NEWS - Countdown to invictus games - Veterans' Affairs NZ
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spring 2018
NEWS
Countdown to
Invictus Games
Board to consider Fallen welcomed home from
3 “who is a veteran” 7 Malaysia and Singapore 8 Nursing corps turns 100
www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz
In this issue
From the Head of Veterans’ Affairs
03 Board to consider
“who is a veteran”
Tēnā koutou katoa
04 Invictus Games gives
veteran new lease on life In this edition of VA News we have a
number of really interesting items—
06 Notices from the veteran I hope you’ll enjoy reading them. You
community will be keen to know what is happening
now that Professor Ron Paterson has
07 Chat with Pat
reported on his review of the operation
07 Personnel repatriated from of the Veterans’ Support Act. We have
Malaysia and Singapore an article which summarises the first
major announcement following the
08 Artist celebrates Royal New report which was made at the end
Zealand Nursing Corps of August by the Hon Ron Mark—the
08 Vietnam Veterans Veterans’ Advisory Board is going to
Association out and about look into the matter of who should be
considered a veteran, and how they
Bernadine Mackenzie,
should be recognised. The Board has
Head of Veterans’ Affairs
got some hard work ahead of them,
and I welcome the opportunity to competitor the very best of luck—each
About VA News support them as they work through one of them has a proud country
these important questions. standing right behind and cheering
VA News is published four times a year
by Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand— Many of you will have seen our new them on!
Te Tira Ahu Ika a Whiro. website, and we have been delighted As the Head of Veterans’ Affairs, I
Our team takes care in writing great with the good feedback on it. This had the honour of witnessing the
content and—to the best of our is one of the ways in which we are return of our fallen from Malaysia,
knowledge—has sourced accurate
aiming to make it easy for you to get Singapore, and the United Kingdom
information.
information about how we can provide as part of project Te Auraki. As with
The views expressed in VA News are not
necessarily those of Veterans’ Affairs or support. I’ll have more to tell you in the the earlier return at Ohakea in May,
the New Zealand Defence Force. next VA News about ways we will be these ceremonies were dignified and
further improving our communications very moving. I hope the return of their
Contact us to you. loved ones may help the families of
In late October, athletes from 18 those returned by providing them with
For more information about
Veterans’ Affairs or anything in this nations will compete in the 2018 closure after many years.
edition of VA News: Invictus Games in Sydney. The games Ka maumahara tonu tātou
themselves will involve 11 different ki a rātou
www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz
adaptive sporting events. I wish each We will remember them
veterans@nzdf.mil.nz
0800 483 8372
(Freephone New Zealand)
1800 483 837
(Freephone Australia)
+64 4 495 2070
(rest of world)
Veterans’ Affairs
PO Box 5146
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Please note our Hamilton PO Box is
now closed.
Cover image: Warrant Officer 1st Class Daryl
Burton hones his Wheelchair Tennis skills
at a training camp for the Invictus Games at
Burnham Military Camp.
The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Honourable
Ron Mark, Minister for Veterans and Minister of Defence at the ramp ceremony for the return
of our fallen from Malaysia and Singapore.
2
our people
Board to consider
“who is a veteran”
‘Who should be considered a veteran’ will be the main question facing
the new appointees to the Veterans’ Advisory Board.
The Board is a statutory body “It will be complex—as it will involve the Chief Executive of the Ministry of
established by the Veterans’ Support not just a consideration of military Maori Development.
Act 2014. Its role is to provide advice matters—but also consideration of the The Deputy Chair will be the
to the Minister for Veterans on a range broader social sector in New Zealand, Hon Chester Borrows, who has
of issues impacting veterans, including including what entities such as the experience in a non-military service,
advice on policies and entitlements. public health services and the ACC the New Zealand Police, as well as a
“The recently released report by have to offer military personnel and distinguished Parliamentary career.
Professor Ron Paterson analysed the former servicepersons.”
The other members of the Board
Veterans’ Support Act, and identified “The Board members who will be are RSA President BJ Clark, Fiona
recommendations which aim to undertaking this piece of work will be Cassidy, Baden Ewart, Denise
improve it,” says Minister for Veterans bringing to it a wide variety of skills Hutchins, Group Captain Leanne
Ron Mark. and experience. Most, but not all of Woon and Warrant Officer of the
“Many of these recommendations them, have military backgrounds.” Defence Force Mark Mortiboy. Wing
are already underway, but several, The Board will be chaired by Leith Commander Michelle White is a
including looking at how we classify Comer, who has extensive knowledge deputy member of the Board.
a veteran in New Zealand, need of the workings of government and
further work. leadership experience in the military, Above: Members of the Veterans’ Advisory
private and community sectors. He Board with the Hon Ron Mark, Minister for
“I have decided to ask the Veterans’ Veterans. Left to right: Hon Chester Borrows,
Advisory Board to focus on this served in the New Zealand Army for WGCDR Michelle White, Denise Hutchins, BJ
important issue.” 21 years, and has held senior positions Clark, Hon Ron Mark, Baden Ewart, WO1 Mark
as a public servant, including being Mortiboy, Fiona Cassidy, and Leith Comer.
