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During the
weekend 16 – 18 September 2005, the Ex Snr NCOs
Services Association celebrated its 20th
birthday reunion.
Guests of
honour on the occasion of the Reunion Dinner
were DCA Brigadier Barry Vryenhoek, The
Warrant Officer of the Navy Warrant Officer
Paul Rennie, The Warrant Officer of the Air
force Warrant Officer Keith Gell and Warrant
Officer Warren Rowe RNZIR.
In his
address at the dinner Brigadier Vryenhoek
spoke about the Army vision, where we want
to be in the future. The Brigadier said that
before one can go there, they must know
where they have come from. He said the Ex Senior NCOs Association epitomizes the values
that embody our Army system today. He went
on to say these values guide us in every
aspect of the execution of our individual
and collective responsibilities and have not
changed for many years, courage, commitment
and integrity.
Replying to
the Brigadier’s address. Life Member of the
Association Don Donaldson thanked the
Brigadier for bringing us up to speed with
the plans for the Army’s future. He said
that it was made very clear to us here
tonight, that the meaning of Esprit d corp.
still plays a major part in the life of the
service people of today today. We remember
it with affection, as friendship,
comradeship and loyalty to our peers. Esprit
d corp clearly means the same today, but
with the added segment of ambition in all
service people. This is a commendable trait
that really has been reinforced in the
services since our time. As sailors,
soldiers and airmen of yesteryear, we are
very proud to be a part of that connection.
The
Association
The Senior
NCOs Services Association was founded in
September 1985. Headquartered in Palmerston
North, it currently has 150 members from the
three services, who come from all parts of
New Zealand, with some members living in
Norfolk Island. Membership is confined to ex
Senior NCOs or equivalent from the three armed
services within the Commonwealth.
The
philosophy of the Association is one of
friendship and comradeship between members,
with a very strong welfare commitment to the
surviving spouses of members, wives and
families.
The
foundation members of the Association were
cognizant of the fact that during our
service, we were not always able to include
our wives and families in service
activities. Therefore at the beginning of
the life of the Association, it was resolved
unanimously by the foundation members that
this Association would include our wives and
families in all its activities. That
philosophy has been strengthened over the
years and remains an integral part of the
activities of the Ex Senior NCOs Services
Association today.
Each month
the Association produces a newsletter,
titled “The Communicator.” This is
the Association’s life-line. The need to
communicate with members on a regular basis
is most important to us. Invariably, with
the introduction of the Internet; this
communication has become a two way line of
communication between many of the members
far and wide.
Esprit de Corps –
Traditions
Esprit de Corps and
traditions were major expectations of life
during our service years and it would be
fair to say that these two aspects have
remained with those of us who served the
flag; sometimes with nostalgia and sometimes
with a concern that perhaps these two
conditions, sometimes appear not as
important in today’s armed forces as it was
in our lives of active service.
It is a fact of life to
us that senior ratings of the Royal NZ Navy
and the Senior NCOs of the Army and the Air
force were and still are, steeped in the
finest traditions of the armed forces in
general.
As non-commissioned
officers, the senior NCOs of the three armed
forces are often referred to as the
“Backbone” of the armed services. They
are certainly the most visible leaders for
most military personnel.
They are the leaders
primarily responsible for executing a
military organisations mission and for
training military personnel so that they are
well prepared to execute their missions. NCO
training and education, typically includes
leadership and management, as well as
service-specific and combat training.
Senior NCOs are
considered the primary link between enlisted
personnel and the commissioned officers in a
military organisation. Their advice and
guidance is particularly important for
junior officers, who begin their career in a
position of authority but generally lack
practical experience.
In today’s world of
service, those of us who have served, are no
longer obliged to follow service
regulations, but our unswerving loyalty to
the flag, the total dedication to the not
forgotten traditions, all entwined with the
spirit of esprit de corps, will remain with
us and hopefully, all who follow in our
footsteps into infinity.
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