NZDF Hosts International Defence Reserves Conference

The Acting Chief of Army, Brigadier Pete Kelly, has welcomed visiting delegates to this year’s ABCA Information Team Reserves Conference.

The annual ABCA (America, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) conference allows participating nations to discuss ways each organisation can improve interoperability, identify best practice and exchange information on the experience of Reserve Forces to support future operations.

First established in May 2005, BRIG Pete Kelly says that regular meetings between our closest defence partners are an invaluable way for each country to better align capabilities and practices across both the Regular and Reserve Forces.

“This is the third ABCA conference we have hosted this year, as part of our ongoing discussion and collaboration between our own armed forces and our closest allies,” BRIG Kelly said.

“Our Reserve Forces play an important part in our military organisation – enhancing skills sets available to us through their civilian roles as well as bolstering our numbers in an operational environment. This year’s theme Integrating Reserves into Operational Deployments focused discussion on sustaining active Reserve service on operations.

“The conference clearly highlighted there are common challenges our Reserve Forces face within an ever changing security environment. Broad Defence engagement allows us to focus on how each of our countries’ Reserves are best used at an operational level, and at what level of readiness they are held,” BRIG Kelly said.

“As with all of these regular meetings, it offers a chance for our Army to further enhance the day-to-day working relationship we have with our counterparts. This year was New Zealand’s turn to host the meeting, and I was delighted to welcome our friends and allies, representing a huge number of Reserve Force soldiers and officers from our five countries,” BRIG Kelly said.

New Zealand hosts the ABCA Information Team Reserve Conference every five years. Last year’s Conference was held in London. This year’s conference ran from 23 – 25 August in Auckland.

ENDS

© Scoop Media