in        as a Commander. He’s not so sure
                                touch with Brian and I after he retired   the ship was that comfortable. “We
                                in England. He used to say that he        had bunks, but the sailors used to
                                would sail anywhere in the world on       take their hammocks because it was
                                that ship.”                               more comfortable. She had a round
                                                                          bottom and would roll.”
                                A classmate of Mr Pinker’s, LME
                                Mervyn Tyree, was also among the
                                delivery crew for ENDEAVOUR II, and
                                thinks he and Bob are the only two
                                of that crew left alive. He also notes
                                they are the only two people left who
                                have stood on the decks on all three
                                ENDEAVOURs, thanks to the pair
                                                                          From top: HMNZS ENDEAVOUR
                                being invited to the decommissioning      in Antarctica; Ice building up on
                                of fleet tanker ENDEAVOUR III (which      ENDEAVOUR I (1958); Sled dogs on the
                                never went to Antarctica) in 2017.        deck of ENDEAVOUR I, 1958.

26   |   Navy Today #261
OUR HISTORY

H M N Z S   E N D E A V O U R         I

                          The crew would be acclimatised
                          to the cold by the time they got to
                          McMurdo. “The ship wasn’t air-
                          conditioned or any nonsense like
                          that. It could be beautiful outside if
                          the wind wasn’t blowing. You could
                          be wearing a pair of shorts with
                          heavy boots and socks, playing
                          soccer. The penguins would come
                          up to you, because they hadn’t seen
                          a human before.”
                          When they reached McMurdo, they
                          would come alongside the ice. “The
                          trucks would come alongside, the
                          stores people would unload all the
                          stuff, and the trucks would drive back
                          to McMurdo. It was a chain gang of
                          trucks, going around and around until
                          the ship left.”
                          Two things struck him about the
                          continent. “Mt Erebus, which looked
                          like a hill but was higher than Mt
                          Cook. And there’s nothing red. It
                          takes a while for you to notice that.
                          That’s why an orange snowcat stands
                          out for miles and miles.”
                          ENDEAVOUR paid off on 7 November
                          1961 and was sold to Shaw Steam
                          Ship Co. in Canada the following year.
                          Renamed ARCTIC ENDEAVOUR,
                          she was used for sealing in the
                          Arctic until she sank at her moorings
                          in November 1982 and was
                          broken up in 1983. ENDEAVOUR II
                          decommissioned in 1971.

                          From top: The crew photograph
                          Emperor penguins (1958); British
                          explorer Vivian Fuchs’ Tucker
                          6.5-tonne Sno-cats are loaded onto
                          ENDEAVOUR I, not long after the
                          successful overland crossing of
                          Antarctica (completed 2 March 1958).

                                                   Navy Today #261 |   27
80 YEARS AGO
New Zealand’s worst naval tragedy
On the morning of          Colleen Appleton, the niece of Able
                           Seaman Norman Cook RNZNVR,
19 December 1941,          is a regular attendee of the Naval
                           Memorial Service for HMS NEPTUNE
Royal Navy cruiser         at Devonport Naval Base.
                           “My uncle Norman Cook served with
HMS NEPTUNE                the RNZNVR in Wellington, leaving
                           New Zealand on 2 May 1940 on
struck four enemy          the troopship RMS AQUITANIA to
                           Scotland, leaving behind his pregnant
mines and sank             wife Mollie who gave birth to his son
                           William Henry who was born on 19
off Libya. Seven           June 1940 – six weeks after Norman
                           sailed from NZ.”
hundred and sixty          In early 1941, New Zealand answered
four men lost their        the British Admiralty’s call for more
                           sailors. NEPTUNE was approved as
lives, including 150       a New Zealand-crewed vessel, in the
                           manner of HM Ships ACHILLES and
New Zealanders.            LEANDER, but she was reassigned
                           to the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the
                           Mediterranean, attached to Force K
                           in Malta.
                           Thirty kilometres off Tripoli, Force K
                           sailed into an uncharted deep-water
                           minefield. HMS NEPTUNE struck three
                           mines and sank within minutes of
                           striking the fourth.
                           AS Cook was 23 years old.

