BREAKING MEDALS NEWS
Quick Links:
- 5 January 2010 - Defence Personnel named in New Year's Honours
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- Material related to the planned NZDF Medal:
- NZDF Medal Frequently Asked Questions
- 13 October 2009 - NZDF Medal update from the Minister of Defence
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- Link to Archived medals news 1999 to 2009
Defence Personnel named in New Year's Honours
5 January 2010
On 31 December 2009, it was announced that six New Zealand Defence Force personnel will receive New Year’s Honours. The recipients are:
To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM):
Warrant Officer Class One John Carruthers BARCLAY,
Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps
To be an Additional Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM):
Colonel (Retired) Richard Lewis HALL, OBE,
Colonels’ List New Zealand Army
To receive the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD):
Captain Dougal Andrew BARKER,
Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps
Wing Commander Mark Stanley BRUNTON,
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Major Bryce Cameron GURNEY,
The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers
Major Peter Warren JACOBS,
Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps
Full details of the awards and recipients have been published on the NZDF website.
Also see the NZDF Feature Story 'WO1 John Barclay receives New Year Honour' published on the NZDF website on 19 January 2010.
Images and background information on the honours and awards awarded to NZDF personnel in the New Year's Honours 2010 can be found on the following pages of the NZDF Medals website:
- The Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) page
- The New Zealand Order of Merit page
- The New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD) page
NZDF Medal update from the Minister of Defence
13 October 2009
Wayne Mapp, Minister of Defence, spoke this afternoon at the 93rd RNZRSA National Council Meeting in Wellington. On the NZDF Medal he said:
"Grappling with the future is one part of my responsibilities. Ensuring that we learn from, and remember the past is another.
Military service places unique demands on people, whether they are deployed overseas or not. The training is rigorous. The discipline can be tough. The hours can be demanding. It is a calling apart from normal civilian life. This is why service in our armed forces deserves special recognition.
The Government is committed to formally recognising non-operational service. This is long overdue. Medallic recognition for those who undertook Compulsory Military Training and balloted National Service has been under consideration since the late 1990s. The Associate Minister and I are currently considering a report from the Joint Working Group proposing the best way forward for this important project."
The full speech by the Minister can be read on http://www.beehive.govt.nz
For more information on the proposed medal see the NZDF Medal Frequently Asked Questions page.
The new medal is intended to recognise military service from 3 September 1945 to the present.
NZDF is NOT currently accepting applications for the planned New Zealand Defence Force Medal. It is anticipated that a call for applications will happen in 2010.
Related media statement:
18 June 2009 - New Defence Force medal planned
Related updates:
6 January 2010 - NZDF Medal - update
11 September 2009 - NZDF Medal Survey - update
10 August 2009 - NZDF Medal Survey - update
Personnel Branch, Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force has responsibility for all medals issues relating to current or past service in the New Zealand Armed Forces. The Medals Staff at Personnel Branch conduct research into all claims for medallic recognition whether for an individual's service or for service in areas of operation where no current medallic recognition exists.
The following medals initiatives are currently under consideration by the NZDF or the Government:
The planned New Zealand Defence Force Medal
- See: NZDF Medal Frequently Asked Questions
- and the 13 October 2009 NZDF Medal update from the Minister of Defence
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Review
A review of medals awarded for long and unblemished service has been under way for some time. It is anticipated that a proposal for improving the system of Long Service and Good Conduct Awards will be put before the Government for consideration in 2010.
This page was last reviewed 22 January, 2010 and is current.