section commander cpl stephen woods, 8/9rar, wins the hassett

Edition 1273 December 8, 2011

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MASCOT GETS A PROMOTION PAGE 15

GUNNERS IN THE US PAGE 25

3RAR MAKES ITS MOVE PAGE 2

IN GOOD HANDSSection commander Cpl Stephen Woods, 8/9RAR, wins theSection commander Cpl Stephen Woods, 8/9RAR, wins theHassett Award for outstanding leadership ahead of his Hassett Award for outstanding leadership ahead of his battalion’s Afghanistan deployment next yearbattalion’s Afghanistan deployment next year Page 3Page 3

High standard: Cpl Stephen Woods with his Hassett

Award, presented annually to the RAR’s top junior leader.

Photo by Pte Alexander Coe

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Edition 1273

2 NEWS Army December 8, 2011

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Given the tour: Gnr David Lutomski introduces his boss, Director of Nursing Operation Support at Canberra Hospital Judy Gosper to a family in Solomon Islands during Exercise Boss Lift. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis

Next year crucial: PMBy Cpl Melanie Schinkel

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard said 2012 would be a crucial year for Australian forces in Afghanistan during her update to the House of Representatives in Parliament on November 21.

In her address, Ms Gillard said many patrols were now being led by the ANA with Australian assistance and 11 forward operating bases had been handed over to Afghan forces, however, some sections of the 4th Bde were developing faster than others.

“One of the brigade’s kandaks, or battalions, is now close to being able to conduct fully independent operations with Australian advis-ers,” Ms Gillard said.

“The others are making steady progress with more expected to be capable of conducting independent operations next year.”

Ms Gillard said the mentoring mission in Uruzgan province was on track to transfer security responsi-bility in the province to the ANA by the end of 2014, but an Australian presence in Afghanistan was likely to continue beyond that date.

“Whether there is still a coun-ter-terrorism role for the ADF, in concert with the US and other inter-national partners, will depend both on the security situation and on our discussions with our international partners,” she said.

“The government will keep under consideration a continued Australian Special Forces presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014.”

The Prime Minister said she was “deeply aware” of the burdens and sacrifices of Defence personnel and their families amid the high opera-tional tempo of the past 12 years.

“In the years since 1999 we’ve

asked much of this generation of our Defence force personnel,” she said. “We ask much of their families. We ask much of the communities they come from and the communities where they live. And for these good people, this has been a very hard year.”

Paying t r ibu te to the 11 Australians killed in Afghanistan this year, Ms Gillard said she want-ed to ensure wounded personnel

and their families were also remem-bered.

“Our country will recognise and respect our wounded as well as our dead,” she said.

“Our country will take care of these Australians as they have taken care of us. We will see our mission through, we will see our people through as well.”

Summing up her address to Parliament, the Prime Minister

described “drinking a non-alco-holic beer” with ADF personnel in Darwin during US President Barack Obama’s visit on November 17 as a highlight of her year.

“We will do what is neces-sary,” she said. “We will defend our national interests. We will deny ter-rorism a safe haven in Afghanistan. We will stand by our ally, the United States. We will complete our mis-sion of training and transition.”

RESPONDING to the Prime Minister’s address to Parliament, Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare gave an update on recent equip-ment upgrades aimed at protecting troops in Afghanistan.

New body armour, combat uniforms and longer range machine guns were among the initiatives implemented this year, he said.

The Bushmasters were also upgraded with the installation of protected weapons stations, internal spall liners and new seating and floor-ing to give troops better protection against spi-nal and lower limb injuries from the blast effects of IEDs.

In October, 2000 helmets were fitted with new padding and harnesses to increase com-fort and functionality and a further 1500 hel-mets will be upgraded next year.

“All up we are spending more than $1.6 billion on new equipment to better protect our troops in Afghanistan,” Mr Clare said.

“Earlier this year, we installed a counter rocket system at Tarin Kot – and at a number of our FOBs –to warn troops of rocket attacks.

“To date they have provided advanced warning of 23 attacks – giving precious sec-onds for troops to hit the deck or find cover.”

He said Australia would loan three new IED clearance systems from Canada for a year from 2012 and that work was under way to assess the possible acquisition of a permanent system.

The systems include two Husky protected mobility vehicles, which will drive at the front of convoys and use ground-penetrating radar to detect IEDs buried in the road, and one Buffalo mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle fit-ted with an interrogation arm and Gyrocam camera to help combat engineers defuse IEDs more safely.

2011 KIT UPGRADES

At the front: Prime Minister Julia Gillard addresses ADF personnel in Tarin Kot during her visit to Afghanistan in early November. Ms Gillard recently gave an annual update to Parliament on Australia’s operations and progress in Afghanistan. Photo by PO Damian Pawlenko

Third Battalion farewells HolsworthyBy Cfn Max Bree

FOR Pte Julian Palstra, 3RAR’s coming move to Townsville will mean a new lifestyle and a change of fashion.

“Some people are sad about leaving Sydney but I kind of like the tropical lifestyle,” he said.

“It’s more laid back and you can get around in shorts at mid-night.”

The battalion marked the end of its 29-year stay at Holsworthy with a ceremonial unveiling of an eagle monument on November 30.

3RAR veterans joined soldiers for the battalion’s final event in Sydney as the unit’s equipment sat waiting in new facilities at Lavarack Barracks ready for next year.

Battalion 2IC Maj Matt Vine said 99 per cent of the battalion’s soldiers had “housing solutions” in Townsville, despite initial prob-lems. The housing availability sur-passes the 90 per cent expected by Toll Transitions when moving a battalion-sized unit.

The task of moving a battalion was nothing new to former 3RAR RSM WO1 Col Lee (retd), who moved with 3RAR from Woodside to Holsworthy in 1982.

“We had all the dramas of the boys marrying the local girls,” Mr Lee said.

“Our fellas in Adelaide married Adelaide girls and they didn’t want to leave, but they came eventually.

“They shouldn’t be worried about going. Townsville has good nightlife, good restaurants. It’s not like the old Townsville.”

The battalion took on a new role after its move from Woodside as well, Mr Lee said.

“When we took on the para role we had to learn how to adapt to a new way of insertion.

“But you’re still infantry – it’s just a different way to get there. And we became very good at it.”

Mr Lee also hit out at a recent report in Army that said 3RAR had its “wings clipped”.

“The battalion never gets

its wings clipped,” he said. “Regardless of whatever role it gets, the battalion will always soar with the eagles.”

The battalion lowers the flag at Holsworthy for the last time on December 9.

The soldiers of 3RAR begin work in Townsville on February 7 next year.

Leaving a mark: Pte Ben Wilkins, 3RAR, presents arms as part of the catafalque party for 3RAR’s newly unveiled eagle monument at the battalion’s farewell from Holsworthy Barracks. Photo by Cfn Max Bree

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NEWS 3 Army December 8, 2011

By Sgt Dave Morley

AN 8/9RAR soldier has been selected as the winner of the Hassett Award for the RAR’s most outstanding junior leader for 2011.

CA Lt-Gen David Morrison presented the award to Cpl Stephen Woods at a ceremony at the RMC Officers’ Mess on October 27.

Cpl Woods was recognised for his exceptional commitment to the training and administration of his soldiers.

He said it was an honour to receive the award.“It was really good, and a bit of a shock,” he said.“But I work among a lot of good soldiers.”He said the blokes in his section were really

happy for him.“Their wives and parents were happy about it too,

considering our deployment on MTF 4 early next year,” he said.

“It’ll make them all feel a lot more confident.”Battalion XO Maj Warren Farmer said Cpl

Woods’ biggest achievement was the quality of ser-vice he had provided.

“If we had more positive examples like him to emulate, we’d be a better organisation,” he said.

“In terms of medical classification and rehab, he has shown it’s all about being fair dinkum and get-ting on with life.

“We’ll hear more from him during his Army career.”

Part of Cpl Woods’ citation reads, “you have demonstrated initiative, perseverance and endeavour well beyond that expected of your rank and experi-ence”.

The Hassett Award was made possible by a dona-tion of $5000 to the RAR Foundation by the late Gen Sir Francis Hassett and Lady Hassett in 2006.

The RAR Foundation now commemorates the general’s leadership and military prowess during his 42-year Army career by instituting the annual award.

A top quality seco

Good team: Pte Joel Clifton, LCpl Justin Simmons, Pte Anthony Sheehy, Pte Daniel Cleary, Cpl Stephen Woods, Pte Darren Heathwood, Pte Dean Bell, Pte TJ Findlay, Tpr Daniel Chapman, Pte Brad Sutherland and Pte Cameron Horne celebrate Cpl Woods’ awarding of the Hassett Award for outstanding leadership. Photo by Pte Alexander Coe

By Michael Brooke

A JOINT project for improved battlespace communications sys-tems, including the purchase of about 11,000 new digital radios has been approved by the govern-ment.

The initiative was among three major Defence projects announced by Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare on November 28.

Mr Smith said this brought to 35 the number of approvals for major projects in 2011, worth a total of around $6 billion.

The other two projects to receive first-pass approval were the lead-in fighter capability assur-ance program, which will provide enhanced training systems for Air Force pilots, and a new fixed-site air traffic management and control system, which will replace existing radars and command and control systems.

The combined projects are expected to cost about $1.2 billion by completion.

The 11,000 digital combat net radios to be delivered under Phase 2A of Joint Project 2072 will replace existing analogue equip-ment and build on Phase 1 of the project, which started in 2009.

The Phase 1 contractor, Harris Corporation, will be engaged to provide the Phase 2A radios.

While several major projects remain on track, the Multi Role Helicopter (MRH-90) project has been added to the Projects of Concern list.

Mr Smith and Mr Clare pro-vided an update to the list at Fleet Base East on November 28.

Mr Smith said the MRH-90 pro-ject would provide Army and Navy with 46 new helicopters to replace some Black Hawks and Sea Kings.

“The project is running late, pri-marily due to issues affecting the aircraft,” he said.

The project has suffered two years of delays to date and may be further delayed.

Mr Clare said the MRH pro-ject had encountered a number of significant technical issues, which

triggered early indicators and warning thresholds for schedule and contractor performance.

To manage any capability gap with the retirement of the Navy’s Sea King helicopters this month, the Navy will generate an addition-al short-term Sea Hawk flight.

The Army’s Black Hawk fleet will also be extended to cover the capability gap in the short term.

Mr Smith said this year four projects had been removed from the Projects of Concern list, three through remediation and one through cancellation.

“At the beginning of the year, 12 projects were on that list, but now there are nine,” he said.

“This shows the system is work-ing – fixing problem projects.”

More projects are expected to be removed from the list before the end of the month.

Since the Projects of Concern began in 2008, 19 projects have been put on the list. Ten have now been removed, eight due to reme-diation and two due to cancellation.

New radios on the way

Loud and clear: Phase 2A of Joint Project 2027 will deliver about 11,000 new digital radios to enhance the communications capabilities of ADF units in the field. Photo by PO Damian Pawlenko

DEFENCE Minister Stephen Smith has announced that Australia will resume transferring detainees appre-hended by ADF forces in Afghanistan to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Uruzgan province.

Australia suspended the transfer of detainees to the NDS in July in response to ISAF concerns about the treatment of detainees in southern Afghanistan.

Mr Smith said the decision to resume the process followed extensive consulta-tion with stakeholders and the October 10 release of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report into the treatment of detainees.

“The report raised serious concerns of detainee mistreatment at a number of NDS and Afghan National Police (ANP)

facilities but found no evidence of detain-ee mistreatment by the NDS in Uruzgan.”

Mr Smith said Australia had a “very robust” framework for detainee manage-ment in Afghanistan.

He said it accorded with Australia’s legal obligations, and “we take our responsibilities for the humane treatment of detainees very seriously”.

“Australia’s detainee monitoring team conducts regular visits to monitor the wel-fare of all ADF-apprehended detainees transferred to Afghan or United States custody until the point of release or sen-tencing,” he said.

“The frequency of the monitoring effort will be temporarily increased fol-lowing the resumption of transfers to help ensure that detainees transferred to Afghan custody are treated humanely.”

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Leaders learn from the bestBy Maj Haydn Barlow

VICTORIA Cross recipient Cpl Mark Donaldson was among a group of presenters imparting valuable leadership advice to 1 Bde soldiers as they prepared for 2012.

In Darwin on November 17 to meet US President Barack Obama, Cpl Donaldson accepted an invitation to speak to the brigade’s junior leaders and share his thoughts on leadership among Australia’s elite soldiers.

The concept of ‘why’ was central to Cpl Donaldson’s message, build-ing on the familiar purpose, method, endstate construct of command intent.

“Those who give meaning to their tasks will extract greater productivity from their soldiers,” Cpl Donaldson said.

Cpl Donaldson spoke of SASR soldiers’ belief in their mission and dedication to their mates as the reason they succeeded where others might fail or give up.

Making specific reference to the action in which he was awarded the VC, he told the audience that what drove him that day was a message all soldiers should carry – “never back down and never leave your mates behind”.

Cpl Donaldson was speaking at 1 Bde’s War Fighter Conference, which allowed soldiers and offic-ers to engage with the Army’s most respected professionals about modern warfare.

Other presenters included US Brig-Gen Don Farris, who spoke about integrating a light force with a mecha-nised force during the Iraq surge.

US Col Mark Landes gave a presentation on his experience com-manding full spectrum operations in Afghanistan and a recent SOTG CO spoke about harnessing intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance assets to improve tar-geting.

DIO’s Brian Woods presented on

Shake on it: Cpl Mark Donaldson meets US President Barack Obama in Darwin. During his visit to the Top End, Cpl Donaldson gave a presentation at 1 Bde’s War Fighter Conference. Photo by Cpl Melina Mancuso

THE Army’s health assets will be more flexible for tasking under one chain of command after a major restructure in November, according to senior health officers.

Under the restructure, most Army health support for operations and training will be provided by 17 CSSB.

Units to be renamed and given role changes include 1HSB, which is now 1 Close Spt Bn, and 2HSB, now 2 General Health Bn. Supporting health services have been consolidat-ed into 2 General Health Bn with the establishment of 33 Dental Coy and 1 Preventative Medicine Coy.

The senior health officer for 17

CSSB, Lt-Col Barney Flint said the restructure would help the Army’s health services provide the best pos-sible support.

“As Army’s operation tempo continuously evolves, combat health support also needs to evolve in order to provide Army with a comprehen-sive deployable health capability,” he said.

“This begins at the point of wounding and includes the entire continuum of first-class health care that our soldiers deserve.

“One chain of command [for health services] allows for more agil-ity and flexibility in tasking Army’s health assets.”

Restructure a boost to health services

the challenges posed by near-peer threats.

Commander 1 Bde Brig Gus McLachlan said the conference was intended to inform the way the bri-gade organised and fought in the future and on Exercise Hamel next year where some of the concepts would be trialled for the first time.

“It was important for our leaders to hear from the best in the field about what drives them, what works and what doesn’t, and to challenge the way we think and do business,” Brig McLachlan said.

“We will hold one of these confer-ences twice a year now to generate the sort of discussion on professional mat-

ters that breeds an innovative culture at the brigade.

“The Army has some great 21st century capabilities coming online and our soldiers and officers must be thinking about how we will employ these systems to match or improve upon best practice in the best units in Australia and around the world.”

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By Cfn Max Bree

NEW ways to recruit women into the ADF could be on the way thanks to research by Maj Jenelle Lawson from Defence Force Recruiting (DFR).

Maj Lawson has been award-ed the 2012 CDF Fellowship to support her study into the recruitment of women in the ADF and starts the year-long project in January.

In her thesis, Achieving the Recruitment of Women Strategy: How to recruit the ideal ADF Servicewoman, Maj Lawson will endeavour to find out what gets women thinking about a career in Defence and where to find these women in the labour market.

The study will use focus groups, surveys and interviews to determine if there is a certain type of person who is the “right” servicewoman and if conditions in Defence suit the target audi-ence.

Maj Lawson said a young woman’s “influencer” group of friends, parents and teachers could have a huge affect on her considering an ADF career.

“Girls tend to be quite influ-enced by this group,” she said. “The influencer group can have a bigger sway over girls than any advertising.

“I am keen to find out if

girls actually then act on what they are told by their influenc-er group and whether this also applies to boys.”

During Maj Lawson’s work with developing initiatives for ADF trade recruiting, she saw the value in making the “influ-encer group” familiar with the jobs Defence offered.

“If you can get a teacher on your side, there are hundreds of students that teacher has contact with,” she said.

During five years at DFR, Maj Lawson has seen differ-ences between what men and women expect from a career in the ADF.

“Young women are a bit more astute, they think a bit dif-ferently” she said.

“They ask ‘am I going to have to move away from home?’ and ‘will I see my family?’.

“They ask about sharing a room or a bathroom. But young men don’t care as much about these things. I don’t think these are decision breakers for men as much as for women.”

However, Maj Lawson acknowledged that some ADF jobs might not appeal to particu-lar women and there might not be much more the ADF could do to attract them.

“If that’s the case, we have to focus on getting the best women we can and ensure we provide

the best employment offer for them,” she said.

The decision to lift the gender restrictions on remaining roles in the near future may not have a big influence on young women joining the military in years to come, according to Maj Lawson.

“I don’t think it affects today’s 15-year-old girls and our recruits of the future,” she said. “I think it affects current members, retired service person-nel and from a recruiting per-spective, the parents of our target audience.

“The parents are having a bigger social comment than young people.

“If you told a young woman enlisting now ‘10 years ago you couldn’t do this’, they’d say, `oh really, but why?’.”

The CDF Fellowship is awarded each year to an ADF member who demonstrates the ability to research and produce a paper at an advanced level in a field relevant to Defence’s needs.

Maj Lawson was part of ADFA’s first female intake in 1986 and has three daughters aged 9, 10 and 12.

Her thesis will be completed by the end of next year.

More information on the CDF Fellowship is available on the DRN at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/pspg/sites/CESP/

Fellowship’s recruiting focus

Top-level backing: CDF Gen David Hurley awards Maj Jenelle Lawson this year’s CDF Fellowship to support her research into recruiting women into military service. Photo by Lauren Black

A DOCUMENTARY has been released exploring the experiences of Australian soldiers and their families in the lead up to an operational deploy-ment.

Long Tan to Afghanistan followed members of D Coy, 6RAR, and their families ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan last year. It makes com-parisons between the modern operation and the battalion’s famous battle of the Vietnam War.

It includes interviews with veterans, current soldiers and their families.

Defence Community Organisation (DCO) Director General Michael Callan said the documentary examined the investment of partners, family and friends.

“It also looks at how DCO prepares partners and families for an operational

deployment and how it sup-ports the fami-lies when their loved ones are away,” he said.

“This docu-mentary is a celebration of the strength and courage of the families supporting the men and women who serve Australia’s national interests.”

The documentary has been released on DVD by Big Sky Publishing and can be ordered online at www.bigskypublishing.com.au

Seeing deployment from the family’s perspective

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IT’S a case of food for thought as the Army undertakes a compre-hensive review of its hospitality and catering services.

With about $130m spent each year on messes and dining facili-ties within the ADF, the three ser-vices are all looking at how they can work within their own resources and with the Defence Support Group to improve the way these critical services are delivered while still achieving savings towards Strategic Reform program targets.

D i r e c t o r G e n e r a l A r m y Operations Brig Damian Cantwell said he had been tasked to under-take a rigorous review of hospitality and catering within Army but would not be making any rash decisions.

“Messes are central to our cul-ture and no changes will be made to them until we have a full under-standing of the impact on our peo-ple,” Brig Cantwell said.

“The Review aims to give the CA a clear understanding of the state of messes so he can make an informed decision mid-next year on where these services can be reformed.”

The review started in November consisting of five separate activities.

