2016 has been another busy year for Command and Staff College. A total of 108 students – comprising military personnel from New Zealand and abroad, and civilian students from other government agencies – have graduated from our three courses. It was enormously satisfying to observe each of their journeys through the Command and Staff College experience, and share their

sense of achievement as they graduated.

Over five hundred years ago, the Florentine political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli produced the first great treatise on political and military leadership. Entitled The Prince, this important work set out the rights and obligations of a

leader; and also spoke what they needed to know to meet these obligations,

and how they might acquire this knowledge.

With respect to what we would now call professional development, Machiavelli observed that a leader: “…must never be idle in peaceful times, but rather must turn these lessons diligently to his advantage in order to be able to profit from them in times of adversity, so that, when Fortune changes, she will find

him able to withstand such times.”

However archaic Machiavelli’s language may now seem, the underlying themes remain highly relevant to this year’s students. These include the emphasis on a thorough knowledge of one’s own profession, understanding the broad environment in which one must be expected to operate, learning the lessons of the past in order to draw upon them in future, and – most importantly – the development of the mental agility required to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex operating environment. There is also an important sub-theme: that this learning and development is an ongoing

process, which imposes obligations on the leader until their service ends.

In effect, this is the basis of the lifelong learning experience, of which Command and Staff College is a part. I encourage the 2016 graduates to see

their time with us as a stage in that process, rather than an end to it.

Finally, I must extend my thanks and best wishes to our departing staff (LTCDR Jennie Hoadley, SQNLDR Brent Bryers, CAPT Rob ‘Bushy’ McLean, and Polly Kareko); and a warm welcome to our new staff (LTCDR Matt Ruglys, SQNLDR John Humfrey and W/O Dave Lee), our international instructors (MAJ Amy Bernard and LTCDR Russell Hodgson) and to Amanda Harvey,

who returns to us after a year ‘s leave.

May you all enjoy a successful year through 2017.

Commandant’s Message

Issue 13

January 2017

Command and Staff College

Papua New Guinea

2

Australian Study Tour

3

Overseas Study Tour

4-5

Challenges and Trends

6-7

Aloha 8

Farewells 9

Canadian WO attends JWOAC

10-11

Adventure on Te Mana

12-13

Congratulations

JWOAC 9

14

Welcomes The Hub

15

Congratulations ACSC (J) 57

16

Inside this issue:

Nyctimene

Lieutenant Colonel

Richard Taylor

Page 2 CSC Builds PNG Relationship

The first Papua New Guinea Defence Force

(PNGDF) student, Major Mark Sipou, attended

RNZAF Command and Staff College in 1998.

Each year since, the NZDF has provided

opportunities for PNGDF personnel to attend

courses at the College: primarily the Advanced

Course (on which we have had one student

every year), and subsequently on the Intermedi-

ate Course and Joint Warrant Officer Advanced

Course. These graduates have greatly enhanced

the capability of the PNGDF, and have also

helped strengthen the relationship between our

respective Defence Forces.

As a graduate of the 2001 Course, I have always

valued my experience at the College and how it

has shaped my subsequent career. During a

subsequent posting as PNGDF Training

Commander, I took part in the annual Mutual

Assistance Programme Talks with NZDF and

oversaw the selection of PNGDF personnel to

attend a range of course and training opportuni-

ties in New Zealand, including as students on

Command and Staff College courses. This

involvement gave me the opportunity to keep up

to date with developments at the College.

I was able to re-connect with the College twice

in 2016. In May, I undertook my first official tour

to New Zealand as PNGDF Chief of Staff, and

visited Command and Staff College as part of

the visit programme.

While the location of the

College has changed, I

found the same welcoming

atmosphere and commit-

ment to learning that I had

experienced. It was also

great to see how aspects

of the RNZAF Command

and Staff College – such

as the College crest – had

been retained.

The second occasion was during the College’s

visit to Port Moresby in November, as part of the

Overseas Study Tour. The Commander, Branch

Heads and PNGDF alumni of the College

attended a function at the New Zealand High

Commission, which we all appreciated and

enjoyed. I also had the opportunity to brief the

course on developmental issues in the PNGDF.

