Content Manager

Unit Welfare Officer (FLLA 4)

Major Mark McKeon

041 7723 392

Introduction

Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Colonel Mick King (current CO of 3 CSSB)
Unit Name: Force Level Logistic Asset-Middle East
Rotation: FLLA 4 is the fourth formed body rotation (Note: This is the first rotation that has been led and is significantly manned by 3 CSSB)
Type of Unit: Operational Logistic and Administrative Capabilities
Service: Joint unit (Army, Navy and Air Force)
Size: About 150
Location: Middle East and supports both Operation CATALYST (IRAQ) and Operation SLIPPER (AFGHANISTAN)


The Force Level Logistic Asset (FLLA) - Middle East is a joint unit that will provide vital operational logistic support to deployed ADF soldiers, sailors and airmen and women. The FLLA's wide range of logistic and administrative capabilities will be working hard to ensure to the right support is delivered to the right location at the right time. We have bought together a wide range of personnel throughout Australia and from Army, Navy and Air Force to train and prepare in Townsville for the six month deployment.

Training has included general service skills such as range shoots and gas training; but, also focussed on specific trade training, Middle Eastern cultural briefings and incorporated the use of emerging simulation, such as inter-active language trainers and driver programs that replicate a virtual Middle East.

It is a good mission. FLLA 4 are happy to help the people of Iraq and Afghanistan to improve their lives and achieve a stable and secure future. The focus will be to support those ADF personnel in the MEAO as best as possible whilst continuing to build upon the fine work of the Australian service men and women who are there now and those who served before them. Training has been hard, but the team has been well supported, well-equipped and is committed to achieving the best result for the deployed forces.

A strong focus has remained on support services and the wide ranging assistance that is available to spouses and families. FLLA 4 held a very informative family and welfare brief last Saturday 12th January 2008 that was attended by over 80 adults and 70 children from the Townsville based area.

COs Opening Remarks

CO UPDATE NO 1 - FLLA 4 - 18 FEBRUARY 2008

I would like you to know from the outset how much I value your support and positive approach for the soldiers, sailors, airmen and women that have deployed with the Force Level Logistic Asset 4 (FLLA 4). Certainly I would not be anywhere near as successful as I have been without the loving support of my family and I am certain that it is equally the case for you. I have a very keen interest in welfare and that includes keeping you informed. Simply reading this means you found the 'FLLA 4 MEAO Update' link at the internet site (www.armyintownsville.net) and you will see this focus on keeping you informed and involved. Thank you very much for your support.

I regularly ask the soldiers, sailors, airmen and women if they have been contacting their families regularly. There is good access to the internet and telephones and they tell me that they are. If you have not heard from them for over one full week then let the Welfare Officer know - more details below. I expect that they should call at least once-twice per week.

The deployment has been progressing exceptionally well. Following a transition of authority to FLLA 4 one week ago the men and women of the unit have been working very hard at getting themselves settled into their jobs. They have done this very quickly and they have been providing very good support through the Middle East as well as cleaning work-spaces, vehicles and warehouses and focussing upon getting everything in good order. The morale of the group is very high and I have been impressed with the leadership and initiative being displayed at every level. The junior ranks are implementing some great ideas. It is a credit to the individuals and the entire group.

I have just returned from visiting one of the teams north and they are doing a great job. They have made an immediate and impressive start and I have no doubt that they will continue with their high standards. I have spoken to the Officer Commanding of other teams and I plan to visit them in the next few weeks. I know that they are doing an equally great job in some challenging weather conditions.

The FLLA 4 Welfare Officer is MAJ Mark McKeon. He is a former Regular Army officer who transferred to the reserves and now operates a resort property on Magnetic Island. He has come on board to help us with welfare at home. Mark is intimately familiar with the effect of deployments on families - for instance, he deployed with the 1 RAR Group to Somalia and he commanded the Defence Community Organisation (DCO) Townsville before he transferred to the reserves. He is ringing around the families and you can expect a call from him in the next couple of months - if you have not already heard from him. If you need him then you can call him anytime on 0417 723 392.

Keep an eye on the website - I recommend you save it to your favourites.

Mick King
Lieutenant Colonel Mick King
Commanding Officer
Force Level Logistic Asset 4

Meet the Team - No 3

MAJ Clarke

Meet the Team, One-on-One

MAJ Clarke
The best thing about this deployment is my team ? we are all enjoying each others company here. We are responsible for providing psych support to troops on the ground.

