Defence Force recruiting drive marches ahead

A heavy recruiting campaign across all three services of the New Zealand Defence Force has pegged back a decline in the numbers of new recruits.

The numbers of servicemen and women fell for several years as the Army, Navy and Air Force were put under pressure from several overseas reconstruction and humanitarian deployments.

But the defence force figures show clear signs that recruiting drives are paying off.

In January the fulltime uniformed strength of the defence forces had hit a historic low of just 8490, but by April 1 the numbers had grown to 8731, the Manawatu Standard has reported, returning the defence force to its December 2001 strength.

Some of those back in uniform are former soldiers attracted back to regular forces, often after a part-time territorial role.

Army spokesman Major Murray Brown said Defence recruiters were generally "very happy" with their results and the way the trend was moving.

New Zealand defence forces are in several countries, including Iraq where 61 engineers are on a reconstruction and humanitarian aid mission, and Afghanistan where nearly 100 New Zealand military personnel are deployed.

Military engineers were also heavily involved in the opening phases of the Solomon Islands assistance mission, have an ongoing commitment in the Sinai, and a mine clearance programme in Cambodia and Mozambique.

The team in Iraq will be pulled out in September so the deployment to Afghanistan can be boosted but Prime Minister Helen Clark said New Zealand could look at other forms of assistance to Iraq.

- NZPA