NZ troops return from Solomon Islands
Forty-four New Zealand Defence Force personnel arrived home from a four month deployment supporting the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands on Saturday 19 July.
LCPL Libby McMurdo of 2nd Health Services Battalion treating a local child at Mangia Village.
They were greeted at Auckland Air Force Base, Whenuapai, by Chief of Army MAJ GEN Louis Gardiner and Territorial Force Advisor BRIG Anthony Howie, as well as their family and friends. The majority of the personnel are made up of Territorial Force soldiers from the 3rd Auckland Northland and 6th Hauraki regiments. The Kiwis have worked alongside Australian, Tongan and Papua New Guinean military personnel and police during their time in the Islands. They have been replaced by the seventh rotation of NZDF personnel who arrived in theatre earlier this week. Operations such as RAMSI offer TF members the opportunity to take on the challenges that you would experience full-time in the Army and the civilian skills members bring are often invaluable when working with the local population.