WO2 Fitzgerald

WO2 Fitzgerald
My favourite memories so far are working with good people, getting mail ? that's always exciting!

SQNLDR Fay

SQNLDR Fay
This is my first deployment and I have enjoyed meeting and working with people from the other Services and Coalition Forces. The tour has been interesting and at times challenging, but overall a great experience which will no doubt assist me in future postings.

CAPT Kirk

CAPT Kirk
Working with communications in the coalition environment it has given me a lot of satisfaction. I have also been able to plan future projects and finish them within our tour time frame. It has given me additional knowledge that I can use in future ADF positions.

MAJ Parker

MAJ Parker
I have been part of a very professional team that has the issue of ammunition safety as their prime focus, as well as assisting our coalition partners in blowing up truly spectacular explosives that were no longer serviceable.

WO2 Williams

WO2 Williams
I have been able to develop my experience of providing technical advice in an operational environment. I have also had the opportunity to learn more about logistics in a Headquarters from some seasoned (old) professionals.

WO1 Leonard

WO1 Leonard
The deployment has broadened my Logistic experience by dealing with multiple JODs and seeing how HQJTF633 deals with JOC and AHQ. My favourite experience has been going on leave (cruise around the Greek Islands)?and the best surprise I have had here is I quit smoking!

SGT Lee

SGT Lee
SGT Lee has enjoyed meeting all the people that pass through for some assistance.

CPL Godfrey

CPL Godfrey
My good memories are competing against coalition forces in athletic activities and working in Baghdad.

FLTLT Turner

FLTLT Turner
Doc Turner provided medical support to the FLLA during a busy period in the Middle East.

CPL Norsworthy

CPL Norsworthy
"I'm here to shop for you!"

PTE Solomon

PTE Solomon
PTE Solomon is also there for you, anytime of the day or night, and can be counted on for his reliability and cheerfulness.

CPL Dunn

CPL Dunn
"Dunny" is a hard worker and never complains.

CAPT Baldwinson

CAPT Baldwinson
This deployment has been interesting to have the opportunity to work closely with other Australian and Coalition Task Groups and see how they operate. Looking forward to going home!

WO2 Avery

WO2 Avery
After deploying early with the advance party in late January to Afghanistan, I have enjoyed the every single day of the deployment. The opportunity to work with Coalition Regimental Sergeant Major's in the decision making process at Kandahar has been an eye opening experience and also a funny one as well. They hold the Australian Forces with high esteem and always look forward to having conversations with the troops and sharing in their enthusiasm with the Australian outlook in life.

It has been an honour to serve with the FLLA and other Task Groups that reside here at the Camp and that the comradeship we all share in a country full of conflict will always be a feeling of pride and honour that I will always cherish.

"Logistics' the glue that binds a fighting force??. Or not"

SGT Herodes

SGT Herodes
Since arriving I have come across some of my fellow countrymen at the dining facility, I must have shocked one of the Estonians when I sat down at the table next to him and started taking to him in his own language. He couldn't believe that an Aussie was speaking to him in his own language. Since that day I keep an eye out for the Estonians so that I can improve my language skills.

The deployment so far has been successful; I've been able to get my hands dirty servicing the forklift, tow motor and Unimog. Those sorts of tasks I find quite relaxing at my age, it helps take my mind off other things.

I would like to thank the RAEME Association (NSW) Inc for the care packages that you all provided for us over here.
Spot ya all late.

CFN Underwood

CFN Underwood
The trip so far has been different than what I had expected. Accommodation and general amenities are better than first thought, especially here, and with a good sized grassy patch getting all the more ready for a game of cricket.

Work has been busy and at times difficult, with new problems surfacing every day. The challenge is to overcome these with some good old RAEME (electrician) know how.

I have had a lot of travelling around the Middle East, working for our own troops stationed here, as well as supporting the Tour De Force, which was a two week tour that travelled to all parts in support of the Aussies. I am currently up to 12,500km in the old Herc, and I think that is just about enough for now!

The Pommy REME guys have been great, always willing to lend a helping hand when required.

ANZAC day in the Middle East meant a lot to me in regards to honouring those who have served and fallen before us. A day such as this on Operations was a great honour.

After hours, a near beer and a yarn to the boys is how the day usually ends for me, before retiring to a manly smelling bedroom.

