WELLINGTON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Major General Dave Gawn, currently Commander of New Zealand's Joint Forces Headquarters, will be the country's new Chief of Army, Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman announced Wednesday.
Gawn had exhibited the strategic and leadership characteristics required to be appointed to lead the army, said Coleman in a statement.
Gawn enlisted in the New Zealand Army in 1978, and had served in Singapore, Australia, Bosnia, East Timor, and had studied in the United States and Australia.
He was promoted to his current rank and assumed his current position of Commander Joint Forces New Zealand in 2011.
The post of Chief of Army became vacant when Major General Tim Keating was appointed Vice Chief of Defence in December 2012.
Air Commodore Kevin Short was named to succeed Gawn as the new Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, which oversees command of all New Zealand's deployed forces.
Short, deputy chief of Air Force, had held a number of senior level appointments in the Air project, strategic commitments, plans and capability development related areas, said Coleman.
|
