1997 - East Timor & Coalition Operations

1999 - Current Historical Chronology (AW-06-1124-1).

1997: October; Bougainville; A New Zealand-led Truce Monitoring Group (TMG) deploys to Bougainville.
1998: May; Bougainville; The Truce Monitoring Group is replaced by the Australian Peace Monitoring Group (PMG).
1998: 20 July; Papua New Guinea; A 28 strong medical team deploys to Aitape and Sissano Lagoons on the Northern Coast of Papua New Guinea following a tsunami triggered by an earthquake.
1998: 2 August; Papua New Guinea; The medical team dispatched to the Northern Coast of Papua New Guinea to assist tsunami victims returns to New Zealand.
1999: 6 June; Dili, East Timor; Five Defence Force Officers deploy to East Timor as Military Observers in the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).
1999: 29 September; Dili, East Timor; Whiskey Company, 1 RNZIR deploy to East Timor to assist with security in the capital Dili as part of the Australian led International Force in East Timor (INTERFET). This company subsequently relocated to Suai on 10 October 1999 as the advance party for what was to become a Battalion operating base.
1999: 26 October; Suai, East Timor; The remainder of 1st Battalion, RNZIR deploy to the Suai area as part of the expansion of INTERFET. This became the first of six Battalion Group rotations to East Timor.
2000: 23 February; East Timor; The Australian-led International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) hands over control of the mission to the United Nations forming the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET).
2000: August; Solomon Islands; A 15 strong contingent deploys to the Solomon Islands as party on the International Peace Monitoring Team (IPMT).
2002: 29 December; East Timor; The last New Zealand Army elements comprising the sixth Battalion Group (NZBATT 6) returned to New Zealand. A Battalion was based in Suai for six 6-month deployments. It is estimated over 6,000 Defence Force personnel served in East Timor between June 1999 and December 2002, all of whom were volunteers. Of these, one died as a result of a Militia action and a further four soldiers lost their lives in non-combative incidents.
2003: 30 June; Bougainville; The New Zealand commitment to the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville ends.
2003: July; Solomon Islands; A 42 strong Platoon of soldiers from 1 RNZIR deploy to Honiara as part of the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI).
2003: 23 September; Afghanistan; New Zealand assumes command of the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan. The 100-strong teams are rotated every six-months spending either the winter or the summer in Afghanistan.
2003: 26 September; Iraq; The first or two 60-strong Engineer contingents from 2 Engineer Regiment deploy to Southern Iraq to participate in reconstruction tasks.
2003: 14 September; Iraq; The second 60-strong Engineer contingent deployed to Southern Iraq returns to New Zealand.
2004: 6 November; Longueval, France; Director-General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission hands over remains of New Zealand's Unknown Warrior who lost his life sometime between April 1916 and November 1918 in France.
2004: 10 November; Wellington; New Zealand's Unknown Warrior's is interred at the National War Memorial following a procession from Parliament Buildings where the Unknown Warrior had been lying-in-state.
2005: 1 January; Indonesia; 30-strong medical team deploys to Banda Aceh to provide assistance to tsunami victims following the 26 December earthquake in the Indian Ocean.
2005: 26 February; Indonesia; The medical team dispatched to Banda Aceh to assist the 26 December 2004 tsunami victims' returns to New Zealand. Two medical teams were deployed for two one-month deployments.
2005: 15 September; Sudan; Two Defence Force officers deploy to Sudan as Military Observers in the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).
2005: October; South Korea; Two Officers deploy to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) commencing six-monthly deployments.
2006: 1 February; Solomon Islands; 46 strong contingent from 2/1 RNZIR deploy to Honiara as part of the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI).
2006: 20 April to 7 May; Solomon Islands; An Infantry Company drawn from 2/1 RNZIR deploy as reinforcements to the Solomon Islands following civil unrest in the capital Honiara. Troop levels peaked at 134 personnel.
2006: 29 - 31 May; Timor-Leste; A reinforced Infantry Company drawn from 2/1 RNZIR deploy to East Timor following civil unrest in the capital Dili. Troop levels peaked at 162 personnel including four Pinzgauer Light Operational Vehicles.
2006: 2 June; Timor-Leste; Eight Military Police deploy to Dili to provide security to the New Zealand Embassy and returned to New Zealand on 5 July 2006.
2006: 17 June; Solomon Islands; The main-body of the Infantry Company are withdrawn from the Solomon Islands leaving one Infantry Platoon. This Platoon commenced the first of several three month rotations by other Infantry Platoons.
2006: 5 July; Timor-Leste; The eight military police deployed to Dili on 2 June 2006 returned to New Zealand on 5 July 2006.
