19 September 2025

A taste of home is on its way to every member of the New Zealand Defence Force deployed overseas this Christmas, thanks to the Royal New Zealand RSA.

For 85 years, the RNZRSA has sent Christmas parcels to deployed personnel, and while the content has changed over the years – the sentiment at the heart of them remains the same.

This year 150 parcels have been sent to deployments around the world including the Republic of Korea, South Sudan, Egypt, the Middle East and Antarctica.

The parcels were packed near Trentham Military Camp yesterday by a busy production line of `elves’ including the Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies, RNZRSA National President Sir Wayne Shelford, staff from the RNZRSA’s National Office and volunteers from the New Zealand Defence Force.

Christmas boxes were filled with treats and Kiwi classics donated by the wonderful team from Pams. Each box also contained a poppy and cards handmade by students from Mt Cook and Silverstream Primary Schools in Wellington, to let those serving overseas know the country's thoughts are with them.

RNZRSA National President, Sir Wayne Shelford said the parcels are designed to let New Zealand’s service men and women know they are not alone at Christmas time.

“It’s hard for anyone to be away from family at Christmas, but for our deployed service men and women they’re also facing uncertain circumstances and may have limited communication.

For 85 years the RSA has sent these Christmas parcels to show our defence personnel how grateful we are for their sacrifice, and to let them know how much we value them.”

Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies said that these small packages make a big difference to those away from home at Christmas.

“Deployments come with many challenges, not least of which is being separated from family and loved ones. These packages really do help our people feel connected at Christmas time – and we’re grateful to the RSA for their continued support.”

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