Vetarans Affairs Deployment Review

Veterans Affairs are currently working through the process to review over 100 deployments, and will be looking at these in six tranches:  This review does not cover any deployments prior to 1974.  Please be aware the RNZN Communicators Assn has raised a paper to the Minister and NZDF re the period prior to 1974 and we await a response from both parties.  We will hopefully advise members of the outcome early in 2019.

Tranche 1: Significant deployments without appropriate coverage
Examples would include operations with no close off date (something required under the Act), or where geographical areas not clearly defined.

This group includes all the operations in:
the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Timor-Leste
the Solomon Islands.

Tranche 2: Deployments without coverage that may meet the required risk thresholds
This could include deployments that currently have no cover.

Examples of areas under consideration are:
Several deployments in the Gulf Region
Somalia.

Tranche 3: Deployments declined coverage before 2009 that warrant reconsideration
This will include operations declined coverage before 2009 under the old legislation, which may meet the new risk criteria in the 2014 legislation.

Examples of areas under consideration are:
Laos
Mozambique
Pakistan.

Tranche 4: Deployments with coverage where there needs to be a review of the specified period or a reconsideration of risk
Examples of areas under consideration are:
Angola
Cambodia
Sierra Leone.

Tranche 5: Deployments declined coverage since 2009 that warrant reconsideration
This will include operations declined coverage since 2009 under the old legislation which may now meet the new risk criteria in the 2014 legislation.

Examples of areas under consideration include:
Namibia
Rwanda
Indian Ocean.

Tranche 6: Those deployments considered and declined since the 2014 Act that may meet the eligibility criteria
These deployments may have a single factor which indicates personnel may be at risk from a threat (either environmental or operational). For example a Centre for Disease Control health warning might be in place.

It is unlikely the overall threat assessment will meet the required threshold, but we are carrying out due diligence and reviewing these deployments.

Deployments we’re not reviewing
We’re not reviewing: operations before 1 April 1974, as everyone who served in NZ’s Armed Forces before this date has Qualifying Routine Service and thus eligibility for support and services from Veterans’ Affairs
operations not conducted as part of NZDF Output 5.1 (Military Operations in Support of Rules-Based International Order). The way that Qualifying Operational Service is defined in the legislation does not cover business as usual

How we’ll review deployments
We’ll look at each deployment and consider whether it meets a threat threshold. To do this, we’ll work with our colleagues in:

GEOINT New Zealand
Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand
Strategic Commitments and Engagement Branch NZDF
NZDF Health
NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals.
Once all the deployments in a tranche have been considered, the Head of Veterans’ Affairs will advise the Chief of Defence Force of the outcome.

The Chief of Defence Force will then recommend to the Minister for Veterans if any declarations should be made or changed.

The Minister for Veterans will decide whether to declare deployments as Qualifying Operational Service.

Have your say
If you feel there is a deployment that should be considered against the criteria for Qualifying Operational Service, and you don’t see it listed above, please contact us to suggest deployments that we should consider as part of the review.  Click HERE to sign up and receive updates