2006: 12 July; Timor-Leste; On 12 July 2006 the number of New Zealand Army soldiers serving in Timor-Leste reached a total of 204, with a further six support staff operating in Darwin.
2006: 25 August; Timor-Leste; The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) is established to coordinate support to Timor-Leste.
2006: 4 October; Timor-Leste; Sixteen New Zealand Army engineers returned home from Dili. They had been in Timor-Leste for three months upgrading facilities at the New Zealand base so as to house the company group deployed there. A total of 132 personnel remained in Timor-Leste, with a further six stationed in Darwin as support.
2006: 5 November; United Kingdom; A 250 strong Defence Force contingent deploys to London for the official unveiling of the New Zealand Memorial in London on 11 November.
2006: 16 November; United Kingdom; The 250 strong Defence Force contingent returns to New Zealand following the unveiling of the New Zealand Memorial in London. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II unveiled the memorial in Hyde Park on Armistice Day.
2006: 18 November; Tonga; A 70 strong contingent of NZ Army personnel deploy to Tonga to provide security following civil unrest in Nuku'lofa.
2006: 23 November; Timor-Leste; On 23 November 2006 a contingent of 150 New Zealand Defence Force personnel deployed to Timor-Leste for a six-month tour of duty to oversee that country's second ever democratic elections.
2006: 27 November; Solomon Islands; After weeks of extensive training, a group of 45 soldiers - including 33 Territorial Force personnel - deployed to Honiara to carry out a four-month tour of duty. The Territorial Force soldiers were drawn from the 2nd Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast Battalion Group and the 4th Otago and Southland Battalion Group. The deployment replaced personnel serving with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Island (RAMSI).
2006: 2 December; New Zealand; The Tongan contingent, which included a light infantry platoon commanded by Lieutenant Cory Neale and a company headquarters commanded by Major Justin De La Haye, arrived back in New Zealand. The contingent comprised 55 service people, 40 of them from 2/1 RNZIR.
2007: 9 February; New Zealand; A ten man Explosive Remnants of War Disposal Team deployed from New Zealand to Lebanon as part of Operation LIMA – the battlefield area clearance of unexploded ordnance resulting from the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
2007: 28 March; New Zealand; A platoon group of New Zealand soldiers left Whenuapai for the Solomon Islands for a four-month deployment in the troubled region. The 43-strong contingent, which includes 30 Territorial Force personnel from Auckland and Tauranga, replaced soldiers serving with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
2007: 4 April; New Zealand; A contingent of 44 New Zealand Regular Force and Territorial Force officers and soldiers left Honiara airport. They arrived at Christchurch International Airport late that evening. The troops had been serving in the Solomons for four months with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
2007: 25 June; New Zealand; The second of the two ten man Explosive Remnants of War Disposal Teams departed New Zealand for Lebanon for a seven month deployment carrying out battlefield area clearance and to relieve the team already in-country.
2007: 29 June; Bosnia; More than 15 years of service by New Zealand Defence Force personnel ended on 29 June 2007 as the final three New Zealand staff officers left Bosnia.
2007: 1 July; Lebanon; The first of two Explosive Remnants of War Disposal Teams left the Lebanon to return to New Zealand after completing a five-month deployment carrying out battlefield area clearance.
2008: 7 February; Lebanon; The year-long New Zealand Defence Force commitment to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre in southern Lebanon ended when the second New Zealand Battlefield Area Clearance Team left Lebanon. The two teams that participated in Operation LIMA located and destroyed 1718 explosive remnants of war, of which 1,634 were cluster bombs.
2008: 9 February; Lebanon; The second and last of the New Zealand Defence Force teams that participated in Operation LIMA arrived back in New Zealand from the Lebanon after a seven month deployment carrying out battlefield area clearance.
2008: 18 March; New Zealand; 44 New Zealand Defence Force personnel left from Whenuapai Air Force Base for a four-month tour of duty in the Solomon Islands.
2008: 23 March; New Zealand; 54 New Zealand Defence Force personnel arrived at Christchurch Airport after completing a four-month deployment supporting the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The majority of the returning personnel were made up of Territorial Force soldiers from the 2nd Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast Battalion Group and the 4th Otago and Southland Battalion Group.
2008: 19 May; New Zealand; A draft of 142 New Zealand Defence Force personnel returned from a six-month tour of duty in Timor Leste when they landed at Christchurch International Airport. The draft comprised the fourth rotation to serve in Timor Leste since troops were again committed to that country in May 2006.

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1997 - East Timor & Coalition Operations