CDF’s vision – The Defence Force Team

Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson OBE, AFC, talks to RSA Review editor Bill Hopper

New Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson says, the damage done to the New Zealand Defence Force by the recent document leaking and inter-service argument scandals, was much more in perception than in reality. "The damage has been at the very highest levels of leadership, primarily personality conflicts, which has led to accusations of dysfunctionality, and that word has been used totally out of proportion to the events that have occurred.

"Henceforth we have a new team and new leadership. I have absolutely no doubt that those problems are behind us now. The New Zealand Defence Force has not suffered as badly as some would make out."

CDF says, he only has to look at his recent visit to East Timor and visits around units. "There is nothing dysfunctional down at the working level, indeed at the middle senior management levels people are keeping on working well together. The joint concept is working extremely well in East Timor as are the three services all round the world."

He says the problems at the top caused a great dilemma for those down below because they couldn’t understand what was going on. "From their perspective things were working well and it became a deep source of embarrassment to see that the ructions at the top were continuing. They couldn’t see problems from their point of view and neither could 99% of our people.

"The problems of the last two or three years probably came down to half a dozen disaffected individuals, who for their own reasons of misguided loyalty, leadership or whatever, were pursuing agendas that weren’t in concert with the fulfilment of the New Zealand Defence Force, and indeed, the government’s aims."

Air Marshal Ferguson’s philosophy is that NZDF has, and will retain three separate, distinct services maintaining their own unique cultures, ethos, traditions and esprit de corps. The Navy, Army, and Air Force will retain their own individual identities, but he intends that they work very closely together as one team. "And really with all of the intent of the past three years, that hasn’t happened," he says. "The services have remained separate, and to a large extent, have gone their own ways. My intention, and it is shared entirely with the new leadership team, is that while they are separate entities, we work as one team, therefore Team Defence Force.

"People mustn’t ever assume that team defence is an amalgamation of the Services, it is not, and never will be intended in my time, and nor is it in the government’s purview whatsoever. We will have three separate services working to one aim and to one team."

CDF says his vision encapsulates one team with the single mission of looking forward to the defence of New Zealand in concert with the country’s wishes. "Our fighting units will be combat trained, they will be combat ready, equipped for combat but will be able to be used very successfully in peacemaking and peacekeeping should they be required," he says.

"Make no mistake about it our combat units will retain that combat fighting edge that has been recognised by our government and certainly reinforced by me, that is essential."

When asked about the reported use of civilian aircraft and pilots in air defence training with RNZN ships, Air Marshal Ferguson says, "we’ve got leading edge people, and in the very near future, with leading edge technology, we will find ways of training effectively in a military environment."

He says, after constructive talks with, Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove, Chief of the Australian Army, he was very optimistic about New Zealand inter-operating with that country. "There are bright futures there – we will be dealing with frontline operational people in our training.

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