1st NZSAS Regiment Marks 70th Anniversary
From its humble beginnings the NZSAS has since grown to become a full Regiment that gives the Government of the day a range of high-readiness, highly effective military options to advance and protect its interests.
For 70 years the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) has been deployed on some of the most complex, challenging and dangerous missions faced by the New Zealand Defence Force, with the ultimate goal always being to protect New Zealand, its people and interests.
The NZSAS was raised as a response to a strategic dilemma in the 1950s, when the New Zealand Government wanted to support the British in defending Malaya against the threat of communist expansion, whilst recognizing our comparatively small Defence Force and resources. As a result, a single NZSAS Squadron was raised and deployed to give New Zealand a credible impact across both military and political circles.
From its humble beginnings the NZSAS has since grown to become a full Regiment that gives the Government of the day a range of high-readiness, highly effective military options to advance and protect its interests.
Chief of Army Major General Rose King says NZSAS operators have played a pivotal role in a number of significant engagements over the course of the unit's existence.
'Our Special Forces personnel are among the best in the world at what they do. They deploy into places that others can't, they can achieve things that larger conventional units simply couldn't. Their sense of service over self is second to none, and their will to succeed and achieve their mission is extraordinary,' Major General Rose King said.
Throughout its history, members of the NZSAS have been deployed throughout South East Asia and the Pacific, from Malaya to Timor Leste, Thailand to Papua New Guinea. The Unit has also contributed to global peace keeping and peace monitoring missions, with NZSAS operators later being heavily involved in the Middle East, including reconnaissance operations and partnering with Special Police Forces in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan campaign was bookended with a NZSAS team leading the ground evacuation of nearly 400 people to safety following the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
The Commanding Officer of 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment says the Regiment can only succeed with the support and sustainment of a world-class army and Defence Force.
'From the jungles of South East Asia and the Pacific, to the deserts, mountains and alleyways of the middle east and beyond, New Zealand's Special Air Service Regiment has always stood ready for New Zealand, and always will be,' the Commanding Officer said.
'For 70 years SAS, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Commando, and Special Operations enablers have delivered whenever Government has asked, and whenever the Chief of Defence Force has tasked.
From its early focus on special reconnaissance and deep infiltration in the jungle, the Regiment has developed counter-terrorism, direct action and special recovery capabilities in recent decades. Commando and EOD trades have been established in order to support Police and other agencies when responding to new threats at home, with further advances across intelligence, communications, logistics, female engagement and medical specialties to provide special forces commanders with the broadest range of options and support.
'Whenever they're called upon, whatever the task, our NZSAS members are always ready to deploy at immediate notice in order to uphold the values we hold so important in New Zealand. They are a huge credit to not only Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army and the wider Defence Force, but should be a source of pride for the country as a whole,' Major General King said.
The Regiment's Commanding Officer says this weekend is a special occasion to reflect on what has been a significant legacy by those who went before and will be marked with a series of events for both current and former members. It included the unveiling of new pou at Papakura Military Camp's memorial area earlier this week.
'The memorial area is where the Regiment records its whakapapa. It's where we thank those who have gone before and remember those who have paid the ultimate price. It is the spiritual hub of our camp and so these new pou carry a huge significance for us,' the Commanding Officer said.
'We will reflect not just on the operational successes, but also the vigilance and dedication it takes to train and prepare at home, to maintain standards, to develop new tactics, and to 'hold the pager' for crisis response.'
Major General King said a lot has changed within the Regiment over the course of its seven decades, including evolved training methods, adapting to the changing nature of warfare, the physical locations of its home base and the hundreds of personnel and staff who have supported, enabled and maintained the Regiment over the decades.
