A new campaign is being launched today to support and advocate for serving Defence Force personnel across New Zealand and their whānau.

Dubbed “Mission Homefront”, it’s dedicated to ensuring personnel’s voices are heard and raising awareness about the conditions service members and whānau are subjected to, day in and day out.

The campaign is spearheaded by military spouse, Erin Speedy, who wrote a brutal open letter to the Government detailing the daily struggles of being a military family.

The sheer number of messages, emails and phone calls she received in support spurred her to collect her own submissions of people’s lived experiences and stories.

“It became abundantly clear that something needed to be done, that New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel and their families are crying out for help and support but it is an empty void,” she said.

“The way uniformed members across our armed forces are being treated is heartbreaking and negligent, leading to all kinds of negative outcomes for individuals, whānau and tamariki.”

“Personnel and civilians are submitting stories of living in damp, cold and mouldy homes, children and adults suffering constant and recurring illnesses including mould toxicity, respiratory infections and asthma problems that are leaving adults and children hospitalised.”

“Some instances being described include a family who had no toilet for two months and were forced to use the neighbouring house’s toilet, being left without heating for three months, basic maintenance not being done on homes or substandard maintenance causing more issues, leaks not being fixed properly, and families living in homes in negative temperatures that are not fit for purpose with poor insulation, drafts and windows.”

“Individuals and families have detailed their financial struggles trying to survive on military wages, unable to afford the power bills to heat their homes, getting themselves into debt and being left with no other options,” she said.

The military is distinguished from other government agencies by routinely compelling its Regular Force personnel to relocate to different locations, separated from their families, and undertake operations with risk of injury or death.

She said it’s a n extremely hard lifestyle to live, particularly when posted to remote and isolated communities with no civilian opportunities, support and lack of adequate facilities such a s childcare and medical centres.

“One spouse told how they were left with PTSD due to the lack of support available when their partner was overseas for a long period of time. Personnel are also detailing how high attrition rates have left them stressed and burnt out, sometimes forced to do the jobs of up to five people in their units.”

While passionate about the immense opportunities, experiences, and career progression the NZDF provides, she believes that its true foundation—its people—are being neglected.

Speedy said there needs to be an independent review into NZDF housing and accommodation and cross party political support to ensure Defence and its people are funded and remunerated appropriately.

“The Defence Force is the first to respond when Aoteaoa needs us. They’ve responded and provided relief and aid through major natural disasters and incidents like Cyclone Gabrielle, the Christchurch and Ka iko ura earthquakes, the Whakaari White Island Disaster, the Edgecumbe floods, the COVID-1 9 pandemic, major fires, the Ashburton floods, have sent RNZAF planes to New Caledonia to evacuate citizens and the list goes on.”

“The reality is, Defence spending isn’t about arms and heavy weapons, it’s about investing in people and capabilities to have the ability to respond to events in our own backyard, the Pacific and globally. The welfare and serving conditions of our Defence Force personnel and their whānau needs to be a top priority, and they need to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

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