Looking forward to a break and catching up with everyone at home.

SPR Connor

SPR Connor
Working in a country that has little or no standards when it comes with electricity is always challenging. Will the blue be active, neutral or earth and what will it be next time I open a board? Knowing what you need months before you need it is an advantage, because that is how long it takes to receive your order. I have only worked with the Dutch in Uruzgan Province and that is all I'll say about that.
After work I relax with time at the gym and watching TV. Ground Hog Day has set in as each day is a day closer to going home.

CPL Tattersall

CPL Tattersall
The thing that I have enjoyed most about this deployment is having the opportunity to regularly train, to increase my fitness level. Unlike normal, a large part of my working day is spent on welding and fabrication, a welcoming change from weapon inspections and equipment repair. I have also been able to have a large hand in planning and organising an upgrade of the trade working areas.

After work hours we generally play computer games and watch movies.

SPR Nolan

SPR Nolan
The trip so far has been different than what I had expected. Accommodation, PX store and gyms are way better than compared with my first deployment.

Plumbing work over here has been interesting, with limited supplies it has been challenging. All the tradies I work with are all willing to assist when ever needed, which makes all our jobs that little bit easier. What little time off that we get we try and get rest and air our feet and relax. Working with FLLA has been an eye-opener.

SPR Corradi

SPR Corradi
Although this is my fourth deployment, it is my first as a tradie and first being attached to a rear echelon unit so it did take a bit of adjusting to how they like to run things. The main reason why I wanted to be on this trip is to improve, not only my carpentry skills , but to gain experience on all aspects of the building trade, planning and organising of work, quoting and ordering. With the numerous problems of material quality and slow stock procurement, my experience is quickly growing. Within the Trade Cell, we are working towards making several improvements to the tradies capability through improving the work shop and material procurement. If we can achieve these aims, I will return home a fulfilled.

CPL Faulkner

CPL Faulkner
On the deployment I have really enjoyed meeting and getting to know new and unfamiliar people, some I hope to remain friends with for a very long time. I have found this deployment to be very challenging as my previous deployment I knew every member. However, this time around I basically did not know anyone prior to departing Australia. Working with the Coalition Forces has also been a great experience. I have found that the Canadians are almost identical to us with the way they run their business.

I made the executive decision to continue my university studies whilst being deployed and it has proven (in the short-term) to be an unwise decision, especially as I have an assignment due! Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh. So I do not have any time for relaxation in the periods when my work is completed for the day. I do however find time to go to the gym every lunch time to keep up my fitness. I also enjoy taking cardio P.T. every Wednesday's.

CPL Thompson

CPL Thompson
Having waited a long time for this deployment, it was very exciting to finally get over here and start work. The only downside to the excitement was leaving my family behind and knowing how much I would miss them.

Once we arrived in country, there was very little time for any type of formal handover with my predecessor, as we had an exceptionally busy first week and a half. The majority of the handover was definitely on the go, and surprisingly, all the information sunk in. When it was time to take over the reigns officially, and the truckie was turned loose on Kandahar, it came together without any problems.

We hit the road running upon arrival in Kandahar, not only was there a handover to complete but we had a substantial amount of extra people to take care of at the Camp due to rain in other parts of Afghanistan. This being my fourth deployment, it didn't take long to settle into a good steady rhythm, and begin to make some real headway on fixing up minor problems.

The best thing about being deployed here is the opportunity to meet and work with other Coalition forces, who generally have different ways of doing business compared to the Aussies. Watching the civvie contractors load trucks is always good for a laugh, as their methods are quite "interesting"!!!

After hours, there is a group of us that get together to play Call of Duty 4, which seems to be the game of choice across the Middle East. CPL Troung, aka Jacky Chan, and myself organised a team to enter to Indoor Soccer Comp, playing against teams from other countries and civvies agencies. So far we're doing pretty damn well - 4th on the ladder at last count!!

I'm counting down the days to leave and looking forward to finishing the deployment strongly, and finally going home to my family.

PTE McCormack

PTE McCormack
The thing I have enjoyed the most on this deployment is counting down the days until I go on leave. I have enjoyed working with CPL Bray and WO2 Powell.

Getting our warehouse up and running instead of working out of containers has given me a bit of job satisfaction.