“The first of these will establish

a ‘baseline’ to confirm exactly what we current-ly get for our money,” Brig Cantwell said.

A detailed review of all relevant policies relating to messses and meal entitlements is another of the activities to be undertaken as well as a review of existing management processes to ensure they meet pol-icy requirements and are best practice.

“In line with this, we’re also planning to survey selected groups in Army early next year to validate what they expect of messes in today’s modern Army,” Brig Cantwell said.

“Meanwhi l e , Fo rcomd i s conducting a ‘live’ trial within Holsworthy to test a range of possi-ble options for delivering hospitality and catering services.

“The aim is to ensure we capture lessons, costs and implications from trialling things like new meal order-ing systems, centralised kitchen facilities, alternate mess manage-

ment approaches and capped, but flexible bar hours.”

Brig Cantwell said although there would be changes to the way the messes operated, the review pro-cess was designed to ensure they were appropriate.

Information on the review is at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/sites/DLOGA/

Review on the mess menu

Food for thought: A review of hospitality and catering services is being undertaken. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis

SOLDIERS came through in this year’s Defence blood challenge with 628 of the Army’s finest getting the needle to help stock up Red Cross reserves.

This number was almost double that achieved by Navy personnel who took part and triple the number of Defence civilians and Air Force members. The Army surged ahead in the percentage-based competition with 2.09 per cent of the service giving blood to Navy’s 1.83 per cent, Air Force’s 1.5 per cent and the civilians’ 1.17 per cent.

CA Lt-Gen David Morrison said it was a good result for the Army and Defence as a whole, with a total of 1497 people donating blood, which could save up to 4491 lives by Red Cross estimates.

“Army members have taken up this mission to save lives and that’s great to see,” he said.

“However 2.09 is still only a rela-tively small percentage and I think we can do better next year.

“We have to remember that our own medical facilities, both here in Australia and in operational areas overseas, use blood from Red Cross donations to treat our wounded, injured and ill fellow soldiers, so it only makes sense that we help out with that.”

This was the Defence Blood Challenge’s third year. The event ran from September 1 to November 30 and the first year the Army has stolen the competition from Air Force.

Army wins Defence challenge with a bloody good turn out

Supporters: WO2 Dennis Ramsay joined CA Lt-Gen David Morrison in October to promote the Defence Blood Challenge, saying he owed his life to donated blood. Photo by Cpl Zenith King

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By Cpl Zenith King

THE number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Defence is on the increase due to specialised pathways to employment programs such as the ADF Indigenous Pre-Recruitment Course (IPRC), which helps prepare indigenous job seekers for ADF recruitment.

Since it was launched late in 2008, 28 graduates of the IPRC have accepted job offers in the ADF, and others are still progressing through the recruiting process.

The ADF’s senior indigenous recruitment officer, WO1 Colin Watego, has been closely involved in the deliv-ery of the last six IPRCs.

An indigenous soldier himself, with more than 37 years’ experience, WO1 Watego said the program offered an excellent pathway to a rewarding career.

“It’s not about lowering the bar for entry. It’s about giving our young peo-ple the awareness of what Defence can offer them and then giving them the confidence to actually apply,” he said.

“When it comes to the ADF recruit-ing process, the same standards for entry apply to all Australians. We encourage and mentor indigenous applicants through the whole process and through the IPRC we place them in a position where they are highly com-petitive candidates.

“The IPRC is our flagship recruit-ing program and it is aimed primarily at candidates from urban and regional

Indigenous numbers rise

communities, although we have had several candidates from remote com-munities experience success on the pro-gram.”

A sister initiative, the Defence Indigenous Development Program, is aimed at remote and regional communi-ties and is delivered over eight months.

“Apart from lack of awareness of what we can offer, I think education has been one of the major stumbling blocks that has prevented many Indigenous Australians from getting into the ADF,” WO1 Watego said.

“One of the fundamental strengths of the course is that participants are given extensive exposure to ADF train-ing, values and ethos.

“The IPRC is based on the Army recruit model, so when the candidates graduate and proceed through the recruiting process, we have found them to be strong recruits at each of the train-ing schools because of their prepara-tion.”

Infantryman Pte Dale Blackman, who did the IPRC in August 2009, com-pleted Kapooka earlier this year and

said he joined the Army to make his family proud.

“My dad is in the police force and ever since he joined I have always strived to be like him, he is my inspira-tion,” Pte Blackman said.

“My dad has already made his family proud and it was time to make my family proud and I had to think of something. When my mum suggested I join the Army I realised this was it, this was my opportunity.

“The IPRC helped me a lot. It’s a great course to do and learn about Army

life and what is in store for you if you join. We covered field work, physical training, marching, living-in with other people and how to speak confidently to people with rank.

“When I first went for my recruiting interview I felt confident about getting up and talking to the recruiters.”

Pte Blackman is on track to graduate from the School of Inf next March.

For more information on the IPRC go to http://content.defencejobs.gov.au/pdf/triservice/IPRC_Brochure.pdf

Incoming: Participants in this year’s Indigenous pre-recruitment course meet Governor-General Quentin Bryce in Sydney. Photo by AB David McMahon

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JOINT Health Command (JHC) is introducing a new process for conducting Periodic Health Assessments to streamline the current health monitoring and assessment processes.

The current Comprehensive Preventive Health Examination (CPHE) and the Medical Employment Classification Review (MECR) will be replaced from February 1.

Outgoing commander JHC Maj-Gen Paul Alexander said a combined Periodic Health Examination/Medical Employment Classification Review (PHE/MECR) would be introduced in their place.

“The PHE/MECR is a consolidation of a suite of examinations and assessments into a single, modular process,” he said.

The greatest advantage of this new pro-cess would be that at the completion of a PHE/MECR, ADF personnel would have a confirmed MEC, SPEC, PULHEEMS and Employment Restrictions, Maj-Gen Alexander said.

With the new Webform – PM600 – person-nel can complete much of the administration online through the DRN.

“This speeds up the process for health facil-ity staff who can focus on completing the clini-cal examination, which will essentially remain the same” Maj-Gen Alexander said.

As service personnel become due for the PHE/MECR they will be contacted by their health facility staff and requested to complete a PM600.

More information on the introduction of the PHE/MECR process is detailed on the JHC website at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/vcdf/sites/MECSystem/

Health checks refined into one package

Top medico moves onBy Graham McBean

OUTGOING Commander Joint Health Command (CJHLTH) Maj-Gen John Alexander has thanked the ADF medical team and senior officers who supported him through three years of evolu-tion in ADF health.

Maj-Gen Alexander’s tenure as the ADF’s top medical officer ends on December 22 as he returns to his hometown in Brisbane to most likely continue clinical practice and work in the medico-legal area.

He was appointed as the inaugu-ral CJHLTH in 2008 after a distin-guished career as a full-time medical officer and Army reservist.

He was promoted to major gen-eral in 2008 and asked to take up the CJHLTH post to oversee one of the ADF’s biggest overarching evolu-tions in healthcare.

Maj-Gen Alexander said the opportunity to serve as CJHLTH had been an “absolute privilege”.

“I would like to pay tribute to the entirety of the ADF healthcare providers,” Maj-Gen Alexander said.

“All three services, APS and our contracted staff together have put in work that has really developed the system and put the emphasis on quality and safety that we want in a healthcare system.

“I would like to thank them all for their tireless effort.”

Maj-Gen Alexander said intro-duction of the JHC structure had been an important initiative for change in ADF healthcare and had laid the foundation for the future.

“I believe the support from sen-ior leadership to establish a system that would improve health-service delivery, streamline and improve the quality of our health services has been great for the organisation.”

Maj-Gen Alexander said there had been many achievements in ADF Health since 2008 and high-lighted the continued growth in mental health services as an impor-tant milestone.

He said the completion of the Mental Health Prevalence Study

would provide better understand-ing of mental health needs with evi-dence-based reform.

“It is important we continue to improve our mental health services and reduce the stigma associated with mental health and mental ill-ness,” he said.

Maj-Gen Alexander passionately listed the many other achievements that were implemented by a joint ADF effort.

He included the launch of the Joint e-Health data information sys-

tem, the refurbishment of health centres on bases and the retention of full-time medical staff as important milestones among many.

He also highlighted rehabilitation services as a priority and was proud of the Paralympic high-performance program, which sent five ADF mem-bers to compete in the US this year.

For the future, he said ADF joint health would be “in safe hands” with Cdre Robyn Walker’s promotion as the first female rear admiral and appointment as the new CJHLTH.

Top doc: Maj-Gen Paul Alexander recently stepped down from his position as Commander Joint Health Command. He is pictured here inspecting 3RAR Pte Brendan Reid’s injury during a tour of the ADF medical facility in Dili in 2008. Photo by Cpl Rodney Welch

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By Cfn Max Bree

A QUICK-thinking soldier took the sparkle out of a would-be jewellery thief, tackling the accused as he attempted to flee a crime scene in Brisbane on October 16.

Pte Andrew Fenech, 8/9RAR, was waiting for a coffee at the Brookside Shopping Centre when he heard screaming from a nearby jewellery store.

Pte Fenech said he looked around to see a woman being tasered by an assailant who then fled the store carrying loot.

He chased down the alleged thief and was able to catch and restrain him.

But the man didn’t take kindly to being grabbed from behind during the getaway. Pte Fenech said the accused moved the taser behind his back and zapped him in the stomach.

“At first it hurt but the second and third times I got used to it,” Pte Fenech said.

“I don’t think he was expecting anyone to grab him.”

A second man then came in to help Pte Fenech wrestle the accused to the ground.

“We took him to the ground together,” Pte Fenech said. “Then I pinned him in an arm lock and pulled the taser off him.”

With the stolen jewellery now scattered all over the ground, Pte Fenech and the other man held the accused while an off-duty policeman called for back-up.

Pte Fenech visited the shop assistant after she left the hospital.

“She was ecstatic,” he said. “She kept saying thank you.”

Other soldiers from 8/9RAR’s C Coy found the act courageous, and rather amusing.

“They’ve been calling me superhero and laughing their heads off,” Pte Fenech said. “I don’t think they’re ever going to forget it.”

For Pte Fenech, chasing the accused down was just a split-second decision with no time for deliberation.

“It had to be done I guess.” Crime stopper: Pte Andrew Fenech chased down a jewellery thief in a Brisbane shopping centre.

Jewellery thief thwarted

with those personnel who are serving overseas away from loved ones at this time.

I wish you all a happy and safe Christmas and I look forward to your safe return and the success-ful completion of your mission.

Warren SnowdonDefence Science and Personnel Minister

Defence Parliamentary Secretary

As 2011 draws to a close I would like to take this opportunity to acknowl-

edge the outstanding service that the men and women of the ADF have given to Australia in the course of the year, and to extend my thanks to all of you.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Defence for the past 15 months,

it’s been my privilege to work with personnel at all levels of all three services, and I continue to be impressed by the professional-ism, dedication and good humour of ADF people wherever I travel.

This has been a challenging year for everyone in Defence. We have all felt deeply the losses we have sustained in Afghanistan, and our thoughts at this time of the year are with the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The year began with the dis-astrous floods and cyclone in Queensland, and the ADF rallied to help their fellow Australians as they have always done in the past. We also saw earthquake disasters in New Zealand and Japan, and again, Australia was able to rely on the ADF to provide assistance to our friends.

Our part time and full time personnel continue to do great work for Australia, not just in Afghanistan but also in the Solomon Islands and Timor. It’s been my privilege to visit part-time personnel in the Solomon Islands twice, and their commitment to helping our neighbours restore peace and security to their country is most impressive.

It has been a privilege for me to spend this year working with you all. I sincerely thank you for your devotion to your duty to your coun-try and community. I wish you all a peaceful and joyous Christmas and look forward to working with you all in 2012.

David FeeneyDefence Parliamentary Secretary

10 CHRISTMAS MESSAGES Army December 8, 2011

CDF’S MESSAGE

I would like to take this opportunity to recognise your contribution to the ADF and to thank you for your efforts throughout a very busy year.

The high operational tempo we have experi-enced in recent years continued while natural dis-asters at home and abroad tested our capacity to respond at short notice. I am proud of the way we met this challenge with the level of skill and com-passion Australia has come to expect from us.

At its peak almost 3500 ADF personnel, both regular and reserves, provided assistance in the wake of Cyclone Yasi and following the Queensland and Victoria.

Those of you who have deployed overseas to our missions in East Timor, the Solomon Islands or on maritime and border protection tasks have made a valuable contribution to the peace, stability and security of our region. So too have the many thousands of uniformed members and civilians who support them.

I have visited Afghanistan several times this year and I am always impressed by the people I meet. Even after our darkest days, your skill and unwavering commitment to our mission is com-mendable. I am confident our role in mentoring and training the Afghan National Security Forces will enable them to take the lead for security in Uruzgan province.

Progress is our legacy to the soldiers who have been killed and wounded in action in Afghanistan. Eleven men have been killed this year while 50 have been wounded. A total of 32 men have been killed and 213 members wounded since opera-tions began in 2001. We are thinking of them, their families and their friends, particularly at this time of year.

We ask a lot of you as members of the ADF and I recognise the unique challenges this pre-sents to our families. I want to thank them for their valuable contribution and the sacrifices you and your family make throughout the year.

I know many of you will be separated from fam-ily and friends this festive season. Although this can be difficult, we have made arrangements to ensure you still have the chance to celebrate with your colleagues.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. It is a great privilege to lead this organisation and I look forward to another productive and successful year in 2012.

David HurleyGeneralChief of the Defence Force

This is the last edition of Army for 2011. The reporters and staff wish all our readers a merry Christmas and all the best for 2012. We’ll be back on board next year to bring you the first edition on February 2. As always, we welcome your letters and submitted stories over the new year period. Please note the deadline for first edition story submis-sions is January 18.

FROM THE NEWSPAPER

Defence Minister

I extend my best wishes and season’s greetings to you and your families. Over the course of the year

I have had the great privilege to meet and talk with Defence per-sonnel and their families, both here and overseas.

As the year draws to a close, we are able to take time to reflect on our accomplishments and the challenges we will confront in the future.

This year has been an extreme-ly busy year for the ADF. We have continued to conduct operations in Afghanistan, East Timor and Solomon Islands, peacekeeping in Sudan, border security and sub-stantial humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations at home and abroad.

For most of us the festive sea-son is a time spent with family and loved ones. At this time, please keep in your thoughts those who are on duty abroad in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Sudan, Solomon Islands and East Timor.

We have seen our forces in Afghanistan make good progress in their mission to train the Afghan National Security Forces to take on lead responsibility for securi-ty in Uruzgan by 2014. We take great pride in the men and women who are working in difficult condi-tions every day to help bring about peace and stability in a country that needs the international com-munity’s assistance.

Christmas will of course be a very difficult time for 32 families who will be reminded that their loved one, a son, father, husband or partner, is not with them. For 11 families this will be a terrible time because it will be the first Christmas without their loved one.

We honour and remember those brave young Australians who have lost their lives serving their coun-try. Our eternal gratitude contin-ues and the nation’s thoughts and continuing support are with their families and friends.

Over the course of the year the Defence Organisation has seen many changes. New capabilities have been acquired such as ADF Ship Choules, a fifth C-17A and the start of the purchase process for a sixth, and the purchase of 101 new Bushmasters.

We welcomed new Service Chiefs and a new Secretary. I thank them for their efforts since their appointments and look forward to working with them next year.

During the past year, the ADF has also delivered life-sav-ing humanitarian and emergency assistance to the people of New Zealand, Japan, Tuvalu and of course here at home, building on our proud tradition of humanitarian relief to disasters.

As I have travelled around bases and Defence si tes in Australia and overseas, I am impressed by the commitment, enthusiasm, focus and profes-sionalism shown by the men and women of the ADF.

Australia is thankful for your service. You are part of a proud Australian tradition going back more than a century and its impor-tance does not diminish.

On behalf of my ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and all Australians, we wish all mem-bers of the ADF, their families and friends a peaceful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. I look forward to working with you all in 2012 to meet the challenges ahead.

Stephen SmithDefence Minister

Defence Science and Personnel Minister

As Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, I extend season’s greet-

ings and congratulations to all our men and women in uniform serving on operations around the globe.

We are proud of the coura-geous work our Defence person-nel are doing in very challenging circumstances, in what has been a very difficult year. We will not forget those Australians who have died and have been wounded on operations in Afghanistan and in current peacekeeping operations this year. While our families’ and our nation’s losses are often dif-ficult to comprehend, please know that all Australians share in these losses and our thoughts continue to be with those affected.

We are currently supporting the effort to bring security and stability to Afghanistan, assist-ing in peace monitoring activities in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, contributing to UN and international missions in many countries and protecting Australia’s borders. I am proud to see our men and women rising to these challenges.

ADF personnel have a repu-tation around the globe for their professionalism, dedication and compassion. They are respected by our coalition partners, as evi-denced by US President Barack Obama’s comments during his recent visit, praising Australia’s “legendary diggers” for their ser-vice.

On behalf of the government and the Australian people, I sin-cerely thank the men and women of the Australian Defence Force and their families, for their pro-fessionalism and for the sacrifice they make on behalf of us all.

My thoughts are especially

Leaders acknowledge outstanding service

Governor-General

As Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force I extend warmest

season’s greetings and the best wishes of our nation to all Army personnel and the extended Army family.

The “family” extends around the world, from Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Sinai and Sudan. I know that the business of Defence, mentoring and peace-keeping is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week operation, with little time for relaxation or reflection.

At this festive time of the year though, I hope there will be the opportunity for you to relax a little, share emails, let-ters and phone calls with fami-lies at home, and contemplate the year ahead.

2011 has been one of the toughest in recent times for the ADF family. Afghanistan contin-

ues to be one of our greatest challenges, but the conversa-tions I have with Defence per-sonnel leave me in no doubt that they are absolutely commit-ted to “finishing the job” there.

My experience gives me confidence that the families of our soldiers killed in action and of those who are injured will receive unstinting and long-term support as they struggle to re-establish their lives. It will be harder for them at Christmas.

Michael and I express our deep appreciation to all ADF servicemen and women and to wives, husbands, partners, friends and family members who give them invaluable sup-port.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

Quentin BryceGovernor-General of Australia

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR OPENING HOURS

Monday 26 December CLOSEDTuesday 27 December CLOSEDWednesday 28 December CLOSEDThursday 29 December 8:30am - 5:00pmFriday 30 December 8:30am - 5:00pmMonday 2 January CLOSED

If you have an emergency or an urgent maintenance request, our hotlines will remain open 24 hours, seven days a week. If required, you will also have access to a local manager through our emergency hotlines.

MAINTENANCE HOTLINE: 139DHA (139 342)

CHRISTMAS MESSAGES 11 Army December 8, 2011

The festive season is fast approaching and now seems a good time to reflect on what we in the Army have achieved over the past year.

It has been another busy year for the Army and next year promises to be the same.

First and foremost I want to thank you all for a job well done at home and on operations. You have earned a great break – make sure you enjoy it and return next year refreshed and ready for the challenges of 2012.

Christmas is a time of reflection, so we should remember those we have lost and those wounded on operations and injured serving our country at home. On Christmas day let’s “raise a glass” to them, and to those deployed and on duty, for next year they may raise one for us.

Our families are very important. My own wife Jenny has given me huge support this year, whether during my deployment to Afghanistan, with my 17th removal on posting or the challenge of a new job.

I realise though that it was not my deployment, my posting or my new job. It was ours. I have been recog-nised with nine medals – my wife has none.

We can never take our families for granted. They are there for us through hardship and loneliness, good times and bad. So in happy times like the festive season, take time to recognise our families for the support they have unfailingly given year after year.

This Christmas, in recognition of their support, do something extra special for those you love – your wives, husbands and partners, sons and daughters and mums and dads.