GPCAPT Leanne Woon was absent.
RSA District Support point of contact for veterans needing
help, working with them to seek
who do much of the work on the
ground.” says Mark Compain, the
Advisors entitlements or assistance from Support Services Manager at the
Veterans’ Affairs and other agencies. RNZRSA National Office.
Veterans’ Affairs values the work of “We estimate that many of our DSAs If you would like to discuss RSA
the RSA District Support Advisors— work well in excess of 40 hours a support—in New Zealand or
also known as DSAs. week, coordinating and delivering Australia— you can get in touch with
There are 9 DSAs in New Zealand, support throughout their districts, a DSA. Their details are available
and one recently appointed in managing complex cases, and from your local RSA or online:
Australia. They are often the first helping to train local support advisers www.rsa.org.nz/support/team
visit us online www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz 3
Invictus Games
gives veteran new
lease on life
By Sharon Lundy, Defence Public Affairs my spine, and I thought ‘that doesn’t
feel good’. I just carried on but about
Daryl Burton reckons he a week later I collapsed because I
couldn’t ask for a better couldn’t feel my legs.”
bunch of people than Worse was to come. Six years later,
those he deals with at while on deployment in East Timor, a
scorpion stung him on the underside
Veterans’ Affairs (VA). of his thigh. He thought he had sat on
a nail but the wound got bigger, and
The Army veteran will this year
in the following days he started to get
compete in his second Invictus
the shakes and feel ill. Then came the
Games—an event he and his family
weight loss; he lost a third of his body
credit with changing his focus from
weight in a month.
what he can’t do to what he can do.
Daryl was flown to Darwin for
Daryl has been with the New Zealand
treatment, where medical staff noticed
Defence Force for 36 years; 30 with Until his injuries Daryl had been
his elevated thyroid levels; the bite
the Army and the past six as a civilian a talented sportsman, playing
had essentially made his body turn on
and Reserve Force soldier. While representative football and rugby in his
itself, affecting his nerves and leaving
serving he suffered two events which younger years and then for the Army.
him numb in his legs. Perhaps the
would have life-long consequences, “I was one of those really lucky people.
worst ongoing effect is the feeling that
the first a back injury when he landed I was good at sport and I never had to
insects are crawling under the skin on
badly after jumping off a truck in work too hard at it. I was lucky and I
his face and shoulders – a sensation
Bosnia in 1995. knew it.”
which can only be eased by scratching
“I can remember vividly feeling this himself until he bleeds. Wife Janine and sons Josh and
hot pain go right up the middle of Daniel—a Royal New Zealand
The New Zealand team for the 2018 Invictus Games.
4
news
Daryl Burton (third from left) and his family, from left, son Daniel, grandson Sam (one), grandson
Jack (four), wife Janine, son Josh, granddaughter Sarah (four) and daughter-in-law Tracy.
Engineers Sapper—say it made As part of the VA process Janine, Daryl puts the change in his attitude
him difficult, grumpy, withdrawn, Daniel and Josh wrote down their down to Invictus—but also to VA.
and sometimes angry. Daryl vividly thoughts on him. Daryl thought it He says they have been “absolutely
remembers a young Josh screaming would be a few lines. Nearly four fantastic” particularly his case
“don’t hit him, Dad” as he strode pages later they stopped writing. manager who has supported him and
across a sports field during a game “I started looking at it and I thought ‘this worked hard at making sure he gets
to confront a mouthy parent from the is not good’. Reading what they had the help he needs and he urges other
other team. He didn’t hit him. Just. written was one of the scariest things veterans to contact them.
And there were the times he would I’ve ever done. It made me realise it was “You couldn’t ask for a better bunch
fly off the handle while out late with time to stop being an idiot and start of people as far as I’m concerned.
his mates—mates who never said doing something about it.” They’ve helped immensely.”
anything and who he now wishes had Janine is the Deployed Services The NZDF team is sponsored by
spoken up. Officer at Linton Camp, working with Auckland RSA, Christchurch Memorial
All the while he refused to admit the families of people who are on RSA, Fulton Hogan, Jaguar Land
anything was wrong, until he saw deployment, and says she noticed a Rover and Direct Sport.
a new South African GP who big difference in Daryl’s attitude when The Invictus Games Sydney 2018
“understood straight away”. he returned from his first Invictus presented by Jaguar Land Rover
“He knew that these things can Games training camp early last year. will take place from 20-27 October
happen because it’s a neurotoxin that “He had a whole different attitude. It 2018. About 500 competitors from
scorpions have.” wasn’t what he couldn’t do any more 18 nations will compete in 11 different
When Daryl “joked” to the GP that he because of his injuries or his health, adaptive sports with events being held
probably had PTSD as well as all his it was what he could do. So it was a across Greater Sydney.
physical injuries, the GP contacted complete switch.