CPL Webster

CPL Webster
During this deployment I have enjoyed working with a vast array of people from different trades, Corps and Services. I have found it interesting to see how all of these different elements work with and support one another.

I have had the opportunity to catch up with friends from other deployments as they passed through FLLA. As well as make new friends from FLLA, Rotary Wing and other members of the Camp. I am now setting my sights on leave and seeing my partner and having an enjoyable holiday.

WO1 Campbell

WO1 Campbell
I have been privileged to visit all FLLA 4 nodes and Dets within the Middle East. I have witnessed first hand the fantastic job that our Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen are doing across the entire Area of Operations. The Junior Ranks have excelled, I am proud of them and proud to be the RSM of FLLA 4.

CAPT Sneesby

CAPT Sneesby
Being deployed to the MEAO and in a position to provide support to outstanding defence personnel has been a privilege that I shall always appreciate. It does not get better than this.

CPL Arnold

CPL Arnold
I have been fed, paid well, done my job overseas operationally, and enjoyed the company of the people that I have worked with. I have been to a lot of different places and hopefully will have a new ute to look forward to back home.

Newsletter No 7 - 16 July

Hello family and friends,

The FLLA Baghdad Trade Cell has been working at full throttle over the past two weeks. This being a welcome change and a test for all in the Trade Cell.

Turtle has returned from greener pastures only for a brief moment, as he is about to go on leave. Turtle is looking quite the fit man since coming back from a busy month.

Kenny has continued to maintain an exuberant amount of professionalism and has worked tirelessly to get the pool back in order.

Brownie has sorted out all the electrical gremlins that plagued the compound. Brownie has had many late nights rewiring the toilets, laundry and accommodation. Brownie has been burning the candle at both ends but his quality of work has never faulted, yet?????

Shane has been the busiest of the bunch, constructing a wooden deck with the help of Nathan the 'young apprentice'. Shane has also taken time out of his busy schedule to organise and run a highly successful poker night.

Griffo has gone north as a back-fill leaving vehicle repairs in the capable hands of the Sergeant. The Sergeant has been the light at the end of the tunnel for the trade cell. His vast array of knowledge continues to bamboozle his subordinates.

That is all from the Tradies.

In the Operations Cell, the Postie has been very busy. The mail you have been sending has been very well received by all members. Come rain hail or shine the post will somehow get through. Seeing the cheerful faces when their name is called out and when they receive their mail is what this job is all about. Keep the mail coming, as the morale boost when everyone reads their letters from home is amazing.

The Transport Cell has been busy this month with another member away on leave and the other two holding the fort. Weather played a big role this month with delays and diversions plentiful. As we count down the days till we are home again, there is still plenty to do and vehicles to upkeep (still proud to provide the cleanest taxi service in Baghdad). Keep the mail coming and we will see you soon.

The preventative medicine man continues to implement vector control measures and monitor water quality within the Camp.

May and early June in the Q Cell brought new horizons for the member of the Q Cell. Our terminal operator received a promotion to the rank of CPL just prior to his leave which made his leave even sweeter. Replacing him for leave relief was Matt so rest assured the Freight Distribution Centre continued to get the job done. Our LS Perry also left for leave resulting in all local purchase actions for around three weeks to PO Marshall. Overall, this left the Q Cell down one member and with a variety of demanding priority tasks the work load was, as usual, high.

CPL Hammett

In Jun, after all the moving around and re-organising, the warehouse was fully operational with all the stores moved and the computers working. CPL Fidler and PTE Blackett moved their desks to a new office and soon made themselves at home.

When the members returned from their leave they injected some fresh spark into the Q Cell. The stories of their trips and exploits coupled with their relaxed frame of mind brought renewed and increased morale to the section. CPL Fidler will go on leave soon for his hard earned break.

PO Marshall has been working very hard to keep things moving forward in the Q Cell. The PO has been highly involved in priority tasks and has definitely kicked many goals with very few glitches. Along with this, maintaining the daily tasks of the Q Cell as well as managing members is making his time fly. Additionally, with the other members of the Social Club the PO has been organising successful social functions for the enjoyment of all.

From all in the Q Cell to our families we look forward to when we can see you again.

At Billabong Flats, we celebrated the Royal Australian Corps of Transport (Army) birthday on the 1st June - 35 years old! The Corps motto 'PAR ONERI' means 'Equal to the Task' of which the Soldiers have certainly lived up to on our deployment. The Truckies and Movers had an afternoon-tea to celebrate the occasion and to share their many experiences.