I wouldn’t have thought in 2001 that I would be

giving such a brief fifteen years later.

I assumed the role of Chief of Staff in early 2016,

at a challenging time for the PNGDF. We are

currently working to grow the PNGDF (including

personnel numbers and capability) in line with

the direction given in our 2013 Defence White

Paper. At the same time, however, we are facing

significant resourcing issues, which are fully test-

ing our problem-solving and planning skills.

Fortunately I have the lessons I learnt as a

student in New Zealand, and later at the National

Defence University in China, to help my decision

making processes.

The relationship between the PNGDF and the

NZDF is important to both countries and the

NZDF Command and Staff College is a corner

stone in that relationship. Long may that

continue!

Colonel Ray Numa

receiving CSC gift

from MAJ Tu’itavuki

after the brief to CSC

in PNG.

Papua New Guinea Delegation visit CSC

Colonel Ray Numa, PNGDGF

Issue 13 Page 3

Over the period 29th of August to the 9th of September 2016 the Advanced Command and Staff College Course (Joint) 57 was privileged to spend a short time conducting a significant visit to New Zealand’s most important and closest ally – Australia. There were two elements to the visit. The first was to meet with and be briefed by senior members of the Australian military leadership. The second was to see the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) current and emerging capabilities. A supplementary element for me was the chance to measure the NZDF

reputation among my Australian peer group.

The range of leaders who made time to see us made us acutely aware of the importance Australia places on defence diplomacy. We were briefed by the Australian Secretary of Defence, Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Chief of Navy, Chief of Airforce and Deputy Chief of Army on our visit to Canberra. The contrast in style and message along with the Australian ‘directness’ was interesting and sometimes confronting for many of the New Zealanders on the course. It was worthy to note that, for those of us who considered the NZDF at a disadvantage in some areas because of its size, realised many of the challenges facing a much larger defence force are the same as our own. It was interesting to consider that ‘more people’ is not necessarily

a panacea to our challenges.

With respect to capability development, the investment the ADF has made in the past ten years was very apparent, most notably with the naval transport ships, strike and reconnaissance aircraft along with surveillance and refuelling

aircraft to support them.

I consider the ADF is the ‘biggest and smallest’ defence force in our region which has all the capabilities required for unilateral action if it were necessary. It is clear that Australia values the NZDF as a ‘coalition partner’ in every sense of the phrase. However, what was less evident was the areas where the ADF ‘needs’ the NZDF to provide additional capability. Australia has taken leaps and bounds in the past few years and many of us were left wondering where the NZDF

can now add real and meaningful value.

The final element, and lasting thought for me, was the high regard with which the people in our defence force are held by the ADF. We visited an Army unit fresh from Exercise Hamel – the largest combined arms exercise the Australian Army runs. NZDF personnel and subunits attended and worked with the Australians, and those in the units we visited were very complimentary – ‘astounded’ – at what the NZDF achieved with what we brought to the table. The individual training and talent of our commanders, staff officers and our soldiers’ collective capability were all on show. The ADF were clearly impressed about how well

our personnel had been able to work with them.

In closing, the Australian Study Tour was a stimu-lating and professionally engaging experience for the whole course, one which I would hope will

remain a part of the program in years to come.

Australian Study Tour Major Hayden Ricketts, RNZIR

WGCDR Young, MAJ Nguyen, MAJ Ricketts, MAJ Tu’itavuki

Issue 13 Page 4 Overseas Study Tour

Advanced Command and Staff Course (Joint) (ACSC (J)) 57 departed on the overseas study tour (OST) armed with a wad of US dollars and a blank journal. We were well looked after by the No. 40 Squadron RNZAF Boeing Flight aircrew, who remained with us for the duration of the tour. The aim of the OST was simple – think, reflect, write – and hopefully fill the journal with academically sound, critically thought out prose with a view to passing the Strategic Studies and International Relations module of the course. The additional challenge, which proved much

less taxing, was to spend the wad of cash.