VA, who referred Daryl to a pain relief “It was about another 12 months down
clinical psychologist. the track then that he was even open
Throughout the Invictus Games
“Funnily enough he’s South African to thinking that PTSD might be a
the team’s journey can be
as well, and when I told him what was component of what was going on.
followed on:
going on he said ‘that makes perfect “And that’s all because of Invictus,
sense as a result of the scorpion toxin’. because of the team that he’s now Facebook: facebook.com/
associating with and acknowledging InvictusGamesNZ
“I had a couple of talks to him and he
wrote a report to VA saying I needed that ‘hey, it’s not so bad’. It’s not Instagram: @nzdfinvictusteam
to go and see a psychiatrist. He told something he has to hide away from
Twitter: @nzdefenceforce
me ‘you’re a dangerous man’.” any more.”
visit us online www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz 5
notices
We want to hear from our Improvements to the
Korea veterans application process
If you are one of our Korea veterans and you are We’ve recently begun a complete review of
interested in being interviewed as part of a special our application process. Our goal is to take
project being sponsored by the Korean Ministry of out unnecessary steps and speed things up.
Patriots and Veterans Affairs, we would love to hear While the review is underway we’re making small
from you. changes that will help us to start making decisions
Interviews will take place in New Zealand, probably as soon as we can. For example, we no longer wait
during February and March 2019. They will appear 14 days for you to comment on a medical report
on a special website to commemorate the 70th we receive from a specialist. Most veterans don’t
Anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities between disagree with specialist reports—but if you do, or you
North and South Korea. want your specialist to add information, just let us
Please contact us to register your details. know. We’ll hold off making that part of the decision
until the matter’s been sorted.
Notice of Trust AGM Educational funding available
to descendants of veterans
The Annual General Meeting for
the Viet Nam Veterans and their
Heritage Canterbury provides assistance to the
Families Trust will be held later
children and grandchildren—including young
this year.
adults—who are the descendants of those who
dec 1 December 2018, have served in the New Zealand Armed Forces,
01 10.30am either overseas or in New Zealand.
Taradale RSA They can provide financial support with education
156 Gloucester Street, Taradale, Napier costs and special needs. Recipients, or their family,
must have their primary place of residence in
Morning tea will be provided before the AGM, Canterbury.
which will be followed by lunch.
For more information contact the Secretary, Heritage
Further information on the Trust is available at: (Canterbury) Inc.:
communitymatters.govt.nz
Mrs Karen Clarke
0800 824 824
c/- 24 Westlake Drive
trusts@dia.govt.nz
Christchurch 8025
heritagecanterburyinc@gmail.com
+64 3 3 379 7122
Need to talk?
“1737, need to talk?” is
New Zealand’s new national mental
health and addictions helpline.
The 4-digit number is free to call or text, and will connect
you to a trained counsellor. The professional counsellors
are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are
there to talk to anyone feeling stressed, anxious, worried,
depressed, or needing advice on mental health or
addiction issues.
6
Personnel repatriated from Malaysia and Singapore
news
The remains of 27 New Zealand were received with a traditional Māori “This project is about making
military personnel and one child welcome, before the caskets were sure the inequalities and
repatriated from Malaysia and carried past a guard of honour and inconsistencies of the past are put
Singapore have been returned to handed back to their families. right and everyone is treated the
their families at a ramp ceremony at A short private family service was same, regardless of wealth, rank
Auckland International Airport. held, followed by a New Zealand or cause of death.”
The New Zealand Army soldiers were Defence Force haka as the hearses
serving in Malaysia, Thailand, and left the airport. The arrival home was witnessed by
Vietnam when they died. The child was representatives from Malaysia and
Te Auraki project manager Group
the son of a member of the Army. Singapore, and also Veterans’ Affairs,
Captain Carl Nixon said it was
the RSA, and Vietnam and Malayan
The remains were returned on a important to return the fallen personnel
veterans’ organisations
chartered Air New Zealand flight and in a dignified manner, in accordance
with contemporary cultural, religious The remains will be reinterred at
and military protocols. Service, public, or private cemeteries,
depending on family preferences and
“Today we honour the memory of a
the service person’s qualifying service.
child and the sacrifice of 27 soldiers
who died serving their country The final two tranches of project
overseas. We’re bringing them home Te Auraki brought two personnel back
to their families, who have waited more from England in September, and will
than 60 years for this moment,” Group bring two home from the Republic of
Captain Nixon said. Korea in October.