The Hon Stephen Smith MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited the region with some members lucky enough to visit the Embassy for an official function. The Minister then took time out of his busy schedule to visit us for a BBQ. It was great to catch up on some news from back home and have the opportunity to explain to him our important role in the Middle East.

The Hon Stephen Smith MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, on his visit (that's a near beer)

In the Postal Section we are still getting heaps of mail from home. It certainly keeps our Posties very busy working the Postal Distribution Centre and running the Post Office. Since we last caught up with the Posties, we have had lots of Easter cheer arrive with smiles all round. It is easy to pick the birthdays in the Unit (by the packaging) - keep it up! On mail days there is lots of questions such as 'has the mail arrived yet?' For those who receive mail, the smiles are un-ending. Adults quickly turn into little kids, trying to peer into someone else's package, to see what they have received (and if they are going to share it!). Despite the modern day age of email and telephones, it is still nice to get a package or a hand written letter that can be enjoyed in private. Keep the morale coming in!

Logistic Support Section

In the Headquarters we have the logistic support staff which provides supply, maintenance, ammunition and postal expertise. Steve, the Supply Chain Manager, manages all stock and supplies coming from Australia to our Force Elements on the ground. This involves a wide range of duties and working with many different people in a Tri-Service environment. Steve has really enjoyed working with and meeting lots of new people and he would like to thank all our families for dealing with all the trials and tribulations on the home front and thereby allowing us to concentrate on the current job at hand.

We also have to monitor and ensure that Corporate Governance is maintained within the FLLA and provide the appropriate guidance throughout the FLLA. Ray is kept busy looking after the stocktaking program and managing the supply accounts. During this deployment Ray has made some great friends and this has made being away from family, friends and home more bearable. Ray also greatly appreciated the other little things such as like the Good Shepherd Primary School sending Easter egg baskets which put a smile on everyone's faces. Ray would like to say a very big thankyou to his wife and daughters for their support and love while he is away.

The Maintenance Manager, Barry, arrived late in the deployment and was met by a group of eager eyed ladies and gents keen for someone different to talk to. Barry has fitted well into the FLLA and all that it has to offer such as our fitness training, fun runs, 'boot camp' and not to forget the fabulous ice-cream at the Dining Facility. Barry is also the safety representative and it did not take long before he was making our beautiful surrounds safer by painting a pedestrian crossing on the road so we do not get run over by our Coalition partners - he now has the challenge to educate them about what it means!

As one of the Ammunition Technicians, Keith, has the job of making sure that things stay safe for our people when they are using ammunition. This sometimes means that we have to destroy some items that may no longer be suitable for use. In order to do this safely, we move the items to a safe disposal area in an isolated part of a nearby range. This can have its own challenges. In Australia you sometimes have to deal with muddy roads when driving on our ranges, here mud is not an issue, however large sand drifts can make the travel very interesting and get you just as bogged. Again in Australia, you look out for native wildlife, here you look out for camels as they roam over large areas in order to find sufficient food and can sometimes pop up in the most unexpected places.

Meeting other Ammunition Technicians from the participating countries has been very rewarding. Everyone seems to be very friendly and genuinely interested in sharing both experiences and skills. It also seems that nearly everyone we meet wants to come to Australia for a visit and they are constantly asking for recommendations of where to visit and what to do. Keith, coming from Tassie, recommends the Tassie tourist spots before a visit to Australia - advising them that mainlanders are allowed in from time to time! Overall, the trip has been very positive, meeting a very large number of friendly people who have all been very complimentary of Australia and Australians - we must be doing something right.

The Admin team

The Administration Cell is a Navy and Army team, and it is always very busy for Janelle, Johl, Rob and Craig. The Admin Cell has not only been doing their work but is often called upon to provide assistance for other Units in the Middle East. The Admin Cell has a very important part to play with providing not only admin support but also managing our pay and allowances, and looking after the payment of invoices for services and supplies. The team have all managed to keep their spirits high - especially now that they are taking their leave and catching up with their family and friends.

Bonjour Australia, FLLA Afghanistan hopes that you are all good and well. You have to pardon the French introduction as Gerard has just returned from leave in Parree (Paris). We hope that you are all enjoying having your loved ones at home or being with them abroad on a fancy holiday, or just relaxing on a well-earned break.