First stop was Papua New Guinea (PNG), an ethnically diverse, resource rich, developing country strategically located off the northern tip of Cairns, Australia, bridging the gap between Asia and the Pacific. Over two days in PNG, we received a number of briefings from key military, political and business leaders about foreign and defence policies, development challenges and future national aspirations with a focus on the lead up to APEC 18.

We had a poignant visit to the Bomana Commonwealth War Cemetery where we heard the story of a number of New Zealanders who had made the ultimate sacrifice in the Pacific during World War II. Following a delicious evening meal at the Naked Fish restaurant on the Port Moresby waterfront, we packed up ready to head off to our second location, the Republic of Korea (ROK).

In Seoul, we heard from the NZ Ambassador, political leaders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and military leaders from both the ROK Defence Force and the United States Forces in Korea. We attended a formal briefing at the Ministry of National Defence where defence and security policy was discussed in an open forum. The first day ended with a reception at the New Zealand Embassy, where we enjoyed a cool Steinlager or two. For the remainder of our time in the ROK, we were fortunate enough to visit two active military bases as well as the Joint Security Area (JSA) within the DMZ, the Demilitarised Zone which is the effective border dividing North and South Korea. We were hosted by ROK Air Force 20th Fighter Wing in Seosan and the ROK Navy 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek. At the JSA we were provided with a briefing then taken on a quick tour to see the military demarcation line between North and South Korea. The visits provided us with a unique perspective on the security situation which exists on the Korean peninsula, enabling us to better understand the realities facing

Korean citizens every day.

Bomana Commonwealth War Cemetery, PNG

Watch Tower along

the River Han,

Republic of Korea

The Demilitarised Zone, on the border dividing North and South Korea

WGCDR Rachel James

Issue 13 Page 5

From Korea we flew to the United States Air Force base, Yokota, near Tokyo in Japan. We were briefed by Japanese Ministry of Defence personnel on topics ranging from defence policy through to specific challenges faced in the East

and South China seas and at Okinawa.

We received additional briefings from military personnel from the United States Forces in Japan and enjoyed a tour of the Edo Museum, where we learned about the history of Tokyo, in particular the influence of the Samurai, the traditional Japanese warrior. On our last full day in the country we received a number of briefs from New Zealand Embassy staff including the Ambassador before departing for a cultural activity which included a lesson in Taiko drum-ming followed by a visit to the Meiji Shrine. The return flight to New Zealand was via Cairns, Australia where we enjoyed a decompression night at one of the local waterfront establish-

ments.

Socially, the OST offered us an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of the unique cultures in PNG, South Korea and Japan. In PNG we enjoyed sitting in the warm evening air by the hotel pool sipping on the local South Pacific Brewery beers. In Korea we ventured out into Seoul city with some of the group taking in a traditional Korean Nanta Show while others enjoyed late night shopping, night clubs, bars, karaoke and tasting the local rice wine, soju.

In Tokyo city there was more of the same with the shoppers working hard to spend the last portion of their allowances while others enjoyed

the local restaurants, bars and clubs.

Professionally, the OST provided an excellent opportunity to explore in more depth some of the academic theories we had been taught through-out the year. What seemed in the classroom to be quite sterile, abstract concepts were brought to life in the field, as we observed three very different countries, coping with very different security challenges. We thought, we reflected and we wrote – 3500 words of literary genius poured into each of the 36 previously blank journals. With the journal now full, and the wallet well and truly empty, our OST mission was

complete.

CDF, LTGEN Keating, WGCDR James, MAJ Werder at morning tea on the first day of ACSC (J) 57

ACSC (J) 57, JWOAC 9 and CSC Staff gathered outside Te Amokura Marae, PNG, within the NZ High Commission grounds. Artwork at the Edo Museum, Tokyo

Page 6 Challenges and Trends

Having successfully completed Advanced

Command and Staff Course 56 in 2015,

I was lucky enough to be considered and

ultimately selected to attend the 16th Inter-

national Air Command and Staff Seminar

(ACSS) being held at the Japan Air Self

Defense Force (JASDF) Air Staff College

on Meguro Air Base, Tokyo, Japan. The

seminar was held over the period 24-29

October 2016 with the objectives of further

deepening mutual understanding between

attending countries and also to promote

confidence building through opinion

exchanges on security issues between

international participants and the JASDF Air

Staff College Command and Staff Course (CSC)

students. In total the Seminar consisted of

representatives from 28 different countries

and 46 JASDF Air Staff College CSC students.

