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Last updated10:15, March 27 2017

ALEX VAN WEL/FAIRFAX NZ

Kiwi troops patrolling the Ghandak highway in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.

A shelved Defence Force report on New Zealand's deployment in Afghanistan slammed the lack of a cohesive plan for our time in the country, as well as issues with faulty equipment.

However, a military commander says the report was neverformalised as it was"insufficiently accurate".

The draft report, provided to NZME under the Official Information Act, was produced after the end of New Zealand's 10-year involvement with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Bamiyan province.

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A New Zealand soldier pictured in Afghanistan. A damning report into New Zealand's deployment in the country has finally been released.

The report from the military's J8 branch, which focuses on "continuous improvement/lessons learned",criticised a "lack of a cohesive campaign plan" for New Zealand operations in Afghanistan, with each six-month rotation treated like an individual operation.

READ MORE: * Flags lowered in Bamiyan * Defence Force chief slams inaccuracies in SAS allegations

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Commander Joint Forces NZ Major General Tim Gall said the report was too inaccurate to be accepted and circulated.

"It was felt that no consolidated New Zealand campaign plan existed. As such, there was a lack of clarity over the end state and the milestones expected to be achieved."

Commanders on the ground felt "the principle of mission command was not exercised", with decisions being taken by government minister and military headquarters that should have been devolved.

Poor synchronisation between military headquarters and troops on the ground led to "frustration and wasted effort and resources", with duplicated sourcing of equipment like pallets and tie-down straps.

"A strong 'she'll be right' culture" was evident, with inconsistent application of processes.

"Personnel are simply not following established procedures or completing paperwork in accordance with published standard operating procedures."

There was a general lack of experience of working within a large coalition, while some troops were sent on deployment without meeting minimum requirements for readiness.

The report also outlined problems with military equipment. There was a shortage of specialist weapons, while issued combat boots broke down quickly in the Afghanistan environment and caused injuries, leading many soldiers to buy their own footwear.

REPORT INACCURATE - NZDF

The report was based on interviews with Kiwi troops in Afghanistan, with additional material from documents and direct observations.

"The interviewees were urged to be as open and frank as possible in their responses."

In a letter accompanying the report's release, Commander Joint Forces NZ Major General Tim Gall said it was too inaccurate to be accepted and circulated.

"The observations reported in the J8 group's conclusions diverged quite markedly from those of other, more experienced, on-the-ground observers."

Gall said the report contained self-contradictions, along with "unremarkable or mere 'business as usual' irritations" which were recorded as more serious issues.

Claims about the lack of a cohesive campaign plan ignored information at the public domain at the time about the Defence Force's missions in Afghanistan.

"The rest of the synopsis is devoted to dozens of 'issues', most of which could be characterised as being minor at best," he said.

NZME asked for a copy of the report in January 2014, but the Defence Force initially refused to release the information, saying it could compromise the country's safety and stop military officers from offering frank views.

It then decided to release the report, after Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier met Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Tim Keating.

-Stuff

Read more:
Damning Afghanistan war report criticises lack of planning for NZ deployment - Waikato Times