The time has passed quickly since our last newsletter. Since our last instalment there have been some high profile visitors pass through which included Chief of the Defence Force, Commander Joint Operations, Land Commander Australia, Commander Joint Task Force - our Boss, Deputy Commander Joint Task Force Afghanistan and the ADF Bishop. The visitors took the time to speak with everyone at the Camp and often sat down for a chat at random.

Our Admin and Pay Section has been extremely busy since Gerard's return from leave - which was a European vacation and a much needed break from the rigors of working here in Afghanistan. Gerard is not only kept really busy with his own work schedule but is also helping out the Company Sergeant Major (CSM) supervising some local civilian staff who are assisting with some tasks. This has proved to be a very interesting experience in the art of communication. One typical hot day, around 48 degrees, Gerard gave the locals some 30+ sunscreen lotion and thought nothing more of it. Later the CSM came across one of the locals who was distressed and trying to explain in his best English that he had rubbed it in his eyes and had then tried to wash it out with hand soap!

Gerard (when not looking after the locals)

While Gerard was on leave, Craig came across to ensure an efficient continuation of pay support was provided. The Pay Cell is kept very busy with pay transactions, monitoring the movements of members throughout the Middle East and overseas whilst on people are on leave, and liaising closely with our Financial Advisor and Australian pay agencies as the end of financial year draws to a close.

Our newest member is WO2 Rozitis who looks after stores investigations as well as taking up the job of Local Purchase Officer. WO2 Rozitis arrival into country went smoothly and that includes the landing of the plane in Agfhanistan! Since her arrival WO2 Rositiz has been very busy learning the ropes, rules and regulations of FLLA and the Camp (the only place to be). During the WO2 Rozitis's short time with us she has also experienced life in the bunkers. Some of the highlights thus far for WO2 Rozitis has been catching up with a friend from AUSAID and going to the Gospel Chapel to ride the wave of music and religion as only the Gospel singers can do. For those out there, yes there was a James Brown Blues Brothers moment. We are told that her Padre back in Australia would faint if he knew that our WO2 had been to church for other than Funerals, Weddings and Christenings!

PS: Yes, our WO2 has managed to go shopping like all Aussie gals do at the local markets.

WO2 Rozitis with her latest bargain

The Communications (CIS) team has continued their commitment to making life easier and more enjoyable for all staff and visitors to the Camp in recent weeks.

Members of the CIS team have been getting involved with the local sports scene. Our fearless leader tried turning a soccer match into boxing recently when playing against one of the British teams. Certain members of the CIS team have not fully grasped the rules of soccer and the fact that your hands are not supposed to get involved. So far we have had a thumb and finger injury whilst playing the world game also known as football.

In an effort to get away from working late hours in the office a Playstation 3 was purchased along with guitar hero. The geeks have taken to guitar hero like ducks to water and so has some of the other staff, popping into the recreation room to cheer on the want to be "rock gods" and occasionally taking up the challenge to rock out.

A sig's life: Nev enjoying the serenity in Bonnie Doon.

In Uruzgan Province over the last couple of months the crew of 'The Shed' have not had time to scratch their you know what's!! With the leave period occurring we have been a person down on a couple of occasions, but still over that time we have managed to load or unload about 130 aircraft of all shapes and sizes.

Luke in the Merlo and Mel - supervising from the cockpit

What has been going on? Well, as you should hopefully remember we had a number of concerts and notable entertainers visit us over the last few months. At each event we have seen a huge turnout of the Dutch Soldiers enjoying a taste of our music and/or humour. The Dutch have had a couple of concerts here as well. It was our turn to have exposure to another country's music. There was a great turn out for these as well. The highlight for us was the performance of 'Dutch Cher' - did not look like her but her voice was great. At the moment the Euro 2008 Soccer is on and the Dutch have set up a huge TV screen in the open air - lots of yelling and cheering going on in the early hours of the morning.

Harley and Luke working flat out!

Harley and Luke have been working flat out - our days are filled loading/unloading of aircraft and helicopters. Here are the types of aircraft we deal with if you want to jump on the internet and see what they look like: Hercules C130, Hercules C160, Antonov 12, Antonov 26, Antonov 28, Antonov 32, Antonov 72, Globemaster C17, Chinook CH47 helicopter and the heaviest and most powerful helicopter to ever be produced the Russian Mi26 'Halo'. Harley has been involved with over a dozen helicopter operations preparing and slinging loads and has a couple of bumps and bruises for his efforts.

