Mark Brunton
Wing Commander Mark Brunton, of Lower Hutt, received the Distinguished Service Decoration for services to the New Zealand Defence Force. Wing Commander Brunton joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1976. In 2001, he was made responsible for the resettlement of personnel following the disbandment of the Air Combat Force. In late 2005 he was seconded to the Boeing B757 Upgrade Project as the Ministry of Defence Project Manager. The project was in difficulty following the withdrawal of one of the key contractors, requiring considerable additional work under intense time constraints and budget pressures. In 2006, after successfully renegotiating the contract, he moved to the contractor’s facilities in Mobile, Alabama when the project encountered further unforeseen finance, design, integration and production problems. Though he had limited authority, Wing Commander Burton used his negotiating and management skills to bring the project to a successful conclusion and ensured the delivery of the upgraded aircraft to the Air Force.