In what I thought to be a good initiative, the

seminar was organised and managed by the

CSC students themselves. This was interesting

to experience given many could not speak English

very well but ultimately the students did a great

job, particularly in their efforts towards organising

social events and functions. These included

opening and closing functions, dinners at local

restaurants, cultural tours and smaller cultural

experiences during lunchtimes and breaks.

The seminar itself consisted of individual national

presentations by all international participants

followed by syndicate work to discuss and

ultimately develop a presentation back to all

seminar participants and the College staff on the

groups’ findings in relation to a given topic.

The national presentations were 10-15 mins each

and the given topic was “the current situation,

challenges and trends of your own Air Force

within the context of your national defence policy”.

Quite a mouth full for a 15 minute speech! As it

was, the quality of the presentations varied from

straight descriptions of Bases and the aircraft

being operated, through to thought provoking

presentations on the political, geographic,

economic and social

issues being faced by

the country concerned

and how the military

was contributing

to minimising or

addressing these issues. Luckily for

me my presentation was pretty straight

forward with the NZ Defence White

Paper having only been recently

released. As such, the Seminar was

the lucky recipient of a presentation very

similar to that provided by the White Paper team

across the NZDF’s Bases, Camps and Ships just

months ago. As an aside and for those who are

interested, I kept a copy of all the international

presentations and have sent this folder to the

CSC library.

We were then split up into six syndicates in which

we spent the next three days discussing and

developing a presentation to be provided back to

the seminar. Syndicate F (Firefox), my syndicate,

had the topic; ‘Multilateral Training and Exercises’.

At first glance this seemed a relatively simple

topic and something which the many impromptu

syndicate discussions and presentations on staff

course the year before had prepared me well for.

Reality, however, was very different with many

hours being consumed discussing the finer points

of the English language (and its contextual use)

as some of the Japanese students questioned or

challenged terminology or phrases used. A good

example of this was the use of the word ‘develop’

in the context of highlighting that not all nations

get the same benefit from Exercises and that

some nations needed to be prepared to develop

the capabilities of other nations in order to

improve overall

interoperability

and capability.

In the lecture hall during the National Presentations

WGCDR Mark Waters

Page 7

After considerable discussion on the meaning

and context of the word ‘develop’ and the

various definitions provided by their translator

devices, we all agreed on the use of the term

‘nurture’ as this provided better understanding

for all members of our syndicate and ultimately

reflected what the group actually wanted to say.

Whilst these interruptions to getting the

presentation done frustrated me at the time,

by the end of the week, these discussions

ultimately solidified for me that ‘words do

matter’ and how difficult the English language

can be for others in a multi-national context.

In this light I considered that the NZDF could

be missing an opportunity in relation to

language training and that our reputation and

ability to operate effectively across the world

could be further improved if we placed some

priority on personnel being able to learn and

speak another language fluently. This is

something I have personally resolved to

accomplish in the next few years.

By the end of the week though, our presen-

tation was ready and delivered very well

by two of our Japanese students and our

Royal Saudi Air Force participant. The

questions were challenging but handled

well by all and during the subsequent final

function our syndicate raised multiple sake

toasts in celebration of the week, our

accomplishments and our newly formed

friendships.

In all, an excellent and rewarding experience and

one which not only gave me an insight to the

Japanese culture and the Japan Self-Defense

Force but one which also challenged and further

developed my personal understanding and

experience of the players and issues across the

international security sector. I would thoroughly

recommend the International Air Command and

Staff Seminar to anybody lucky enough to be

nominated for future seminars.

