New Zealand
“Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei” “Seek the treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain” What you can expect from me....... I will stand in front of you, beside you, and behind you. I will listen, let you speak and help you perform to be the best that you can. I will acknowledge you, guide you, support you, and reward you for your efforts. When you fall, I'll pick you up. Like you, I have dirtied my hands, formed calluses, drawn blood, shed tears, poured sweat, bruised my back, battered my knees, faced all the elements, and had my ego checked. I will happily continue to do it again, and again, alongside you, beside you. Like you, I have made mistakes, and will still make mistakes. However, I'll ensure to learn from them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and try not to make the same mistake twice. I’d rather serve with somebody that has experienced failure, rather with somebody that has never. This is part of our grounding, character building, combined with those experiences help set the foundations, to take the right path, making it easier to make a decision, a good decision, the right decision. There is no agenda, I am who I am, a person from a simple background who had to endure hardships along the way, and learn from them, learn fast or get swallowed up. A key time in my life, I made a wrong decision and was given a second chance to set it right, and 35 years later, I am still here. Those key people that stood by me then, that saw something in me, that gave me a chance, thank you, thank you for the awesome life experiences that I have received as a soldier within the NZ Army. He Toa ahau na Ngati Tūmatauenga (I am a warrior of Ngati Tūmatauenga). I will serve New Zealand loyally and honourably. I will carry on the proud tradition of those that have served and gone before me. I embrace the NZ Army core values, Tu Kaha (Courage), Tu Tika (Commitment), Tu Tira (Comradeship), Tu Maia (Integrity), and I will help to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. He hoia ahau (I am a soldier). E tipu e rea mo ngā rā o tō ao Ko tō ringa ki ngā rākau ā te Pakeha Hei ara mō tō tinana Ko tō ngākau ki ngā tāonga a ō tīpuna Māori Hei tikitiki mō tō māhuna Ko tō wairua ki tō Atua, Nānā nei ngā mea katoa.” “Grow up and thrive for the days destined to you. Your hands to the tools of the Pakeha to provide physical sustenance, Your heart to the treasures of your Māori ancestors as a diadem for your brow, Your soul to your God, to whom all things belong.” Tā Apirana Ngata