Keep safe over Christmas and the New Year, enjoy in moderation and keep fit. It doesn’t hurt (too much) to keep yourself ready over leave. I’ll be watching!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all and your families. I will see you all in the New Year.

Dave AshleyWarrant OfficerRegimental Sergeant Major – Army

Take time to recognise our families – RSM-A

The approach of Christmas is a time both for celebra-tion and reflection.

For most Australians Christmas provides an opportu-nity to take a long vacation with family. Time with family and friends is especially important to the men and women of the Australian Army. Service in the Army provides unique rewards but it does enforce long separa-tion from our loved ones, whether in training or while deployed on operations.

In particular, the pressures on those of our soldiers and their families separated by the demands of operations are most acutely felt at Christmas. The rigours and danger of military service in time of war are unique. No other occupation is required to bear this burden.

S o l d i e r s d e p l o y e d a t Christmas face more than home-sickness. Likewise their families’ sense of separation is compound-ed by the anxiety of knowing their loved ones are facing real danger.

Even more so, the families

Stay safe – CA

and loved ones of those who have died on active or warlike service will feel their sense of loss all over again at Christmas, even more poignantly because of the festive atmosphere around them. We need to reflect on this and ensure that the extended Army family continues to support all those who have lost loved ones – but especially to the families of the 11 young men killed in Afghanistan and one who died in East Timor this year.

Less public attention is paid to those who have been physically wounded or scarred psychologi-cally by war service. Be assured that our thoughts are with you in this Christmas season, and that Army will honour its commitment to you every day of every year into the future.

To those who have served within Australia, the end of the year gives us pause to look back at achievements over the course of 2011.

I believe that the Army has had a terrific year. Our service to the nation on operations overseas and in flood and disaster relief at home has won us the respect of our fellow Australians. I do not believe that the respect and affection for our Army from the Australian nation has ever been higher in my more than three dec-ades of service. To each and every one of you I express my gratitude and congratulations for your ser-vice. I am proud of all of you.

To every Australian soldier and to the extended Army family I extend my warmest wishes for

Christmas and the New Year. In addition to your celebrations, I hope you can enjoy a well-earned rest before tackling the challenges of 2012.

Spare a thought or prayer for your mates on operations, but do not ignore the perils closer to home. This is traditionally a dangerous time on our roads and many of you undertake long trips to reach your families. Be care-ful, and if you can, share the drive with a mate. I want to see you all back on duty in 2012.

Finally, the Army could not operate without the sacrifice of an invisible Army of spouses, chil-dren, parents, friends and support-ers who provide the emotional and moral support to the rest of us. To you I also express a sincere “Thank you!”

I wish you al l a merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year.

David MorrisonLieutenant GeneralChief of Army

Raise a glass: CA Lt-Gen David Morrison and RSM-A WO Dave Ashley have asked all soldiers to remember those deployed on operations this Christmas. Photo by AB Jo Dilorenzo


By CPO Jason Barker

THE traditional Christmas lunch can taste fantastic and be a hit with family and friends.

But the last thing anyone wants a bout of food poisoning, ruining Christmas for yourself and probably the entire family.

More than 27,000 cases of food-borne illness were reported in Australia during 2009, affecting 2680 people, put-ting 342 in hospital and causing eight deaths.

This is the tip of the iceberg, as most people don’t report food poisoning and only 20 per cent seek medical help. Many of these cases come from the fam-ily kitchen.

Home kitchen benches, ovens, stoves and fridges are designed to cater for the average sized family and may not be suitable for preparing or storing large amounts of food.

Your guests may bring a plate of food, this food may have been left out of the fridge for an extended period, allow-ing enough time for any bacteria present to multiply.

Families want to be together and enjoy the day, so many will prepare meals days or even weeks ahead of time. This is fine as long as these items are non-perishable and stored correctly.

Cooked meat, smallgoods, dairy prod-ucts, eggs and cooked pasta and rice are all known to harbour a number of bacte-ria capable of causing serious illness.

By applying a few food-handling tips, people can safely get through the festive season and the rest of the year:

� Wash hands in hot soapy water and dry thoroughly before food preparation and when switching between food to be cooked and food eaten raw.� Use separate chopping knives and

boards when preparing foods to be cooked and those to be eaten raw, or thoroughly clean them before swap-ping.� Meat can be thawed at room tem-

perature but must be cooked as soon as thawed. Ideally all meat should be thawed in the fridge.� Stuffing inside chickens and turkeys

can reduce cooking temperature, so it is best cooked separately and added before serving.� Sausages, mince dishes, and poultry

must be cooked all the way through, as these are considered high-risk prod-ucts.� Store food at the appropriate tem-

perature: chilled food less than 5°C or hot cooked food greater than 60°C. Bacteria will grow rapidly between 5°C and 60°C.� Leftovers should be stored appro-

priately. Place in the fridge as soon as cooked food stops steaming. It is best placed into small containers with space around each one.� Re-use leftovers within 2-3 days and

reheat thoroughly and rapidly to above 60°C.� If in doubt throw it out.

Those who follow these simple steps can be confident that when they’re feel-ing sick on Boxing Day, it won’t be because of the food.

Watch what you eat this Christmas

Eat up: Avoid Christmas dinner disaster by following a few simple food safety tips. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis

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By Cpl Melanie Schinkel

CONSTRUCTION works are well under way at Gallipoli Barracks with temporary facili-ties for 2CER, interim buildings for 8/9RAR and new amenities for 2/14 LHR (QMI) C Sqn now complete.

The $770m project started last September and is the largest ele-ment of the nationwide $1.45 bil-lion Enhanced Land Force Stage 2 (ELF2) facilities project, which Parliament approved in November 2009.

ELF2 reaches into all areas of the barracks and includes upgrades, repairs, new site infra-structure services as well as build-ings to enhance Defence capabili-ties and efficiencies in operational delivery.

Defence Support Group’s Infrastructure Asset Development (IAD) Branch is responsible for the delivery of capital facilities for Defence.

Onsite IAD project officer Maj Chris Moon said more project milestones were set for comple-tion in the coming months, includ-ing the bulk fuel tanker park, working accommodation and vehicle workshops for 7CSSB, and the mission rehearsal exercise precinct.

“The centre of the project revolves around facilitating the re-raising of 8/9RAR. Essentially, all of the other works, totalling 156 new buildings, are supporting

SEVEN old systems will be replaced with a single tool for managing military equipment with Land Systems Division’s introduction of the Configuration Management Tool – Land (CMT-L).

Being introduced under Army Minor Project 36.02, CMT-L is expected to not only improve the integrity of technical data, but also the ease with which it is accessed.

Users will be able to download e-books of the data they require before deploying on exercises and view photos of items for easier identification.

Managers and authorised users will be able to quickly check that engineering changes are fully authorised in accordance with the technical regulatory framework and will have access to current, accurate and complete technical data via the DRN.

The system is also expected to reduce the current reliance on paper-based systems, help reduce transac-tion costs, and improve workflow processes and check points in the engineering design and modifications process.

Configuration management focuses on establishing and maintaining equipment performance, and its func-tional and physical attributes throughout its life.

Effective configuration management of equipment ensures confidence in the design, technical integrity and state of the equipment, and enables engineers to implement modifications in a controlled and disciplined way.

For more information on Configuration Management and CMT-L, head to: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/DRMS/uA12263/AK3495684.pdf

New tool streamlines equipment processes

Streamlined: Managing upgrades and modifications to major equipment items such as the Bushmaster through a long service life will be made easier with the new Configuration Management Tool – Land. Photo by PO Damian Pawlenko

elements for the battalion,” Maj Moon said.

“The battalion’s new precinct will include a headquarters, build-ings for each rifle company and a new workshop and training facil-ity – all that is required to accom-modate an infantry battalion.

“Existing 2CER buildings will be completely demolished and rebuilt. To accommodate this, some adjustments will be made

to Duncan Oval and 2CER will temporarily move into the interim 8/9RAR facilities from late 2012.”

He said the ELF2 project would also renew supporting facil-ities and infrastructure services at Gallipoli Barracks, provide a new 100m no-danger-area range and three multi-storey car parks.

“The largest and most detailed building in the Gallipoli Barracks project will be the four-level HQ 1

Div/1 Int Bn building, followed by the two-storey Defence Support Queensland building and gym/heated pool complex.”

Construction company John Holland is the managing con-tractor for the Gallipoli Barracks project.

Overall, the project has a monthly turnover of more than $22m and all works are targeted for completion by late 2014.

Barracks upgrades well under way

On site: Project officer Maj Chris Moon monitors the progress of what will soon be a new precinct to accommodate 8/9RAR personnel at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane. Photo by Cpl Melanie Schinkel

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THE Army’s oldest and longest-serving regimental mascot, WO2 Wayne Courage, 2 Cav Regt, has clocked up 24 years of dedicated service and was officially present-ed with his warrant at Robertson Barracks on November 18.

After a busy training period, the officers and soldiers of 2 Cav Regt banded together to honour the esteemed wedge-tailed eagle at a for-mal parade.

The 24-year-old raptor was born on August 14, 1987, and was just one month old when Taronga Zoo donated him to 2 Cav Regt to serve as its offi-cial mascot.

Since then, Courage has been involved in most of the regiment’s activities including parades, sporting events and exercises.

Senior regimental mascot handler Sgt Justin Hogg said Courage even attended important meetings with the CO.

“We try to involve Courage in as many unit activities as possible. He often does PT with the soldiers and is usually on the sidelines helping out during football matches,” Sgt Hogg said.

“Courage is unique, intelligent and displays characteristics you would expect from a dog, however, he’s sometimes aggressive because he’s a bird of prey. But most of the time he’s a fairly cool, calm and collected char-acter.”

Courage’s daily routine starts about 7am. First he is weighed and then his

training begins. Courage calls it a day about 4pm and retires for the evening in his large on-base aviary.

“If the regiment has a parade com-ing up, we spend the mornings practis-ing his routines and commands,” Sgt Hogg said.

“Courage gets involved with whatever the soldiers are up to and he has a pretty good relationship with them. They respect him but prefer to admire him from a distance rather than encroach on his personal space.

“On the other hand, the handlers have a very close relationship with Courage – he gives them cuddles and they pat him.”

Regimental mascot handler Cpl James Burke said it was a privilege to work so closely with Courage.

“Courage is a very regal and power-ful animal. If you show him respect, he shows it to you. He holds himself with a lot of pride and walking around with him on my shoulder makes me feel pretty proud too,” Cpl Burke said.

Cpl Burke said becoming a regi-mental mascot handler was a lengthy process and that Courage ultimately decided who he worked with.

“I did about three months of on-the-job training and then three weeks training with Northern Territory Wildlife Park staff, who taught me the correct way to handle large birds,” Cpl Burke said.

“We’ve got a good relationship with the Northern Territory Wildlife Park staff. They provide us with training,

support, food and veterinary care for Courage and we help them build cages and clean up around the park.”

Handler LCpl James Pearce said Courage’s personality changed daily.

“Courage’s attitude reflects how he’s feeling or whether or not he’s get-ting along with the handler he’s work-ing with,” LCpl Pearce said.

“He likes some people instantly, but others he just senses something and will never like them. Sometimes I think he’s more of a human than a bird.”

Courage rules the roost

In a flap: Recently promoted 2 Cav Regt Mascot WO2 Wayne Courage comes in to land at the edge of the regimental parade ground and, inset, sits with his handlers, from left, LCpl James Pearce, Sgt Justin Hogg and Cpl James Burke. Photos by Cpl Hamish Paterson

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By Sgt Dave Morley

A FORT Queenscliff-based warrant officer has put his spare time to good use, writing a book on the history of Australia’s air dispatch units.

WO2 Garry McGravie, a career manager at SCMA, said he started writing the book in 2004 after work and during a few months’ long service leave.

“The book starts with reference to aircraft dropping ammunition in sandbags to besieged troops in World War I and continues right up to the present,” he said.

“Australia’s involvement in air dis-patch operations began in 1942 during the New Guinea campaign where the ‘Biscuit Bombers’ gained a reputation keeping supply lines open in hazardous conditions.”

The book, containing 43 chapters, details the highs and lows of the air dispatch units during WWII, the post-WWII years, through the Malayan campaign, Vietnam War and East Timor.

It was launched at an air dispatch reunion at 5CER’s Penrith depot on November 25 and copies sold very quickly.

WO2 McGravie, the son of an ex-soldier who’d served in Malaya, moved from Scotland to Australia in 1980.

He enlisted in the ARes (177 AD Sqn) in 1986 and the ARA (176 AD Sqn) in 1990.

WO2 McGravie deployed to East Timor in September 1999 with 3RAR.

He rates his 21 years in the ARA as the “most absolutely amazing ride I’ve had while researching this book”.

The History of Australian Air Dispatch can be ordered through the Air Dispatch Association of Australia at www.adaa.net.au

Writing off air dispatch heritage

Aviators cut it closeMEMBERS of 5 Avn Regt and supporting units showed their solidarity with Capt Tim (Dutchie) Dehollander on November 4 with Shave a Head for Dutchie Day.

Capt Dehollander was diagnosed with male breast cancer six months ago and has undergone chemotherapy.

CO 5 Avn Regt Lt-Col James Brown was among the members who volunteered to have their heads shaven in return for donations to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, raising more than $3600.

Paid up: From left, Capt Jim Crowe, 5 Avn Regt, Carole Douglas, National Breast Cancer Foundation, and Capt Tim Dehollander, 5 Avn Regt, with a cheque for funds raised through their shave day.


TO HELP the less fortunate dur-ing Christmas at least 1000 of Santa’s little helpers will strap on their helmets and rev their bikes for the 31st Motorcyclist’s Toy Run in Canberra on December 10.

Coordinated by the Motorcycle Riders Association (MRA) ACT, the event is open to all riders and will raise much-needed toys, non-perishable food and cash to assist the Salvation Army and St John’s Care charities in providing Christmas ham-pers for needy children and families.

Last year the MRA event raised

about 250 toys, which assisted 70 disadvantaged families in the ACT.

MRA ACT President Jennifer Woods said toy runs would occur throughout Australia in the lead up to Christmas.

“The toy run concept has been embraced by the motorcycling com-munity for many years. Other state MRAs will host similar events but some will be run by other motorcy-cling associations,” Ms Woods said.

“Donations of non-perishable food and cash will also be welcome but toys will be the main focus. I encourage everyone to get involved because it’s a wonderful communi-ty event and it feels great to inspire

smiles on the faces of underprivi-leged children and families.”

Motorcycling enthusiast and coor-dinator for the Canberra Defence motorcyclists group, Paul Brealey, is decorating his Yamaha Sports Tourer for the ride and encouraging Defence members to get involved.

“From my early days in Defence I learnt to appreciate the work of the ‘Sally Man’ and still do to this day. If there is ever an opportunity to help the Salvos, I’m there,” he said.

On December 10, Defence par-ticipants, including VCDF AM Mark Binskin, will gather at Sir Thomas Blamey Square from 8am and ride to Old Parliament House for breakfast

before the event officially kicks off at 10am.

“From Old Parliament House we will travel around Parliament House to Adelaide Avenue, around the big roundabout at Woden and back along Adelaide Avenue into Garema Place where the charities will receive the collected goodies,” Mr Brealey said.

All pillion passengers will be asked to donate $10 to the charities and prizes will be awarded for the best Christmas-themed bikes.

For more information on the 31st Motorcyclist’s Toy Run or to register your participation email Mr Brealey at [email protected]

Riders ready for toy run

Top phots shoot it out for annual awardTop shot: Photographer Cpl Chris Moore, 1JPAU (inset), was awarded this year’s Damien Parer Award for Australian Army Photographer of the year for this photo of Australian Special Forces Task Group soldiers training in Afghanistan. The Damien Parer Award is open exclusively to the Army’s small cadre of highly skilled Public Relations Service photographers who deploy throughout Australia and the world to capture visual records of Australian troops in action. Photo by Sgt William Guthrie

INQUIRY INTO UNRESOLVED RECOGNITION FOR PAST ACTS OF NAVAL AND MILITARY GALLANTRY AND VALOUR

INVITATION

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) is directed to inquire into and report on the appropriate recognition for specifi c acts of gallantry or valour performed by the following naval and military personnel:

Gunner Albert Neil (Neale) Cleary - Army Midshipman Robert Ian Davies - NavyLeading Cook Francis Bassett Emms - NavyLieutenant David John Hamer - NavyPrivate John Simpson Kirkpatrick - ArmyLieutenant Commander Robert William Rankin - NavyAble Seaman Dalmorton Joseph Owendale Rudd - NavyOrdinary Seaman Edward Sheean - NavyLeading Aircrewman Noel Ervin Shipp - NavyLieutenant Commander Francis Edward Smith - NavyLieutenant Commander Henry Hugh Gordon Stoker - Royal NavyLeading Seaman Ronald Taylor - NavyCaptain Hector Macdonald Laws Waller - Navy

The Tribunal is directed to make recommendations on the eligibility of the naval and military members, as listed, to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the Victoria Cross for Australia or other forms of appropriate recognition for their gallantry or valour.

The Tribunal is conducting public hearings to hear evidence in relation to this matter. The following hearings will be conducted later this month. Hearings in other centres will be conducted in early 2012.

Melbourne – Wednesday 14 December and Thursday 15 December 2011 commencing at 9am at The Mercure, 13 Spring St, Melbourne.

Launceston – Friday 16 December 2011 commencing at 9am at the Country Club Tasmania, Country Club Avenue, Prospect Vale.

After a preliminary consideration of the submissions received concerning the naval and military members listed above, the Tribunal has invited a number of those who have made written submissions to appear as witnesses at these hearings.

Interested members of the public are invited to attend the Tribunal’s hearings. For administrative purposes, please register your interest in attending by contacting the Tribunal via telephone (02) 6266 3486 or e-mail [email protected].

The terms of reference for this inquiry can be obtained by reviewing the Tribunal website at: www.defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au .

The terms of reference for this inquiry can be obtained by reviewing the Tribunal website at:

www.defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au


By Lt Thomas Fisher

THE tanks of 1 Armd Regt put on a powerful display at Robertson Barracks to com-memorate the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai on November 18.

Hosted by the Honorary Colonel for the RAAC and regiment, Maj-Gen Roger Powell (retd), and reviewed by Commander 1 Bde Brig Fergus McLachlan, the parade was the first mounted Cambrai Parade for the Abrams and the first parade for the new regimental mascot, lion Tpr Leo Paratus.

The Battle of Cambrai, on November 20, 1917, established the tank as a dominant land weapon of the period and was the first battle to use tanks en masse.

Three hundred and fifty tanks from the British Army Tank Corps spread out along a 10,000-yard front supported by eight infantry divisions and 1003 guns and broke through the Hindenburg Line near the French town of Cambrai ending the stalemate created by trench warfare.

CO 1 Armd Regt Lt-Col Scott Winter said the Cambrai com-memorations gave the regiment a chance to reflect on the achieve-ments of 2011 and present regi-mental awards.

“In a week that saw President Obama visit the Top End, the regiment enjoyed inter-squadron sports, parade rehearsals and social events,” Lt-Col Winter said.

“The sight of Australia’s armoured might on parade was highly impressive, and enjoyed by the crowd.

“It was clear that the soldiers of the regiment were proud to display the tank capability to their families and friends.”

When 1 Armd Regt completed the Advance in Review Order a new, or rather old, tradition was executed, dating back to the first use of tanks.

The troop leaders dismounted and marched forward 40 paces, testing the ground with their ash poles.

During the Great War a troop leader would lead his troop on foot to the form-up point test-ing the ground with his ash pole because if the ground was too muddy, the tank would become bogged.