Syndicate F – Team Firefox during Final Presentation

Breaking of the Sake barrel ceremony during the final function

Page 8 ALOHA FROM HAWAII

Over the period 12-16 September 2016 I had the pleasure of attending the Asia-Pacific Orientation Course (APOC) at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS). This trip was kindly supported and organised by the NZDF Command and Staff College. The Center is one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s five regional security studies institutes which aims to address regional and global security issues. They do this through providing executive education, professional exchanges and outreach events to military and civilian representatives, from both the United States and abroad. The DKI APCSS in particular supports U.S. Pacific Command by developing and sustain-ing relationships among security practitioners and national security establishments through-out the Asia-Pacific region. The Center’s mission is to build capacity and communities of interest by educating, connecting and empowering security practitioners to advance Asia-Pacific security. Whilst the majority of the APOC’s 144 participants hailed from the United States, the course also attracted students from across the region, including Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

The majority of these people had military backgrounds; however, some forty percent of the group were civilians from various governmental, security and development organisations. It was this eclectic mix of participants who made the course so enjoyable with a wide array of opinions and world-views providing for thought provoking (and at times heated) discussions.

Though bigger in size, the APOC mirrored much of my experience earlier in 2016 on the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Joint) 80 at Trentham. The course was structured around lectures, supported by facilitated small group workshops, and considered security in its broadest sense. It provided an overview of both regional and sub-regional issues and trends in socio-economic, political, defence, health and environmental arenas. Like the region itself, the topics covered were similarly broad: from understanding the ‘Gray Zone’, to South China Sea Disputes, to the effect climate change will have on our region, as well as many topics in between.

Attending the APOC was a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend DKI APCSS to anyone who gets the opportunity. Many thanks to the staff at NZDF Command and Staff College who made this professionally enriching experience possible.

LT Daniel Swale

College of Security Studies Asia-Pacific Orientation Course 16-3, Hawaii

Issue 13 Page 9

Congratulations to

Commander Jennie Hoadley

on her promotion.

Jennie began CSC in 2013 as a student

on ACSC (J) 54 then joined the Directing

Staff team. She has

taken up the position

as the Director of

Coordination, Naval

Staff. We wish her

well in her new and

exciting career.

Congratulations to

Captain Rob Mclean on his recent promotion.

‘Bushy’, Rob Mclean has led the Joint

Warrant Officer Advance Course and has

organised the college’s excursions.

Rob heads to Waiouru

as the Operations

Officer for the Army

Command School. We

know he will excel in

his new role.

Mrs Polly Kareko

Polly was relieving during the year in the

CSC office as the Business Support

Coordinator. She will

transfer to DSSG,

Defence Shared

Services Group.

We will miss her

friendly, helpful nature.

Congratulations to Wing

Commander Brent Bryers

Brent has also recently been promoted.

He and his family travel to Malaysia as

Brent is joining the Directing Staff at the

Malaysian Command

and Staff College.

We hope you have

a truly wonderful

experience.

Dr Karen Martyn

Karen has promoted an environment of

active learning at CSC. She challenged

us to be reflective practitioners and has

encouraged us to think outside the box.

Good luck in your new

career.

Farewell to our

Colleagues

Mr Theo Corfiatis

Theo is a NZDF Teaching Fellow with

CSC and Massey University, Palmerston

North in the Centre for

Defence and Security

Studies. Theo is known

for his very interesting

lectures on military tech-

nology. We wish him the

best for the future.

