Defence Force staff serving overseas have a lot on their minds at the best of times.

But for those set to spend Christmas posted in another country thoughts are turning to friends, family and simple pleasures they can't have.

"That's probably one of the biggest things I think most of us is missing, is the bread, bread from New Zealand... just amazing," Staff Sergeant Claire Allen told 1News from South Korea.

"And cheese."

More than 170 Kiwi personnel across a dozen missions are set to spend Christmas away.

They are serving in the likes of Iraq, South Sudan, Bahrain, Antarctica and Sinai.

840 personnel in New Zealand will also be working Christmas Day at our MIQ facilities.

Staff Sergeant Allen, who is posted alongside Major James Brosnan, are hoping for a white Christmas.

It is Major Brosnan's first Christmas away from home.

"We've been told it can get down to minus 18 around where we live and we've had one small snow day already," he told 1News.

"We're slowing getting into a routine where we can just use different messaging apps and video call to have pretty constant communications with home, which is a bit of a blessing these days."

Christmas for NZDF personnel posted with them at the UN Command in South Korea will be full of food and talking with whanau.

"Everyone will start off the day talking to their families and then we'll come together around lunchtime, and have a New Zealand Christmas lunch," Staff Sergeant Allen said.

"We've got a ham, a couple of salads... no pavlova, the ovens aren't good enough for pavlova," she said.

Major Brosnan said they have managed to find places that make "a decent sausage" to remind personnel of home a little but more.

Commander Brad King is posted to Bahrain.

"To be fair, for me it's just going to be pretty much a normal day other than contacting friends and family obviously online as best I can during the day."

Commander King has been working on the US base for a month, and has another four or five to go.

He will be joining another Kiwi contingent in a barbeque outside their office.

"The weather is going to be pretty good, noting that it's winter but it's still 22 degrees. You know, Kiwi summer conditions which is great," he told 1News.

"Obviously working on an American base, they're big into their Christmas."

Lieutenant Colonel Brent Morris is commanding a team of 30 Kiwis as part of the multi-national observer force in South Sinai.

"We have New Zealanders doing jobs which range from instructing, to force members, to military police, to logistics and engineering workers right through to drivers," he said.

"So Christmas for us will be a festive occasion, as festive as we can make it."

"We're going to come together as a group so all of us fortunately will be able to come together on Christmas morning."

A key feature will be opening care packages which the RSA has sent to overseas personnel for decades.

"We we'll at least have something to open on Christmas Day. There'll also be a time early morning to speak to whānau and then we'll come together for a Christmas lunch."

He too is missing things from New Zealand.

"Straight off the top of my head I'd say flat whites. You just can't get a decent coffee in Egypt, sorry to the Egyptian people but you cannot get a decent coffee in Egypt.

"If I didn't say my wife and four lovely boys then I'll probably get in a lot of trouble when I get home."