Introduction
Welcome to the homepage of 17th Construction Squadron, home of The Little Bear. The aim of this web page is to provide information about who we are and what we do to relatives and friends of squadron members, as well as interested members of the community. Please feel free to provide your comments to the Website Administrator, CPL Muhammed Rifat
Firstly, and introduction to the OC and SSM of 17th Construction Squadron.
Commander's words
MAJ Niall Pigott
Officer Commanding
17th Construction Squadron
As Officer Commanding 17 Const Sqn I would like to welcome you to the home of the little bear. 17 Const Sqn forms part of the Army's force engineering capability being one of the two construction squadrons within 6th Engineer Support Regiment.
As force engineers, we are responsible for bridging the divide between our neighbours in the South Pacific through the Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) and the divide between indigenous and settler Australians through our works to improve remote Aboriginal health infrastructure executed as part of AACAP.
As force engineers, we also support many of the disaster relief activities that Defence is tasked with including recent experience with the Canberra Bushfires and the Boxing Day Tsunami.
Finally, force engineers provide the capability for the Army to deploy on expeditionary operations through the provision of vital force protection, force mobility and large-scale infrastructure support backing concepts such as MOLE and off-shore JTF operations.
17 Const Sqn represents a real capability in extending the nations reach to remote areas and then supporting and protecting deployed forces.
Commander's Biography
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| OC MAJ N. PIGOTT |
His first appointment was to 21st Construction Squadron as the 1 Troop Commander, where he was responsible for a Defence Cooperation Program project in Tonga.
Promoted to Captain in 1999, he was posted to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Engineer Battalion, based in Lae, and supervised construction projects that the Battalion undertook as part of the PNG Government's Civic Action Programme.
On return to Australia in 2001, he was posted to the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment and the following year deployed to Headquarters Sector West in East Timor as the S35 (Operations/Plans) and Engineer Liaison Officer.
In 2003 he was posted to ADFA as a Divisional Officer. The posting included a short detachment to a civilian engineering firm to work on the redevelopment of the Australian Institute of Sport.
On leaving ADFA in 2005 and on promotion to MAJ, he was posted to Infrastructure Division as a Project Officer and was responsible for several construction projects being undertaken in NSW.
In 2006, MAJ Pigott attended the Australian Command and Staff College and upon graduation assumed his current appointment as the Officer Commanding 17th Construction Squadron.
MAJ Pigott's partner is Georgia and they live in Hurstville, Sydney.
MAJ Pigott plays hockey and he is a keen rock climber and mountaineer. He is currently the Treasurer of the Army Alpine Association. Georgia is an environmental scientist who plays hockey and enjoys golf.
SSM's Bio
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| SSM WO1 N. MEWS |
In Aug 1990, the 22nd Construction Squadron was withdrawn from the orbat which resulted in him being posted to the 1st Field Squadron in Sydney, where he carried out the duties as transport NCO and Squadron Transport Supervisor. In 1993, he was promoted to Sergeant and posted to the 4th Field Regiment as the Regimental Transport Supervisor. After serving two years he was posted back to Townsville to the 18th Field Squadron, which by this time, had expanded to become the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment.
In 1995 Warrant Officer Mews was detached to the 1st Recruit Training Battalion's, Echo Company, at Puckapunyal as a Platoon Sergeant. After three years in Townsville he was posted to the School of Military Engineering at Moorebank, as a Sergeant instructor. He was then posted to the 17th Construction Squadron at Holsworthy and served for three years as a Transport Supervisor, Troop Sergeant and Operations Warrant Officer. In 1999 Warrant Officer Mews deployed to East Timor with the 17th Construction Squadron.
He was posted back to the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment in 2002 and promoted to Warrant Officer Class Two in May of that year. During this posting to the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment, Warrant Officer Mews served as the Regimental Operations Warrant Officer and as Squadron Sergeant Major of the 25th Support Squadron. During 2003, he deployed with the 25th Support Squadron to Rifle Company Butterworth as the Company Sergeant Major. This deployment rates as the high light of Warrant Officer Mews' career, being the Company Sergeant Major, of the only completely Engineer contingent at Riffle Company Butterworth.
In January 2004 Warrant Officer Mews was posted to the 13th Field Squadron as the Training Warrant Officer and in January 2005 he was promoted to Warrant Officer Class One taking up the appointment as Squadron Sergeant Major 17 Construction Squadron.
Warrant Officer Class One Mews is married to Shirley and they have two adult children all of whom live in Perth, WA.