Air Force crew rescues woman in Timor Leste

Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel in Timor-Leste performed an aero medical evacuation (AME) for a 20 year old local woman requiring an emergency caesarean last night.

Carrying a Doctor and paramedic, the Iroquois and crew flew to Maliana (west Timor-Leste) to transport the woman to Dili, where a UN ambulance moved her to Dili Hospital.

Thirty RNZAF personnel and two Iroquois helicopters from the Ohakea-based 3 Squadron support the Combined Joint Task Force in Timor-Leste.

They work alongside Australian Defence Force assets and carry out personnel movement, aero medical evacuation and air logistics support tasks.

New Zealand has contributed to various United Nations and peacekeeping efforts in Timor-Leste since 1999. The New Zealand Defence Force’s commitment to Timor-Leste at present consists of more than 180 Defence personnel and two helicopters serving with the Combined Joint Task Force, as well as two Military Liaison Officers serving with the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and two advisors to the Timor-Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL).

ENDS

Currently 425 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 15 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world.