Pat Povey is a familiar face—or voice—to many
Chat with Pat veterans and their whānau. VA News sat down
with Pat in our new regular series 'Chat with Pat'.
VA News: Thanks for sitting down Pat: Absolutely. I’m really pleased to It’s paid by
with us again Pat. We had some great say we’re now able to offer additional the Ministry
feedback since our last edition of services under our agreement with of Social
VA News. Chemwash. In addition to house Development
Pat: Thanks! It’s been great to be able washing, gutter clearing, and external instead of
to connect with our veterans and their window cleaning, we can now also NZ Super
whānau in another way. We’ve had fund the washing of pathways and annuation, and comes with a few
calls and messages from a number driveways, and gutter clearing on additional benefits. There’s really no
of veterans that I’ve not spoken to for stand alone garages. There are a few downside to it.
many years—it’s been really nice. parameters around this, but it’s a great VA News: And what about spouses and
improvement. partners?
VA News: What’s been happening since
we last sat down? VA News: How can veterans go about Pat: Good question. Spouses and
accessing these new services? partners can get a Veteran’s Pension
Pat: As a lot of our readers will know,
we’ve been trying to get out and about Pat: Veterans already getting services if their veteran partner is getting
to meet as many veterans as we can— from Chemwash will be contacted either a War Disablement Pension of
especially in their own communities. before their service is scheduled. at least 70% or has a whole-person
With the Invictus Games coming up in They don’t need to do anything else impairment of 52% or more. If a
Sydney, we have taken the opportunity until then. If you’re not getting these veteran or their spouse or partner isn’t
to run some veteran clinics in the services yet, then get in touch with us. sure about anything, they can get in
region. We’ve sent out invites to all VA News: Sounds nice and easy. Have touch with us to check.
veterans who we know are living in the you anything else you’d like to talk VA News: Any final thoughts for our
area, but if anyone hasn’t received one about? readers?
we’d really like to hear from them.
Pat: I’ve heard a little bit of confusion Pat: As always, we’re here if you have
VA News: That sounds fantastic about eligibility for the Veteran’s any questions or concerns. Whether
Pat. I’ve also heard we’ve recently Pension. If you served, have qualifying it’s help with filling out a form or ideas
introduced some improvements to the operational service, and meet the on how we can better support you,
Veterans’ Independence Programme. criteria for NZ Superannuation you’re please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Can you expand on this? able to get the Veteran’s Pension.
visit us online www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz 7
Artist celebrates
Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps
Artist and Army spending time getting the detail right.” and the first
RNZNC
reservist Matt Gauldie He took photographs of each nurse in
officer was
their period uniform, and completed the
has completed five portraits from the photographs over later sent to
paintings to mark several months. Vietnam to
work with the
the centenary of the The New Zealand Army has officially Australians at
New Zealand Army’s included nurses since the First Vung Tau.
World War, although a small team of
Royal New Zealand New Zealand nurses served with the In 1991 New
Nursing Corps (RNZNC). British Nursing Service in South Africa Zealand sent Matt Gauldie
before that. a medical
The paintings, which depict current team to the
Since the First World War, the Army’s Gulf War, and RNZNC officers have
serving nursing officers in period
Nursing Officers have served in every served throughout the world on various
uniforms, have been presented to the
major conflict New Zealand has been deployments since then.
New Zealand Defence Force’s Chief
involved in. More than 500 nurses
Nursing Officer, Lieutenant Colonel
served in the First World War and more
Lee Turner.
than 600 joined the Second World War Above: From left, Major Hayley Claridge with a
Matt Gauldie said he had a lot of portrait of herself in a First World War nursing
effort, serving in the Pacific, Egypt,
uniform, Captain Lauren Miller with a portrait
admiration for the work Nursing England, Greece, Crete, Syria, Tunisia of Lieutenant Majken Margetts in a Second
Officers do, and he enjoyed painting and Italy. World War uniform, Major Debbie Cromie with
their portraits. a painting depicting Captain Megan Shaw in
In 1953 the New Zealand Army a Vietnam-war era uniform, Major Ian Barrett
“They sourced all their own uniforms, Nursing Service became the Royal with himself in the uniform he wore in East
and were very patient when I was Timor, and Lieutenant Jolie Colliar with a
New Zealand Nursing Corps (RNZNC), contemporary portrait of Major Vanessa Leigh.
The Vietnam Veterans Association has launched Operation For more information:
Outreach. The operation aims to connect the association Visit: nzvietnamveterans.org.nz
with Vietnam veterans in their communities, and will see the Email: secretary@
association’s executive travelling throughout New Zealand. nzvietnamveterans.org.nz
8 visit us online www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz
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