Jerry Mateparae graduated from the Officer Cadet School at Portsea into the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in 1976. Serving with both the Infantry Regiment and the New Zealand Special Air Service. He commanded the Truce Monitoring Group on Bouganiville during Operation Belisi in 1998. In December 1999, Mateparae was promoted and assumed the appointment of New Zealand Army's Land Commander. In July 2001 he was re-appointed as the Land Component Commander in the Headquarters of Joint Forces New Zealand. In February 2002, he became the Chief of Army. In May 2006 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and took up the appointment of Chief of the Defence Force. He retired from the New Zealand Defence Force in January 2011. He served as the Governor General of New Zealand from 2011 to 2016, he is now currently servicing as the High Commissioner. AWMM