Lack of military action factor in NZ Defence Force staffing battle, attrition rate before Ukraine mission

Ukrainian soldiers fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions near Bakhmut on Sunday, March 5. Photo / Libkos, AP

The Defence Force’s battle for recruits was partly because a lack of military action was leading troops to seek work elsewhere.

Cabinet papers released under the Official Information Act highlight thinking behind decisions to send New Zealand troops to help train Ukrainians in Europe.

And a former Defence Minister and NZDF veteran said the deployment likely did boost morale but serious challenges to staff retention remained, including from a new and perhaps unexpected source.

The Cabinet last August cited multiple benefits to extending the Ukraine training deployment in Europe and the UK.

“Further New Zealand contributions to Ukraine now will have a direct and positive impact on the broad range of New Zealand interests that are engaged through this conflict,” said the Cabinet minute, made public after Herald inquiries.

“Deploying qualified New Zealand Army infantry personnel would provide a significant retention mechanism,” the minute added.

Royal New Zealand Artillery during an exercise with the L119 howitzer. The Government in May last year first announced the howitzer training deployment to the UK, where Kiwis trained Ukrainians. Photo / NZDF

At the time, a labour shortage was crippling industries including hospitality and tourism.

Unemployment was low and few new migrants were arriving in the aftermath of pandemic-era border closures.

The NZDF was struggling to find staff too.

“This proposal also provides a significant retention opportunity for the New Zealand Army at a time when attrition is high, partly as a result of the low tempo of military activity in the wake of the NZDF’s support to New Zealand’s Covid-19 response,” the Cabinet paper added.

The attrition situation was severe enough for the Defence Force to launch a big recruitment campaign in late August encouraging 16-24 year olds to consider careers in the services.

To assist Ukraine, the Cabinet agreed to deploy two Defence Force training teams of up to 120 personnel to the UK, at an estimated cost of $4.366 million.

Those costs were covered within existing Budget allocations.

Peeni Henare was Defence Minister at the time.

“A deployment of this nature involving junior members of the New Zealand Army conducting core soldier skills in a foreign environment alongside key partners is likely to enhance morale and improve retention,” the Cabinet added.

As the Herald previously revealed, Henare had asked his colleagues to send Javelin anti-tank missiles to help Ukraine but the Cabinet declined.

When discussing ongoing commitments four months later, the Cabinet minute said high numbers of Ukrainian forces were being killed and wounded while Russia kept attacking civilian populations and infrastructure.

Despite some talk of NZ forces being overstretched at the time, Cabinet papers suggested otherwise.

Commitments to Ukraine would not impair the NZDF ability to deal with regional or domestic contingencies, engagement in the Pacific, or regeneration of New Zealand Army capabilities, the minute added.

“Humanitarian assistance missions, such as in the wake of severe weather events, typically require support trades such as logistics, medical and engineering, as opposed to infantry personnel,” the Cabinet paper added.

“Our ongoing role assisting and adding value to an international response supports Ukraine in protecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty as it continues to defend its interests.”

The training included weapons handling, combat first aid, operational law and soldier skills.

The Cabinet predicted sending two teams totalling 120 personnel would be better for personnel retention than sending one team of 60 people.

Army veteran and 2017-2020 Minister of Defence Ron Mark said it was correct to have expected the Ukrainian training deployment to be good for morale.

“From the people I’ve spoken to, they’ve got as much satisfaction from training Ukrainian soldiers, if not more, than they got from training Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad.”

Lack of deployment in recent years impacted morale, Mark told the Herald, even though other issues were also influencing attrition rates.

“Part of the drive to serve involves service overseas, offshore, on a mission.”

He said altruism and a desire to serve, rather than making lots of money, motivated people to enlist.

But the high cost of living and perceptions of stagnating pay and under-appreciation by bureaucrats had driven some soldiers away in recent years, he said.

Mark said after the Vietnam War, a long time of no serious deployments followed, and stigma drove some Vietnam veterans to leave the NZDF.

But from the early 1990s it was “a rolling maul” of deployments to places including Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mark said during the Jacinda Ardern and Labour-led government when his NZ First party was a junior coalition partner, there was often pushback to suggested deployments.

Ron Mark, when Defence Minister, with teams departing to Australia from RNZAF Ohakea. At that time, about 100 Defence Force personnel flew to Australia to help fight devastating bush fires. Photo / Rachel Pugh

Mark said commissioned officers such as Colonels, Lt Colonels and Majors had in some cases left for better pay at other Government agencies including Customs and MBIE.

He said overseas deployments boosted training and experience for those who went abroad, and offered hope to soldiers still at home.

Now he expected Australia would be more attractive to dissatisfied soldiers, especially after it recently streamlined the pathway to citizenship there for New Zealanders.

“They’ve got tanks, they’ve got jets, and they’re a fighting combat force.”

A Cabinet paper from November said New Zealand had by that point contributed more than $45.8 million of financial and other assistance to Ukraine.

It also pointed out the Government had imposed sanctions targeting more than 1200 Russian and Belarussian individuals and entities.

The same paper, which Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta released, showed $2.099m was predicted to be spent on more training for the Assistance for Ukraine assistance mission in FY 2023/24.