News from around the RNZAF

Courtesy of the RNZAF News Magizine

and other sources

2004

26 September 2004 A new exhibition entitled Veterans 1944 - 2004 opened at the Air Force Museum Wigram

23 September 2004 Graduation day for 04/02 Recruit course

17 September 2004 A tri-service ceremony was held to mark the retirment of Maj Gen Martyn Dunne

14 September 2004 A group of supporters and well-wishers greeted 94 NZDF personnel who arrived in Christchurch after returning from duties with the PRT in Afghanistan

6 - 17 September 2004 The aual 3 Sqn exercise BLACKBIRD was held at Dip Flat

1 September 2004 A 40 Sqn Hercules touched down in Bamyan, Afghanistan, carrying 56 New Zealand personnel to join the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)

30 Aug - 3 Sept 2004 The 42nd competition for the RNZAF Queens Medal was held at West Melton.  This was the first competition since 1997.

21 May 2004 RNZAF Ohakea formally took hold of the first of the new R4 Fire Trucks

3 May - 11 June 2004 Personnel from 40 Sqn partook in the Canadian MAPLE FLAG 37 Exercise at Cold Lake in Canada

May 2004 An RNZAF 757 carried service personnel and 52 veterans to Italyfor the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Cassino

30 April 2004 Barbie Attwood becomes the first female Parachute Jump Instructor (PJI) to hold the rank of MACR. MACR Attwood is a veteran of over 1000 jumps

28 April 2004 NZLAV indoctrination with the successfull loading and deploying of the NZLAV by RNZAF Hercules

24 April 2004 A visit by two RAAF F-111s to Ohakea for crew training and mountain flying.

8 April 2004 Seventy One recruits graduated, and this was the largest graduation held for many years by the RNZAF.

8 April 2004 Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup the CAS RAF visits New Zealand for a week.

3 April 2004 After a year of reconstruction and $1million in aid, donated by the US and NZ, Bamian University in Afghanistan reopened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by teachers, future students, and Afghan dignitories

3 April 2004 Ohakea Open Day 2004

March 2004 Exercise Lawman, the most extensive counter terrorism exercise yet in New Zealand concluded