New Zealand and international soldiers will soon be sent to Tonga to help local communities with various projects and to improve their ability to handle natural disasters. These soldiers are currently preparing for Exercise Tropic Twilight at Linton Military Camp in New Zealand. The annual South Pacific exercise, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will be held in Tonga this year.
New Zealand Army engineers will travel to the island of Lifuka to help the locals become more resilient to natural disasters. A team of Defence Health personnel will also go to the island to provide community dental clinics.
Sixty New Zealand soldiers will be joined by ten army personnel from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and New Caledonia. Major James Brosnan, the officer commanding the 25 Engineer Support Squadron, said that the overseas deployment will embrace diversity and use their strengths to achieve their goals.
This is the second year in a row that the New Zealand Defence Force has chosen to hold Exercise Tropic Twilight in Tonga, to provide aid as the island kingdom recovers from the 2022 Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.
Over seven weeks, the engineer troop will work on renovations and upgrades to the Ha’ateiho Community Centre to ensure the community has a safe place to shelter during or after cyclones. The troops will also repair the Koulo Meteorological Station and upgrade facilities at two local schools.
Major Brosnan said that this mission will test the NZDF’s ability to plan, communicate, coordinate, execute and respond to developing situations. He added that the end result will be highly rewarding, as the team will be able to see the tangible benefits of their work for the community. Before leaving for Lifuka, the personnel will complete a number of activities, including a trade skills competition.
