Babcock Maritime Fleet Sustainment Service Transition Lead, Jon Irving, takes great satisfaction in his 19 years’ service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, ‘doing his bit’ to serve New Zealand while following in the footsteps of three generations of his family.
I have strong and proud ties to the military. My Grandfathers served in the New Zealand Army during World War II, and my dad and uncle both served in the Royal New Zealand Artillery. My brother and I followed suit, I joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force and my brother the New Zealand Army.
During my service, I supported New Zealand Defence Force outputs as an Avionics Technician then as an Engineering Officer. I joined as a 17-year-old Cadet Youth and left as a Squadron Leader, Officer Commanding Avionics Squadron, and the Avionics Trade Sponsor. Throughout my career, I was generally associated with the P-3 Orion and it was awesome to see them fly past our office on their final flight.
I have been with Babcock for four years and have worked in various roles within the Technical Authority and Business Excellence. Currently, I am facilitating the performance of our new contract with the New Zealand Defence Force – Hāpai Taua Manuao | Maritime Fleet Sustainment Services agreement. This significant contract is a strategic collaboration between Babcock NZ and the New Zealand Defence Force working together to deliver maintenance, repair, overhaul and engineering services for the Royal New Zealand Navy Fleet. I am proud to be involved in an organisation that is committed to supporting the New Zealand Defence Force outputs. Our work enables the Royal New Zealand Navy to do good, make a difference and ultimately ensures our continued success as a nation.
Anzac Day is important to me and is spent with my family. I take my daughters to the Dawn Service where we meet up with my dad and uncle, we then go to breakfast with other veterans. On the day, I also reach out to my veteran brother and mates from the services. To me, Anzac Day is all about remembrance, reflecting on the freedoms I enjoy today that have been paid for by the sacrifice of previous generations.