'But many things have not, and will not change; the operational experience, professionalism and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence that embodies every member of New Zealand's Special Forces.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
NCEA overhaul: NZ principals predict short-term Cambridge boost amid curriculum changes
His school allows senior students to study either the local NCEA programme or the British-headquartered Cambridge exams, taught in schools around the world. He expected uncertainty caused by the NCEA's scrapping could lead more parents to choose Cambridge's 'stability' in the short term. That was until the new NZ Certificate of Education qualification was fully up and running. 'I think our students will keep opting into Cambridge probably in slightly bigger numbers for the next few years at least,' Hargreaves said. The overhaul, which could affect students for decades to come, is open for public feedback for the next six weeks. Macleans College principal Steven Hargreaves says parents may opt for the Cambridge exams in the short term while the details of New Zealand's education overhaul are being thrashed out. Photo / Macleans College via RNZ It follows years of criticism that the NCEA's flexibility meant students across the country were being held to different standards and learning varying lessons despite supposedly studying the same subjects. It also led some schools to abandon the NCEA entirely. More than 40 schools over the past year offered the Cambridge curriculum either in place of the NCEA or alongside it as another alternative. Popular inner Auckland school, Epsom Girls Grammar, was among the latest, telling parents it would be offering it as a choice from 2026 after 'overwhelming community demand'. Auckland Grammar offers students the NCEA and Cambridge pathways, with headmaster Tim O'Connor a long-time critic of the homegrown system. Epsom Girls Grammar is offering a pilot Cambridge exams pathway in 2026, with a full rollout to follow after that. Photo / Alex Burton He said many students had coasted under NCEA rather than striving for excellence, which 'tarnished' it as a 'flexible anything qualification' and led to more than 250,000 skipped exams last year. Despite that, O'Connor questioned whether the Cambridge pathway would be needed if the homegrown education system was revamped. 'We're a proud state school and we would support a nationwide qualification if it was going to be rigorous enough,' he said. Hargreaves, who was on the Government's reform advisory group, said moves under the proposed reform to have all assignments and exams marked by outside assessors rather than teachers was a positive step towards ensuring fair grading. He also backed a homegrown pathway but thought it would take time to convince parents to have faith in it. Mike Waller, principal of private secondary Pinehurst School, which only teaches Cambridge, was another to back the reforms. However, his school was firmly established in the Cambridge system and had no plans to change. He believed it was rigorous and as an international pathway serving schools in many countries, was more stable and less susceptible to political changes that homegrown curriculums could be. The proposed NCEA changes The Government proposes axing NCEA Level 1, giving students respite from high-pressure exams in Year 11. They will instead focus on literacy and numeracy in a 'Foundational Skills Award' to build a base for their senior studies. Year 12s will then seek the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and Year 13s the NZ Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE). The Government said common-sense grading, such as As and marks out of 100, will be clearer for parents, employers, and universities. The changes kick in for Year 11s in 2028, who will then move into the new senior qualifications in 2029 and 2030. It comes as the Cambridge pathway's popularity hit a high point last year with 8000 Kiwi students sitting its November exams and scoring 25 Top in the World awards for being the best in their subject anywhere in the globe. Despite Cambridge's success at his school, Hargreaves believed that in a perfect world all local schools would be delivering a national qualification rather than international. That made the current feedback period critical, given it was concerns over education two decades back that led to the arrival in the country of the Cambridge system. 'If there'd never been any concerns about it 25 years ago, Cambridge would never have arrived on our shores,' he said.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Plane reports smoke in cockpit
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Firefighters were called to the Woodbourne Base, west of Blenheim, shortly before 1pm Sunday, after a plane reported smoke in the cockpit. Fire and Emergency shift manager Ryan Dawson said the plane, reported as a 50-seater Q-300, landed safely a few minutes later and firefighters responding to the emergency call were stood down. St John also responded, but was turned around before reaching the base. The Defence Force has been approached for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
History buffs seek family of intriguing military man
Hidden away under a giant, spreading pine tree in a steeply sloping section of the Southern Cemetery lies the grave of an intriguing military man. Major-general Alexander Irvine, whose long and storied career in the British Army included service in India during the time of the British Raj, is a person of great interest for the Otago Military History Group (OMHG). Group co-chair Peter Trevathan said Maj-gen Irvine's grave, which had slumped due to the weight of its marble top slab, was in need of restoration and repair. "We would also be keen to tell the story of Maj-gen Irvine's career during an interesting period of British history," Mr Trevathan said. As planning begins on the project, the group is keen to contact descendants of Maj-gen Irvine to get their support and input. As he had three sons and four daughters, it is hoped there might be a large extended family. Alexander Irvine joined the British Army's 24th Regiment in 1844 and was sent to India in 1845, where he quickly earned a field commission to the rank of lieutenant. He was involved in the army's response to the Indian Mutiny in the 1850s and 1860s, rising further in the ranks to captain (1857), major (1867), lieutenant-colonel (1871) and colonel (1875), before retiring as major general in 1877. "It was very unusual in those days for men to become officers on merit — officer commissions were usually purchased," Mr Trevathan said. After his retirement from military service, Maj-gen Irvine moved to Hobart in Tasmania, where he and his wife raised their family. In 1884 he came to Dunedin, and died in 1890. "So Maj-gen Irvine was definitely an interesting character, and it would be good to learn more from family members," he said. OMHG co-chair Marlene Pooley said the grave project would be a focus for the group next year, so it would be good to gather as much information as possible in the meantime. The group had been involved in several projects so far in the year, including the design of the new Hillside Workshops memorial and presenting an event as part of the Otago Medical School 150th anniversary celebrations. The group was also in discussions with family members of Leading Signalman Campbell Buchanan, who died from wounds received during the sinking of the Japanese Submarine I-1 by HMNZ ships Moa and Kiwi in the Solomon Islands during World War 2, she said. • Any interested members of the Irvine family are invited to contact the OMHG by emailing Mr Trevathan at petebond058@
