Director General

Brigadier Trengrove enlisted in to the New Zealand Army in January 1975 as a Regular Force Cadet. During training, he was selected to undergo Officer Cadet Training at Portsea in Australia in January 1977, which followed a year spent as a rifleman in 2/1 RNZIR. He graduated in December 1977 in to the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps in the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was then posted to the Waiouru Training Depot in December 1977.

In December 1978, Brigadier Trengrove was posted to 1 Squadron New Zealand Scots, Burnham, and held the appointments of Troop Officer and Troop Commander. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in February 1979. In April 1980, he was posted to Queen Alexandra’s Squadron, Waiouru, where he held the successive appointments of Troop Leader and Troop Commander with 2 Squadron NZ Scottish. In April 1982, was posted to the School of Armour as the Senior Instructor and was promoted to Captain in December of the same year. In January 1983, he took up appointment as aide-de-camp to HE the Governor-General.

On conclusion of this appointment in August 1984, he was posted to the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organisation as a United Nations Military Observer. He returned to New Zealand in August 1985 to the appointment of Senior Instructor School of Armour, Waiouru. In April 1987, he was posted on promotion to the rank of Major to Army General Staff, Wellington and held the appointments of Staff Officer Grade Two and the Assistant Military Secretary. In December 1989, he returned to Waiouru to take up the appointment of Squadron Commander, Queen Alexandra’s Squadron.

In December 1991, Brigadier Trengrove commenced a senior staff course at the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College Haigate and graduated in November 1992. He was then posted to the All Arms Tactics Centre at Pulada, Malaysia as an instructor in the Senior Tactics Wing. He returned to New Zealand in November 1994, to take up the appointment of Staff Officer Grade Two Operations/Plans, Army General Staff, Wellington. In February 1996, while still posted to Army General Staff, he assumed the appointment of Director Army Resource Policy and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He transferred to the Territorial Force (TF) in June 1999 and in July 2000 was posted to the appointment of Commanding Officer of the Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast Regiment. In December 2002, he assumed the position of Assistant Chief of Army General Staff, Human Resources (TF). Brigadier Trengrove was promoted to Colonel in March 2003. In 2005, he transferred back to the Regular Force and assumed appointment as Commander 3rd Land Force Group, Burnham.. The following year on his return to the Territorial Force, Brigadier Trengrove was appointed the Territorial Force Adviser to the Land Component Commander and Commander Army Training Group. In November 2006, he was appointed the Deputy Territorial Force Adviser. From October 2007 to February 2008, he served in the Regular Force as the Deputy Commander of the International Stabilisation Force and New Zealand Senior Officer in Timor Leste. In April 2009 he was promoted to his current rank and took up appointment as the Director General Reserve Forces and Youth Development, Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force, Wellington.

In the Royal Visit Honours February 1990, Brigadier Trengrove became a Member of the Royal Victorian Order. He was awarded the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration in the New Year Honours 2009 for his service in Timor Leste.