British losses at Cambrai numbered 44,207 killed, wound-ed and missing while German casualties were estimated at more than 45,000. The ground gained in the battle was later lost to a German counter attack.

Rolling out the big guns

On display: Troops from 1 Armd Regt salute during the parade to commemorate the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai at Robertson Barracks (above) as Brig Fergus McLachlan presents the Paratus Cup to Lt Steen Bisgaard (right).

WHITE Ribbon Day Ambassador CA Lt-Gen David Morrison encouraged all soldiers to stand up to vio-lence against women on White Ribbon Day.

“This initiative and our core values are perfectly aligned,” he said at a White Ribbon Day fundraising event at Russell Offices in Canberra on December 1.

“All soldiers need to have the courage to stand up to violence against women, take the initiative to do something about it when they know it’s happening and the teamwork to join with their mates to prevent it from happening in future.

“As an organisation, the Army must be a community leader on this issue and show Australia where we stand.”

The White Ribbon initiative emphasises the capacity of the individual to change and promote change in others.

Through fundraising and awareness campaigns, the ini-tiative aims to change the attitudes and behaviours that lead to violence against women.

The initiative includes an oath for all members of soci-ety promising never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

For more information on White Ribbon Day and to sign the oath, go to www.whiteribbon.org.au

CA signs up for White Ribbon

Strong support: Lt-Col Griffith Thomas (left) and WO2 Scott Rutland from Army Headquarters show their support for White Ribbon Day at a fund-raising morning tea in Canberra. Photos by LCpl Mark Doran

I swear: CA Lt-Gen David Morrison signs the White Ribbon oath.

18 WORLD Army December 8, 2011

CPL Alice Lenicka made her first trip outside the wire to meet with young girls and women in Tarin Kot during a Female Engagement Team (FET) mission to the Australian-funded Malalai Girl’s School and Hospital in November.

“I felt very safe for my first trip outside the wire,” Cpl Lenicka said.

“Tarin Kot was far busier than I imagined – there were a lot more shops than I expected.”

With the women of Afghanistan off limits to the male soldiers and government agency representa-tives, it comes down to the coalition women serving in Uruzgan province to interact and communicate with this section of the community.

The Malalai Girl’s School was

opened in July and the hospital was one of the first Australian projects initiated by Reconstruction Task Force 1 in 2006. Both facilities have given women access to health and education, which was previously unavailable.

“It was an amazing experience – it was really good to see how happy the little girls were,” Cpl Lenicka said.

“I really didn’t know how they would react to us. They were so welcoming and the interactions we had with them were really positive. The school was an incredibly happy place.

“Even with the language barrier we communicated really, really well. We brought colouring books, puzzle books and pencils for the children

and had a great time just playing with those.

“Outside were some of the boys, who were the children of the staff at Malalai Girl’s School – they were amazed when the soldiers showed them how to make paper planes fly through the air.

“The hospital was a very differ-ent experience. It was a different interaction – the women were more timid. The hospital was much better than I had imagined, it was more modern and had good facilities.”

Combined Team – Uruzgan FET members work in close conjunction with the Provincial Reconstruction Team to improve living conditions and access to basic services for rural Afghan women and their families.

FET drops in on TK girls’ school

By Capt Simone Heyer

THERE aren’t too many chapels tucked safely between cement blast walls, but in Tarin Kot, it’s a must – and the Ghan Chapel has recently had a makeover.

Although the chapel is in TK’s social centre, not many people know of its existence, except before services, when the bell rings out over the area.

Multinational Base Tarin Kot’s three Australian chaplains decided to lift the profile of the little chapel by painting the blast walls to reveal what lay behind the heavy cement.

Special Operations Task Group Chap John Sanderson said the first step to make the chapel more visible was to whitewash the blast walls.

“We set about white washing on Friday morning, ably assisted by the coordinating chaplain from the joint task force, Chap Jim Cosgrove,” Chap Sanderson said.

Combined Team – Uruzgan Chap Mark Sexton said the painting wasn’t without some fun.

“The US personnel around us

had obviously read Tom Sawyer and remembered the part where Tom paints the fence. They would walk up, say ‘hello’, check out what we were doing, and keep going before we could sug-gest they give a helping hand,” Chap Sexton said.

Needing a bit more than a lick of white paint, MTF 3 Chap John Saunders asked the Singaporean contin-gent’s resident artist to paint The Ghan Chapel’s symbol on the blast wall.

“The Singaporeans happily obliged and provided a transfer of the symbol,” Chap Saunders said. “The new sym-bol clearly marks the presence of the chapel.”

The Aussie padres didn’t finish there. Using an old 122mm shell casing provided by base command, they made a bell with a stand constructed by the Afghan Trade School.

Chap Sanderson said the bell called people to worship and reminded the men and women of Multinational Base Tarin Kot that they were being prayed for.

Splash of paint makes chapel stand out for would-be worshippers

Church service: SOTG Chap John Sanderson (left), CT-U Chap Mark Sexton and MTF 3 Chap John Saunders stand in front of the newly made over Ghan Chapel at Multinational Base Tarin Kot. Photo by AB Jo Dilorenzo

Culture sharing: Cpl Ali Lenicka engages with children at Malalai Girls School during a FET patrol throught Tarin Kot. Photo by AB Jo Dilorenzo

Opposition leader meets troops

Hands on: Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott tested out his mine detection skills during a surprise visit to Australian personnel at Multinational Base Tarin Kot. Mr Abbott received operational briefs from Combined Team – Uruzgan, the Provincial Reconstruction Team, MTF 3 and SOTG, engaged in discussions with EOD personnel and the Weapons Intelligence Team, and had a barbecue lunch with soldiers. Photo by AB Jo Dilorenzo

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AFTER a successful two months serving with the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in East Timor, 40 personnel from 2RAR have returned home to Townsville.

Platoon commander Lt Nicholas Bye said the 2RAR platoon was in East Timor providing relief manning for ISF troops on mid-deployment leave.

“Our role was as a security detach-ment and quick reaction force for the ISF,” he said.

“The chance to focus on delivering the highest level of security support pos-sible was a really positive experience, particularly for the junior soldiers.”

The 2RAR platoon members returned home to Lavarack Barracks in Townsville on November 10.

By Flt-Lt Sean Watson

SIGNAL information system technicians serving with the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in East Timor have passed on important information technology (IT) skills to East Timorese Army (F-FDTL) recruits.

The training was conducted under the Australian-led Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) aimed at professionalising and enhancing the operational effectiveness of the F-FDTL.

OC Lt Cody Goulding said the course was designed to give students a basic understanding of IT skills and theory.

“Over a period of four weeks, two of our ISF signalmen have been attached to the F-FDTL providing basic IT training to the recruits,” he said.

“This training provides the recruits with core IT skills from basic mouse functions right though to simple networking skills.”

For instructor Cpl Matt Ellis, teaching the recruits gave him the chance to broaden his own skills and contribute towards the ongoing development of the F-FDTL.

“It has been a real pleasure instructing the F-FDTL students,” he said.

“The training is important because as the F-FDTL grows and

develops data communication net-works they will need to have profes-sionals to maintain the equipment and fix any problems.”

One such professional is F-FDTL trainee 2nd Sergeant Lucia Araujo De Jesus.

Sgt De Jesus chose to special-ise in IT because it was an area she believed the F-FDTL would need to develop in the future.

“It is important that we can trans-fer this training and knowledge to others so that East Timor and the F-FDTL can grow and work with other forces in the future,” she said.

The training finished at the end of November.

Plugged inROCL platoon heads home

Wired: Cpl Matt Ellis instructs an East Timorese soldier on correct wiring procedures during the information technology course at the Metinaro F-FDTL Barracks in East Timor. Photo by Cpl Janine Fabre

Troops have a go at annual mo growFlt-Lt Sean Watson

INTERNATIONAL Stabilisation Force (ISF) personnel in East Timor have raised more than $3000 in support of Movember, the annual campaign to raise funds for and awareness of men’s health issues.

Commanders relaxed grooming regulations to accommodate the mous-tache-growing efforts throughout November.

ISF RSM WO1 Jeoffery Cattana said he was impressed with the level of support the troops received.

“The heat and humidity of East Timor is not ideal for such a challenge,” he said.

“However, the troops stuck it out and everyone has been very supportive.”

Some were more supportive than

others however, with several partici-pants confessing their partners were not impressed, such as the ISF’s DSTO liai-son officer, Brice Mitchell.

“My wife has issued orders that the mo must go,” he said.

“I’m not allowed home, or to use Skype video, until it’s gone.”

Mowed down: ISF members in East Timor proudly display their Movember moustaches. Photo by Cpl Janine Fabre

20 CENTREPIECE Army December 8, 2011 21

A LONG AND BUSY YEARThe deaths of 12 soldiers on operations cast a deep shadow over a year in which major disaster relief operations were undertaken on home soil, landmark reforms were introduced and important operations came to a close. Sharon Palmer looks back at the Australian Army’s big events of 2011.

IT WAS a busy start to the year for our military reporters as one disas-ter after another hit our region.

Our reporters covered the many and varied roles the Army played in the rescue and clean-up operations during and after the devastating Queensland floods over December 2010 and January this year.

About 2000 ADF personnel deployed on Operation Queensland Flood assist under command of JTF 637 to pro-vide aid to the 70 towns and more than 200,000 people affected by the deluge.

In January, it was Victoria’s turn as the ADF was again called on to render assistance to flooded regions in the state’s north.

Just as Queenslanders were coming to terms with the damage of the floods, Cyclone Yasi ripped through the North Queensland coast wiping out homes and most of the country’s banana and sugar cane plantations in the process. About 1500 ADF personnel made up JTF 664 helping restore services to the affected regions, deliver food and water and clear up the mountains of debris left behind.

In a year where Army celebrated its 110th birthday and RMC its cente-nary, Army kicked off the year with an in-depth one-on-one interview with the latest recipient of the Victoria Cross, Cpl Ben Roberts-Smith. Cpl Roberts-Smith expressed his surprise at the award and also gave an insight into his pivotal role in the intense firefight that drew his nomi-nation for it.

In February, the Army suffered two of this year’s 11 KIAs in Afghanistan when Cpl Richard Atkinson, 1CER, was killed by an IED on February 2 when leading his section through the Tangi Valley in the Deh Rawud region of Uruzgan province and Spr Jamie Larcombe, 1CER, was killed on February 19 when his patrol was attacked by a group of insurgents in the Mirabad Valley.

In May, three soldiers were killed in separate incidents during a tragic fort-night in Afghanistan. Sgt Brett Wood, 2 Cdo Regt, was killed by an IED during a partnered Special Operations Task Group and Afghan National Security Forces mis-sion in Helmand province on May 23. LCpl Andrew Jones, MTF 3, was shot

by an Afghan National Army soldier on May 30 and Lt Marcus Case, 6 Avn Regt, died from wounds he sustained in a heli-copter crash on the same day. LCpl Jones was walking within the base perimeter at Patrol Base Mashal in the Chora Valley when he was shot by an ANA soldier in a guard tower. Lt Case was killed a few hours later when the Chinook he was in crashed while undertaking a re-supply mission in Zabul province.

On June 6, Spr Rowan Robinson, IRR, was killed during a period of sus-tained fighting with insurgents. On July 4, the Army lost one of its most experi-enced soldiers when Sgt Todd Langley, 2 Cdo Regt, on his fifth deployment to

Afghanistan, was killed by insurgent small arms fire in Helmand province. On August 22, Pte Matthew Lambert died from wounds he sustained as a result of an IED on August 22.

Another three soldiers were tragically killed in an attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Pacemaker after a routine weekly parade on October 29. Cpl Ashley Birt, 1 Topo Svy Sqn, Capt Bryce Duffy, 4 Regt RAA and LCpl Luke Gavin, 2RAR, were shot and killed and another seven Australian soldiers were wounded in the attack.

The 12th fatality for the year was Cfn Beau Pridue, 8CSSB, who died from inju-ries in a vehicle accident near the town of

Bacau in East Timor on September 15.Close to 50 soldiers were wounded in

Afghanistan this year bringing the total to more than 200 wounded since 2001.

Closer to home, 7RAR made the move from Townsville to Adelaide and was welcomed to RAAF Base Edinburgh on March 5.

In June, soldiers took time out to think about what it meant to be a soldier in dur-ing a “cultural awareness day”.

The initiative was designed to initiate discussions on appropriate and inappro-priate behaviour, and also to discuss pro-posed changes to Army physical stand-ards tests.

Throughout July 8500 ADF personnel

and 14,000 service personnel from the US Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines took part in the largest combined mili-tary biennial training exercise between Australia and the US, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011.

There were changes at the top as both the CA and CDF left their posts.

After 43 years in the Army, Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie handed over the leadership of the Army to Lt-Gen David Morrison on June 24. Then VCDF Lt-Gen David Hurley took over as CDF when ACM Angus Houston left the post on July 4 and WO David Ashley took the reins from WO Stephen Ward as new RSM-A on September 29.

Past and present 6RAR troops had their efforts recognised this year with a Meritorious Unit Citation for MTF 1, of which 6RAR was the lead element, and a Unit Citation for Gallantry for D Coy, 6RAR, in recognition of the Vietnam War Battle of Long Tan.

It was a year for VIP visits also as the Queen visited RMC and presented new Regimental and Queen’s Colours on October 22, US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited troops in the NT on November 17 and the GG presented new colours to 7RAR on September 10 in Adelaide. Soldiers from 13 Bde also got a taste of VIPs as they provided search support to WA Police during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Perth from October 28-30.

On September 27, the Government announced a lifting of gender restric-tions for ADF personnel. Making the announcement, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said the new policy would remove restriction on the 7 per cent of ADF trades that excluded women.

There was plenty of new kit rolled out to soldiers as Diggerworks contin-ued to issue new protective equipment. Production of new tiered body armour began on January 17 at Australian Defence Apparel in Bendigo and was rolled out to troops preparing for MTF 3 in Townsville in April. Eight hun-dred members of MTF 3 deployed to Afghanistan in May. Defence procured 5000 sets of the Crye Precision Assault Uniform in the multicam disruptive pat-tern system and distributed them to close combatant ADF elements regularly oper-ating outside the wire in Afghanistan.

Gunners also put the M777A2 Howitzer to the test at Puckapunyal and Heckler and Koch HK417 marksmanship rifles were issued to 2RAR and Special Forces units in July in a significant boost to the long-range capabilities of Australian soldiers on operations.

One of the fi rs t Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Systems arrived in Australia at Gallipoli Barracks on September 7. Soldiers from 20 STA Regt have been training in the US through-out the year and the first Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Systems Task Group is ready to deploy to Afghanistan later this month.

There were more homecomings as gunners returned from Afghanistan in April as Australia’s commitment to Operation Herrick ended. Fifteen gun-ners spent five months living and working alongside their UK colleagues on remote patrol bases in Helmand.

MTF 3 took over from MTF 2 in the middle of the year and set about con-tinuing the mentoring and training of the Afghan National Army’s 4th Bde.

In Iraq, the Australian Security Detachment ceased operations in Baghdad on July 29, ending the eight-year deployment with a 100 per cent suc-cess rate. No diplomatic personnel were harmed during that time, although 15 Secdet members were wounded through-out the course of the mission and Pte Jake Kovco was killed in a firearms incident in 2006.

There was obviously a lot more going on in 2011 and Army looks forward to keeping you up-to-date with the wide gamet of activities/operations undertaken by our soldiers in 2012. Watch this space.

Major operations: WO2 Andrew Shore mentors Afghan National Army soldiers on a patrol in Afghanistan’s Mirabad Valley, while in East Timor, Lt Lindsay Nelson gets a warm welcome from children in Maliana and in Solomon Islands, Sig Adam Burns mans the radio during a tsunami alert. Photos by PO Damian Pawlenko, Cpl Melina Mancuso and Cpl Janine Fabre

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22 LETTERS Army December 8, 2011

LOOKING through the Toll Transitions website today, it was heart-warming to see that Toll recently received the “Commitment to Excellence – Platinum Award” from the Cartus 2011 Global Network Conference. Well done Toll.

Is this a different Toll Transitions? The one that I know is the one that lost my stuff and won’t pay for it or bother to find it? The one that sent a sub-standard company to my house totally unprepared and late? The same one that many diggers unhappily wrote to Army about earlier this year?

Cartus have obviously never had a removal “taken care of” by Toll Transitions.

As a Toll Transitions customer, I’m not convinced that this award was warranted.

Cpl M2 Cdo RegtHolsworthy, NSW

Toll Transition’s industry award queried

AFTER recently serving onboard HMAS Manoora I have become aware of a glaring disparity in the conditions of service between Navy and Army personnel, with the latter being short-changed.

The disparity pertains to the pay-ment of Seagoing Allowance and Field Allowance.

Pacman Volume 1, Chapter 4, Part 3, Div 11 and 4 provide guidance for the payment of Seagoing and Field Allowance respectively. Each states that the allowance is paid to compen-sate for working long hours in uncom-fortable conditions, the inability to use leisure time effectively, and a lack of home contact.

Despite the identical justification for the allowances, the actual payment arrangements for each could not be more different.

Seagoing Allowance is paid fort-nightly as part of normal salary and allowances for the duration of a post-ing to a seagoing ship, irrespective of whether or not the vessel is actually at sea. The allowance is paid even if the vessel is alongside in its home port for an extended period such as for main-tenance or block leave, including over Christmas.

After hours duties performed while alongside in a home port are compen-sated for by the payment of Service Allowance, as for the other services (Pacman Volume 1, Chapter 4, Part 2).

Seagoing Allowance is consider-able – $11,758 a year for a sailor with less than three years’ cumulative sea service up to $28,289 a year for 11 or more years’ cumulative sea service.

In contrast, Field Allowance is paid per day spent in the field, with two rates paid based upon the level of dis-ability experienced, being $53.65 or $31.48. Upon return to barracks, the payment ceases immediately.

Furthermore, it is notable that when serving in the field, the RSM of an Army unit receives exactly the same daily rate of Field Allowance as the unit’s most junior soldier.

Unlike Seagoing Allowance, no consideration is made for “cumulative field service” when determining the payment levels of Field Allowance.

Pacman provides no explanation for the considerable difference in payment arrangements for these allowances, despite the identical payment justifi-cation. If the relevant authority could please explain the reason for this dis-parity it would be greatly appreciated. Maj Scott LymberyAmphibious Task GroupPotts Point, NSW

Director Military Salaries and Allowances, Capt Angela Bond, Responds:

SEAGOING Allowance and Field Allowance are two of the disability allowances within the ADF salary-related allowance structure.

Disability allowances are paid to compensate members for such things as curtailment of home contacts, work-ing and living conditions, working hours and exposure to hazards.

Field Allowance is an on-occur-rence allowance which is paid to mem-bers as compensation for the uncom-fortable living and working conditions experienced during field service. The allowance is paid where members are

Address the allowance imbalance

Disparity: Sailors receive Seagoing Allowance on a fortnightly basis when posted to a ship, even when the ship is in its home port, whereas soldiers receive Field Allowance on a daily basis only for the days spent in the field.

required to undertake duty and live in the field without access to the facili-ties ordinarily available in barracks or domestic dwellings.

Seagoing Allowance is paid to ADF members posted to a seagoing ship to compensate for the conditions inher-ent to living and working onboard a naval vessel. These elements include particularly uncomfortable conditions, exceptionally long hours, the inability to use leisure time effectively; and the curtailment of home contacts.

The additional tiering of Seagoing

allowance is to compensate for the cumulative impact of the disabilities associated with serving at sea over the long term.

These two allowances share a num-ber of disability components as their foundation, including long and irregu-lar hours of work, difficulties involved in working at night, uncomfortable liv-ing and working conditions, and loss of communications with families.

