Appendix 2: The effect of deployments on being prepared and rebuilding capability

New Zealand Defence Force: Progress with the Defence Sustainability Initiative.

We consider that it is helpful to explain the effects of deployments on being prepared and rebuilding military and corporate capability.

Most of the time, more deployments mean less preparedness. During the Defence Sustainability Initiative's foundations phase, more deployments also meant slower than planned progress in rebuilding military and corporate capability.1

There is an inherent trade-off between deployments and being prepared because personnel cannot be in two places at once. For example, when an Army field engineer is serving in Afghanistan, they are not in New Zealand carrying out pre- or post-deployment work. Further, they cannot then be involved in being prepared for potential new deployments or other activities.2

Usually, for every land-based person deployed, another two personnel are committed to pre- and post-deployment tasks. These two personnel "sustain" the deployment. For example, a 10% deployment rate would mean that 20% of the Regular Force would be involved in pre- and post-deployment activities, and 70% would be available to prepare for potential new deployments and to carry out other activities.

The table below shows the estimated effects of NZDF's deployments during the foundations phase on the number of Regular Force personnel that were available to carry out other activities or prepare for potential new deployments.

Deployed (%) Involved in pre- and
activities (%)
Involved in other
activities and
preparing for potential
new deployments (%)
February 2005 11.7 23.4 64.9
2004/05 12.9 25.8 61.3
2005/06 12.4 24.8 62.8
2006/07 15.8 31.6 47.4
2007/08 17.2 34.4 48.4

On their own, deployment rates do not give a full picture of the effect of deployments on NZDF. The reality is more complex.

NZDF's capacity to sustain deployments is also affected by the number, location, and intensity levels3 of deployments. For example, most deployments need support from communications, engineering, supply, and medical specialist personnel. Frequent, small, distant, and widely dispersed deployments mean that more of these personnel are needed. These deployment patterns present different challenges from geographically concentrated deployments. Deployments were spread around the world during the foundations phase.

NZDF works in an uncertain environment and even small deployments have a "ripple" effect on Headquarters NZDF. Some deployments occur at short notice and can affect the rest of the organisation significantly because they remove personnel from other posts, and divert equipment and other resources. Deployments create extra work in planning and defence relationships, but because of the deployment there are fewer personnel available to do that work and keep up with business-as-usual tasks.

Personnel shortages in some trades can complicate scheduling. Shortages can also result in personnel being deployed more often than would otherwise occur and can result in increased attrition.

NZDF has found it difficult to quantify or forecast with any certainty the potential effect of individual deployments on retaining personnel. One reason for this is the lag between deployments and their effects. A single deployment might not affect, for example, a soldier's decision to leave the Army. However, the effect of frequent deployments, or repeated deployments to one location and prospects of more deployments to the same place or of the same nature, combined with the effects on family, could cause a soldier to resign.

1: The Defence Capability and Resourcing Review (February 2005) has more information about the effects of deployments on NZDF than the summary we have included in our report. Go to for a copy of the Defence Capability and Resourcing Review's report.

2: "Other activities" means that personnel are either: performing defence work other than working in their regular trade; on leave; or carrying out formal technical or leadership training or non-trade work experience to prepare personnel for promotions.

3: Disaster relief work is an example of a low-intensity deployment. Reconstruction efforts in a recent war zone are an example of a medium-intensity deployment. A high-intensity deployment would involve sending combat troops to an active war zone to fight or act as peace-keepers.

page top