The family of dead soldier Rory Malone claim the Defence Force have treated them like 'second-class' citizens and the insensitive handling of his funeral arrangements caused them unnecessary stress.

Two defence staff killed themselves and seven others attempted to do so in the past year.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has denied accusations the SAS is under-equipped for battle.

An elite NZ soldier who has served in some of the worst conflict zones in recent history will not be dismissed despite being convicted of stealing military equipment.

An SAS soldier has been fined $4700 at a court martial in Auckland this afternoon for stealing service property, but can remain in the Army.

Testing for anabolic steroid use should be considered by the NZ Defence and Police forces, a coroner has recommended following an inquest.

A staff sergeant in the SAS has told a court martial about how surplus United States military equipment, including a truck, was used by New Zealand armed forces in Afghanistan.

One of the charges against a SAS soldier facing a court martial has been withdrawn this morning.

A SAS soldier accused of stealing service property didn't know the gun accessories were owned by the Army, his defence lawyer told a court martial today.

The Defence Force paid US$1,000 to the families of two elite Afghan soldiers who were killed while the SAS was mentoring them.

Old soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with serving troops this morning to commemorate Armistice Day on the 95th anniversary of the end of World War I.

A new twin-engined air force helicopter will need all its rotors repaired or replaced, at a cost of millions of dollars, after being hit by lightning.

The first female Papua New Guinea army officers have just completed a rigorous training exercise, with the help of a New Zealand Army Captain.

A gay and lesbian support group in one of our most conservative institutions - the military - has won the supreme award in this year's Equal Employment Opportunities Trust diversity awards.

Prime Minister John Key says neither New Zealand's domestic and foreign spy agencies, the SIS and GCSB, have been involved in surveillance of journalist Jon Stephenson.

A former Defence Force chief says he is concerned by a leaked Defence Force document that lists investigative journalists as subversive threats.

After Private Michael Ross went missing during an army training exercise, his family clung to the hope he was playing with them and would turn up and surprise them.

The death of a soldier who drowned when he fell off a boat during a training exercise on a lake was accidental but could have been prevented, a Court of Inquiry has found.

New Zealand will withdraw its military personnel from the Solomons after 10 years as part of a peace-keeping mission but some NZ police personnel will remain.

PM John Key has gifted a children's playground to the people of the Solomon Islands to mark the work of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.

"It's a tough job... blowing up bits of old bombs," says the commander of the NZDF in Solomons after four tonnes of unexploded ordinance was cleared.

War in all its terror is becoming ever more visible. Helmet cameras and the like enable commanders to watch the fighting from the other side of the world and inevitably, the footage finds its way into the public eye.

MPs will return to the House today with three new reminders of New Zealand's losses and service in wars overseas.

A record number of defence staff last year sought psychological help as the country suffered its greatest combat loss since Vietnam.

MPs will give way to New Zealand soldiers - including SAS troops - and their families this evening for a ceremony in Parliament's debating chamber.

Two brothers seriously injured in separate army training incidents are a step closer to ending their 16-year battle for compensation.