NCO killed in explosion at Waiouru

John Key on soldier death

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Flight Sergeant Andrew Bruce Forster, a 27-year New Zealand Air Force veteran, was killed in a 'freak' explosion at the Waiouru Military Camp.

NCO killed in explosion

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A senior Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer with 27-years-experience was killed instantly while marking artillery rounds for disposal today.

Flight Sergeant Andrew Bruce Forster, married with three children, had recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan.

Flight Sergeant Forster, a member of the Defence Force's explosive ordinance disposal squad, was killed in what Air Force Vice-Marshal Graham Lintott described as a 'freak' explosion at the Waiouru Military Camp in the central North Island today.

"It will send shock waves through the entire Defence Force. We are a close family."

His family were understandably devastated, he said.

Flight Sergeant Forster, who had been deployed with the Provincial Reconstruction team in Bamiyan Province in Afghanistan, was described as one of the most experienced armaments specialists in the Defence Force and had previously worked on Sky Hawks.

He was killed as he and another Air Force sergeant were marking the location of an unexploded 105 millimetre shell they had stumbled across the day before in the north-west corner of the training area - an area closed off to the public.

Flight Sergeant Forster was putting a wooden stake in the ground near the shell when the explosion occurred.
Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said the shell was believed to have a killing distance of 50 metres and could cause shrapnel damage up to 250 metres away.

Flight Sergeant Forster's companion, who received only minor injuries, was in a state of shock and "extremely lucky" to have escaped with is life, the Air Vice-Marshal said.

Following the explosion the injured sergeant had radioed for help, but it was too late as Flight Sergeant Forster died on impact.

Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said it was standard practice for troops to look out for shells to ensure they exploded on impact. When they didn't, armaments specialists used explosive devices to detonate them.

It was not an unusual event for a shell to fail to explode "and that's why we spend a lot of time training our... specialists," he said.

While dangerous, Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said marking the unexploded devices was not a task specifically reserved for armament specialist and all troops were trained how to do it.

It was believed to be the first such death in living memory.

It was not known how long the shell had been there, but Air Vice-Marshal Lintott said it had been covered in rust.
He said some shells once fired failed to detonate and buried themselves but some eventually worked their way to the surface as in this case.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said Flight Sergeant Forster's death demonstrated the danger members of the Defence Force were under every day.

"He was undertaking particularly hazardous work with unexploded munitions. It is a tragic day for the New Zealand Defence Force. There will be a full inquiry, but he was essentially marking munitions for later disposal. It's an inherently dangerous task.''

Prime Minister John Key has expressed his sympathy over the man's death.

"My condolences go out to the family.

"I think the brave men and women of the New Zealand military constantly threaten their lives as they go about their duties and it's a tragic case when a New Zealander is lost in the service of his country."

Labour leader Phil Goff said his heart went out to the families and friends of the victims of the explosion.
"As a former Minister of Defence, I am well aware of the dangers that our military personnel face every day." Mr Goff said.

"These dangers also apply during military exercises. Our military personnel know these dangers, but that does not lessen tragedies such as the one that occurred today."

The unexploded Ordinance Disposal Squadron was made up of enlisted men and women from the Air Force, Army and Navy with its head quarters in Wellington and troops around the country.

The Army was carrying out an investigation. 

- With NZPA

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