Medal Presentation To 6 Hauraki Battalion Group

Hon Heather Roy address to 6 Hauraki Battalion Group medal presentation; Tauranga Army Hall, Cnr 11th Avenue and Devonport Road, Tauranga; Wednesday, April 7 2010.

Commanding Officer Lt Col Julian Sewell, Officers and Soldiers of 6 Hauraki Battalion Group, award recipients, families and friends.

Tena koutou katoa.

It is always a pleasure to attend Territorial Force activities and an honour to be asked to present medals. The pride and sense of belonging one feels from wearing a Defence force uniform is hard to explain to those who haven't. Even greater is the pride experienced at the recognition of what you have achieved, and are being awarded for tonight.

For 112 years, 6 Hauraki Battalion has been preparing soldiers to serve on operations. Today, as I look around it is easy to see that this legacy continues as we recognise officers and soldiers who have returned from service in the Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, and Afghanistan, or have completed 12 years continuous service in the Territorial Force.

Many people face the daily challenge of balancing work, family and leisure; you have the added challenge of balancing all of these with Army time as Reserve Officers and Soldiers. This is a significant ask for families and employers, and it is important to acknowledge this support at home and in the workplace. It is this that enables you to train and deploy on operations.

It takes a huge commitment from you as Territorial soldiers to take months out of everyday life, to deploy on operations such as Rata, Crib and Gyro. I note that, with 16 personnel deploying from 6 Hauraki during the last year, this is a significant commitment from your local community too. The three-part team - reservists, families and employers - is critical to the development and success of the NZDF.

There are many parallels between the Defence Force and sports teams. A sports team is more than just a group of players you see on the field. Regardless of how good they are they won't complete a game, let alone a season, on their own. They need to be supported by a dynamic, high utility reserve bench - often with your specialist performers and impact players. In the Defence Force, as in sport, full time versus part-time is not a choice. It's not a case of either/or, but both/and. We need both to achieve success.

Working as you do with a foot in both camps - the military and civilian worlds - I know that the Defence Force appreciates the skills and enthusiasm you bring to the uniform. Speaking with employers I know that they are grateful for the leadership, vision, and technical skills you bring back to the workplace after an exercise, or an operational deployment.

Recently, local employer Moana Pacific Fisheries Ltd was recognised with a Territorial Force Employer Support Award here in Tauranga, and they will go on to represent the Bay of Plenty in the national awards I am presenting at Parliament next week. I commend Mr Eddie Dodd and other employers of this region supporting our Reservists. Without your support and generosity of spirit in willingly releasing your employees, Reserve deployments would be very difficult to achieve.

The profession of arms is a unique vocation and one we've joined for many reasons, but the common among them is supporting peace and freedom. However announcing intent is not the same as carrying out an action. To win on operations, or in any endeavour we must all be prepared to take the field, to win and not to leave until our work is done. Tonight I'm delighted to honour and congratulate those who have done just this. You join many others in furthering the proud history of your unit with your contribution to peace and freedom.

And, lest we forget, the price of peace and freedom is eternal vigilance.

Kia Kaha

Medal Recipients:
Maj Grant Arrowsmith, RNZAC: NZ General Service Medal Afghanistan, NZ Operational Service Medal

WO2 Clint Savage, RNZALR: NZ GSM Timor Leste, Timor Leste Solidarity Medal

PTE Damien Morgan, RNZIR: NZ General Service Medal Solomon Islands, NZ Operational Service Medal

PTE Justin Goodwin, RNZIR: NZ General Service Medal Solomon Islands, NZ Operational Service Medal

Capt F Grieve, RNZAC: NZ Efficiency Decoration

ENDS