Solomon Islands intervention force

In article ,
says...
David Bromage wrote in message ...
Does anybody know exactly which units are going to the Solomon Islands?
The Defence media releases haven't contained much detail, other than the
Australian infantry contingent will be from the 3rd Brigade. The
Solomons government did ask for the SAS, but I take it they're not doing.

I know HMAS Manoora sailed is leaving today and the airlift of police
will begin on Thursday.

What units are New Zealand, PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga sending?


From the NZ Defence Minister site
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocum...cumentID=17308
"...
Police Minister George Hawkins said 35 Police officers, including the
10 officers currently in the Solomons, would be deployed for two
years, although there may be some phased reduction in numbers over
that period.

Defence Minister Mark Burton said 105 Defence Force personnel would be
deployed in support. The contingent will consist of four helicopters
and associated personnel; headquarters support staff, logistics,
communications, an engineering element and a small medical group. An
infantry company will also be placed on standby to assist if required.
..."

How do they fly them there. They used an AN-124 to get most of the
choppers back from Timor.

Mainlander *@*.* wrote in message .nz...
In article ,
says...
snip

From the NZ Defence Minister site
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocum...cumentID=17308
"...
Police Minister George Hawkins said 35 Police officers, including the
10 officers currently in the Solomons, would be deployed for two
years, although there may be some phased reduction in numbers over
that period.

Defence Minister Mark Burton said 105 Defence Force personnel would be
deployed in support. The contingent will consist of four helicopters
and associated personnel; headquarters support staff, logistics,
communications, an engineering element and a small medical group. An
infantry company will also be placed on standby to assist if required.
..."

How do they fly them there.

From
http://www.airforce.mil.nz/latestinf...article_id=216

"DEPARTURE OF FIRST NZDF CONTINGENT TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
Release Date 22 July 2003
The first contingent of NZDF personnel will depart from Ohakea for the
Solomon Islands on an Air Force Hercules on Wednesday 23 July at 10:30
am. The first flight will comprise 18 Defence Force personnel and an
Iroquois helicopter. This group also includes the New Zealand Senior
National Officer and the Air Component Commander for the operation.
The aircraft will route through Townsville and is scheduled to arrive
in Honiara at 1:10pm local time on Thursday 24 July.

Mark Burton, Minister of Defence and Major General Martyn Dunne,
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand will farewell the deploying
personnel at Ohakea.

A further eight Hercules flights will deploy the rest of the New
Zealand contingent between 24 Jul and 1 Aug 2003. "


They used an AN-124 to get most of the
choppers back from Timor.

They may have used an AN-124 when the detachment was withdrawn, but
the individual helicopters were regularly swapped back to NZ during
the course of the deployment, by Herc. White Hueys were a common sight
from my place (Te Atatu) as they like training over water - you are
allowed to fly lower than you can over urban areas in a single engined
chopper. The RNZAF got an exemption to the normal UN rules that all
helicopters must be painted white, as it would have required an
unreasonable number of repaints. IIRC, the deal was that at least two
of those deployed would be white.

Per this morning's Herald piece:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydispl...toryID=3514159

"The contingent would be housed in tents initially and would carry
enough weapons, kit, food and water to last 14 days, he said.

The helicopters would be brought back to New Zealand once a month for
major servicing. "

Cheers
Errol Cavit

In article , Errol
Cavit wrote:


snippaggio

Mark Burton, Minister of Defence and Major General Martyn Dunne,
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand will farewell the deploying
personnel at Ohakea.

Is this "farewell" verb some new antipodean wickedness? We need to
know, Errol. "We sure farewelled them Hussein sons of bitches..."

It must be headed off at the pass.

--
"The past resembles the future as water resembles water" Ibn Khaldun

My .mac.com address is a spam sink.
If you wish to email me, try alan dot lothian at blueyonder dot co dot uk

"Alan Lothian" wrote in message
...
In article , Errol
Cavit wrote:


snippaggio

Mark Burton, Minister of Defence and Major General Martyn Dunne,
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand will farewell the deploying
personnel at Ohakea.

Is this "farewell" verb some new antipodean wickedness? We need to
know, Errol. "We sure farewelled them Hussein sons of bitches..."


http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

Main Entry: 3fare·well
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1580
chiefly Australian & New Zealand : to bid farewell to