87 Years Service Rewarded

Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson, Chief of Defence Force, recently confirmed the following senior officer postings and promotion: Captain Bruce Pepperell (RNZN), born in Opotiki, who joined the RNZN in 1975, is promoted to the rank of Commodore and posted as Assistant Chief Personnel. He begins his new role on 26 July.

Brigadier Paul Southwell, originally from Auckland, joined the NZ Army in 1972 and is posted as Deputy Chief of Army. Brigadier Southwell previously held the position of Land Component Commander. He begins his new role today.

Brigadier Warren Whiting, hailing from the Waikato, graduated into the Royal New Zealand Artillery in 1978 and is posted as the Land Component Commander. Brigadier Whiting previously held the position Assistant Chief Personnel.

He begins his new role today. These senior officers represent a combined total of 87 years service and a wealth of specialised and operational experience.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>