Key operational leadership roles reciprocated between New Zealand and Australian Defence Forces

And in a reciprocal arrangement, an Australian Defence Force (ADF) officer has been appointed as Deputy Commander Joint Forces New Zealand (DCOMJ).

The two joint forces headquarters are responsible for the planning, control and conduct of their respective country’s military operations.

Defence Minister Judith Collins KC and Deputy Australian Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, welcomed the appointments during talks on the sidelines of the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Auckland today.

New Zealand Army officer, Major General Hugh McAslan, DSD, is taking up the ADF role, which is based near Canberra.  It marks the highest-level senior appointment of an officer from a foreign military into the Australian Defence Force.

“I am pleased with this development in the New Zealand-Australian military relationship. It serves to further strengthen and enhance​, at the senior level, the trust and comradery we share with our Australian ally,” said Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Tony Davies.

“Our shared values and history dates back more than a century. We continue to work together to ensure the peace and prosperity we enjoy today in the south west Pacific.

With this reciprocal arrangement that has seen an Australian ​Army Brigadier appointed as Deputy Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, I am confident we will continue to work well together as allies to ensure our security.

The Australian Army’s Brigadier Michael Bassingthwaighte, DSM, was appointed as DCOMJ. He started the role in July, based at Joint Forces Headquarters at Trentham.

Major General McAslan said the two countries shared a unique history and heritage.

“This appointment will only strengthen that bond and ensure our ongoing interoperability and integration. I have spent a considerable amount of time during my 35-year career working closely with ADF personnel.

“My experience working alongside the ADF in operations throughout the world, including in Iraq and Timor-Leste, within the strategic intelligence community, and across the Asia-Pacific region, will be invaluable in taking on this new role.”

Brigadier Bassingthwaighte said he was honoured to be appointed the first Australian DCOMJ New Zealand, having had the pleasure of working with members of the NZDF during his career to date, from INTERFET in Timor-Leste in 1999 to most recently as part of the Anzac training mission at Taji, Iraq, in 2019.

“Building on our mutual history makes the sharing of personnel a natural progression between the NZDF and ADF,” he said.

“In the time I have been DCOMJ, I have had the privilege of experiencing the drive and conviction of NZDF personnel to serve their country and community. I very much look forward to deepening the Anzac relationship in pursuit of our shared national interests.”