Canadian Chief Warrant Officer Goes Down Under on JWOAC

He Taua, He Taua Mā wai e tū ake

Taua Moana Tū matauenga Taua-a-Rangi

Ko te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa e Tihei mauri ora

A Canadian going down under to New Zealand to be part of the nine week Joint Warrant Officer Advance Course (JWOAC) was an opportunity of a life time! Currently I’m employed as Formation Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) for MPG, Military Personnel Generation (a formation under Commander Military Personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces). One of the challenges I face daily from an individual training and education point of view is finding learning opportunities which will improve how the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) prepare the next generation of institutional leaders, those “Strategic” CWO. After Major General Tremblay (Commander MPG) returned from her visit with NZDF she asked me to read through the course curriculum to see if JWOAC was a good opportunity for CAF. I recognised Professional Military Education (PME) which could help bridge the gap between the “tactical” CWO and “Strategic” level CWO. So in June when I received an invitation to be the first Canadian to attend the prestigious course I replied positively within a few seconds of receiving the e-mail. When the joining instructions followed, I was extremely excited but also apprehensive as it was mentioned there were a number of deliverables required, including an academic essay and country brief to name a few. The last time I wrote an academic essay was probably 25+ years ago. This meant I would have to get back in the books and refresh on this old skill I had learnt in school.

The idea of coming to New Zealand for the first time was very exciting. I would get to learn about a whole new culture and see places such as Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Japan as part of the overseas study tour. Once in NZ, I quickly came to the conclusion that New Zealanders and Canadians are very similar in many ways. Both countries have a similar culture, use soft power and come from the British Empire therefore the government operates in a similar way. Upon arrival in Wellington, I was acquainted with three international students; 1WO Albert Tan from Singapore, WO Brad Lahey from Australia and SMG Dan Gustafson from USA. Together we attended a two week orientation program at the Defence International Learning Centre. Our instructor, Captain Nathan Graham, immediately familiarized us with the Māori culture as he introduced himself. I remember he spoke of his mountain, his river and his people in a language I could not understand. This made me curious and whetted my appetite to learn more about the Māori culture which I eventually did through my class mates. These two weeks gave us an opportunity to bond as an international cohort and allowed us to travel to Wellington where we visited the Bee Hive (Parliament House), Te Papa museum where the WWI Gallipoli exhibition is displayed and have lunch at NZDF Defence House.

CWO Robert McCann

Page 10

JWOAC visit Marae during NZ study

Issue 13 Page 11

Nineteenth of September 2016, JWOAC launched and again in true NZ fashion we were greeted like family by the Commandant of the Command and Staff College as well as by our Directing Staff, (DS), WO1 Robert “Bushy” McLean. We were brought to the main foyer of the college where this massive wooden sculpted structure called Te Pare Taonga is mounted on the wall. WO1 McLean proceeded to explain what the carving meant and how the various parts represented the three services while remaining linked to the Māori culture. This was a great preamble to what would await us in the weeks to come.

As the course progressed, weeks one and two were filled with Strategic discussions which got more and more intense as we covered hot topics occurring in the East Asia Pacific. It was refresh-ing to have frank and candid conversations on the strategic situation the NZDF faces day to day and what they are doing to prepare for the challenges of 2035. Through the days spent with Professor Hoadley learning about strategy and the strategic environment, meeting the senior Leadership of NZDF at Defence House and through Socratic Warrior exercises where we analysed various articles, we were challenged to think critically. Week three would take us on a NZ study tour where we would get to see first-hand the various capabilities each service brings to the fight. For me one of the many highlights of that week which I will cherish forever was the visit to the Navy, Army and Air Force Marae, but more importantly, being greeted through the front door and given the opportunity to be involved in this very emotional cultural ceremony. NZDF has truly succeeded in integrating Māori tradition and culture within its Armed Forces and Canada has a

lot to learn from NZ in that perspective. For me, this was truly a humbling experience. This study tour also set the stage for the informal part of the JWOAC which is “The Networking”. As we travelled from base to base we managed to meet Warrant Officers from the three services and Special Forces affording us the opportunity to make new contacts. By the end of week six we were getting ready to depart on the Overseas Study Tour (OST) which would take us to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, (PNG), Seoul, in the Republic of Korea and Tokyo in Japan. This was very exciting because we would get the opportunity to speak and engage with the New Zealand Defence Attachés, Ambassadors and high ranking military personnel stationed in each of these countries. The OST gave us a first-hand look at the economic, security and cultural challenges these countries face. Whether we looked at PNG moving from the Stone Age to the 21st Century and who are now hosting the APEC Summit in 2018 or explored the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Korea and North Korea who is racing to become a nuclear state, or considered how Japan will integrate to settle differences with Korea, one thing is certain, I leave the JWOAC with a whole new perspective and will be eager to watch how the TPP, US Presidential Elections and China’s action in the South East China Sea affects all of these countries as they strive to remain relevant to the global and the East Asia Pacific changes. I write these last lines as I’m getting ready for graduation tomorrow. Nine weeks went by so fast and I’ve learned so much. As I get ready to return home, I thank the NZDF and CSC for the opportunity to attend this course, I have made memories, friends and contacts who I will cherish forever.

