NZ Medical Team on Route to Aceh
The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson and Defence Minister Mark Burton today farewelled a New Zealand Defence Force Medical team deploying to Indonesia.
05-0001-03 Corporal Roddy Arriagada and the Ohakea Air Movements team load a C-130 Hercules with medical supplies to help with the Asian Tsunami disaster relief.
05-0001-02 Minister of Defence, Mark Burton talking with Private Brent Thornton, and Sergeant Shane Foster Linton, before the latter's departure overseas with an NZDF medical team to help with the Asia Tsunami disaster relief.
The 30-strong team will form part of an ANZAC effort in Aceh, contributing urgent medical assistance.
An Air Force C-130 Hercules left RNZAF Base Ohakea at 10am with 13 members of the medical team on board - another 17 are flying to the region on civil aircraft.
After deploying the medical team, the Hercules will remain in the region to help with aid work in the tsunami-affected region.