28   |   Navy Today #261
MEDALLIC RECOGNITION
FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA
Ex-Navy personnel       The NZOSM was instituted in 2002,
                        for operational service since the end
                                                                  ANZUK was then replaced by
                                                                  New Zealand Force South East Asia
who undertook           of the Second World War.                  (NZFORSEA) from 31 January 1974,
                                                                  with forces based in South East Asia
                        From 1959, the New Zealand Defence
service in defence      Force committed an infantry battalion,
                                                                  but in a non-operational role. From
                                                                  early 1975, there was no longer a
                        one or two RNZAF squadrons and
of South East Asia      one or more RNZN frigates or cruisers
                                                                  continuous RNZN warship presence
                                                                  in South East Asia. NZFORSEA was
                        in Malaya/Malaysia or Singapore
from February 1959      as part of the Commonwealth Far
                                                                  based in Singapore until its withdrawal
                                                                  in 1989.
                        East Strategic Reserve (FESR) and
to January 1974 can     New Zealand’s ‘Forward Defence’           Following a review this year, Minister
                        policy – in effect a strategy to keep     of Defence Peeni Henare says the
now benefit from an     communism as far from New Zealand         extended eligibility “recognises the
                        as possible. The major focus was the      valuable contribution to the defence
eligibility extension   threat of limited war with China that     of South East Asia by veterans who
                        would impact on South East Asia.          served in Malaysia and Singapore, but
for the New Zealand     RNZN ships spent about six to nine        were previously excluded as they were
                        months at a time in a wide range of       not required to deploy into combat
Operational Service     locations in South East Asia, while       theatres, such as Borneo or Vietnam”.
                        homeported at Sembawang Naval
Medal (NZOSM).          Base in Singapore.
                                                                  An eligible veteran must have been
                                                                  posted or attached for seven or more
                        There was also an ongoing                 days with FESR, ANZUK or associated
                        communist terrorist insurgency in         units during the dates specified.
                        Malaysia, a fraught relationship with     Service in NZFORSEA (1974-89)
                        Indonesia which resulted in conflict,     remains ineligible under the reviewed
                        and war in Vietnam.                       criteria.
                        In 1971 the FESR was scaled down          It is estimated around 4,500 veterans
                        to the Australia New Zealand United       will be able to apply.
                        Kingdom Force (ANZUK), which ran
                        until 31 January 1974 and included a
                        frigate deployed to South East Asia for
                                                                  For an application form, go to
                        periods of three to six months.
                                                                  www.nzdf.mil.nz/pam

                                                                                         Navy Today #261 |   29
Our
                                     Rūnanga
                                     Te Taua Moana Marae

Ko Uika te maunga,
Ko Ngā awa e rua te awa,
                                     Elected Rūnanga Members
Ko Te Kurae a Tura te whenua,        CO-CHAIR                                      He kaimahi ahua o Babcock i te herenga
Ko Te Taua Moana te Marae,           Commodore Melissa Ross                        waka o Tamaki inaianei, Ko taku hianga
Ko Iwi Heramana te iwi                                                             hei tautoko i te iwi heramana i roto i te
                                     CDRE Ross, of Ngāpuhi descent, is
                                                                                   runaga, ko taku moemoea kia kitea he
North Head is the mountain,          the first woman in New Zealand naval
                                                                                   Aotearoa e mawhitiwhiti ana nga ao e rua,
                                     history to achieve Commodore rank and
Ngā Awa e rua is the sacred river,                                                 nga reo e rua, hei tautoko tenei kaupapa,
                                     the first woman to be posted as Deputy
The headlands of Tura is the                                                       kei te timata ahau hei kaiarahi mo
                                     Chief of Navy.
                                                                                   te hinonga tarai waka taua mo te iwi
sacred land,
                                     She grew up in Kawerau and trained in         heramana, mo Aotearoa.
Te Taua Moana marae is the           mechanical engineering at Christchurch
RNZN spiritual refuge,                                                             Kia koutou eke nagaru ai; tu maia ma
                                     Polytechnic, while also representing
                                                                                   runga waka, wehikore ma runga papa
The sailors are the people           New Zealand in volleyball. Two years
                                                                                   pounamu o Tangaroa.
                                     in, her sister-in-law serving in the Navy,
                                     suggested the Navy as a career. She           To our creators, Rangi and Papatuanuku,
                                     joined the Navy in 1993 as a Marine           To the land and sea,
Te Rūnanga o                         Engineer Officer and was one of the first     We board our waka from across the
Te Taua Moana                        women to serve in frigates.                   nation, Arise, Te Iwi Heremana!!

