After a four month overseas deployment the 231 naval personnel onboard Warship HMNZS TE MANA ,and Replenishment Tanker, HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, will arrive home to be reunited with their family and friends at the Devonport Naval Base at 10:00 am on Saturday 4 July 2009.
Both ships departed the Devonport Naval Base on 1 April to conduct an operational deployment to China, South East Asia and Australia to support defence diplomacy, coalition building and regional engagement activities.
ENDEAVOUR and TE MANA participated in the Peoples Liberation Army-Navy Fleet Review in Qingdao Hong Kong; ships' personnel represented New Zealand at formal ANZAC Day Commemorations in Beijing and Hong Kong; as well as participating in three exercise activities, including the annual Bersama Shield, focusing on building coalition and regional defence relationships.
The deployment was aimed to build on the emerging relationship with China and reinforce the New Zealand Defence Force commitment to the South East Asian region through participation in regional exercise activity under the Five Power Defence Arrangement and other regional bilateral and multi-lateral defence agreements.
The Commanding Officer of HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, Commander David Toms, says “During the three months since leaving New Zealand I have been impressed and proud of the teamwork and camaraderie that the men and women who serve onboard HMNZS ENDEAVOUR have displayed. We have contributed to furthering New Zealand’s interests throughout the deployment, whether this is supporting New Zealand national initiatives in China and Hong Kong, participating with our regional partners in the Five Power Defence Arrangement exercises or Navy to Navy exercises with Malaysia.
"We certainly look forward to returning home to New Zealand and to enjoy a short break to recharge the batteries again before we sail for South East Asia at the end of August”.