The cumulative tiering of seago-ing allowance recognises the unique nature of seagoing duty. The disabili-

ties associated with seagoing are regu-larly endured for extremely long peri-ods without the opportunity for respite.

As an on-occurrence disability allowance, Field Allowance does not address, nor is it intended to address, cumulative disability. It is designed to address the disability encountered by ADF members at the time when they undertake field service.

Defence, with input from the ser-vices, constantly reviews these allow-ances to ensure that they continue to meet service needs.

Excellence: Toll Transitions recently received a Platinum Award for Commitment to Excellence at the Cartus 2011 Global Network Conference.Photo by Cpl Aaron Curran

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TRAINING 23Army December 8, 2011

By Capt Felicity Hamblin

MEMBERS of 4 Bde’s Timor-Leste Task Group 4 (TLTG 4) undertook specialist courses to build section-level skills before pre-deployment training in Puckapunyal.

During Exercise Baucau, soldiers had the opportunity to undertake the interim infantry mobility vehicle driving course, combat first aid course, combat commu-nications course or the abridged Tetum language. The combat communications course was delivered by 108 Sig Sqn in Watsonia, while the other courses were run at Puckapunyal.

Maj James Weaver from the HQ 4 Bde mounting team said the two-week courses were designed to build specialist skills within sections.

“Ex Baucau has been designed to ensure we meet the taskings we’ve been given for the section structure – each section needs to have a driver, communi-cations specialists, first aiders, and mem-bers who can hold a basic conversation with the people of Timor,” he said.

“This is why we designed this course period just before force concentration, so we’ve got enough trained people and a few spares to fill those positions within the company structure.”

Taking part in the combat first aid course, Pte Cameron Dudgeon said task

group members were able to nominate for the courses they were most interested in and would be section-level specialists in their respective fields.

“I chose the CFA course as it offers transferable skills that can be used in civvie street and to be able to help out in Timor if called upon,” he said.

“Cannulating and getting drips into people, administering morphine, and learning these life-saving skills makes it really interesting, and it’s important that each section has members trained in this area to ensure we can give medical treat-ment until more qualified medics arrive at the scene.”

The next stage of the training con-tinuum is concentration of the 2 Div and 4 Bde force element at Puckapunyal for force preparation training, which will also include the 4 Bde Combined Arms Training Activity. Elements of 7 Bde will also link up in early January before the mission rehearsal activity.

“Pucka will come alive for us – we’ll have about 300 people there, those going and those in support,” Maj Weaver said.

“We gained good experience from 2 Div’s previous and current contribution to Timor and have put together a balanced, relevant and realistic training continuum.

“It will be a great training ground to get the soldiers 100 per cent prepared for deployment.”

Task group warms up for deployment

Trained up: Members of 4 Bde’s upcoming Timor-Leste Task Group 4 treat a simulated casualty on the combat first aid course.Photo by Capt Felicity Hamblin

By Capt Sean Childs

WITH the summer bushfire sea-son nearing, 4 Bde’s 4 Reserve Response Force (4RRF) tested emergency response skills in two evolving scenarios during a certi-fication exercise (Certex) weekend last month.

The Certex evaluated 4 Bde’s readi-ness to conduct Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC), with 4RRF personnel drawn from 8/7RVR, 5/6RVR, 4/19PWLH, 108 Sig Sqn, 2/10 Mdm Regt, 4CSSB, MUR, and MONUR. The activity was coordinated by 22 Const Regt.

The first phase was a regional bush-fire scenario, the second an urban earth-quake. Both scenarios presented civil disaster realities and the need for civil-ian liaison.

Initial exercise orders outlined phase one only, keeping phase two undis-closed to test reaction and response to an evolving situation.

OC 4RRF Maj Paul Middleton said gathering the RRF was an important part of the training.

“The first priority is the orders, but the second is the supporting information that any force needs for an operation-al task and subsequent tracking,” Maj Middleton said.

“These include personnel registers, media and legal briefs, safety, medical and psych briefs. In the RRF context we have to be able to get these done often on a very short timeline – less than 24 hours – ready to support a DACC task.”

For the bushfire scenario, the RRF moved into the AO to conduct a rapid impact assessment and vehicle control points (VCP).

“For rapid impact assessment we add speed and accuracy to the mix, because at the state level people are try-ing to make meaningful decisions about

support and we may be the first agency to provide that information.

“For VCP tasks it’s a bit simpler and it’s about safety and effectiveness to ensure security.”

The bushfire scenario was staged in Yallourn North, about 155km south east of Watsonia with a population of about

1200 people and 520 residential proper-ties, with the north-east of the township ravaged by fire.

“We defined five rapid impact assess-ment sectors then allocated them in the most logical way so platoons could understand the tasks and sequence as easily as possible,” Maj Middleton said.

Reactions tested in Certex“In the back of our minds we also

tried to ensure one platoon had slightly less work than the others so we could retask them if required.”

Early the next morning the sec-ond scenario’s earthquake in Oakleigh unfolded, designed to test and evaluate the team’s response adaptability.

“We needed to quickly relocate 130km back to the west, switching from rapid impact assessment to urban search and rescue,” Maj Middleton said.

“We reorientated to the new task well after receiving orders at 4am. We went through the new formal orders, convoy orders and the search and res-cue team also managed to get in a rehearsal of line and hail search before the company group pulled down our entire setup and stepped off.

“It was a good achievement to get through all those steps and do it by the book in three-and-a-half hours. It reinforces the good standard of leader-ship we have in the corporal to captain ranks.”

Complementing the Certex was a team of observer trainers who evaluated 4RRF’s performance against a mission essential training list. The evaluation covered command and control, civil emergency agency liaison, low-risk search and resource management.

Observer trainer CSM WO2 Scott Reeves said the company group worked well within its capability and performed to a high standard.

“At times, they more-than exceeded their required capability – their overall performance was very high.”

Search and rescue: Spr Kerry Day, left, conducts a simulated search and rescue activity during 4RRF’s Certex at Oakleigh. Photo by Capt Sean Childs

CALLING FORSUBMISSIONS

The Australian Army Journal provides the primary forum for Army's professional discourse. It facilitates debate

about land combat and related issues as well as giving Army's people the opportunity to inform their colleagues in the Army, ADF and military personnel the

world over.The Land Warfare Studies Centre is focusing on the

Army after Afghanistan and the land force role in a Joint Maritime Strategy, however suitable submissions on any

topic of interest would be welcome.The Journal Board is calling for submissions for the next

Autumn Edition to be received before 31 December 2011.

Information for authors can be found at http://www.army.gov.au/lwsc/Australian_Army_Journal_Information_for_Authors.asp

24 TRAINING Army December 8, 2011

By Maj Andrew Dixon

GOING by past experience, sol-diers can expect to provide disas-ter relief at home and abroad for many years to come.

Adaptive campaigning’s five lines of operation – joint land com-bat, population protection, informa-tion actions, population support and indigenous capacity building – pro-vide a pathway to help soldiers tran-sition from conventional warfighting through to humanitarian missions and disaster relief.

At this year’s Civil Military Interaction Seminar, the co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, Elizabeth Ferris, said the need for civil military cooperation was likely to grow.

“If we were to look at the big pic-ture in relation to natural disasters of the future, we know there is likely to be an increase in intensity and sever-ity of climate-related sudden-onset natural disasters,” she said.

“This will bring on increasing vulnerability due to urbanisation and mega trends of population growth.”

Over the past 10 years, natural disasters have affected more than 2.4 billion people worldwide – the equivalent of one-third of the earth’s

population. Disasters have wrought more than $910 billion in damages – equivalent to about 16 per cent of global GDP.

The Army has provided count-less soldiers who are able to provide professional support to relief opera-tions in our region due to training in population-centric actions includ-ing population support, population protection and indigenous capacity building.

In recent years 11, 8 and 4 Bdes have come together to share lessons learnt to prepare their soldiers for deployment roles in East Timor.

Timor-Leste Task Group 3 deployed with 169 personnel and through planning received cultural training to communicate effectively with, and work alongside, a wide range of military and civilian sup-porting elements.

The Army’s non-corps promo-tional training centre has changed the organisation’s culture from telling soldiers what to think to showing them how to think.

Army’s future leaders are asked to do a difficult job in physically and mentally demanding situations. This is relevant for the future if Army is to increase its role in conflicts and

natural disasters within the immedi-ate region.

WO and NCO Academy CO Lt-Col Anthony Duus said all the centre’s courses were designed to push future leaders to think through problems.

“We are about teaching people to think – it is not what they have to think about but the process of think-ing.”

Corps schools are building train-ing around adaptive campaigning. There is now a trend of trainers and trainees sharing their experiences.

Corps training developers are cap-turing the experiences and enhancing the learning environment, providing strong examples of how their corps support the Army’s mission.

Adaptive campaigning st i l l requires a capable, professional army able to deliver land combat capabil-ity from a foundation built on tradi-tional skill and knowledge bases. In this sense “being good at the basics” remains fundamental to the way the Army trains and educates.

Adaptive campaigning offers an opportunity for the Army to embrace a concept with which it can build its operational capability to new levels of proficiency.

Disaster relief ops to continue

Experience: Soldiers with more training and experience in population-centric operations, such as disaster relief, will more easily transition from conventional warfighting to humanitarian missions. Photo by PO Damian Pawlenko

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Gunners take on Viper

Pulling together: Australian gunners with members of the 3rd Bn, 11 Marine Regt, move an M777A2 Howitzer into position during Ex Enhanced Mojave Viper at Twentynine Palms in California.

International relations: Soldiers from 8/12 Regt’s 103 Bty, Gnrs Joseph Bell, left, Andrew Gilmore, Luke Roberts, LBdrs Karl McGrath and James Thatcher, and Bdr Matthew Powers take some time out with members of India and Mike Btys, 3rd Bn, 11 Marine Regt, US Marine Corps during a five-day live-fire exercise at Twentynine Palms in California.

By Cpl Melanie Schinkeland Lt Todd Peut

GUNNERS from 8/12 Regt’s 101, 102 and 103 Btys recently participat-ed in the United States Marine Corps’ pre-deployment exercise Enhanced Mojave Viper at Twentynine Palms in California.

The international exchange was a continuation from Exercise Gold Eagle, a combined artillery activity that integrated members of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) with 103 Bty in Darwin during September.

From October 12 to November 19, the Aussie gunners formed 103 Bty and conducted mechanised and airborne assaults alongside M Bty and I Bty, 3rd Bn, 11th Marines during Exercise Enhanced Mojave Viper (EEMV).

Gnr Giulian Pierdomenico, 103 Bty, said EEMV was equivalent to the Australian Army’s mission rehearsal exercises and prepared the 7th Marines (Infantry) for their deployment to Afghanistan later this year.

“It was an awesome exercise because mixed units fired simultaneously – it was like being in the thick of a miniature war,” Gnr Pierdomenico said.

“The marines definitely do gunnery differently to how we do it. They allo-cate separate ammunition trucks for each gun and they don’t have safety officers checking gun positions.”

Battery Commander 103 Bty Maj Ian Fletcher said it was an invaluable experience for the battery to operate the M777A2 155mm howitzer guns, which will replace the Australian artillery’s M198 155mm howitzers from February next year.

“EEMV was a resounding success and 103 Bty was honoured to be the first foreign military unit involved in the exercise. It was 103 Bty’s chance to demonstrate what Australian soldiers can achieve alongside US marines,” Maj Fletcher said.

“This exchange was about refining joint interoperability and developing our understanding of the USMC’s tactics, techniques and procedures.”

During the trip the gunners also completed M777A2 familiarisation, observer and continuation training for the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), a program used by Australian soldiers and US marines to send digital missions to the gun line.

“The rates of fire during EEMV were high, which enabled the gun line to effec-tively understand the capabilities and limitations of the M777A2, as well as educate the fire direction centres in the fundamentals of the AFATDS,” he said.

After EEMV 103 Bty participated in a five-day battalion live-fire exercise that involved high rates of fire, a battalion gun raid and tactical movements by day and night.

“About 1500 rounds were fired throughout the battalion phase – the most rounds the Australian Army has ever fired on the M777A2,” he said.

“Our bond with the marines has improved and will no doubt strengthen in coming years. These exercises empha-sised the Australian soldier’s ability to adapt to different situations and settings, and amalgamate with coalition forces.”

But it wasn’t all work and no play for 103 Bty. After the exercises the gun-ners attended the 236th Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Las Vegas, which gave them the chance to unwind and socialise with their marine counterparts in a more relaxed setting.

“The ball was really fun and we were lucky enough to see a marine drill dem-onstration too. They were a nice bunch of people and they took care of us both during the exercises and while we were out and about doing touristy stuff,” Gnr Pierdomenico said.

Following their three days in Las Vegas, the gunners visited Camp Pendleton in San Diego where they went aboard the LHD USS Bonhomme Richard before experiencing Rodeo Drive, Hollywood, Seaworld, Disneyland and a college football game.

26 TRAINING Army December 8, 2011

Staring down major disasterBy LCpl Mark Doran

AS THE summer disaster season approaches, 44 soldiers are bet-ter prepared for relief operations and coordinating with civil agen-cies after joining more than 200 international troops for Exercise Suman Warrior in the UK.

Commanded by CO 10FSB Lt-Col Phil McMaster, and mostly from 17CSSB, the exercise participants were trained in providing military aid to civil authorities during crises such as flooding and severe weather.

T h i s y e a r i s t h e 40th anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Arrangement between Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, which all had troops taking part in the annual exercise.

Lt-Col McMaster said Exercise Suman Warrior was an excellent opportunity for nations to share experiences of conducting humani-tarian aid and disaster relief opera-tions.

“Australia was significantly affected by floods and severe tropical cyclones over the December 2010 to February 2011 period,” he said.

“In reality, the other nations par-ticipating have experienced similar situations. This was an excellent forum to learn from each other’s experiences.”

Participants in Exercise Suman Warrior heard from leading experts in contingency planning and emer-gency response and took part in a three-day problem-solving exercise using the knowledge they gained.

The exercise simulated the dev-astating effects of flooding on resi-dential and industrial areas to train troops and emergency services to work together.

Maj Keith Chambers, 10FSB, was the contingent XO and said Exercise Suman Warrior exposed the troops to a new way of dealing with civilian agencies when a combined military and civil response to natural disasters was required.

“The exposure to the detailed and well rehearsed natural disaster pro-cedures that the UK has in place was an eye opener,” Maj Chambers said.

“We all now have a much better understanding of the complexities of joint disaster relief operations.”

The contingent was hosted by 15 (North East) Bde, the largest regional brigade in the UK, and was based

at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Strensall.

The exercise began with a formal opening ceremo-ny and parade at Queen Elizabeth Barracks where the flags of the participat-ing countries were raised and their national anthems were played by the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band.

Pte Joshua Raines, 17CSSB, said it was an

excellent exercise that he believed was highly beneficial to everyone involved.

“Seeing how foreign militaries operate really opens your mind to different ideas and shows you new ways to do things,” he said.

“The floods in Australia earlier this year highlight the importance of such an exercise and I think we are now better equipped to deal with any humanitarian disaster.”

“Seeing how foreign militaries operate really

opens your mind to different ideas and shows

you new ways to do things.”– Pte Joshua Raines, 17CSSB

Civil aid: Australian participants in Ex Suman Warrior look on as an RAF rescue helicopter touches down at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Strensall, UK. Inset, mock media coverage adds to the realism of exercise scenarios.

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By Sgt Dave Morley

TOWNSVILLE-based soldiers from 35 Water Tpt Sqn’s 35 Amphibious Support Troop (35AST) had a rare opportunity to work alongside the Navy in a joint capacity in Sydney Harbour last month.

The troop was tasked with sup-porting HMAS Tobruk to re-certify its amphibious capability after almost a year without going to sea.

Troop commander Lt Jonas Price, said his troop provided two LCM8s, two LARCVs and 17 members for the four-week exercise.

“The two LCM8s departed on a 12-day journey from Townsville to Sydney – it was the longest cog the Townsville-based boats have had for many years,” he said.

“We also sent two LARCVs down via road to HMAS Penguin where they were met by the operators and swum

through Sydney Harbour to Garden Island to marry up with Tobruk.”

The two LCM8s later sailed inde-pendently to Jervis Bay and linked up with HMAS Tobruk at sea.

Lt Price said although the squadron was well versed in working with Navy, this was the first opportunity for some of the junior soldiers to work with a ship.

“It has been an eye-opening experi-ence for them,” he said.

“There have been many new skills to learn in working alongside the Navy in a joint capacity.

“We hope to continue this training as the amphibious role increases across Defence and this will help set us up in the future to conduct joint amphibious operations.”

The members had an opportunity to visit the old 35 Water Tpt Sqn location at Woolwich and the previous site of ALTC Maritime Wing at Chowder Bay.

Finding their sea legs

Easy does it: Pte Joshua Pinn, 35AST, guides an LCM8 in to dock with HMAS Tobruk in Sydney Harbour.

Sight seeing: Personnel from 35AST work with the Navy in one of the world’s iconic locations.

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28 FEATURES Army December 8, 2011

‘THE Australian soldier has the same sense of humour as the British soldier.” That was Maj Kenneth

Crawford’s first observations when he transferred to the Australian Army in 2007.

Maj Crawford, OC/CI Maritime Wing – Army School of Transport, start-ed his distinguished military career with the UK’s Royal Corps of Transport in 1983.

The corps amalgamated to form the Royal Logistics Corps in 1993, Maj Crawford became the corps’ RSM before his commissioning.

Other highlights of Maj Crawford’s 24-year career with the British Army include eight operational deployments – three tours of Northern Ireland, three tours in the former Yugoslavia with the UN and NATO, and both Iraq wars.

His last operational tour was with the Welsh Guards to al Amarah in Iraq in 2005.

Although a number of British sol-diers had previously lost their lives there, including the six RMPs who were mur-dered in al Majir al Aabar, Maj Crawford said it was an extremely interesting and enjoyable tour.

“Our battalion did not lose a single soldier in Iraq, yet the battalion that came in behind us suffered casualties less than three weeks in,” Maj Crawford said.

“I was working for the Department of International Development for the six-month tour and we invested the equiva-lent of $25m in local infrastructure while employing 17,000 Iraqis.”

Maj Crawford was in his third year as a captain when he decided he need-ed fresh challenges and applied for an overseas lateral transfer to the Australian Army.

Serving or ex-serving foreign sol-diers who have skills which are valuable

to the Australian Army have often been recruited to address capability shortfalls within the Army that cannot be solved using Australian personnel.

Maj Crawford said the decision was tentative at first, as he was getting into a situation he did not know too much about, but the whole interview process turned out to be simple and painless.

“When my family and I went to London for the initial interviews and we were given the opportunity to come to Australia, which we had never vis-ited before, it was just too good to turn down,” he said.

“Once I was over the initial hurdles and it was identified I had skills of value to the Australian Army, everything else just fell into place.”

9FSB at RAAF Base Amberley was Maj Crawford’s first posting and he said it was a dream posting to be living in a beautiful area of Queensland as the unit was just moving into its new facilities.

“I felt as though I had really landed on my feet and continue to think trans-ferring was a great move for me and my family. We love it here, my wife Maria has a great job, my daughter Kim works in Brisbane and my son David loves his schooling – they haven’t got a bad word to say,” Maj Crawford said.

“We were given the time and resourc-es to make sure we settled in properly, which allowed me to walk into the work-place within three weeks of arriving in Australia where my family and I were warmly welcomed.

“I was comfortable and confident I was going to enjoy my tenure as an Australian soldier. I am now living the dream, the only thing missing from my lifestyle at the moment is a boat.

“It’s a bloody great job in a grand organisation, which is fantastic fun to be with, and I am not convinced I would have had these opportunities with the British Army.”

Move south great for the careerAs the Army once again seeks experienced personnel from overseas, LCpl Mark Doran sits down with a former British Army officer who now works at the School of Transport.