Marae (assembly                      Her promotion to Commodore took               I am a descendant of the Takitimu and

or council)
                                     place at Te Taua Moana marae in               Ngatokimatawhaorua waka and grew
                                     December 2019.                                up in Napier with whakapapa to Omahu
                                                                                   Marae in Hastings.
                                     This month she has taken up a six-month
The role of Te Rūnanga               appointment as Joint Head of Managed          After 17 years in the Navy, joining as a
is to act as a servant and           Isolation and Quarantine, taking over         Marine Technician, I left earlier this
representative of Iwi Hēramana       from Brigadier Rose King.                     year as an Engineering Officer in the
for promoting the spiritual,                                                       rank of LTCDR.
cultural, social and economic        CO-CHAIR                                      During that time I served in
development of the Iwi.              Lieutenant Commander Josh                     HMNZ Ships KAHU, MANAWANUI,
                                     Aperahama (elected)                           TE KAHA, CANTERBURY, TE MANA,
                                                                                   and OTAGO.
Te Rūnanga is the guardian           Ki Rangi, Ki Papa, Ki uta, ki tai,
(kaitiaki) of the Navy’s tikanga.    Ka eke ki nga waka o te motu,                 Today, I am a Reservist with HMNZS
                                     Ko Te Iwi Heramana e ara e!                   NGAPONA and work for Babcock at the
Te Rūnanga will monitor tikanga
                                                                                   Devonport Naval Base as the Fleet and
at Te Taua Moana Marae and           He uri tenei o nga waka Takitimu raua ko
                                                                                   Asset Program Manager.
                                     Ngatokimatawhaorua, Tipu ake au i te
official Navy activities, and
                                     papakainga o Ahuriri, engari ka au ki te      My desire is to support the rūnanga and
will ensure that the tikanga of      mana whenua o Heretaunga, ki Omahu.           our sailors to realise a shared vision for
Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa is                                                        Aotearoa, opening opportunities for all in
                                     17 nga tau ahua i roto i te Taua Moana,
followed at all times.               i timata au he kaipukaha pukenga.
                                                                                   Te Ao Māori, language and cultures.
                                     A, i huri ahau hei opiha kaipukaha.           Initially I will focus in areas for the linking
                                                                                   of our Marae to our people through some
                                     I taku wa i roto i te weruweru Taua
                                                                                   of the upcoming projects.
                                     Moana, eke ahau ki nga waka Kahu,
                                     ratou ko Manawanui, Te Kaha,                  To those on the seas, stay strong, ever
                                     Canterbury, Te Mana, Otago.                   fearless, and I wish you smooth seas.
                                     I whakawatea e au te Taua Moana i te
                                     timatanga o tenei tau, eke ai ki te taumata
                                     LTCDR. Kua piria tenei ki Ngapona hei
                                     whakaputanga.

