New Zealand's top NCO addresses multilateral conference

  • Published
  • By Maj. Sam Highley
  • 13th Air Force Public Affairs
WELLINGTON, New Zealand --  The world is evolving rapidly and every nation's enlisted corps must keep up with the changes to remain relevant, said WO1 John Barclay while speaking at the Senior Enlisted Leadership Conference here June 25.

WO1 Barclay ought to know. He is the first Warrant Officer of the New Zealand Defence Force, a position created in 2006 when the NZDF's senior leaders realized they had to capitalize more on the capabilities of their nation's enlisted ranks.

The 32-year veteran of the New Zealand Army was a keynote speaker at the conference, which has gathered senior enlisted leaders from air forces throughout the Asia-Pacific region here June 23-27. It is being held in conjunction with the Pacific Rim Airpower Symposium, both co-hosted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force and U.S. Air Force.

"Warrant officers in the New Zealand Defence Force...were fantastic, and we still are, at delivering today," WO1 Barclay said, referring to the NZDF's top enlisted leaders and their focus in the past. "We were also, and this is my belief, reactionary. Something happened, and we found a way around it."

However, New Zealand's warrant officers soon found that by only "making today happen," they were invariably too late, he said.

"The world and the environment we work in are extremely fluid and extremely volatile," WO1 Barclay said. "For the NZDF warrant officer to stay relevant, we must dare to change and innovate, because the best way to predict the future is to create it."

That change involved moving the New Zealand enlisted corps from operating mostly at the tactical and operational levels, up to the strategic level, the warrant officer said.

"[Warrant officers] working at a strategic level really challenged the organization," he said, referring to the NZDF. "Changing culture in an organization takes a long time, but it is working."

The last several years have seen a lot of changes for the NZDF's enlisted. Among the new programs cited by WO1 Barclay was the establishment of three new positions: a Warrant Officer of the Air Force, a Warrant Officer of Professional Military Development, and his position in the headquarters.

Additionally, WO1 Barclay said the NZDF created a Warrant Officer Advanced Course which encourages strategic thinking among New Zealand's senior enlisted leaders.

WO1 Barclay challenged the enlisted leaders present to always look to the future, and always ensure that their nations' enlisted corps are delivering strategic effects needed by their country and their senior leaders.

"The more we can show [the strategic value of a strong enlisted corps], the better we will become, and the more accepted we will be," he told the attendees. "Then we can rightfully take our place at all levels - the tactical, the operational, and the strategic--and have a positive effect on the organization."

Representatives from nineteen regional air forces attended the Pacific Rim Airpower Symposium and Senior Enlisted Leadership Conference, including delegates from Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United States and Vietnam.

Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback, 13th Air Force commander at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Chief Master Sgt. Harry Viel, 7th Air Force command chief master sergeant at Osan Air Base, South Korea, led the U.S. delegation. Thirteenth AF headed up the U.S. planning and execution of the event.