18 ARMYPEOPLE
New Zealand Army Captain Bronwyn Flewellen was presented with a Defence Meritorious Service Medal by Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short at a ceremony in Wellington.
CAPTAIN BRONWYN FLEWELLEN Captain Bronwyn Flewellen has been recognised by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for her work as a nurse to coalition forces in Iraq in 2018.
Coming home to serve his country By Emma Horsley
James Dowling may have been raised in Australia but his heart lies in the country he was born in and he has returned to New Zealand to serve in the New Zealand Army. The 20 year old was born in Christchurch but moved to Australia with his family. However the determination to give back to his homeland was strong. “I wanted to have a career that gave me the opportunity to serve and protect New Zealand.” He marched in to Waiouru Military Camp as a new recruit in early March and has spent many weeks honing his skills in the austere environment to be an infantry soldier. It’s well known that the basic training NZ Army recruits undergo in Waiouru is not easy and PTE Dowling found himself challenged mentally and physically, but with great rewards. “It challenged my leadership skills. When you have to lead groups of people you have only just met while completing physical challenges in a military environment, it certainly tests you.
“The training increased my mental and physical capabilities and of course there’s the self-discipline.” PTE Dowling’s efforts were recognised by his instructors and his commitment was rewarded by being named Top Recruit of Brown VC Platoon and Top Recruit for Rafah Company at his graduation in July. Of course in the middle of his training there was a small issue of a pandemic to deal with, which meant the training schedule had to evolve to take into consideration travel limitations and lockdown restrictions. Resulting in the training taking a few weeks longer than normal. PTE Dowling is now in Burnham Military Camp for Corps Training for the next step of his career in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
Before he joined the NZ Army PTE Dowling enjoyed sports and is excited about keeping that part of his life alive. “I’m really looking forward to the sporting opportunities that Army offers.” He accept that the life of a soldier is not something everyone may want to do in their lives but says if you think you can rise to the challenge the rewards are worth it. “Military life is not for everyone but if you have the courage to embrace the Army life you will find it will change your life and you get to serve your country too.”
CAPT Flewellen has been presented with a Defence Meritorious Service Medal by Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short. Her citation said during her time as a Senior Nursing Officer in Iraq she was responsible for providing health support to all 3,500 coalition forces and in emergency cases to civilians within Camp Taji. “Despite being a junior military officer she proved to be a very capable leader within the Primary Health Care team,” the citation said. “She demonstrated these leadership skills early in her pre-deployment training and was appointed second-in-charge of the Anzac Health Company. “CAPT Flewellen was determined to improve health care through the creation and maintenance of a clinical skills development programme for all coalition clinicians, which ensured health care was provided to the highest possible standard.” While deployed, CAPT Flewellen assumed command of the health support company during a stressful and difficult time for the medical staff, and under her command the company evolved quickly and operated more efficiently in the environment she created, the citation said.
“This was a remarkable feat for an officer with only two years’ experience in the New Zealand Army and her drive and passion gained the respect of not only the clinicians within the coalition forces but also the patients she was responsible for. “CAPT Flewellen enhanced the reputation of the New Zealand Defence Force on an international stage.” CAPT Flewellen, who is based at Linton Military Camp, said she was honoured to receive the award. “I feel it reflects the success we had working with foreign militaries,” she said. “Instead of being satisfied doing things the way they were always done, we aimed to enhance health processes among the foreign nations within Taji, for the benefit of all.” CAPT Flewellen joined the Army in 2015, to gain wider clinical experience as a nurse. “I was looking for challenges and plenty of variety in my job, and I have certainly had that so far,” she said. Among her highlights are deploying to Fiji following Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, where she cared for deployed forces rebuilding in the Northern Lau group, and her deployment to Iraq, which she felt enhanced the New Zealanders’ connection to their Australian Defence Force health counterparts.
Above: Brigadier Hugh McAslan presents PTE Dowling with his award.
Reserve Internship Scheme Private Stephen Savory of 5th/7th Battalion, RNZIR recently completed an internship at Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force (HQ NZDF) in Wellington, as part of the 2019/20 Reserve Internship Scheme. It was, he writes, a great opportunity to broaden his understanding of the strategic thinking environment across defence.
I am posted to 5th/7th Battalion, having transferred from full-time service with 2nd/1st Battalion in Feb 2019. I hold an Honours degree in Defence Studies from Massey University, and I am studying towards a Masters degree in International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington. The Reserve Internship Scheme offered the opportunity to utilise service in the Army to conduct a short-term, full-time internship at HQ NZDF, over an extended university summer period between October 2019 – February 2020. The internship provided the opportunity to work for four months towards a project in the Directorate of Future Force Development, Defence Strategy Management supporting
the development of the 2020/21 Strategic Foresight Plan. This work contributed towards a deeper understanding of the strategicthinking environment required at HQ NZDF, whilst providing the opportunity to work alongside senior-ranked officers across the three services. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at HQ NZDF over the summer, and was extremely grateful for the opportunity presented. The internship provided an excellent opportunity to broaden my understanding of the strategicthinking environment across defence, whilst complementing my university education with relevant professional experience in the public defence sector. Since
the completion of the summer internship, I have been invited back to HQ NZDF for a second internship during an extended university mid-year period. When I complete my current postgraduate studies, I intend to return to fulltime service in the Army.
