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Introduction to NZ ARMY
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Though the New Zealand Army is less than 150 years old, it has a unique richness of history. From small, ill equipped, badly
organised and trained bodies, concerned with protecting little more than isolated hamlets, it has developed into an integrated, professional force of Regular and Territorial units enhancing the stability and security of the South Pacific.
Born from the need to secure personal property, the European Volunteer bands of early nineteenth century New Zealand quickly became recognizable military units. Raised in response to
internal threats, they soon laid the foundations of a tradition of valiant and faithful service, foundations that were to be tested and developed at home and on the battlefields of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. |
in more recent times representatives of the New Zealand Army have proved themselves equal to the challenge of
peacekeeping in the war torn regions of the world. While at Home, and in the Pacific, they provide essential resources for disaster relief, search and rescue and
epidemic control. At the same time the Army maintains its readiness for its primary role, national security.
| The challenges of war,
met with fortitude, have been paralleled by the challenges of peace. New Zealanders have historically been apathetic to the needs of its defence forces, except in time of crises. For over a century and a half, the Army has had to accept reviews,
reorganizations, reductions and revivals that would probably have destroyed any other
institution. Fluctuating fortunes, in fact have inculcated a flexibility in thought and approach that would be the envy of most business executives.
Yet flexibility in itself is insufficient to overcome problems of inadequate resources and training. This is perhaps best shown by the time
taken to recoup from the drastic cuts of the depression to meet the threat of
European fascism.
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In any future conflict the Army will probably not have the luxury of time to prepare. One only has to look at the recent events in the
Middle East to realise this. New Zealanders today would be well advised to recall the words of Plato: "Nothing can be more important than that the work of a soldier should be well done. No tools will make a man a skilled workman or master of
defence, nor be of any use to him who has not learned how to handle them
and has never bestowed any attention upon them".
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