Ian HEALY
-
1973
Alumni Profiles
Description
Ian Healy attended the Officer Corrective Training Unit (OCTU) in Waiouru, New Zealand before attending OCS Portsea in 1973.
After graduating into the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment he served in Regimental appointments with the 2nd/1st RNZIR in Christchurch and 1 RNZIR in Singapore. He played rugby for the Battalion and NZ Forces South East Asia.
In 1978 he was posted as Adjutant of the 3rd Auckland and Northland Battalion (Territorial Force) in Auckland. He did a short term as a Staff Officer at Army General Staff in Wellington in 1981-82 before serving with the Multinational Force and Observers, Sinai with the ANZAC Contingent as an Operations Officer in 1983-84
During the period 1984-87 he served as a Rifle Company Commander with the 2nd/1st RNZIR. He was selected to attend the RNZAF Command and Staff College, Whenuapai in 1987 and after graduating was posted to Malaysia as an Instructor at the Malaysian Land Warfare Centre, Johore. His fellow Instructors were Gordon Barwell, RAAC and fellow class mate (Scheyville) Rick Dobbie, RAAC.
In 1990 he was posted back to the 2nd/1st Battalion as the Executive Officer. In April 1990 he commanded the ANZAC Guard as part of the 75th Anniversary Commemorations at Gallipoli.
In 1991 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the NZ Contingent to Angola with the United Nations Verification Mission. He served in various remote locations as a Verification Team Leader and as a Deputy Regional Commander.
He was Commanded Officer of the 2nd/!st Battalion RNZIR from 1992 until 1994. During this time he was also appointed Honorary Aide de Camp to Her Excellency the Governor General, Dame Kath TIzard.
In 1995 he was posted to Defence Headquarters as Inspector General (Army) before attending the Joint Services Staff College Course 54/96 in Canberra.
In 1997-98 he was the G3 at NZ Land Force Command, Auckland responsible for all operational deployments and missions. His last job was to mount the NZ component of Operation Belisi, the Australian lead peacemaking mission to Bougainville. He was again appointed Honorary Aide de Camp to His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Michael Hardie-Boys.
Ian left the Army in 1998 after 26 years service and went into private business in the interior furnishings and residential housing sector. In 2008 he relocated to Australia working in the Mining and Resources industry as a contractor to BHP Billiton in NW Queensland and Northern Ethiopia and with Rio Tinto in Nhulunbuy (Gove) in the Northern Territory.
Ian holds a Graduate Degree in Defence Studies, he is an Associate Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management, a life member of the Australian College of Defence Association, a past President and Life Member of the Burnham Rugby Club and a member of the Bay of Plenty Officers Club.
His interests include personal fitness, rugby (watching), golf, fishing, military history and photography.
He is married to Lynda and they have a grown up son, Sam.