THE Australian Army has recom-menced recruiting from overseas, with a focus on soldiers from the British Army.

This recruitment will take advantage of the capable and experienced officers and soldiers who are leaving the British Army and still have many years of ser-vice to offer.

As part of developing the recruiting process, DOCM and SCMA worked with lateral officers to further develop the recruiting and selection process to smooth the transition into the Australian Army.

DOCM-A’s Selections and Appointments officer, Lt-Col Clare Kellaway, said this minimised administrative issues associated with lateral recruiting and ensured units received an officer or soldier who was employable and deploy-able faster.

“Potential recruits should apply through the Defence Jobs website, and we ask Australian Army members working with members of other armies who may be suitable and interested to encourage them to apply,” Lt-Col Kellaway said.

A selections tour is planned for London in early December with a range of officer and soldier trades Army will recruit against.

The available corps and trades and the application process are outlined on the Defence Jobs website at www.defence-jobs.gov.au/recruitmentCentre/canIJoin/overseasApplicants/army.aspx

BRITS ARE A GOOD FIT

Skills boost: Maj Kenneth Crawford, pictured in Iraq in 2005 and now in Australia (inset) at the Army School of Transport, brought considerable operational experience when he transferred from the British Army.

FEATURES 29Army December 8, 2011

A PART of 2 Cav Regt histo-ry and tradition will be lost forever this month with the closure of the RAP and

transfer of a mother to hundreds of soldiers, nurse Sue Jamieson.

Receiving the title from a soldier four months into her time at the unit after giving him advice, Mrs Jamieson found herself stuck with the name and taking on the mum role in the unit.

When asked about being known as mum, Mrs Jamieson said it was the highest compliment she could ever receive.

“At first my own children didn’t like it, especially when greeted on weekends by the soldiers, but they soon understood the relationship,” Mrs Jamieson said.

“I almost never hear my own name these days with even the COs and spouses calling me mum.”

Since 2004 Mrs Jamieson has taken care of the soldiers and families of 2 Cav Regt as if they were her own, as well as being primary health carer for the women of 1 Bde.

Building up a relationship with the unit and its members over the years, Mrs Jamieson’s RAP became known as the social hub of the unit, with members from every rank walking through its doors not only for medical

assistance but often for a break, advice and the odd lolly.

The unit will complete its 12th year of operational deployments this year, during which time Mrs Jamieson has been an invaluable member of the mental health and support team, often alone or with little support due to the operational tempo.

CO 2 Cav Regt Lt-Col Simon Johnstone said Mrs Jamieson would be deeply missed but would always remain mum to the regimental family.

“She’s an exceptional nurse with amazing skills and a big heart,” Lt-Col Johnstone said.

“She’s also been known to include the occasional bit of hard love.”

Always there for the soldiers, Mrs Jamieson has been part of the march-in requirements, not only in her medical role, but also giving the new soldiers their boundaries and advice regarding both life and social issues.

With the centralisation of health-care and closure of the RAP, there has been an outpouring of love, messages and gifts from across the unit before her move to the new South Clinic located in the 5RAR HQ building.

Lured recently to the Rowell Centre under false pretences, she entered to find the entire unit wait-ing to present her with a limited-edi-

She’s known as ‘Mum’ to anyone who’s served with 2 Cav Regt since 2004. Spr Nick Wiseman sits down with nurse Sue Jamieson.

Cav farewells ‘mum’

tion print of Desert Pursuit (4th Light Horse Regiment) by Ron Marshall.

Former CO Col Anthony Rawlins said Mrs Jamieson brought the unit together in a way he had never seen before.

“I could walk in to the RAP to talk and instantly know if there was some-

thing I needed to get sorted for the diggers,” Col Rawlins said.

“She was not only great at her job but a 2 Cav Regt institution.”

Mrs Jamieson said she enjoyed every moment with 2 Cav Regt, where she spent the longest placement of her more than 30-year nursing career.

“These guys are worthy of my care and that’s why I’ve stayed so long,” she said.

Mrs Jamieson said she looked for-ward to the challenge and something different at the South Clinic following the formal closure of the 2 Cav Regt RAP on December 2.

From 1 July, Toll Transitions will donate $1 to Legacy for each Application For Relocation (AFR) entered online via Toll Transitions’ website. Our aim is to raise more than $10,000 in the coming peak posting period.

In addition to helping Legacy, you will also go into a monthly draw* for a Valet Unpack Service.**

*Terms and Conditions apply.

** Valet Unpack Service includes: Furniture arranged in each room, beds made, goods unpacked and put away in cupboards, bench tops wiped down, cartons fully emptied and collapsed ready for collection by removalist.

Enter your AFR online today to help us increase our donation to Legacy and for your chance to win.

Toll Transitions wishes all ADF members and their families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

December and January are very

busy times for relocating members

and their families. Here are some

helpful hints for those who are

on the move.

Advise Toll if your contact details change.

Clean and prepare your goods for the removalists to pack. Refer to your Defence Relocation Guide (available online at www.tolltransitions.com.au/defence) for items that can/cannot be moved and/or stored.

Cash, jewellery, stamp and photo albums and irreplaceable items cannot be moved; if they are and are subsequently lost or damaged they are not covered by Toll Transitions Warranty System.

Vehicles and towables being freighted are not covered by Toll’s Warranty; check with your insurer to see if they are covered while in transit.

You or your agent are required to be present at all times throughout the uplift and delivery. The removalists will proceed only if you or your agent are on site.

When your uplift is complete, you will be provided with a copy of the Inventory Condition Report (ICR). This is an important document that

numbers your items/boxes, confirms they have been uplifted and notes the condition of your effects. If you do not agree with the ICR, please mark this on the document and call Toll Transitions on 1800 819 167. You must retain your copy of the uplift ICR and present this to the removalist at delivery.

If you are delayed in transit or otherwise require a change to your temporary accommodation advise Toll immediately. If you fail to arrive you will be liable for any “no show” fee from the accommodation provider.

Toll Transitions: Freecall 1800 819 167

$10,996

GOAL$12,000

COMPLETE YOUR AFR ONLINE! Help us raise vital funds for Legacy

www.tolltransitions.com.au/defence

n y in

st.

Mum moves on: Former 2 Cav Regt nurse Sue Jamieson has been a mother figure for all members of the regiment, including Cpl Philip Tisdall, left, and Cpl John Halpin. Photo by Pte Gary Steenbergen

Are you eligible for a

DHOAS subsidy?

Our Australia-wide network

is easy to access.

For the cover you can count on

just call 1300 552 662.

Then you are also entitled to home and contents

insurance through the Defence Service Homes Insurance

Scheme—even if you don’t have a DHOAS home loan.

The scheme offers:

• Comprehensive cover

• Economical premiums

• No general excess

• Contents new for old replacement, regardless of age.

P0201

8 D

SH

I—D

HO

AS 2

61x1

90 D

ec 0

9

30 FEATURES Army December 8, 2011

Going to extremes

FORGET the loud mouth, over-weight kid from the South Park TV series, the Cartman work-ing at Defence Science and

Technology Organisation (DSTO) is revolutionising the way combat cloth-ing is tested.

Known as the Chemical Articulated Test Mannequin, Cartman is part of DSTO’s new Environment Simulation Centre that is designed to put current and future uniform designs to the test.

The $4m facility is designed to test clothing and people in a range of condi-tions soldiers might expect to encounter.

While the facility can go from -20° to 50° Celsius and produce everything from dry heat to extremes of tropical humidity, it is the simulated toxic environment that takes testing to the next level.

The Research Leader for Chemical Defence, Human Protect ion and Performance Division, Dr Ralph Leslie, said Cartman would be covered in wire-less sensors, dressed in chemical/bio pro-tective equipment and exposed to simu-lated chemical or biological hazards to help develop new generations of protec-tion.

Dr Leslie said this new method of testing protective clothing gave far more realistic results than simply testing small sections of material against chemicals.

“To allow yourself the full level of protection it must provide, you need to test the full ensemble as a system,” he said.

Testing a protective rig on a mov-ing mannequin could find weak points around areas like zippers and ankles, Dr Leslie said.

“Cartman can run, squat and raise its arms,” he said. “We can use that in the chamber to measure how well the cloth-ing protects against chemical and bio-logical hazards.”

Instead of keeping these deadly con-coctions around the lab, Dr Leslie and his team use low-risk materials with similar physical properties.

The active ingredient in heat rub makes an ideal substitute for many nasty chemicals and in aerosol form, salt behaves like a deadly biological threat, according to Dr Leslie.

With these methods the researchers can test against everything from toxic industrial materials to chemical warfare agents and nasty biohazards.

Cfn Max Bree finds out how DSTO’s new Environment Simulation Centre is developing the protective clothing of the future.

Any weak points in the protec-tive gear are picked up by a network of wireless sensors developed by DSTO.

Throughout the experiments the sensors continually transmit data to researchers, offering a vast improve-ment over old sensors that only gave one reading for the experiment, according to Dr Leslie.

“These new sensors measure

the protection over the period of the test,” he said. “They give out thousands of readings over several hours.”

While the simulated hazards are no risk to the community, Dr Leslie said the facility was designed to ensure that none of the simulated toxins could get outside.

Chemical and biological test-ing forms a large part of work at

the facility, but its ability to change the weather is also used by DSTO to test the limits of human perfor-mance.

Volunteers will be put through their paces in a vast range of envi-ronments to see how people hold up under different conditions.

Similar experiments in the past have been used to develop Defence’s work/rest charts.

Testing times: The Chemical Articulated Test Mannequin is used at DSTO’s Environmental Simulation Centre to find weak points in clothing, particularly NBC suits. Photo provided by DSTO

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31 PERSONNEL Army December 8, 2011

DHA has started issuing its authorised contractors with ID cards to make it easier for members and their families to identify them.

Authorised DHA contractors will be issued with the cards over the next few months, and it’s important that personnel check their IDs before providing the con-tractor with access.

For more information on the identifica-tion cards or DHA contractors, contact DHA through a housing management centre or on 13 93 42.

WITH the peak posting period fast approaching, DHA has updated its Tenant Handbook, which is now making its way into Defence family homes.

The new-look handbook is more concise with three core sections on moving into, living in and vacating a property.

It provides information for Defence families on organising utilities in a new residence, making modifications, main-

tenance and inspections. It also features a contacts page and checklists to help with moving into and out of a service residence.

DHA’s Guide to Rent Allowance has also been updated and provides infor-mation about renting properties in the private rental market.

Both publications are available from housing management centres or online at www.dha.gov.au

The Tenant Handbook will be pro-vided in welcome packs.

Check the ID

-

tre

DHA handbooks updated Safety first: These official ID cards are being issued to authorised DHA contractors. Members should check the ID before providing a DHA contractor with access to their homes.

TIME is running out to have a say on accommodation assistance options, with the Pay and Conditions accom-modation survey due to close on December 9.

Defence is reviewing Member with-out Dependants (MWOD) and Member with Dependants Unaccompanied (MWD(U)) accommodation assistance to ensure future accommodation solu-tions meet the requirements of eligible members and the ADF.

The survey on the type of on-base and off-base accommodation assistance and facilities provided to MWOD and MWD(U) categorised members is avail-able on the DRN Pay and Conditions home page under ADF News at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/pac/

Members are encouraged to com-plete the survey to help shape the future direction of accommodation options for members categorised as MWOD and MWD(U).

Last chance to respond on assistance

Have a say: The accommodation assistance survey is available from the Pay and Conditions DRN site.

A NEW mathematics and physics training program will soon be available for soldiers who want to improve their knowledge for either personal or professional development.

The new interactive mathematics and physics pack-ages are designed to enhance soldiers’ foundation skills in preparation for formal technical training.

DGPers-A Brig Gavan Reynolds said the new initia-tive recognised the importance of upskilling the Army’s workforce.

“Army has long recognised the value of its per-sonnel and strongly encourages soldiers to consider alternative careers within Army rather than electing to separate,” he said.

Brig Reynolds said the packages would improve the success rate of personnel transitioning to new employ-ment categories, particularly the technical trades.

“The package has been designed to enable soldiers to achieve the prerequisite mathematics and/or physics knowledge for a specific technical employment cat-egory, or a soldier may elect to cover all topics within the package,” Brig Reynolds said.

“I encourage the chain of command to support soldiers who may be interested in completing the math-ematics or physics package.”

The two mathematics modules are due for release soon. The physics module is due for release mid next year. All modules will be available either online via Campus or as stand-alone DVDs available through trade transfer warrant officers in regions or directly from the Army Learning Production Centre.

Everyone can brush up on trade skills

Wise up: Maths and physics training packages will soon be available free to soldiers.

Check bonus eligibilityM O S T m e m b e r s w h o received the $10,000 rank retention bonus as a major, captain, sergeant or corporal in 2008 may become eligible for the $30,000 rank com-pletion bonus payment from March 1 next year.

Members who accepted the bonus offer incurred a four-year “undertaking to serve” (UTS) obligation. Acquittal of the initial 12 months UTS for the retention bonus is not affected by unpaid absences.

DGPers-A Brig Gavan Reynolds said members should be aware of factors that would affect the awarding of a rank completion bonus payment.

“With the exception of leave without pay of 20 days or less, the final three years UTS for the completion bonus must be acquitted on full pay,” he said.

“Leave at half pay, leave without pay of 21 days or more and unpaid disciplinary related absences are not effective ser-vice for completion bonus pur-poses.

“Other obligations, such as the return of service obligation or the Army and Air Force tar-geted pilot retention bonus can result in suspension of the UTS start date, end date or both.”

Brig Reynolds said time served in a rank lower than what the retention bonus was paid for would also not count as effective service for comple-tion bonus purposes.

“Members who do not acquit their final three-year UTS by the scheme end date on June 30 will be eligible for a pro-rata payment for the part of the completion bonus acquitted as effective service,” he said.

“However, members who voluntarily separate from the ARA or are terminated for rea-sons within their control are not eligible for any amount of the completion bonus.

“ M e m b e r s w h o w e r e acquitting an MSBS Retention Benefit undertaking for further service obligation on March 1, 2008, or commenced acquit-

ting the undertaking before completing the rank comple-tion bonus UTS, are also not eligible for any amount of the completion bonus.”

Brig Reynolds said a series of regional briefing sessions would be delivered in February next year.

“Members will have the opportunity to raise eligibil-ity queries in an extended ques-tion-and-answer forum.”

Briefing dates and venues are pub-lished on the DGPERS-A DRN home-page. For more information go to the DRN e-MPA website at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/sites/empa/

Due date: Personnel who took rank retention bonuses in 2008 may be eligible for their rank completion bonuses next year.

32 PEOPLE Army December 8, 2011

PHILLIP DAHLERACCOUNTANT/TAX AGENT

The services provided are:• Completion & Lodgement of Personal Tax Returns• Bookkeeping and General Accounting Services• Tax and Business Advice• Home and Business Loans• Completion & Lodgement of ABN applications• Completion & Lodgement of monthly and quarterly BAS statements To make a booking please contact us on; Phone: 02 4648 3910 Fax: 02 4647 7087 Email: [email protected] PO Box 437, Narellan NSW 2567

Moving up: RSM Ceremonial WO1 Brett Pates is assisted by his wife, Kelly, and son, Tim, in donning his new rank of captain. WO1 Pates was promoted to captain at a ceremony at Russell Offices on November 23 and will be posted to Darwin and be 2IC of the Army Personnel Administration Centre. Photo by Cpl Melanie Schinkel

Dancing for joy: Defence Indigenous Development program graduates celebrate by presenting their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in dance. Photo by Sgt Mark Johnson

Saying goodbye: Cpl Glenn Ford, Cargo Det 2, HMAS Kanimbla, and LS Timothy Cherry stand on the flight deck of HMAS Kanimbla during the ship’s decommissioning service on November 25 at Fleet Base East – Garden Island. Photo by AB Lee-Anne Mack

Drawing on wishes: Sgt Leon Coad, left, LCpl Chris Knight and LCpl John Ward take time to read some of the postcards sent to members deployed to East Timor by year 5/6 students from Earnshaw State College, Banyo. Photo by Cpl Janine Fabre

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LIFESTYLE 33 Army December 8, 2011

DIKKO By Bob Dikkenberg

Say again, over ...

November 24 winner“You think that tastes awful, wait until you taste the mess food.”Cpl Mathew Solomons5/6RAR

We also liked:“DFR’s attempt at recruiting using ration packs proved less than successful.”Lt Jonathan Bourke4/3RNSWR

Mitsubishi ASX Aspire 4WD diesel and 2WD petrol wagonEngines: 1.8 litre, 4 cylinder, 16 valve, MIVEC intercooled turbo common rail direct injection diesel with a 6-speed manual transmission producing 110kW and 300Nm of torque (blue wagon); 2.0 litre, 4 cyl-inder DOHC 16-valuve MIVEC petrol producing 110kW of power and 197Nm of torque (red wagon).Test vehicle RRP: Diesel $36,990 and petrol, $28,490Reviewer: Sgt Andrew Hetherington

IF PROSPECTIVE family wagon buyers were to evalu-ate the huge number for sale

in the market place, they’d miss Christmas lunch in the process.

Holden, Nissan, Subaru, Ford, Mazda, KIA, Hyundai and Volvo and others all have their versions and Mitsubishi is another manufac-turer offering a family-sized wagon with their ASX.

Both the 1.8-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol vehicles have identical inside accommodation and seating space, outside body appearance and power output of 110kW.

The (red) 2WD ASX came with a comprehensive standard equip-ment list including 16-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel-mounted cruise and stereo controls, stabil-ity and traction control, a swag of airbags, power windows and the engine was controlled by a smooth, continuously variable six-speed automatic transmission, with a manual-select function.

The (blue) diesel version had added features such as three-way switchable 4WD selector from 2WD to 4WD and 4WD lock func-

Diesel delivers

Spirited and economical: The Mitsubishi ASX Aspire 4WD diesel (above) had better torque than the petrol wagon (inset).Photos by Sgt Andrew Hetherington

tion, satellite navigation, Bluetooth phone connectivity, premium nine-speaker stereo with subwoofer, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather seats with heated front seats, reversing camera and a hands-free smart key vehicle entry system, with push but-ton start function. Changing gears was via a reasonably slick-shifting six-speed manual.

The pick of the two engines for its torque alone was the diesel.

Coupled with the easy-to-use six-speed manual, right foot applica-tions of the go pedal gave an almost sports-car response, allowing drivers to punt along to weave through city traffic or to cruise along the highway in sixth.

The 2.0 litre petrol driven in the CVT auto’s D mode was sluggish and if you had a load on board, then you’d have to drive it by selecting gears yourself.

Both specifications of vehicle came with an impressive standard and additional equipment list, com-ing in well below what was expected in this price range.

Rear luggage space was on the small side, but the ride and handling of both the diesel and petrol was comfortable and compliant.

Four stars but go for the eco-nomical and spirited diesel – it had no problem lugging a family of three and their possessions around at town and at highway speeds.

, yEC

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ly

F1 2011Publisher: CodemastersRRP: $78-$98

IF YOU are an F1 fan who is having withdrawal after the end of the 2011 season, then Codemasters’ F1 2011 might cheer you up.

Visually it looks much the same as F1 2010, but the under-the-skin enhance-ments to the previous year’s game have made the purchase worthwhile.

Containing all 2011-season races, including the new circuit in India, the latest F1 simulation also includes F1 car

competitive enhancements such as the drag reduction and kinetic energy recov-ery systems.

Car handling and difficulty levels are more realistic and easy to live with. Monaco is still a difficult Grand Prix to win and you’ll still need to draw on all your F1 nerd senses to find the apex and braking points as you advance on corners at more than 300km/h.

