Our first female defence chief

Judith Collins recently announced three new service heads for the defence force:

• Commodore (now Read Admiral) Garin Golding as Head of Navy
• Brigadier (now Major General) Rose King as Head of Army
• Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb

Major General King is the first female general in New Zealand, and the first female service head.

She enlisted 33 years ago and graduated into the Corps of Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. She has served in Prevlaka (border between Croatia and Montenegro) and Afghanistan. Professionally she has a Masters of Management in Defence Studies (University of Canberra, a MA (Strategic Studies) from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Defence Studies from Massey University.

She is also one of only four NZers to have received the NATO Meritorious Service Medal.