New Zealand element serves as logistical gateway

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan—At the Soldier Support Center here is a unique door called a Pare, which is symbolic of a Maori, or a mythological gateway between two worlds. One world is the realm of Tumatauenga, the Maori god of war, and the other is the realm of Rango, the Maori god of agriculture and other peaceful pursuits. Thus, the Pare serves as a gateway between hostility and conflict outside, and calm and peace inside.

The door is the entrance to the New Zealand National Support Element, which serves as the gateway for logistical support in Afghanistan through which equipment and supplies must pass to their fellow Kiwi brethren in theatre.

“In effect what we do is provide logistical support for our element here,” said New Zealand Navy Lt. Cmdr. Wayne Burtton, officer-in charge of New Zealand NSE. “We are just a very small cog in a very large machine.”

The small cog Burtton refers to is his nine-member team in the New Zealand NSE on BAF. The “Kiwis,” as they are affectionately nicknamed after their national bird, consists of about 160 personnel spread around various forward operating bases in Regional Command-East. They’ve had boots on the ground since 2001 and plan to remain until 2014.

New Zealand Army Sgt. Maj. Leslie Baker, NCO in charge of NSE, serves as an aerial delivery rigger as well as a movement control planner. He said that with a total army size of only 5,200 people, the Kiwis have to be multi-talented.

“Because we have a small army, you can’t really specialize in just one area. You usually fill the roles of many specialties,” said Baker. “We have to be able to do all these things because we have to be able to do all the things the American army does, but with far less people.”

Another multi-tasker for the Kiwis is New Zealand Army Staff Sgt. Oonagh Taru, senior supply technician for the New Zealand NSE. Her job is to purchase supplies that are required for Kiwi troops and also to manage accounts. Since Taru is working in a small element, she is learning to take on new roles.

“I’m used to managing troops and equipment,” said Taru. “But here I’m learning to do a lot of new things. I’m managing accounts and purchasing equipment and supplies.”

New Zealand Army Capt. Michael Mist, NSE executive officer, said that because they only have nine people in their unit, everyone here has their own functional role and each person here is pretty much their own manager and worker.

“We are a small team so everyone here has to crank out a lot of work to accomplish the mission,” said Mist. “They pretty much look after the whole show all by themselves.”

Mist added that it’s a challenging mission with a small team and they rely heavily on the Coalition Forces, especially the Americans.

All of the Kiwis acknowledged their gratitude to be working with the American forces.

“The support we have here is fantastic, we couldn’t ask for much more,” said Burtton.

Just as the Pare serves as a unique gateway between two worlds, the New Zealand NSE’s unique team serves in the Coalition effort to bring peace to a nation that has so long been at war.