Since buying this game in September it hasn’t left my PS3 and I’ll be playing it even more now that the season has ended.

– Sgt Andrew Hetherington

Refining the winning formula

Fringe Benefits

Tax

Understanding VOLUME SEVEN

ggg

VOLUME SEVEN

Fringe Benefits

Tax

Understanding Find out why. Watch this.Watch the video or order the DVD on the websitewww.adfconsumer.gov.au

ADF Financial Services Consumer CouncilADF Financial Services Consumer Council

(more so if you’re in the ADF )

FBTnot as easy as

ABC

34 LIFESTYLE Army December 8, 2011

Email ASIC at [email protected] with topics that interest you

DESPITE their compelling historical record, Australians tend to pay little attention to bonds and fixed interest

investments. Yet they can play an im-portant role in a diversified portfolio, particularly when there’s uncertainty in financial markets.

If you have ever heard the saying that shares tend to outperform other investments over the medium- and long-term, you may be surprised to learn that over the 25 years to the end of September 2011, fixed inter-est bonds provided a better average return than cash (such as bank depos-its), listed property investments and Australian and international equities.

While property and share mar-kets experienced dramatic rises and falls, high quality bonds and other fixed interest investments yielded an average return of 9.7 per cent a year, exceeding Australian shares’ 9.2 per cent average.

It is important to note some key qualifiers in relation to these perfor-mance figures, which are sourced

Shares are not the only performer in the market says ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft.

from Vanguard’s interactive index chart at www.vanguard.com.au

Not all bonds are the same – they range from low to high risk.

Past performance is not a reli-able indicator of future performance, and bonds and fixed interest will not always outperform.

Losses are likely to happen in some years, as individual companies and even national governments some-times default on their obligations to bondholders. And importantly, much depends on the timeframe you com-pare – the start and end points.

You can expect fixed interest per-formance to lag well behind property and shares when those markets are booming.

If you just looked at the period 2003-07, for example, you would see that Australian shares’ average return of 21.5 per cent per annum dwarfed Australian bonds’ 4.5 per cent (albeit with more volatility and risk).

And in the 25 years to the end of 2010, bonds did not generate the high-est average returns, but next to cash

they were the least likely to suffer losses in any given year, with two years’ of negative performance during that period, while the Australian share index lost value in six of those years.

What are fixed interest investments?

With fixed interest investments, what you are really doing is lending money to a government or related entity, or to a public company. In return you get interest payments from them. Examples of fixed interest investments include government and corporate bonds.

Australian fixed interest investment lags behind other countries. Despite the attractive historical performance and relatively low volatility of bonds,

they tend to have a small place in most Australian investment portfolios.

A survey by the interna-tional Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that Australian superannuation funds had the lowest allocation to fixed interest of 30 countries surveyed.

Our average pension fund had just 14 per cent of its money in bonds, compared with about 50 per cent in many of the other countries surveyed.

How can you invest in fixed interest?

Some of the avenues for investing in fixed interest are listed below.

� Your super fund: most funds allow members to choose the mix of defensive (cash and fixed inter-est) and growth (property and shares) that best suits them. You should check what investment option you are currently in and see how your retirement money is being invested.

� A managed fund: in an actively managed fixed interest fund, invest-ment professionals will invest your money in a range of bonds to try to achieve positive returns.

� An index fund: these investments aim to ‘passively’ track a particu-lar market or index. Some funds enable people to invest with as little as $5000.

� A corporate bond: this is not the same as buying shares in a com-pany. By investing in a corporate bond, you are lending money to a business in return for interest pay-ments. The main risk of corporate bonds is that the company might not be able to pay the interest or repay the capital when it is due. You can buy and sell some cor-porate bonds on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Be aware that factors such as the cur-rent interest rate and the bond rat-ing will determine how much you will be able to sell your bonds for. You can download ASIC’s detailed guide Investing in corporate bonds? from www.moneysmart.gov.au.

For more information about fixed interest investments, visit www.moneysmart.gov.au

Fixed on interest

FINANCE

LIFESTYLE 35Army December 8, 2011

WELL, it’s been a hard slog but I’ll not be playing Santa this Christmas. Trim, taut and terrific – that’s how I proudly describe myself after six months of

training.Way back in June I put out the challenge to

members with weight issues to join me on a journey to better health. The response was outstanding. I received support from all over Australia. Members sent in letters of encouragement and dietary tips, and most importantly they joined in. I even had encour-agement from a member posted to Malaysia.

Initially I started off with a bang. Under the guid-ance of PTI Sgt Shane Duncan and dietitian Tiffany Peddle it wasn’t long before the fat was coming off.

Training up to six days a week and cutting my overindulgence of food by at least half put me on the right track for regaining my Adonis physique and reaching my goal weight of 85kg.

I leant how to portion my meal size and to identify when my body actually needed food rather than eat-ing food because it was available.

Well I can say that even though I have not reached my goal – sorry to all those guys who placed bets – my best result so far is weighing in at 89.5kg.

I’m not disappointed – I am well on my way to reaching my target and also need to point out that since returning from deployment in January, I have actually lost 14kg.

During my deployment I was one of the few ADF members who actually put on weight. I found food was readily available and my training motivation was low.

As you know, scales are not my best friend and are often a source of disappointment. Thankfully my measurements, and the fact I was no longer popping buttons, assured me I was losing weight.

In fact, I went down two clothes sizes and lost my love handles and man boobs along the way.

I am no longer in the obese range and my blood pressure has improved dramatically.

Personally, I think losing more than 1kg a month and maintaining it is a great achievement.

With the knowledge gained over the past six months, I will maintain my schedule and by January next year I should be closer to my goal weight.

Reflecting back on the journey, it was interesting to see how different life situations and work require-ments affected my training.

After two months of training it was obvious I wasn’t going to maintain the pace – I was not balanc-ing my commitments. So I slowed down on the train-ing, but most importantly I continued the diet. I still trained and discovered I actually enjoyed running. I completed two fun runs – that’s two more than I ever imagined I would do – and I bought a bike.

My next challenge is to learn to squad swim. I can swim but I want to be able to do more than two laps (of the toddler pool). Move over Thorpedo, Adonis is on his way.

Once again I thank all members who joined and encouraged me on my journey to better health.

The Christmas period is here, but for some mem-bers this time of year may not be as happy as it is for others. I encourage them to talk to someone and or use Defence’s health services.

Please stay safe over the holiday season. The jour-ney continues.

It’s been a long, undulating road, but LAC Bill (Adonis) Solomou is well on the way to his ultimate destination.

The Adonis is back but LAC Bill

the way to his *AA: 89.5kg

(*after Adonis)

Here are some of Bill’s tips for success:

� Take your body measurements, waist, chest, thighs and calves monthly.

� Only use scales monthly.

� Your motivation will fluctuate. If you find yourself in a rut, seek help from a PTI.

� Watch your sugar intake – no more than three pieces of fruit a day.

� Reduce meal portions but don’t starve yourself.

� Enjoy your exercise.

� Start off slowly and build up.

� Seek specialist advice from a PTI or dietitian.

� Encourage others to join you.

� Walk, walk, walk.

� Try a new sport.

� Ride a bike.

� Do cardiovascular workouts.

� There is no shortcut to healthy weight loss.

LESSONS LEARNT

*AA:*AA: 89.5kg89.5kg(*after Adonis)(*after Adonis)

*BA: *BA: 98kg98kg(*before Adonis)(*before Adonis)

HEALTH

ADF Transition Seminar Calendar 2012

ADF Transition Seminars have been designed to assist with preparing your transition from Defence by providing information and directing you to additional sources of information.

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Your Career and You Your Money and You Transition Support Benefi ts Transition Support and Administration Reserve Service Superannuation Health Insurance Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veterans and Veterans’ Family

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Month Date LocationMarch 6 - 7 Canberra

14 - 15 Sydney

21 - 22 Darwin

April 3 – 4 Brisbane

18 - 19 Adelaide

May 9 - 10 Darwin

15 - 16 Townsville

23 – 24 Melbourne

June 5 - 6 Perth

13 - 14 Newcastle

19 - 20 Bandiana

27 - 28 Canberra

July 3 – 4 Brisbane

10 - 11 Sydney

24 - 25 Cairns

August 7 – 8 Shoalhaven

14 - 15 Hobart

September 19 - 20 Adelaide

25 - 26 Brisbane

October 9 - 10 Melbourne

16 - 17 Canberra

23 - 24 Townsville

November 13 - 14 Darwin

20 - 21 Perth

27 - 28 Liverpool

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36 SPORT Army December 8, 2011

Leg Distance 2010 2011

Swim 1 1.5km 26min 21sec 27min 02sec

Ride 1 34km 2:13.17 2:15.19

Run 1 20km 2:24.29 2:02.26

Swim 2 3.5km 59.03 1:15.31

Ride 2 40km 2:27.27 2:32.37

Run 2 13km 1:31.33 1:20.45

Swim 3 1.2km 33.41 29.39

Ride 3 24km 2:00.08 1:52.52

Run 3 12km 1:54.21 1:45.04

TOTAL 149.02km 14:30.30 14.01.35

Three good reasons to triRaising awareness of, and money for, the Commando Trust was the driving force behind one commando’s efforts in the Sri Chinmoy triple triathlon, Sgt Andrew Hetherington reports.

A B L AC K w r i s t b a n d inscribed with the names of Ptes Tim Alpin, Benjamin Chuck and

Scott Palmer was all the moti-vation WO2 A needed to fin-ish the gruelling Sri Chinmoy Triple Triathlon in Canberra on November 20.

“It didn’t matter how much training I’d completed, when I got to the last triathlon I was tired, run-ning on autopilot and the last bike and run legs were a hard slog physi-cally and mentally.

“Commandos I knew who’d died doing their jobs provided me with the inspiration to keep going.”

Th i s i s how 40-yea r-o ld Commando WO2 A described the final stages of the event.

Nine men and one woman com-mitted themselves to the solo cat-egory of the gruelling 150km event, which included swimming in three different lakes, three mountain-bik-ing legs and three run legs.

WO2 A, Socomd, completed his second solo triple triathlon in 14hr 1min 30sec, shaving 28min off his 2010 time of 14:30.

“I was hampered by a leg injury in 2010 so I had to hobble home in the final stages,” he said.

“This year I lost more than 10 minutes due to a puncture in the first bike leg, and I also lost time during the second swim leg due to difficult weather conditions causing a heavy swell.”

The nine-leg race began at 5.30am with a 1.5km swim in Lake Ginninderra. WO2 A came out of the water after 27mins and was in fifth place overall. After the transition he began the first mountain bike leg of 34km.

“I was pretty happy after coming out of the water, as you can lose the race by going too hard in the first swim,” WO2 A said. “But during the first ride I got a frustrating punc-ture near Black Mountain Tower.”

WO2 A then put in a huge effort in his first run leg, which was a 20km slog, incorporating both Mount Ainslie and Mount Majura, knocking 22min off his 2010 time.

“The second swim leg in Lake Burley Griffin gave all the compet-itors trouble because of the wind causing us to swim into a swell,” WO2 A said.

“It was like I was swimming at the beach.”

By the time he reached the second run leg WO2 A said he was conscious of what happened to him last year during the 12km run up Mount Taylor and down to Lake Tuggeranong.

“Last year I hit the wall with my injury, so this year I managed to get over the mountain without the same problem occurring,” he said.

“I’d run the leg a few times dur-ing training to test my knee out and came through, but it’s different to run it in training as opposed to the race day, because in training you don’t have the build up of fatigue. You can’t replicate that in training.”

WO2 A began the last triathlon with a swim at Lake Tuggeranong. At this stage he’d been competing for nine hours.

“Fatigue really started to settle in and after the swim I noticed there was a solo competitor about 30 sec-onds in front of me and another one two minutes behind me,” he said.

“This was different to last year when I hardly crossed paths with any solo competitors during the whole day.”

After the final 24km bike and 13km run leg, WO2 A was relieved to cross the finish line on the bank of Lake Burley Griffin.

“Throughout the day I experi-enced a number of unknowns won-dering if my body was going to get me to the finish line.

“The second half of the day seemed to go faster than the first though, and in the last mountain bike leg I felt confident that I would make it to the end.

“It felt fantastic to cross the fin-ish line. I was thinking about each of the 12 men we’ve lost since 2007 and it was great to use the event to make people more aware of the Commando Welfare Trust.”

So how does someone train for such an event?

“After my knee operation in April and then rehab, I was doing 12 sessions a week including cycling, running, swimming and weights from July,” WO2 A said.

“It was similar to what I do to keep fit as a commando with refer-ence to intensity and commitment, but to remain on top of everything as a commando there are so many other skills you need to train for.”

WO2 A said his reason for pun-ishing his body two years in a row was to raise funds for, and increase awareness of, the Commando Welfare Trust.

“The trust provides emergency funding for families of deceased and injured commandos, filling the gap between what Defence, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Legacy provide,” WO2 A said.

“I was Damien Tomlinson’s CSM in 2009 at the time when he lost his legs. He’s an inspiration the way he’s bounced back and helped the Commando Trust.

“I’ve known most of the 12 sol-diers 2 Cdo Regt and the Incident Response Regiment have lost in Afghanistan.

“All 12 were fantastic men, highly skilled commandos and IRR operators.”

WO2 A said although the money he raised for the trust through the event was still being tallied, he believed he exceeded the $3000 he raised last year.

• For more information and to donate to the Commando Trust visit http://www.commandotrust.com

• To find out more about the Canberra Sri Chinmoy Triple Triathlon visit http://au.srichinmoyraces.org/

Still running: WO2 A runs through a park in Canberra during one of the run legs of the triple triathlon. At this stage of the event he had been competing for nine hours. Photos by Sgt Andrew Hetherington

COMPARATIVE TIMES

Quiet moment: WO2 A reflects on his efforts in the triple triathlon and the loss of his mates.

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SPORT 37 Army December 8, 2011

By LCpl Mark Doran

SLIPPERY and wet conditions set the scene for the ADO Mountain Bike Championships as more than 50 Defence riders hit the dirt at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra from November 7-10.

Competitors raced in cross country, four-cross and downhill in age-based events for men and women and the elite, veterans’ and masters’ grades fought it out to determine the ADO champion.

Maj David Wilson, RMC, won the super masters’ event in a time of 1hr 14 min for the three laps/21km.

As a member of the Canberra Off-Road Cyclists, Maj Wilson said Stromlo Forest Park was his local course so he knew it well.

“We had done the course reconnais-sance in dry conditions and it started raining just before start time, which was a challenge as it made the track totally different,” Maj Wilson said.

“What helped me out for the event was the skill session held the day before and learning some of the basic technical proficiencies with more expe-rienced riders.

“I would encourage anyone to try the sport as the skill level doesn’t real-ly matter, particularly when there is coaching beforehand, as you can apply the lessons learnt straight away.”

Sgt Roger Derrick, RMC, was one of the riders who competed in all the codes and placed first in the mas-ters’ men’s event by completing four laps/28km in 1hr 45min.

Darwin-based BMX racer Cpl Craig Anger, 1CER, placed second in the Four Cross competition, which is a combination of BMX and downhill racing over a 400m course involving multiple jumps.

Cpl Anger said he was surprised by the competition and depth of skills across the board in Defence at the Canberra event.

“We struggle in the north as there is not a lot of mountain biking apart from traditional cross-country, so my partner and I travel a lot to get the gravity dis-ciplines,” Cpl Anger said.

“I came off three or four times in the practice for the downhill and had a stack in the seeding for the Four Cross – nothing major, just some bumps and bruises.”

Hitting the dirtStone’s throw: Pte Russell Avery, RMC, strikes a rocky patch in the downhill race (above) as Maj David Wilson (right) gets airborne in the cross country category of the ADO Mountain Bike Championships. Photos by LAC Bill Solomou

By LCpl Mark Doran

AFTER co-coaching the North Queensland open men’s team to unbeaten victory and also being named player of the final in the 2011 Defence touch nationals, Cpl Terence Kong, 5 Avn Regt, has dou-ble cause for celebration.

Cpl Kong is one of 28 Army play-ers named in the 2012 Defence teams to tour New Zealand in January.

“Most of the North Queensland team were selected to wear an

Australian jersey for the men’s open team,” Cpl Kong said.

“The best thing was winning every game of the tournament, but we were also happy the weather held out for us.”

It was a dramatic finish to the women’s competition at the titles played at RAAF Base Williamtown from October 4-7, as the unbeaten South Queensland women played ACT/Country and won 5-4 in a three-on-three drop off.

T h e c o a c h o f t h e S o u t h Queensland women’s team, Lt

Stephen McIntyre, 6RAR, also played in the men’s 40s for South Queensland and said the competition showcased an excellent standard of touch in all age groups.

“The six ADF teams should be very competitive in New Zealand and the NTL Championships next year,” Lt McIntyre said.

ACT/Country won the men’s 30s against Sydney Metro region team 6-4 with South Queensland’s Cfn David Krause being named player of the series.

The men’s 40s was won by South Queensland 5-3 in the final against North Queensland, with ACT/Country’s John Samin named player of the series.

South Queensland also won the champion consitutional body for the second year running.

Army players chosen for the New Zealand series – Mens: Cpl Mitchell Annetts, 1CSSB, Gnr Jarred Basset, 4 Regt, Gnr Kye Claney, 16 AD Regt, Tpr David Delaney, 2 Cav, Pte Thomas Edgword, 5RAR, Gnr Jake Gale, 16 AD Regt,

Spr Matt Griffiths, 35 Fd Sqn, Pte Dwayne House, 4 Regt, Cfn Craig Irwin, 17 Sig Regt, Cpl Byron Saul, SASR, Pte Josh McFarlane, 3CSSB, Cpl Justin Rogers, 1RSE, Lt Karl Turvey, SME, Cpl Luke Von Walk, 2FSB. Womens: Sgt Kylie Cullen, 6 Avn Regt, Pte Jamie-Lee Hayes, 2 Cav Regt, Lt Sarah Jaworski, 3CSSB, Pte Kathryn Krosch, 7CSSB, Cpl Sara Wasson, 1 Sig Regt. Mens 30s: Maj Phil Corkeron, 2HSB, Pte Mathew Hambridge, 5RAR, Pte Philip Kong, 1RAR, Cpl Terence Kong, 5 Avn Regt, WO1 Mick Patman, 1CER, Cpl Cameron Scales, 1HSB, Sgt Daniel Tattersall, Army School of Logistics, Sgt David Walsh, 1HSB, Cfn Joshua Woo, ALTC.

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38 SPORT Army December 8, 2011

By LCpl Mark Doran

NORTH Queensland women excelled by breaking eight indi-vidual records in the track and field events during the 3 Bde athletics carnival at the Townsville Sports Reserve on November 11.

Cpl Kelly Boye, 3CER, was crowned individual female champion and Lt Karl Turvey, 3CER, the indi-vidual male champion with 10FSB taking out the male champion unit and 3CSR the female champion unit.

For the new records in the run-ning events, Pte Natalie Whyte, 10FSB, blitzed the 110m hurdles in a time of 21.94sec, Pte Kirsten Swan, 5 Avn Regt, powered on for the 400m sprint in 1min 6.8sec and Sig Veronica Dudderidge, 3CSR, crossed the finish line for the 1500m in 5min 39.27sec.

In the jumps, Cpl Boye cleared 4.57m in the long-jump and Cpl Anne Dufficy, 5 Avn Regt, beat her rivals by 80cm to set a fresh record of 9.82m for the triple-jump.

Records were also updated by the female throwers – Pte Amy Ross, 3CSR, cleared 11.19m in the shot put, Pte Rachel Lamb, 3CSR, threw the discus 27.67m and Pte Nicole Genrich, 10FSB, hurled the javelin 26.1m which was 8m further than the old record.

