Major General
A.D. (Dave) Gawn, MBE
Major General Arthur David Gawn was born
in Marton, New Zealand in May 1958 and
was educated at Dunstan High School.
He
enlisted into the New Zealand Army in
August 1978 and was posted to 2nd/1st
Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry
Regiment (2/1 RNZIR). He undertook
initial officer training at the Officer
Cadet School, Portsea in Australia and
graduated into the Royal New Zealand
Infantry Regiment as a Second Lieutenant
in June 1980.
After a period of post graduate training
and Platoon Commander experience at the
Waiouru Training Depot, Major General
Gawn was posted to the 2/1 RNZIR,
Burnham Camp as a Platoon Commander in
Alpha Company. In December 1981, he was
posted to the 1st Battalion RNZIR,
Singapore as a Platoon Commander in
Charlie Company and then as the
Reconnaissance Platoon Commander.
In
May 1984, Major General Gawn returned to
New Zealand, posted as the Staff Officer
Air and Special Duties on Headquarters
Army Training Group, Waiouru. In
December 1985 he was posted to
Headquarters Land Force Command,
Takapuna as the Staff Officer Grade
Three Co-ordination. He was promoted to
Captain in January 1987. In October
1987, Major General Gawn was posted to
the 1st Ranger Company as the Officer
Commanding. Due to Government cut-backs
this unit was never fully manned and it
was disestablished in late 1989.
Major General Gawn was posted to
Headquarters Land Force Command as the
Staff Officer Grade Three Peacekeeping
in December 1989. In December 1990, he
was posted as the New Zealand Instructor
at the Australian Defence Force Academy,
Canberra. Major General Gawn returned to
New Zealand in December 1992 to the 1st
Battalion RNZIR at Linton Camp as a
Company Commander. In September 1994 he
was posted to NZFOR UNPROFOR as the
Officer Commanding Kiwi Company based at
Santici Camp, Bosnia.
Major General Gawn returned to New
Zealand in March 1995 and shortly
thereafter was posted to the United
States to attend Staff College at
Leavenworth. On completion of Staff
College in June 1996 Major General Gawn
was selected to attend the School of
Advanced Warfighting at Quantico. He
returned to New Zealand in June 1997 and
assumed the appointment as Instructor,
Tactical School, Waiouru. In January
1998 on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel
he was posted to Development Branch,
Army General Staff Wellington as the
Staff Officer Grade Doctrine and
Capability Development. He moved to
Trentham in May 1999 when the
Capability, Analysis and Doctrine (CAD)
Cell was set up.
In
July 2000 Major General Gawn was posted
to the New Zealand United Nations
Transitional Authority as the Commanding
Officer, the 3rd New Zealand Battalion
Group. He returned to New Zealand in May
2001 and assumed the appointment of
Joint Staff Officer Grade One Doctrine
and Evaluation (J8), Joint Force
Headquarters, Upper Hutt. While posted
to the Headquarters Major General Gawn
was promoted to Colonel and assumed the
appointment of J3 Operations.
In
December 2002 Major General Gawn assumed
the appointment as Assistant Chief of
Staff, Development Branch Army General
Staff Wellington. In January 2005 he
commenced study at the Australian
College of Defence and Strategic
Studies. After completion of this
course in December 2005 he was
appointment as Commander 3rd Land Force
Group, Burnham Military Camp. On 18
October 2007 he was promoted to Major
General and became the Land Component
Commander within Headquarters Joint
Forces New Zealand. With effect 6
December 2010, Major General Gawn
assumed the position of Deputy Chief of
Army.
On
18 April 2011, Major General Gawn was
promoted to his current rank and assumed
his current position of Commander Joint
Forces New Zealand.
Major General Gawn was awarded a Member
of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire (MBE) in the 1996 New
Year’s Honours List. In May 2001, Major
General Gawn received a Force
Commander’s Commendation for his role in
East Timor.
Major General Gawn is married to Anna
and they have twin sons, Hamish and
McKenzie, and a daughter, Briar.