30   |   Navy Today #261
Assistant Chief of Navy                     I departed the RNZN in March 2020           Petty Officer Physical Training
(Personnel and Training)                    having served a short lifetime as a         Instructor Te Teira Maxwell
Captain Jon Beadsmoore                      Hydrographic Survey Technician and
                                                                                        He uri teenei o ngaa hapu katoa o
                                            attaining the rank of Warrant Officer.
CAPT Beadsmoore, of Royal Navy                                                          Ngati Rangiwewehi.
                                            I am currently a serving Reservist in
origins, moved to New Zealand in 2005.
                                            HMNZS OLPHERT, I continue to support        I was fortunate to be brought up in
He has been the Commanding Officer
                                            our Te Taua Moana whānau and the            Te Awahou, just 300 metres from my
of HMNZS TE KAHA and Capability
                                            development of cultural awareness           Marae. On our Papa Kainga we had four
Manager for the Frigate Systems
                                            across our VR sector.                       houses, my Nan, koro and the oldest
Upgrade. Other posts have included
                                                                                        mokopuna lived in one and three of my
Commander Directorate of Sea Power          My current role is Kaitohutohu Māori
                                                                                        grandparents’ children (and their kids)
and Warfare, the Maritime Component         in the National Road Policing Centre in
                                                                                        lived in the other three. We would spend
Commander’s Executive officer and           Police National Headquarters Wellington,
                                                                                        our days on our bikes swimming at the
Chief Staff Officer Operations to the       a non-sworn civilian position maintaining
                                                                                        river and playing at the marae with all our
Joint Forces Commander.                     positive connections with our iwi Māori
                                                                                        other cousins. So when I joined the Navy
                                            across the motu.
                                                                                        and was introduced to Te Taua Moana
Māori Cultural Adviser                      Having been part of the marae since         Marae, just like a whole lot of people that
Warrant Officer Te Kani Te Wiata            its establishment – I am most happy         have a strong upbringing in Te Ao Māori
                                            to continue to contribute to the            who first join the Navy I thought “I don’t
Ko Tainui, Ko Te Arawa ngā Waka,
                                            development for our turangawaewae –         want anything to do with this Marae”.
Ko Taupiri, Ko Ruawahia ngā Maunga,
                                            “he heremana ahau”.
Ko Waikato, Ko Tarawera ngā Awa,                                                        I joined the Navy in 2009 as an OCSS
Ko Waikato, Ko Ngāti Rangitihi ngā Iwi,                                                 and changed over to be a PTI in 2014.
Ko Tūrangawaewae, Ko Rangitihi ngā          Commander Wiremu Leef                       I am working at LTS facilitating the
Marae, Ko Te Kani Te Wiata ahau                                                         leadership framework to our future
                                            Iwi affiliation: Ngapuhi, Te Rarawa
                                                                                        leaders. As a recent member of the
I joined the RNZN in Jan 1979 in the
                                            I joined in 1991 as Midshipman,             Rūnanga I spend as much time as I
Weapon Engineering Branch and am
                                            serving for 22 years until leaving as       possibly can to support kaupapa at
currently serving as the Māori Cultural
                                            a Commander. I rejoined in August           Te Taua Moana Marae. LDG sees every
Adviser to the Chief of Navy. I have been
                                            2020 to assume command of HMNZS             uniformed member of the Navy come
in the role for the last six years.
                                            MATATAUA, my current role. I restarted      through the gates and I am fortunate
I have been involved with the Marae         my Te Reo journey this year and hoping      to be able to speak or assist those that
since the opening on 15 April 2000 and      to complete L1 & 2 soon, have renewed       speak at the powhiri when they join.
the Rūnanga pre-opening with breaks         my whanaungatanga with the Marae            I was also a part of the 21st birthday
when I was deployed to sea-going Units.     as part of this journey. I have been        for Te Taua Moana Marae and with the
                                            privileged to have been allowed to mihi     help of the other PTIs in the Navy we
                                            a few times on the Marae over the last      organised the Pa (whutuporo) Wars.
Māori Cultural Education Officer
                                            several months as part of my ako.
Mark Simpkins
                                                                                        George McGarvey
Mr Simpkin’s iwi is Te Arawa. He has
                                            Chief Petty Officer                         Ko Hori Taranaki McGarvey toku ingoa
served 27 years in the Navy, finishing as
                                            David Tapene                                Ko Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao,
a Chief Petty Officer Diver. He has been
the Māori Cultural Education Officer for    Iwi affliations: Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hine,     Te Arawa toku waka.
eight years. Mr Simpkins has been on the    Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Porou               I joined the RNZN in January 1972,
Marae staff from 2003 to 2007, and has                                                  leaving in 1992 as a Chief Petty Officer
                                            I have served in the RNZN for 20 years.
been a rūnanga member since 2000.                                                       Seaman. I rejoined in 1997 as a CPOS
                                            My current roles is Kaiwhakahaere
                                            (Operations Manager) Defcommsta             to take on the position as the Marae
Warrant Officer                             Devonport. I have been involved with        Projects Office, to build the marae. Soon
Bernie Reihana                              Kapa Haka at the marae and I will take up   after the official opening in April 2000
                                            the marae manager position in 2022.         my title became RNZN Marae Manager.
Ko Pukeone me Tu Ao Wharepapa                                                           I left the RNZN in 2002 and I am
ngā maunga,                                                                             currently working at Tai Wananga Kura
Ko Motueka te awa,                          Lieutenant Korin O’Brien                    as Director of Operations and Finance.
Ko Ngati Rarua me Ngati Tama me,
                                            Iwi affiliation: Ngāti Porou
Te Atiawa ngā iwi,
Ko Te Awhina te marae,                      I have served for 23 years, as a
Ko Bernie Reihana ahau                      former Chief Petty Officer and now
                                            commissioned (late 2019). My current
Tenā koutou                                 role is Directing Staff at the Officer
I hail from the southern slopes of          Training School. At the marae, I am a
Taranaki Maunga and was raised on our       former marae co-ordinator and the first
whānau marae Aotearoa in Okaiawa            female Marae Manager.
before eventually moving into town
(Hawera) at an early age.
I attended secondary school in Auckland
and Wellington but returned to Hawera
at every opportunity. Not so much these
days (which is a shame) but principally –
Taranaki is home for me.

                                                                                                                  Navy Today #261   |   31
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