Warner Cowin, started his career in the Royal New Zealand Airforce and served as an Aircraft Engineer in East Timor in 2000.

We recently marked the 25th anniversary since the start of the combat operations and the formation of East Timor as an independent nation.  Warner had the privilege of returning to East Timor in July with 16 other New Zealand Defence Force veterans as part of a documentary to commemorate the anniversary. 

The experience was deeply profound and cathartic for Warner, with moments of reflection and connection. 

Warner’s passion for the New Zealand military has carried through into his mahi at Height, with nearly a third of our team being veterans and reservists.  We are proud to do work with the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Defence Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Warner Cowin’s East Timor reflections

No matter your role, being involved in East Timor operations was not a normal life experience.

The opportunity to return with 16 other NZDF veterans as part of a documentary to commentate 25 years since the start of combat operations and the formation of East Timor as an independent nation, filled me with curiosity and slight trepidation.

Initially, I thought it would be East Timor and its people that would be the trip's highlight. I hadn't expected the bond and friendship I would form with these other veterans (most of whom I was meeting for the first time) would be profoundly moving and cleansing for me.

Shared storytelling is such a powerful way to process and understand your life situation. Sitting with other veterans in the country and sharing reflections on events and experiences with those who were there was immensely powerful and cathartic.

As an Air Force guy, I had a naive myopic perspective on what was happening but had no real idea what our NZ Army Soldier was up to. From stealthily patrolling deep in the jungle for weeks on end, through to providing present and reassuring security to locals by living within their villages, I am in awe of our soldiers' professionalism and commitment to the trade of Peace Keeper.   

From my experience, Infantry Soldiers, by nature, are self-deprecating and often refer to themselves as dumb grunts. There was nothing dumb about what I observed in Timor and what I learnt from this trip. When living in a community, it takes high levels of emotional intelligence to build trusted relationships with the local people and extreme levels of professionalism and discipline to maintain high-tempo combat operations on dangerous long patrols in which there were losses and casualties.  

The success of our East Timor operation would not have been possible if it wasn’t for our soldiers dealing with bad actors who were intent on using violence and oppression to destroy the fabric of an emerging society.

Was it worth it?

When I arrived in Timor in September 2000, my first impression was stark devastation. The locals had realised that the price of voting for independence after nearly 25 years of civil war, would be violence and persecution. However, there was optimism in the faces of the people, particularly the kids.

Twenty-five years on and that positivity and optimism is still present in its people. There are obvious challenges for a poor country around infrastructure and investment, but the energy of its people and the healthy and smiling faces of the children paint an optimistic picture of its future.

The important thing as a nation is the East Timorese people get to decide their own future.

Time to reflect

There were many highlights on our trip, but visiting Manning Hill, where Private Len Manning was killed in action in July of 2001 in contact with the militia, was a stark and sombre reminder of the commitment and sacrifice that our New Zealand Troops made.

We were blessed to have Len's company commander and section commander talk and walk us through the battle site and the contact on that day that led to and followed Len's death. A cross marks the site where Len was killed, and this is cared for by the local villagers as if Len was one of their own.  

I know that many New Zealanders consider veterans to be of WW2 or Vietnam War era, but this visit highlights that even in modern-day conflicts, Kiwi troops are in harm's way and sadly laying down their lives.        

We were also fortunate to have RSA National Patron Sir Wayne (Buck) Shelford and RSA National Chair Maj Gen (Rtd) Martyn Dunne travel with us.  We also had a film crew led by Mike McRoberts and Jeff Hampton document and follow our journey as part of a documentary that will be released in March next year.   

A marker in time. Thank you for your service.

Military service is not a normal job. When you are put in situations like Timor, the benefits of youth mean that you are often naive to the commitment and prospective risk of the situation you find yourself in.

As I’ve gotten older, maybe wiser, had relationships and children, I have realised that my Timor experience was not normal and that sacrifices were made, and for some, there are burdens and scars still borne today.   

So, it is important for me to say thank you to all my service colleagues for their service. In particular, my new friends I made on this trip, thank you for being kind, compassionate and caring.

Finally, to take some time to reflect and appreciate how lucky we have it New Zealand. It's not perfect but it’s pretty close.

Photo caption: Warner in East Timor (fourth from the left)

Air Force News story

The August issue of Air Force News features a story about Warner’s experience in East Timor on page 26.  Read it here.