Page 12 Te Mana Adventure

From Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th August 2016 I experienced what has become one of the highlights of my life …. In early July I was asked if I wanted to experience a sea-riding opportunity on a RNZN ship; a decision which took about 0.2 of a second to say ‘Yes’ to. The route settled on was to travel from Wellington to Timaru over two days and two nights and my only ‘job’ during that time was to gain insight into the operation of a Navy ship. Arriving at Queen’s Wharf in Wellington on a beautiful sunny and still morning definitely set us all in a good mood and zipping out to Te Mana on a RHIB, a rigid hulled inflatable boat, with some of the other civilians who were travelling was an excellent way to begin the adventure. Upon embarkation, which entailed scram-bling up a four meter rope ladder, WOCSS J.J. Leybourne, a graduate of JWOAC No.8, greeted the nine-strong group and gave us our safety brief and a short tour of the main areas of the ship. It became apparent very quickly that despite being ‘outsiders’, we were made to feel very welcome and it was absolutely no problem for us to ask how ever many questions we wanted to and explore wherever we wished on the ship.

In truth, it is difficult to list specific highlights because the entire journey was something which left me feeling at times as though I had to pinch myself to ensure I wasn't imagining it, although the biting cold of the second and third mornings instilled some reality in that regard! Nevertheless, some of the standouts were being able to participate in PT on the sun soaked flight deck while the ship was manoeuvring in Palliser Bay, (an unusual experience insofar as exercising with the ‘floor’ moving under you is odd to say the least), being a guest for dinner in the CO’s cabin, observing the bridge crew conduct exercises during the night-watch and look-ing through ‘Big Eyes’, an uber-powerful set of binoculars which I really would like a pair of! It was only the second time I have travelled on a ship overnight and my accommoda-tion was a basic, but comfortable, cabin (it is a warship after all) which I shared with CAPT Tony Hayes who was on board to provide some briefings. The bed was quite narrow and I have to say I have never slept on one that had seat belts provided as standard equipment! Nevertheless, I slept very well and I am delighted to say that I had no need for the seatbelts.

Dr Paul Clemence

Te Mana birthed at Timaru Port

Te Mana Adventure

It was however, the first time I have been on a ship which was completely out of sight of any land, which was a pretty cool experience, aided in part by the freezing and foggy conditions we encountered from the second day. I had hoped to see some marine wildlife, but apart from what was probably a seal which very briefly appeared off the ship’s starboard stern, (note the strategic use of naval terms) the only feature in the sea was the occasional large mats of seaweed. The birdlife on the other hand was prolific, and it was quite a sight watching albatrosses and various other species constantly circling around the ship. Attempts to photograph their aerial antics tended to produce a lot of blurred images but I did nail the odd clear shot. Activities the ship conducted ranged from providing surface and air cover for the ship, Endeavour, which was travelling in tandem with us, to playing uckers with the crew (who are fiercely competitive, in a good way). The RAS (Replenishment at Sea) was an amazing thing to watch as I’ve never sailed in a ship which was so close to another. Watching the two crews work together to transfer 80 cubic meters of fuel was an excellent testament to their skill and professionalism.

I also was given a personal guided tour by LTCDR Hayden Wilson which was fascinating as we explored the heart of the ship; the engine room. To see, hear and even feel the power of the engines when they were working was awe inspiring and I took pleasure later in relating to my car enthusiast father that each cylinder was the equivalent of two large capacity V8s and there were 24 cylinders, and that’s without the jet turbine… Hayden’s clear pride in his ship was contagious and I finished the tour greatly appreciative of his efforts.

