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An adventurer not retiring anytime soon: Malayan Emergency veteran Neil Ake

Neil Ake (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Maru) joined the New Zealand Army in the late 1950s because he wanted to see the world. It wasn’t the first time he had a longing for...

A Kiwi veteran: Warrant Officer Class 2 Jamie ‘Taff’ Tawhara

Warrant Officer Class 2 Jamie ‘Taff’ Tawhara (Ngāti Porou) has military service in his blood. Born in Christchurch and raised in and around Burnham and Linton Military Camps, both his parents served...

Willie Apiata appointed Special Representative to NZDF

New Zealand’s only living recipient of the Victoria Cross, Willie Apiata, has been appointed a Special Representative to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and promoted to Honorary Warrant Officer...

Highest crowd numbers at Gallipoli since centenary

The passage of time has not deterred thousands from returning to Anzac Day services in Gallipoli, Türkiye, with the highest crowd numbers seen since the 2015 centenary of the doomed World War I...

34 memorial plaques unveiled at Mount View Cemetery

Barry Rankin, a Marton resident and life member of the RSA, made it his mission to discover the final resting places of New Zealand servicemen who died while at Lake Alice psychiatric hospital. Barry...

Gerard Wood | From military nurse to veteran advocate

Veterans who have been to our forums and expos will probably have met Gerard Wood (Ret Lt Col) in the Veterans' Affairs team — a larger-than-life character brimming with good humour, lots of...

Never give up hope: COL Richard P. Gray OBE (Mil)

COL Richard P. Gray OBE (Mil) is a determined man, one who served New Zealand with distinction for almost 30 years. However, he needed all his determination and that of his wife to come back from a...

Twenty years in Afghanistan

NZDF’s deployment in Afghanistan was one of New Zealand’s longest-lasting. Over 3,500 New Zealanders took part in military operations and training of local army personnel and local police, but also...

Last man out of Freetown: Lieutenant Colonel John Dyer’s experiences in Sierra Leone

Lieutenant Colonel (retired) John Dyer, NZGD, was born in Gisborne and joined the New Zealand Army in 1981. He trained as an officer and served for 20 years. Together with training deployments to...

Your mental wellbeing

Many of these strategies may appear straightforward, but that doesn’t mean they’re not important. Getting the basics right goes a long way to helping you cope. Start small. Don't try everything at...