Alumni Profiles
Description
Graduated into the Royal Regiment New Zealand Artillery attending Corp and Young Officer training at North Head, Sydney and in Waiouru, New Zealand. After a stint with the Waiouru for all Live Firing in Waiouru. After 12 months purgatory in Waiouru I was posted as a Sect Comd/Troop Leader with 161 Battery, 16 Fd Regt in Papakura, Auckland. In Aug 76 I participated in the NZ Army’s First Exercise Longlook Exchange with the British Army and spent four months with 40 Field Regiment, RAA on the Rhine. During my tour with 161 Battery we exercised frequently in Fiji and with the US Army Artillery, 25th US Div in Hawaii.
Posted to Army General Staff in Dec 77 as Staff Captain RNZA where I served until returning to 16 Field Regiment as Adjutant in Dec 80. In Feb 82 with three other Majors represented the New Zealand Army on the 25th US Infantry Division Exercise Team Spirit mobilisation exercise from Hawaii to South Korea.
In Apr 83 | Commanded the Royal Guard at Government House in Auckland for the duration of the Royal visit by Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the then baby Prince William and in May of that year was posted to Headquarters New Zealand Force South East Asia in Singapore as Staff Captain Personnel. In Oct 84 I was promoted Major and posted within theatre as the OC Admin Company 1RNZIR where I served until repatriation in Nov 85.
On RTNZ I was posted to Headquarters Support Command in Palmerston North as Staff Officer Training where I served until attending Staff College at RNZAF Base Whenuapai in 1988. Upon graduation I was posted to Army General Staff, Wellington, as Staff Officer Overseas Training.
In Sep 89 I was posted on active service with the United Nations Iran Iraq Military Observer Group where I served both as a UN Military Observer on the northern quarter of the Iran/Iraq border and as the senior Operations Officer on the UN Headquarters in Teheran.
I was promoted to Lt Col on repatriation to New Zealand in 1991 as the Deputy Director Joint Operations and Training in Defence Headquarters, Wellington from where I sought my release on 28 Apr 92 at the completion of 20 years service.
I accepted an offer to reenlist into the RNZAF in 2007 in the rank of Squadron Leader as the Executive Officer of the Operational Support Group, Ohakea from which I retired in December 2011. I was subsequently employed by thet NZ Army as the Executive Advisor at HQ Land Operations Training Centre where I continue to serve.
I am married to Jo and have two adult daughters and four grandchildren.
