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10 April 2007
Colonel Paul van den Broek, the newly appointed deputy commander of the Combined Joint Task Force in Timor Leste, is looking forward to working alongside Australian defence personnel again.
He arrived in theatre last week, and is based with the 145-strong New Zealand contingent in Dili. The New Zealand Defence Force is extending its contribution to the task force with the deployment in late April of two helicopters with 32 crew and support staff.
COL van den Broek is also New Zealand’s senior national officer in Timor Leste. He is deputy to the task force commander Brigadier Mel Riordon, of the Australian Army. The task force numbers about 900 Australians, and with the arrival of the helicopters, about 180 New Zealanders. Two other NZDF personnel and 25 New Zealand police are in the country as part of the United Nations mission there, and two NZDF personnel are attached to the Timorese Defence Force as advisors.
“I’m looking forward to my role as the Deputy Commander of the task force and to working with Australians again. Australia is our major defence partner and we share a long-standing special relationship between our two nations. While we may have slight differences in the way we operate at the tactical level together, collectively we enhance each others operational capabilities.”
The New Zealand Army personnel in Timor Leste are mainly patrolling Dili and outlying areas, mostly by foot, in an effort to encourage peace and stability. The helicopter detachment is expected to undertake a range of light aviation missions throughout the area.
COL van den Broek completed his junior officer Armoured Corps training at Puckapunyal in Australia, and also undertook his regimental Officer Advanced Course there. In New Zealand he has served as Commanding Officer of Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles Regiment, Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps.
He was later appointed Director, Army Capability Management in Army General Staff. He was posted to Headquarters United States Central Command where he was employed as a strategic planner within the Combined Planning Group. He returned to New Zealand from the United States in December 2006.
Timor Leste is COL van den Broek’s fourth operational tour; he has previously served in Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Bougainville.
This page was last reviewed on 16 May 2007 and is current.
