I ENJOYED meeting Wing Commander Peter Gibson at the Times-Age yesterday, who was in to talk about his career in the air force. There's an expression that I've just learned from the Defence Force, which is "volun-told", which is not exactly an order, but a strong direction to "volunteer". When the interview was being arranged, I was laughing with the Defence Force spokesman about how every so often it gives a "nudge" to one of their personnel to chat to the media about their work.
In Mr Gibson's case, it was clearly an easy nudge, as it has obviously been a rewarding - and fun - career for the Masterton family man.
One comment in particular struck me. He mentioned that often Defence Forces personnel are made up of people from small communities. The West Coast, in particular, it seemed.
This wasn't a bad thing. Kiwis are well-regarded in our deployments for being self-reliant and easy-going. Bringing small-town values and a sense of community to your duty, whether it is working alongside fellow officers from other countries in a joint peacekeeping role, or walking into a village in East Timor, has to be valuable.
Strategically, there is also a powerful sense of making a difference as part of New Zealand's contribution to the Combined Maritime Force, which patrols the Indian Ocean. Piracy and hijackings of ships, which were hitting the media 10 years ago, is mostly a concept relegated to movies, thanks to 30 countries doing their bit with time and resources. The established drug routes, used to fund terrorism, are being curtailed.
