Air Marshal Kevin Short, CNZM for services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Air Marshal Kevin Short has commanded at all levels of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), latterly as Chief of Defence Force (CDF) from 2018 to 2024. His tenure as CDF has encompassed significant and unprecedented domestic and global events, from the recovery of bodies following the Whakaari/White Island volcanic eruption, the COVID-19 pandemic, to the evacuation of New Zealanders from Kabul during the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. He oversaw military and humanitarian aid operations domestically and overseas in a resource-constrained, pandemic environment, while also overseeing a significant update of the Capability Management System and a large re-equipment programme for NZDF. He has led The Totara Commitment, an initiative bringing together South Pacific Defence Chiefs. Air Marshal Short has overseen inclusivity and diversity inroads within NZDF.