Military service recognised
Three members of the New Zealand Defence Force received the Distinguished Service Decoration for services to the New Zealand Defence Force. Pictured (from left): Brigadier T.M. Keating, Deputy Chief of Army, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, Lieutenant Blake Herbert, Major Simon Marriott (Lieutenant Michael Koberstein is not pictured).
Lieutenant Blake Herbert, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, of Albany, for recognised for his service to to the New Zealand Defence Force. Lieutenant Herbert has served more than 35 years in the Territorial Force since enlisting in November 1973. He has voluntarily taken on the role of unit historian, which sees him as the principal custodian, curator and archivist of the 3rd Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly’s Own) and Northland Battalion Group’s memorabilia and taonga.
Lieutenant Michael Koberstein, New Zealand Intelligence Corps, of Mt Wellington (not pictured) was recognised for services to the New Zealand Defence Force. Lieutenant Koberstein, then an Acting Captain, was, deployed to Afghanistan from April to October 2009 as Intelligence Officer for the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team based in Bamyan. Lieutenant Koberstein also developed accurate and detailed information databases on key persons of interest within Bamyan Province, which proved valuable in the collation of evidence against suspected insurgents and those suspected of supporting terrorist acts in the province.
Major Simon Marriott, Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps, of Paeroa was recognised for his service to the New Zealand Defence Force. He developed innovative and progressive training regimes which have enabled his unit to provide a reliable supply of competent territorial force soldiers needed to support the wide range of operational deployments undertaken by the New Zealand Defence Force over the past 10 years.