ARMYPEOPLE 05
NEW DCA TAKES THE REINS By Judith Martin
Brigadier Matt Weston is a proud gunner by trade, and is also proud to be the newly-appointed Deputy Chief of Army.
“My predecessors have done a great job, and I hope to continue along that line. The Army is a very good place to be at the moment. We have most of the people we need and we are getting more, there are some great new capabilities, and the Network Enabled Army and Protected Mobility projects are progressing well.” While he is confident in the way the Army is tracking, it’s no time, he says, to rest easy. “We now have to think about what comes after 2025. We have to keep pace with technology, and factor in the effects of disruptors such as climate change and increased competition between countries in the Asia Pacific region. We live in a fairly volatile world at the moment, and we have to be prepared for and well positioned to do whatever the government requires of us; and of course Covid-19 is presenting a bunch of new challenges that it is imperative we address professionally.”
BRIG Weston joined the New Zealand Army in January 1993, graduating into the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery in December of that year. He held a range of regimental and command positions in 16 Field Regiment culminating as Commanding Officer in 2012–2013. He then went on to command 1 (NZ) Brigade until he was appointed Deputy Chief of Army. While he has had deployments to Timor Leste and Afghanistan, it has been the training and mentoring he has done throughout his career he has enjoyed the most. “The camaraderie the Army provides has always been a big thing for me. I like working with people who I share a set of values with. I value the shared experiences we have in Army – it gives us a point of commonality and trust. I appreciate the challenges the Army provides, and like the fact we have to do many things in our careers. Sometimes the roles we learn the most from aren’t the ones we would have initially chosen, but often prove invaluable in terms of development.”
What does he want to achieve in his new role? “As well as carrying on the good work of my predecessors I want the work and living environments of our soldiers to be as healthy as they can be. We all have a role to play in that – how we treat people, how we coach and mentor. We need a healthy environment that allows people to meet their full potential as they serve their nation”. “I believe our commanders need to model good behaviour, and their expectations of their people need to be high but reasonable.” BRIG Weston and his wife have a young daughter. In his spare time he enjoys fly fishing, reading, and spending quality time with his family.