Pte Ross also plays rugby for Army and said it was a fantastic effort by the women and great to see the CO of 3CSR, Maj Lisa Davidson, accept the female champion unit trophy.

“Normally the guys dominate the

events so it was good to for us to celebrate our success,” Pte Ross said.

The men’s relay teams also set records with 4 Regt RAA setting a new time for the 4 x 400m relay of 3:48.18 and 3CER the 4 x 100m relay with the time of 47.8sec.

Even though he helped set the 4 x 100m relay record and won the 110m hurdles, Lt Turvey had only praise for the efforts of the women.

“The girls were very impressive with their efforts on the day as they beat the old records with good times and fair distances as well,” Lt Turvey said.

Meanwhile gunners from 4 Regt RAA came out on top of 1RAR by only one point in the heavily contest-ed male unit competition at the 3 Bde swimming carnival on November 9 at Lavarack Barracks.

10FSB beat Combined Minor Units (CMU) and 3CSSB by four points to become the top female team for the North Queensland Army units.

The champion individual male was LCpl Marley Bird, 1RAR, who won the 100m freestyle, 50m butter-fly and 50m freestyle.

10FSB’s Pte Nicole Genrich won the 200m individual medley, 200m freestyle and 50m butterfly and placed second in the 100m freestyle to become the champion female.

The relay events were also heart-ily contested with 1RAR dominat-ing the male field and 10FSB and 3CSSB coming home in the female events. 3CER won the chain of com-mand relay by half a lap.

GolfIN DECEMBER last year Bdr David Schwartz, DFR, took out the ADF golf tour-nament by just one stroke, winning on the final hole after shooting par over the final six holes to secure the win. Army champion was Capt Ben Magi, RMC, with Sgt Owen Middelton the Army Nett Champion.

Para sportsIN FEBRUARY Sgt Michael Lyddiard showed how well he has recovered after being critically wounded by an IED in Afghanistan in 2007 when he took on the 19.7km Rottnest Island channel swim and raised more than $43,000 for Legacy in the process. Five ADF members, including three soldiers, competed in the US Marine Corps paralympic trials as part of Exercise Wounded Warrior in the US and Canada in February. WO2 Dennis Ramsay, ALTC, Pte Damien Thomlinson, 2 Cdo Regt, and Pte Clint Vardy, Army Personnel Agency, all played a hand in the ADF’s 12 gold-medal haul. Pte Vardy won four gold med-als in the pool, Pte Thomlinson won gold in the 200m relay and silver in the 50m freestyle while WO2 Ramsay collected sil-ver medals in the 100m, 200m and 800m wheelchair track and discus events and a bronze in wheelchair basketball.

Rugby leagueARMY Thunder started the year well win-ning the Sgt Matthew Locke Memorial rugby league match against the Bellingen Magpies in Bellingen on February 26 and raised $12,000 in the process. However, the team failed to capitalise on its 36-12 lead with 20 minutes to play in the com-bined services rugby league champion-ship a month later and surrendered the title to Navy 38-36. The Thunder got its revenge in the Patrons’ Cup when it demolished Navy 52-6 on the Gold Coast in May.

RugbyEIGHTEEN teams fought it out in Kapooka’s 18th annual Rugby 10s com-petition as 1 Bde was crowned winners in a controversial end to the tournament against the Pirates. The game was called off when a Pirates player was sent from the field for threatening a player and the referee. 8/9RAR also took its place on the winner’s podium by taking out the minor plate between third and fourth with a close 17-14 win against RARC1. It was a big year for ADF rugby as the focus turned to the International Defence Rugby Competition (IDRC) played in Canberra, Sydney and NZ in October. Eighteen of the 22 players selected in the final squad were Army representatives. The ARSU won its pool games against Tonga and China before smashing the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in the quarter and semi-finals for a place in the final against the British Army in Auckland. They faced a red-hot British Army and went down 67-17.

RMC first XV beat rival officer cadet school New Zealand 22-6 at its centenary rugby carnival on June 18 at RMC.

The Army women had a disastrous start to the year by getting hammered by the New Zealand Army team 60-0 in New Zealand in May. Some of the play-ers fought back as part of the Australian Rugby Union Warriors team that smashed the competition to win division 2 of the national championships held in Brisbane in July.

HockeyQUEENSLAND took out both the men’s and women’s Australian Defence hockey championship titles at Bankstown from May 28-June 3. From July 30-August 6 the ADF played in the 2011 Australian country championships at Port Lincoln. The women finished fourth after losing to Victoria 6-1 in the bronze medal match while the ADF men’s team started strongly with a 6-6 draw against Victoria but failed to win a game. Maj Amanda Meech, 1 MP

Bn, Cpl Jessica Antonovich, 16RWAR, and Cfn Gareth Hoddinott, ALTC, were selected in the Australian country repre-sentative senior teams.

TriathlonSGT Greg Woodward, 6RAR, took out the inaugural Kokoda Barracks triathlon held in memory of PTI Cpl Renee Nichols on February 28. Sgt Woodward completed the 2km run, 240m swim, 7km ride, 240m swim and 2km run in 40min, 49sec with Capt Karina Jones, ALPC, the first woman across the line in 48.53. Army took out second place in the Defence women’s long course triathlon held in Huskisson from March 12-13. Maj Del Madge, 1RTU, claimed silver finishing the 2km swim, 83km bike ride and 20km run in a time of 5hrs 6min 52sec and Col Cheryl Pearce, HQJOC, finished third in 5:45.26. Capt Graham Svensen, AATC, was the best-placed Army male competitor, finishing third in 4:37.41. A month later, Army secured third placings in the men’s and women’s events at the Australian Defence Sports Triathlon Association olympic dis-tance championships in Sydney on April 10. Lt-Col Linda Meyer, HQJOC, complet-ed the 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run in 2hr 52min 1 sec and Capt Henry Stimson, 19 CE Wks, finished third in the men’s in a time of 2:12.03.

SoccerTHE Army women’s futsal team kicked off the year well by taking out the ADF Futsal indoor soccer championships in Sydney in March. They thrashed Air Force 6-0 and drew with Navy 4-4 and had the higher goal percentage after Navy beat Air Force 1-0. The men’s team finished runners up to Navy after beating Air Force 7-3, APS 5-4, but lost to the sailors 6-3. The over 35s Army team won its title at the ADF football national carnival in Sydney in October/November with the open women narrowly missing out on the title after a countback with Navy. The open men disappointingly did not win a game.

NetballADFA took out the Kapooka 7s beating 10FSB 24-17 in the women’s final with NSW winning an exciting mixed competi-tion against the ACT in extra time, 17-15. The ADF women also broke a 12-year Kiwi stronghold by winning a tough and competitive three-game Anzac netball series against the NZDF to take the Trans-Tasman Trophy for the first time since 1998. ADF netballers also played in the All Australian men’s and mixed netball cham-pionships in Sydney from April 23-May 1 after a seven-year absence.

AFLARMY women scored a convincing win against Navy in the Kapooka 12s on March 12 with ADFA taking out the men’s division against ARTC. But the women failed to capitalise on opportunities late in their match against Navy in the Australian Services Australian Football Association national championships in Melbourne in April, losing by just two points. The men made it back to back titles as they beat Air Force by 40 points and then Navy by 19 at the championships.

AthleticsWO1 Kevin Muller, ALTC, dashed to vic-tory in his first running event at the ADF 10km road race at Jervis Bay Airfield on April 6. A field of 35 ADF runners, including 21 Army competitors, competed in this year’s Defence mara-thon championships, held in conjunction with the Gold Coast Marathon on July 4. First across the line for Army in the 42.2km race was PTI Sgt Wayne Heath, 2GHB, who finished third in a time of 2hr 39min 30sec. Maj Jeff Rudd, LWDC, took out the M55-59 category in 2:58.26 and the first ADF woman across the line was Maj Candice Cushway, Strategic Logistics Branch, in 3:52.20. Army men

finished second and third in the City2Surf in Sydney on August 14. Capt Henry Stimson, 19 CE Wks, finished the 14km event in 49min 21sec, with Lt-Col Paul Byleveld, HQ 8 Bde, finishing third in 55.47.

Arafura GamesONE hundred and thirty three Australian Defence athletes competed in the bien-nial Arafura Games in Darwin from May 7-14. The team picked up nine gold, 14 silver and seven bronze medals with Capt Anthony Craig, 1HSB, winning three golds and a silver on the athletics track. Bdr David Schwartz was in the action again on the golf course and teamed with Capt Ben Magi to win gold. Our paralympic sports athletes competed for the first time at the Games with WO2 Dennis Ramsay finish-ing with three silver medals from his five wheelchair racing events.

Water poloADF water polo teams played in the Australian Country Championships in Newcastle between May 11-14. In tough competition the women’s team finished fifth and the men’s team finished sixth. The good news to come out of the competition was the selection of OCdt Ben Scott in the Australian country water polo team. OCdt Scott was scheduled to tour the Netherlands in late August.

Touch footballTHREE Army members were among the eight ADF representatives in the Australian teams that competed in the Touch World Cup in Scotland in June. WO2 Michael Patman, 51FNQR, and Maj Philip Corkeron, 7CSSB, played in the victorious men’s 35s and WO1 Greg Taylor, HQ Forcomd, was one of the 95 referees selected for the Cup. Australia won five of the seven divisions on offer. Twenty-eight Army players have been selected in the three Defence sides due to tour New Zealand in January. North Queensland won the men’s open division at the 2011 Defence touch nationals with South Queensland taking out the women’s division with ACT/Country winning the men’s 40s.

Snow sportsARMY was crowned alpine champions at Mt Hotham in August after Maj Claire Baker, 108 Sig Sqn, was crowned wom-en’s alpine champion and Capt Alistair Court, Army School Logistics Operations, men’s snowboard champion. Army also took out the men’s and women’s snow-board team championships and Maj Filip Likar, HQ 1 Div, was crowned overall ADF male skier at the ADF Nordic Skiing and Biathlon championships.

SquashOUR squash players served up a bitter pill to RAAF by winning the Australian Defence squash nationals at RAAF Base Williamtown in August breaking a nine-year domination by RAAF. A countback gave Army a six-point advantage and the title. The Army team comprised OCdt Eilliot Geddes, OCdt Matthew Brunker, LCpl Steve Gill, 9FSB, and Cpl David Monaghan, 8/12 Med Regt.

Tenpin bowlingARMY bowlers took out the doubles and GB plate in the combined services cham-pionships in June. Cfn Andrew Schmidt, AAC, took out the GP plate final while WO2 Steve Ritchie, ARTC, partnered with RAAF’s Cpl Aaron Kellett to win the dou-bles. Army bowlers helped the Australian Defence Organisation roll into first place in the teams’ A grade event at the Australian championships at Rooty Hill in Sydney from October 26-29. WO2 Ritchie, WO2 Stephen Harland, AACHQ, WO2 Brett Thomas, AANVTC, with assistance from Cpl Jason Lindsay (RAAF) and Brett Kleidon (APS) knocked down the opposi-tion as the ADO team won the event.

The year that was ...Sharon Palmer takes a look at some of the sporting highlights of 2011.

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Records for 3 Brigade

Winning form: Pte Rachel Lamb, 3CSR, winds up to throw a record in the discus as (inset) Cpl Jamie Tomlinson secures second place in the 400m freestyle at the 3 Bde sports carnival.

Photos courtesy of Northern Services Courier

SPORT 39 Army December 8, 2011

LCpl Mark Doran

HIGH batting averages helped Army win the 50 overs compe-tition of the Australian Services Cricket Association (ASCA) national carnival held in Canberra from November 16-22.

Army’s win over Air Force in the final match to secure the Lindsay Hassett Trophy may also have been helped by the rain and failing light. The difficult condi-tions limited Air Force’s innings to 15 overs in which they required 123 runs to win the match.

Army finished its 50 overs with 8/260 before rain postponed play for more than three hours.

Air Force came out with tremen-dous focus in the light drizzle and its batsmen were scoring well above the required run rate at 3/52 after only six overs.

The pressure on Army’s players at that stage was at its peak, with Air Force finding a way to score at every turn. However, Army bowlers Lt-Col Marty White, HQ Forcomd, and team captain Sgt Ian Roberts, ASEME, captured key wickets to stem the chase.

After 11 overs the score was 7/103. In the fading light, Air Force snapped off another 11 runs, but

lost their remaining three batsmen to finish 10 runs short – all out for 114 runs in the 12th over.

In the T20 matches, Air Force was awarded the ACM Angus Houston T20 Cup after beating Army in the final. RAAF’s tactics and high run rate led to a win in both its matches against Army and a loss to Navy.

Sgt Marty Blackman, 136 Sig Sqn, was one of Army’s high scor-ing batsmen with 76 in the T20 on Sunday and 115 in the 50-over game on Tuesday. He was awarded batsman of the tournament and best player of the 50-over games, while Sgt Roberts scored 80 in the T20.

Sgt Blackman said there was great batting by all the teams in the tournament with a lot of runs scored. He particularly singled out LAC Kaleb Tymko who scored cen-turies in both matches against Army on the same day.

“I bowled okay in the first T20 match, but was destroyed in the second by LAC Kaleb Tymko. He is just an incredible batsman,” Sgt Blackman said.

“For the final 50-over match we knew that if we had runs on the board, we would have a good chance against Air Force because although they had good batsmen, we

have a good, long bowling attack.“Army have a lot of new players

and there were some fantastic partner-ships during the tournament, which was great for the spirit of the team.”

Vice President ASCA Lt-Col James Brownlie, Infrastructure Asset Development Branch, said it was the first time for a number of years where the bat had actually won over the ball.

“The best thing about the com-petition this year has been the bat-ting by all teams as it was sensa-tional,” Lt-Col Brownlie said.

“Next November will be the third iteration of the International Defence Cricket Challenge (IDCC) and there are other exciting cricket events in the wind as next year will be the 25th anniversary of ASCA.

“We also intend playing a World Defence XI game in support of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as part of the IDCC, where the best play-ers of the tournament will test their skills against former Australian Test players.

“Our three services teams, the three New Zealand service teams and the Royal Malaysian Air Force have so far accepted our invitations, while teams from countries includ-ing Pakistan and India have also been invited.”

Batting a hit in Army haul

By Sgt Dave Morley

KAPOOKA’s plan to become the home of Defence sport came closer to fruition with the successful comple-tion of the Kapooka Summer Series,

Competitors from as far away as Enoggera, Amberley and Townsville participated in rugby league, golf and a multi-sport endurance event over the weekend of November 12-13.

K Series coordinator Capt Ian Marston said everyone had enjoyed themselves by the end of the weekend.

“They’ve already started planning their teams and strategies for next year’s competition,” he said.

Rugby league coordinator Maj Al Lynch said the competition was run and won in what could only be described as a great weekend of rugby league.

“The games demonstrated that all teams had come to Kapooka well pre-pared and keen to take out the title,” he said.

“The closeness of the competition meant that the final eight for the finals series was not really known until the last match of the pool games.”

In the end the ALTC Medics took the title beating the ARTC Warriors 22-12. 3RAR finished third and Sgt Matt Percy, ARTC, was named player of the tourna-ment.

Maj Lynch said two female teams took part in the competitions showing many female members were keen to take up the sport. Wagga ADF Ravens and Southern Storm took to the field and fin-ished even at 12-12.

“The girls aptly showed they were more than capable of playing rugby league in not only a competitive spirit, but entertaining as well,” he said.

“By the end of the match the crowd were tumultuous in appreciation for the game and it seemed only fitting the game ended in a draw.”

On Sunday selected players from the 9s competition suited up for the State of Enlistment Match.

Queensland went into the match keen to avenge their narrow defeat last year and the game produced some entertain-ing and exciting rugby league.

However, Queensland managed to edge out their NSW counterparts 26-16 with Cpl Pat Inskip, 3RAR, named man of the match.

Development Wing WSM WO1 Carl Free oversaw the golf and said the course was presented in a good condi-tion, impressing the visitors to Kapooka.

“With handicaps ranging from sin-gle-figure players to the other end of the spectrum, it levelled the playing field for all competitors,” he said.

“This is hoped to encourage other golfers to compete in the future.”

Kapooka summer of sport a winner with competitors

Maj Linda Rae, ARTC, took out first spot with Mark Kells, ARTC, finishing second. WO2 Graham Parker, ALTC, came third and hit the longest drive and Maj Kepa Buadromo, 1/19RNSWR, won the closest to the pin.

PTI Cpl Matt Julian ran the maiden Kapooka multi-sport endurance event and said 15 competitors came from Wagga Wagga, Sydney and Albury com-prising six individuals and four teams.

“Following weeks of planning, the 2010 Adventure Race Kapooka was redeveloped into the multi-sport endur-ance event,” he said.

“Although having only a small field of competitors stemming from ADF and APS staff, the event proved to be a suc-cess in its debut in the K Series Sports.”

WO2 Gavin Wickham, 1RTB PTI Manager, and fastest overall male in the competition, said the event was a must-do for all in 2012.

“I was very impressed with the unit competition, as the first unit team walked away with $1000 for their unit fund,” he said.

Happy finisher: WO2 Gavin Wickham crosses the finish line in the multi-sport endurance event at Kapooka.

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SPORT SHORTS

Mudder challengeARMY personnel should start training now if they want to take on the ‘Mudder’ of all challenges next year. Organisers of ‘Tough Mudder’ – which they dub the world’s most extreme obstacle challenge – are urging ADF personnel to test their level of physical endurance and mental toughness when the event arrives in Australia next year. A ‘Tough Mudder’ will be held at Phillip Island, Victoria, on March 31-April 1 and another will take place in Sydney in September. Will Dean, developer of the concept, said the endurance challenge was designed by British Special Forces and consisted of a 20km course over rugged terrain, featuring steep inclines, water hazards and mili-

tary-style obstacles. For more infor-mation, visit www.ToughMudder.com.au

Cats win paintballPAINTBALLER LCpl Chris Paulsen, RMC, was a member of the Thundercats team that won the semi-professional division at the Super 7 series in Sydney on November 26-27. This year teams came from New Zealand, Western Australia, Victoria, NSW, ACT and Queensland. Adding to the inter-national flavour, there were also two American professional players – one of whom is considered to be one of the best players in the world.

Volleying to NZFOURTEEN Army volleyball play-ers were selected in the national

team scheduled to tour New Zealand in June next year after the Australian Defence Volleyball Association’s national tourna-ment held at RAAF Amberley from November 12-19. Navy was the interservice champions. Players selected: Men: Capt Nathan Cooper, 1 Avn Regt, Capt Geoffrey Orton, 1 Avn Regt, Capt Jason Long, 1 Avn Regt, Pte Matthew Russell, 1CER, Cfn Ben Sheehy, 5 Avn Regt, Pte Matthew Rule, 4 Regt, Cpl James Ashman, 1 Int Coy, Pte Kevin Clarke, 1CSSB. Women: Lt Catherine Bartholomeusz, 10FSB, Cpl Aimee Isbister, ALCP, Cpl Agnieszka Sheey, 11CSB, Pte Nicola Emsley, 5 Avn Regt, Lt Jennifer O’Brien, 1 Avn Regt, Cpl Carrie-Anne Bishop, 7CSSB.

Close call: Air Force bowler LAC Aaron Goodwin attempts to run out Army captain Sgt Ian Roberts. Photo by LAC Bill Solomou

December 8, 2011

BIG HIT

ON YOUR BIKE

Riders strike dirt on

Mt Stromlo

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Sgt Martin Sgt Martin Blackman blasts Blackman blasts 115 runs off 127 115 runs off 127 balls to help secure balls to help secure Army the Lindsay Army the Lindsay Hassett trophyHassett trophy

Photos by LAC Bill Solomou

section commander cpl stephen woods, 8/9rar, wins the hassett

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