- For NZDF’s Top Enlisted Man

16 February 2010

By Judith Martin

When John Barclay took on the role of Warrant Officer of the New Zealand Defence Force four years ago he was entering untried territory.

It was a new role for both himself and the Defence Force, and was established to provide an interface between the Chief of Defence Force and the Defence Force’s non-commissioned personnel.

The position, however, has developed into much more than that, and the effort Warrant Officer Class One Barclay has put into its development was recognised in the recent New Years Honours. He is to become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Despite the position being new, WO1 Barclay was eminently qualified to provide the sort of advice and experience needed; he had spent the previous four years as Sergeant Major of the Army, a position at the apex of the Army’s non-commissioned ranks. He admits a touch of trepidation when he began his new job.

“I saw and recognised the wider parameters, but they were at a level I had not worked to before.”

One of his earliest challenges was supporting the move to provide professional military development for Warrant Officers throughout the Services.

“It had been a bit ad hoc till then, and I experienced that personally. The NZDF had warrant officers throughout its tactical, operational and strategic environments, yet there was very little training available to prepare selected personnel for strategic level employment.”

WO1 Barclay says the NZDF Command and Staff College provided “amazing” support, as did the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae and the senior leadership of the Defence Force. The leadership programme that has been developed is now being taught at the Staff College in the form of the Warrant Officer Advanced Course and Programme. In addition there has been interest in the programme by other countries.

The complexity of the business the Defence Force undertakes now means it needs highly trained, educated, quick-thinking, decision-making personnel at all levels.

“We have to train our non-commissioned personnel to not just “do stuff”, but to think and do at the same time.”

While a traditionalist in many respects, the concept of doing your job because that’s the way it’s been done for years holds no truck with him. “We need every person at every level to be a thinker. We need people to question and evaluate what they do and look for any changes that will make things better and be supported as such.”

He admits such a philosophy can be risky. “And that’s the challenge for us. We need to nurture, grow and use it to our advantage. If we have confidence in our personnel, why wouldn’t we? The NZDF is a traditional organisation, and the concept challenges the way we have traditionally done things. But if we don’t challenge we will not become the best that we can be.”

WO 1 Barclay has taken a keen interest in the Defence Force’s culture environment. He has largely contributed toward ensuring that Maori culture has the appropriate representation and defining how it contributes toward fulfilling the organisational need and mission.

“The award is not about me, but more about us as a Defence Force. The NZDF is a great organisation, and every day personnel are striving to make it the best organisation. I am just one of many who are contributing toward this”.

“It’s invigorating to watch the change and growth that is taking place within the NZDF. If we continue to train, educate and empower our people in the thinking and decision-making processes who knows what we can achieve?”

Other awards made to Army personnel in the New Years Honours included:

Colonel (Rtd) Richard Lewis HALL, OBE) Additional Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM):

Colonel Hall deployed to Afghanistan from October 2008 to May 2009. His initial appointment was as Senior National Officer and Commander of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in Bamyan.

In January 2009, he was also appointed as the Commander Task Group Ariki, thereby increasing his span of command to most of the New Zealand forces operating within Afghanistan. His assessment of the changing environment in Bamyan led to the development of operating concepts and directions, which resulted in the NZPRT under his command successfully meeting the many operational and environmental challenges of the deployment.

COL Hall developed a sound framework for future tactical and operational commanders to implement. He continued the development of a strong and close working relationship with the Provincial Governor and in so doing, prepared realistic foundations for future New Zealand deployments to Bamyan and for an improvement in the lives of the local people of the province. He continued to develop and enhance a strong and enduring professional relationship with the United States command chain.

COL Hall’s professional engagement with his immediate superior US Headquarters and with the International Security Assistance Force, has strengthened the appreciation of the New Zealand contribution to the overall mission, helped to raise the profile of New Zealand’s commitment to the mission and enhanced the New Zealand Defence Force as a professional and capable force. He was able to gain assets and tactical support for the NZPRT that had not previously been allocated or operated with the New Zealand contingent in such a close and supportive manner.

Throughout the deployment he provided strategic vision and direction to the mission, while at the same time providing sound operational advice and options to the agencies in New Zealand that were tasked with the ongoing development of the New Zealand mission to Afghanistan.

COL Hall was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the United Kingdom New Year Honours 2001.

To receive the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD):

Major Dougal Andrew Barker, Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps

While a Captain, MAJ Barker deployed to Afghanistan from April to October 2008 and served as a patrol commander with the NZPRT in Bamyan Province. His patrol operated in the Khamard and Sayghan districts, two of the more unstable areas of the province. As the security situation steadily declined over the summer months, he worked hard to ensure that his patrol had all the necessary force protection measures that were available to the NZPRT.

Notwithstanding the deteriorating security situation, he also implemented a robust local engagement programme with the local population and was pro-active in ensuring that development projects remained unaffected by terrorist activity in his area of operation. In early October, while on patrol, his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He ensured that all crew members from the immobilised vehicle were safely extracted.

His strong leadership and professionalism were integral to ensuring that all members of his patrol returned safely to their base.

Major Bryce Cameron Gurney, The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers

Major Gurney deployed to Afghanistan from April to October 2008 with the NZPRT in Bamyan Province. He served as head of the Development Group, responsible for the implementation of the development programme, including management of funding provided by NZ Aid and the United States Commanders Emergency Response Programme. He quickly set about identifying areas where funding accountability and delivery of the development programmes could be significantly enhanced. He undertook a complete review of the funding and delivery cycle of the NZAid programmes.

His review and recommendations was subsequently adopted by NZAid. As a result of his review, funding from the United States Commanders Emergency Response Programme received a significant boost from two million US dollars to in excess of twenty million US dollars. As a result, MAJ Gurney needed to provide day-to-day management of over one hundred projects, ranging from digging wells for water supply to major road construction projects spread over a large and varied geographical area. At the same time, he provided effective mentoring to a number of junior officers attached to the Development Group. He also took it upon himself to supervise and mentor Afghan contractors, who had little or no experience tendering and contract in management, again with significant success.

Major Peter Warren Jacobs, Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps

Major Jacobs first enlisted in the New Zealand Army in 1966 as a rifleman. He saw active service in Vietnam in 1968/69 and subsequently transferred to the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps (RNZAMC).

He took release from the Army in 1975 to pursue a career as a health administrator, and the following year re-enlisted in the Territorial Force, where he progressed through the ranks to Warrant Officer Class One.

In 1987, he was commissioned and transferred to the Regular Force; he was promoted to his present rank in 1999. A distinctive trait of his service is his passion to ensure that the RNZAMC fully, and without exception, meets its mission and goals.

Drive and enthusiasm have been the hallmarks of his approach to policy development, in particular to policy relating to the recruitment, employment and retention of doctors and medical specialists. A number of initiatives for which he was responsible have bolstered the New Zealand Army’s and New Zealand Defence Force’s capabilities, in terms of the development of a medical specialist base with a focus on sustainable operational outputs.

His professional commitment to operational health care meant that he has been a key member of planning staffs for numerous missions and overseas deployments. Of note was his contribution to health planning at the commencement of operations in Timor Leste. His efforts ensured there was a continued supply of health specialist personnel critical to maintaining a credible surgical capability in the remote Suai region, as part of what was the largest deployment by the Defence Force since the Vietnam War.

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