More Defence news: 22 September - 28 September 2008

RAAF to Search for Remains of WWII Airmen in PNG

26 September - An Air Force team will
arrive in Papua New Guinea next week to search for the remains of four RAAF airmen whose Hudson bomber was lost during WWII.

The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, said a team of nine, including two Air Force Reserve forensic specialists, will travel to an isolated mountain ridge inland from Gasmata, New Britain, where the wreck of Hudson A16-126 was located in thick jungle earlier this year.

Flying Officer Graham Gibson, Pilot Officer Frank Thorn, Sergeant Barton Coutie and Sergeant Arthur Quail were lost with the aircraft on 11 February 1942 during a sortie against Japanese shipping at Gasmata harbour.

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New Pen Pals for Deployed ADF Members

26 September - ADF members serving in the Middle East recently received some welcome mail from the school children of Baldivis Primary School in Western Australia. Approximately 60 nine year old children decided to write to the sailors, soldiers and airmen serving in the Joint Task Force Headquarters, after being encouraged to do so by their teacher Mrs Naomi Bell.

The mail, which contained handwritten letters, drawings and pictures, helped to brighten up the day of the men and women who spend up to eight months on deployed service.

The letters contained lots of questions directed to ADF members about life in the military and life in the Middle East.

Each letter was personally answered by a host of enthusiastic volunteers, who were keen to accept a letter and pass on their respective experiences about what it’s like serving overseas.

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Tobruk Helps Indigenous Community

25 September - Tobruk, the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Heavy Landing Ship, has sailed to the Kimberley coast in support of the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (AACAP) for 2008.

Tobruk will collect Army vehicles and construction equipment from the remote indigenous community of Kalumburu in Western Australia. Kalumburu is one of Australia’s most isolated coastal communities and is about 400 kilometres from the Kimberley town of Kununarra.

Additionally, the Australian Defence Force will provide equipment and supplies to upgrade the access road to Kalumburu and to construct a cyclone coded health clinic.
AACAP, now in its 12th year, is a partnership between the Army and Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

The program utilises the resources and skills of the Army to improve the conditions within remote Aboriginal communities.

Tobruk is expected to return the equipment to Darwin and Brisbane in early October, which will complete the RAN’s contribution to AACAP 08.

More: Media Release

Minister For Defence Meets With NATO Defence And Security Committee

25 September - The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, has met with a delegation from NATO’s Defence and Security Committee.

The delegation is in Australia to gain a better understanding of Australian views on developments in Afghanistan, our relationship with NATO and the broader strategic landscape.

Mr Fitzgibbon discussed Australia’s commitment to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and reaffirmed the Australian Defence Force’s commitment to operations in Afghanistan, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and protecting our borders.

The delegation will visit Headquarters 3 Brigade and the Combat Training Centre at Laverack Barracks in Townsville, having previously visited Canberra and Army Land Headquarters at Victoria Barracks in Sydney.

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Land Commander Australia visit troops at Cooperative Spirit 08

24 September – Recently, Land Commander Australia, Major General Mark Kelly visited Aussie diggers in Germany for Exercise Cooperative Spirit 2008 (CS08).

Approximately 180 personnel drawn mostly from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) in Townsville have deployed to Germany for CS08.

CS08 is a multinational exercise intended to test interoperability among the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies.

The 1 RAR contingent comprises of a Battle Group Headquarters and Combat Team Force Element and will be combined with a company from the 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment to create the ‘ANZAC Battle Group’ during the exercise. They will conduct operations in the field, under stressful battlefield conditions, complete with a sophisticated opposing force and realistic training scenarios in a world-class training facility.

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Royal Australian Navy Open Day

24 September - Sydneysiders will be invaded by a ‘sea of white and blue’ this Sunday, when the Royal Australian Navy celebrates Open Day at HMAS Kuttabul in Potts Point.

The Navy Open Day allows the public to experience what life is like as a sailor.

Visitors can see Navy helicopters in action, go onboard several Navy ships and watch Clearance Divers at work.

They can also tour the frigate HMAS Newcastle, the amphibious transport vessel HMAS Manoora, the mine hunter HMAS Diamantina and the Armidale Class patrol boat HMAS Maryborough, as seen on Channel 9’s Sea Patrol.

The Navy Open Day will run from 10am – 4pm and is free.

http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Open_Day_Garden_Island_Sydney_2008
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Diggers Save Locals in Afghanistan after IED Strike

24 September - Australian soldiers in Afghanistan have fought to save the lives of four innocent locals, blown up by Taliban extremists.

Five people, including a child died in the attack when a roadside bomb was triggered while they tried to change a car tyre near Sorkh Morgab, approximately 20 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt.

Reconstruction Task Force Diggers, who are currently in the area building a health centre, treated the four injured Afghan locals, before they were flown to the ISAF Operations Hospital in Tarin Kowt.

Major Niall Pigott, Officer Commanding the Combat Team said the medic, Corporal Mortimer and the combat medics took control of this scene and provided immediate assistance.

“There were our soldiers, the Afghan National Army and the Dutch all pitching in to work on them,” Major Niall Pigott said.

Reconstruction Task Force 4 Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Yeaman said it was another example of the insurgents trying to target ISAF Operations, and instead attacking innocent people.

“Our soldiers did an excellent job dealing with some horrible wounds. It just goes to underline the dangers that the Diggers are facing every day, and how low the Taliban will sink in their efforts to undermine this country’s progress.”

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Mother honours son’s memory in the Solomon Islands

23 September - The tragic loss of an Australian soldier in 2005 is now bringing hope of a better future to the children of a rural village in the Solomon Islands.

In honour of the memory of Private Jamie Clark, his mother, Avril Clark is coordinating fundraising efforts to build a kindergarten in Mbarana.

With the assistance of Civil-Military Liaison army personnel, she regularly sends school supplies, clothing and other aid to the children.

Private Clark, originally from Perth, died after falling down a deep shaft near Mbarana in March 2005.

The bulk of the 200 Army personnel on Rotation 16 of Operation Anode were drawn from NSW Army Reserve Regiments, primarily from 5 Brigade and including elements of 8 Brigade.

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Mission Rehearsal Exercise

23 September - Members of 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF1) have been battling Darwin’s heat as they refine their drills during Mission Rehearsal Exercises.

As part of Operation Slipper, the MRTF1 has been conducting mission-specific exercises, which are highly demanding and realistic.

The exercises combine tactical tasks with real aircrafts and helicopters to provide support to call-signs in contact.

The MRTF1 will take on a new mentoring role for the Afghan National Army, in addition to continuing engineering activities, which benefits the local population.

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