From Colonel to Brigadier: Longtime soldier enthused to turn 'ground truth' into army policy

Monday, 29 June 2020

Brigadier Matthew Weston is excited for his new challenge as deputy chief of army in Wellington.

It's impossible to avoid an element of prestige when one's rank climbs to brigadier, but for New Zealand's new deputy chief of army, service is more defined by humble virtues than brass ambition.

Comradery, kaupapa (principles) and the challenge of leading thousands of soldiers remain the cornerstones of Brigadier Matthew Weston's commitment to the Defence Force.

The former colonel, who has served in Afghanistan and East Timor, in June became the right-hand man for the head of the army.

As Linton Military Camp commander, Weston oversaw 1st New Zealand Brigade, which accounts for about 70 per cent of army personnel at Linton, Waiouru and Burnham.

Weston, who was the commander of Linton Military Camp for two years, says Linton is not just a base on the outskirts of Palmerston North, it is part of the community.

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'I really believe in the military's role. I think it's an important role and our people do great work overseas and at home.

'There's people that I joined with that I'm still working with or there's people I helped train that you see coming up behind you and seeing that growth in them is always very rewarding.'

His 27 years in the military will bring a wealth of on-the-ground knowledge of soldiers' issues to his new position at the Defence Force headquarters in Wellington.

He believes he has the 'ground truth' of a soldier's life to inform policy making and set priorities.

'The issues we see in society we see in the military, so drugs, the challenges that the youth of today face, are challenges that we face in the military.

'It's continuing to ensure that our military force is healthy, well-disciplined and ready to do their job.'

A stronger connection between Linton and Palmerston North has been a goal for Weston in his two years as commander at Linton, and its fulfilment is among the batons passed on to his replacement.

With the educational, occupational and housing opportunities the city offered soldiers' families, he said it was important to keep building ties between Linton and the city.

'Linton's here to stay, and we need to keep investing in where our soldiers live and work, in that they have the right equipment to do their job that we're giving them, the right training and educational experiences so that they do have a rewarding career, but more importantly so that they can deliver the outputs of the Government.'

Covid-19 had put the brakes on about three months of domestic and overseas training exercises, but Weston was confident the army would still be able to keep soldiers' sharp through training at domestic sites for the remainder of 2020.

Weston has handed the reigns at Linton to Colonel Stefan Michie.