Welcome to Jim's Place!
This website is for all past and serving kiwi sailors to contribute stories and pictures.
Webmaster and youngest son
Webmaster's Views:
June:
Could you please consider completing the NZDF Questionnaire about the new NZ Defence Force Medal. The survey takes no more than 10 minutes to complete. I would urge all members to complete the survey to ensure that your voice is heard.
http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/medal-survey/default.htm
Personally, I think Defence has a cheek to include Far East Strategic Reserve service and Antarctic service as non-operational as part of this medal. This medal is supposed to be for non-operational service. How can "Operation Deepfreeze" be classed as non-operational? It was ok for Defence to recently award NZ Special Service Medals to Americans over the Erebus issue. Not ok to accept the US Antarctic Service Medal for participating in Operation Deepfreeze - double standards? RNZN frigates were always deployed to the Far East as "Operational" units, irregardless of whether or not they were in "harms way".
This is a cop out to supposedly resolve all outstanding medallic issues!
28th May NZ Defence Medal - the following has been received:
September is the "Target Date" for the distribution of the Medal being
referred to as "The N Z Defence Medal".
An official announcement from the Ministry of Defence is awaited and is expected on the 15th June.
After this announcement there will be a questionaire on the NZDF website and it is important that you complete this and send it back to NZDF.
A key element of this consultation is the maintainance of the integrity of the N Z Honours system and not creating medals which are not properly deserved thereby denigrating all existing medals, and a situation where you can get a medal just for putting on a uniform.
The instruction was given last month to the Herald at Arms to design the medal(s) ribbons and clasps and once this is done and agreed, the approval process from the Prime Minister to the Governor General and on to the Queen is quite fast.
The manufacture of the medal and the ribbon can be achieved quite quickly, therefore the September time frame is fairly realistic.
A quote to you from the words of Winston Churchill to the House of Commons on 22 August 1944
"A medal glitters, but it also casts a shadow. The task of drawing up regulations for such awards is one which does not admit of a perfect solution. It is not possible to satisfy everybody without
running the risk of satifying nobody. All that is possible is to give the greatest satisfaction to the greatest number. and to hurt the feelings of the fewest."
February 2009
21st February 2009
New pictorial website for RNZN - upload your own photos to the appropriate albums here - there are several albums covering all classes of ships and miscellaneous for non-ship. Please note that there are two pages.
20th February 2009
Minister launches VANZ Case Management operation
10 February 2009
Veterans’ Affair Minister Judith Collins today launched operations of a dedicated case management team at the Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand (VANZ) office in Hamilton.
“The case management team will provide a one-stop service for VANZ services to veterans and also help them access services provided by other government departments and service providers,” Ms Collins says.
“This is a significant step towards total case management of veterans by VANZ.”
The VANZ office at Hamilton was formerly the War Pensions section of the Ministry of Social Development. It was transferred to and absorbed into VANZ in July 2008 as a consequence of VANZ restructuring.
A major part of the restructuring was the move to a total case management model for the provision of services to veterans. At the time of integration there was an established case management team based in Wellington. The establishment of the Hamilton team now allows for the move to total case management to be achieved.
In addition to the case management function, the VANZ office at Hamilton will have an accounts payable section, administrative support to pension claims panels, a mail and file registry for the management of correspondence with veterans and external service providers (primarily medical service providers), and a National Enquiry Centre. The office will also provide training and quality assurance.
Today’s launch is the first of two stages in the establishment of the case management team at Hamilton. The office will be at full strength with 10 case managers in mid-March.
Veterans will be assigned a case manager who will help them through the pension claims process, ensure they receive all services they are entitled to and act as a link between veterans and service providers.
Media contact: Stefan Herrick. +64 4 817 9809, mobile: +64 21 748492.
January 11 2009
1.Results into the possible effects of Electromagnetic and Radio Frequency radiation here. Updated March 2009
2. Starting this month, Monthly history of naval activities will be put up on the website. This was compiled by Lt Cdr Gerry Wright, RNZN Rtd. The files can be viewed here and are easily recognised by the month on the menu line at the top of the page.
3. Project Protector vessels still continue to be plagued with problems and this can be reviewed here
Additionally, in December 2007, the NZ Government announced that it is having trouble recruiting and retaining naval personnel. Surprise, surprise - I don't think. NZ's modern navy is now geared as a coastal and offshore patrol navy. Who wants to join this type of navy just to see the coastline, open ocean and a few icebergs?
This problem has been ongoing for a few years now and with the advent of seven ships under Project Protector to look after NZ's interests in and around the 200 mile limit, it's no wonder they can't get people to join or to stay in. People join the navy to see the world and do different things - not boring patrol duties..
This subject come up under the Forums section some time ago - let me know what you think.Please forward all news and stories directly to me by email. See email address below.
To upload your own pictures, please go to the RNZN link to the left.
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