It was also clear from the beginning of our voyage that there was a passion and a healthy pride (laced with a nice balance of humour) in the crew, something which was repeatedly manifested during the trip. In short, there was a multitude of experiences which were both educational and enjoyable in the best possible way and I came off the ship at Timaru buzzing on a high that still puts a smile on my face whenever I think of it! Something I am confident the rest of the excellent party I was with would wholeheartedly agree with.

RAS: Replenishment at Sea

Page 13 Issue13

Page 14

Grant Collins New Zealand Army Warrant Officer Class One

Steve Douglas Royal New Zealand Air Force Warrant Officer

Daniel Gustafon United States Army Sergeant Major

John Holding Royal New Zealand Navy Warrant Officer

Raymond Kareko New Zealand Army Warrant Officer Class One

Bradley Lahey Royal Australian Navy Warrant Officer

Robert McCann Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer

Richard Pleasants Royal New Zealand Air Force Warrant Officer

Desmond Rangiwai Royal New Zealand Navy Warrant Officer

Jason Rapana New Zealand Army Warrant Officer Class One

David Sleator Royal New Zealand Air Force Warrant Officer

Albert Tan Singapore Armed Forces 1st Warrant Officer

Keri Weeks Royal New Zealand Navy Warrant Officer

Congratulations Warrant Officers

Issue 13 Page 15

LTCDR Russell Hodgson

from the Royal Canadian

Navy is stay-

ing on at CSC

after ACSC(J)

as a DS in

2017 with the

Intermediate

course.

SQNLDR John Humfrey

has also completed ACSC (J)

and joins CSC

from Joint

Force Head-

quarters as a

DS.

LTCDR Matt Ruglys

has just completed ACSC(J)

and will now

take up a DS,

Directing Staff

position in

2017. Matt is

coming from

Joint Force.

The Engagement Hub

Sign onto the NZDF Engagement Hub and join the CSC Alumni Group

To register onto The Engagement Hub e-mail: thehub@nzdf.mil.nz

Go to Groups and find CSC Alumni and hit the + sign to join.

Share an article or link of interest, respond to someone else or start your own

conversation.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

MAJ Amy Bernard

from the United States Marine

Corps joins the

DS team to

help with the

Intermediate

course after

completing

ACSC(J).

WO1 David Lee

moves from

Woodbourne to

be the DS for

the Advanced

Warrant Officers’

course. In 2009

David completed

JWOAC 2 and ACSC (J) 53

in 2012.

Mrs Amanda Harvey has returned from her sojourn in Australia. It is great to have her back as part of the CSC team.

Welcome to Command and Staff

College

We are looking forward to the energy and enthusiasm these people will bring

to Command and Staff College.

LTCOL Ahmed Al Shehhi Mr Philip Attenborough MAJ Saiful Azril Bin Zahimi Mr Michael Bartleet

MAJ Amy Bernard Dr Grant Clarke LTCDR Julian Conway SQNLDR Lyn Coromandel

WO Dion Edwin MAJ Bevan Elmiger SQNLDR Andrew Gallagher MAJ Luqman Hakim

LTCDR Russell Hodgson LTCDR Alastair Howieson SQNLDR John Humfrey MAJ Valanda Irwin

WGCDR Rachel James SQNLDR Jonathan

Jorgensen

MAJ Azhar Khan CHAPCL3 Hamish Kirk

CDR Cheehun Lo MAJ Bruno Malau MAJ Ha Cuong Nguyen LTCDR Michael Peebles

MAJ Hayden Ricketts CDR Gordon Robinson MAJ Sergio Ronquillo III LTCDR Matthew Ruglys

LTCOL Gareth Seeds MAJ Dee Seo SQNLDR Allister Stevenson MAJ Saiaski Tove

MAJ Matthew Tucker MAJ Toma’akino Tu’itavuki MAJ Michling Werder WGCDR Aaron Young

Congratulations to ACSC (J) 57

Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi

With your basket and my basket the people will survive.