To commemorate Anzac Day 2008, and raise awareness of our Kiwi troops, the NZDF has launched Operation KIWI, a design competition for Years 6 to 10 students.

While 25 April, Anzac Day, is a day to honour those who fought and died for our country, this year we would like to remember the 661 New Zealand Defence Force personnel currently deployed overseas who are working to better the communities where they are based.

Download Operation Kiwi Poster [1.08MB - 1 Page].PDF

How to enter the competition:

To enter you need to submit your design of one of the following categories:

• Category 1 – design a memento of New Zealand for NZDF personnel serving overseas to remind them of home. This can be in the medium of your choice (drawing, painting, collage etc) but please no items larger than A3 size.
• Category 2 – design a piece of equipment that would make life easier for NZDF personnel deployed overseas. You don’t have to make the object, just design it on paper and explain what it does and why.

The following photos show you the kind of equipment worn by our personnel based overseas. A list of equipment is available at the end of this page.

Information about where NZDF personnel are currently deployed are available at our Overseas Deployments page.

Further information about equipment used by NZDF personnel can be found at the single service websites.

• Navy website
• Army website
• Air Force website

Before you begin, some things to consider:

In the First World War, comfort parcels were sent to troops overseas as a precious reminder of home. These parcels contained objects such as soap, writing paper, hand-knitted socks, shaving equipment, toothpaste and hard biscuits (now known as Anzac biscuits).

• If you are designing a memento, think about what is precious to you, what do you think is worth protecting, what would it be made of, and what would you send?
• If you are designing a piece of equipment for a modern day defence person based overseas, think about what they’d miss, what would make life easier for that person working in the field, check out the link and look at what environments they work in.
• An example of a new product recently introduced is a special toothpaste that can heal small lesions in teeth and prevent major dental work which is included in all ration packs (food packs) used by Defence Force personnel.
• Your design could be something medical, mechanical, electrical, something to add to a ration pack, a piece of clothing, a new piece of technology – it’s up to you and your imagination.Some of the equipment taken overseas by our deployed personnel is listed at the end of this page.

The important part – the Prizes

• 1st prize is a day at Devonport Naval Base including a turn on the Bridge Simulator plus $200 worth of art supplies for the winner’s school and a NZ Kiwi cap, as worn by our personnel serving overseas
• 2nd prize is a visit to Waiouru, Linton or Burnham Military camp plus $100 worth of art supplies and a NZ Kiwi cap
• 3rd prize is a visit to RNZAF Base Auckland or Ohakea plus $50 worth of art supplies and a NZ Kiwi cap
• Runners Up – four runners up (two winners from each category) will be awarded an NZDF prize pack.

Additional prizes of Weta collectibles have been donated by Weta Workshop and Stephens Lawyers. 

Click for larger image

Entries will be judged by Weta Workshop Director Richard Taylor. 
Click here to go to the Weta Workshop website.

Winners will be announced 6 May

Entry criteria:

• The competition is open to school children in Years 6 to 10.
• Entries can be drawings, paintings, collage; no computer generated entries please.
• Please include an explanation of your design, what it does and why you think it would be useful.
• Please keep paper based entries A3 size or under.
• Include your name, age, address, contact phone number, email address, name of your school, and the category you are entering on the back of your entry.
• The deadline for entries is Anzac Day - 25 April.
• NZDF reserves the right to use entries for publicity purposes.
• Entries may not be returned.

Where to send your entry:

Operation KIWI,
Defence Public Relations,
Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force,
Private Bag 39997,
Wellington.

Don’t forget to put your name, age, address, phone number, e-mail address, name of your school and category you’re entering on the back of your entry.

Further information for students about Anzac Day is available at our Anzac Day page.

Equipment taken overseas

• Clothing – boots, wet weather parka and overtrousers, thermals, DPMs (disruptive pattern material), gloves, beanie, Kiwi patch and NZ flag for DPMs, brown shirts and black shorts for PT, black Kiwi cap, Kevlar helmet , life jacket, Anti-flash hood and gloves, sea survival suit, fire fighting jacket, trousers, boots, coveralls, GWDs (General Working Dress), togs plus personal gear like underwear.
• Kit – snowfoam, pack, tent, tent pegs, mosquito net, sleeping bag liner, light weight sleeping bag, trenching tool (for digging), Steyr rifle, ammunition magazines, first line ammunition, vest webbing, dog tags, towel, light weight shelter, medical kit, first aid dressing, respirator, sewing kit, pocket knife, insecticide, torch, mirror, night vision flying goggles, life raft, sea sick tablets and patches, hypothermia 'space' blanket, life buoy, emergency beacon, breathing apparatus (firefighting), fire extinguisher, hose, rifle magazines, torpedoes, 5 inch gun, 5 inc shells, 50 cal machine gun, Phalax Close in Weapon System (CWIS), RHIB (Rigid Hull inflatable boat).
• Cooking and Eating gear – canteens (water bottles), cups, cutlery, mess tins (for eating out of), emergency cooking equipment, anti-slip mats to keep plates on tables.
• Ration pack – could contain the following: muesli, crackers, tea bags, sweetened condensed milk, vegemite, sugar, chocolate, noodles, soup, tikka masala (curry), vegetable curry.

Click for Larger Image [1.73MB JPG]