A Christmas message from Chief of Army

4 December 2007

Are you like me, questioning where has the year 2007 gone? This is a good indicator that the tempo rate in the Army has continued at a hectic pace and that all Army personnel, military and civilian, are rising to the challenge of producing the outputs required of the Army by Government. The main priority, operations continue to be conducted to the high level of excellence that we have come to expect of our Army personnel, both part time and full time. The Territorial Force has risen to the task of providing the majority of personnel for operations in the Solomon Islands as well as a number of individual posts around the world. This has made the operational tempo more manageable but with its own set of challenges. As our ABCA partners have found, the Territorial Force personnel, or their equivalent, are sharing a greater share of the operational burden. I take this opportunity to thank them, their families and employers for their contribution to the Army, NZDF and New Zealand.

To the Regular Force and civilian personnel and their families I thank them for their dedication, loyalty and support throughout what has been a busy, but successful year. As an Army we have done well. We have achieved what the Government has asked us to do and more despite there being challenges. We do have a tendency to be harsh on ourselves and undervalue what we do because we identify many things that still need to be done. No matter how hard one works individually or as an organisation there will always be things to be done. The aim is to do those things that have priority, add value and move the organisation towards its vision. You are all contributing positively to doing this.

The Christmas and holiday season are approaching and it is appropriate to remember that many of our people are deployed throughout the world at this time, and are a long way from their family and friends, often in relatively bleak conditions. I am very conscious of what this type of separation from families actually means. Without the sacrifice made by those who are deployed over this period, and the contribution made by our families, it would be very difficult for us as an Army to achieve what we do.

Over this Christmas-New Year period I encourage you to take a good leave break so that you can spend time with the family and build up your reserves and energy for next year. As you know the challenges will be still be there to tackle but with increased energy levels, dedication and talent they will be overcome one by one. We have a truly professional team that strives for excellence and wants to be successful in everything it does.

I would like to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Year, and look forward to serving with you in 2008.

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