Timaru man takes on second tour in Timor Leste

7 February 2008

Former Timaru man Lee Tindall first served with the NZDF in Timor Leste in 2000. Now Private Tindall has been deployed there for a second time and he says the changes in the country over the past seven years are noticeable.

"There seems to be more stability this time, and definitely a lot more infrastructure, vehicles and employment."

Private Tindall, a former Timaru Boys High student, is part of the 107 strong company from 2/1 Battalion of Burnham Military Camp on deployment in Dili until June this year. 

The NZDF currently has 184 personnel serving in Timor Leste, with the majority being based in Dili as part of the International Stabilisation Force, formed in May 2006.

Private Tindall first went to Timor Leste in 2000 as part of the NZDF's battalion-strength commitment to the country.  Then he was operating on the country's border with Indonesia and lived and patrolled mainly in the regions jungles.  This time he is based in the capital Dili and his patrols are though the city's streets, markets and internally displaced persons camps.

"I can definitely see the country has moved forward since I was last here and if I was to come back again here, I'm sure it would have moved on even further."

New Zealand has contributed to various United Nations and peacekeeping efforts in Timor-Leste since 1999.  The commitment to Timor-Leste is the largest one for the NZDF and at present consists of more than 180 Defence personnel and two helicopters serving with the Combined Joint Task Force as well as two Military Liaison Officers serving with the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and two advisors to the Timor-Leste Defence Force.

See latest images of NZDF personnel in Timor Leste

ENDS

Currently 424 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 17 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world. For further information please contact Nicole Munro-Johnson, Defence Public Relations on 04 529 6033 or 021 569 148.

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