Defence Force soldiers return from Iraq

  • 27/11/2016
Defence Force soldiers in Taji (Supplied/NZDF)
Defence Force soldiers in Taji (Supplied/NZDF)

It's unlikely the group of Kiwi troops who have just returned from Iraq will be heading back there in the near future.

Around 100 Defence Force personnel who have been training soldiers in Iraq's Camp Taji landed in Christchurch on Saturday night after a 26-hour journey.

Major General Tim Gall says it'll be a well-deserved rest for the Kiwi soldiers who are returning home after seven months.

"They'll just go back to their normal roles in the Defence Force, and the first thing they'll do is have some time off," he says.

"Most of them have probably got about five or six weeks leave stacked up, so I imagine most of them will take that over Christmas, and then start back in their unit next year."

He says they try and make sure the soldiers only go to Taji once to give everyone a go.

"Everyone who's been to Iraq so far should be really really proud of the job they've done. They've all done a fantastic job, and we're starting to see the results - and hopefully before too long the Iraqis will have managed to resecure their borders and go back to being a country again," he says.

A new group of Kiwi soldiers has taken over the training camp for the coming year.

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