Puss is doing fine and growing up. He is still a source of amusement for all.



We are still working hard and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. As we continue through our deployment our morale remains high - remember to keep the mail coming in! Every day brings us closer to home and we are all looking forward to the day when we get to step off the aircraft in Oz - as there is no place like home.

The FLLA 4 team

Our new FLLA Psych Team: 'Your reality check in the MEAO!'

Meet the Team - No 2

Meet the Team, One-on-One

LT Hayes
I have enjoyed this deployment because it has given me high-level exposure to joint operations in a busy logistical environment. I have learned a great deal about the ADF; both it's internal mechanisms and it's dealings with coalition partners. I look forward to putting this knowledge and experience to good use throughout the rest of my military career.

LT Hayes

CPL Jewell

CPL Jewell
I have enjoyed this deployment because I have been able to put into practice the trade skills I have been taught. It has also been interesting to utilise the logistic potential of our coalition partners.

CPL Moors
The best thing about this deployment is the teamwork that has been forged with the section. Also I have enjoyed the opportunity to apply the skills of my trade.

CPL Moors

PTE Ahladas

PTE Ahladas
I have enjoyed working with the coalition partners on this deployment because it has given me a chance to see how other nations work in comparison to us.

WO2 Powell
What I've enjoyed most about this deployment is the camaraderie between the three services. You'll always get the 'we're better than you' friendly banter between each service; however, there is a quiet understanding the different roles each service provides.

Though, this is my sixth deployment, there is always a sense of self achievement when you are there to provide a service to your dependants. You know that there are other people depending on you for the resupplying of stores and when that service is met you feel a sense of satisfaction.

WO2 Powell

SGT McGregor

SGT McGregor
There are two things that I've enjoyed most about this deployment. The first is that I get to fulfil one of my life time ambitions, and that is to command Catafalque Party on ANZAC day whilst serving overseas. The other is I get to work with other nation in a job that can be very rough at times, but also very rewarding.

This is my seventh deployment as a Medical Technician, and the thing I have learnt most with this deployment is not only how well we work within a Tri Service environment, but how well we work with other nations.

CPL Hutchison
Myself and Reidy hit the ground running when we first arrived in late-Feb (we had do an equipment course before we deployed, hence we were in country a couple of weeks after the rest of FLLA). A lot of data and voice services had to be extended down to the flightline, and there was also an Installation Team in country that required our assistance.

It was a good stretching out of our trade skills, and had the added challenge of some network planning and design thrown in (something usually done by Warrant Officers/Sergeants back in Australian Signals Units). Working heavily with Cisco Routers and Switches was very beneficial to my skillset (and my employability in the real world should I choose to discharge at any point in the future).

I also got to play with optic fibre cabling and termination, something I had never touched before. We were pulling some pretty big days over the first month or so, fortunately things have slowed down now, and we're mainly maintaining what we have installed, and planning tweaks and improvements to our networks.

On my down time I have enjoyed/experienced:

Improving my personal fitness (lost 10kg so far)
2 months no alcohol = improved all-round health
Saturday markets at Kandahar - 6 for 10!!! 6 for 10!!!
Ordering pizza - it's like getting revenge on sub-continental telemarketers
Poms and Dutch walking 3 abreast in the middle of the road (they show the same regard for others when they drive - kicking up clouds of dust all over people doing PT)
The repetitive cheesy cockney nightclub music on BFBS
The rockin' out songs on Guitar Hero 3
Getting some study done
Watching (and hearing) F-16s and Mirages take off with 'burners on - awesome.

CPL Hutchison

CPL Jones

CPL Jones
On this deployment I have enjoyed the day-to-day challenges involved in my job whilst knowing that what I'm doing is helping make other people's jobs easier.
I have also enjoyed being on deployment with people I have previously worked with as it has made the time go faster and made work easier. The new people I've met on this deployment have also been great, being very easy to get along with and just wanting to get on with the job at hand.

Working with the Coalition Forces has been interesting and enjoyable. News of our gaming network spread to some of the British members, with even the ISAF Commander's Executive Officer coming to the CIS Cell asking for games to be installed so he could join in with our guys.

PTE Clegg
This being my first overseas deployment, I would say that I'm having a pretty awesome time meeting new people from different cultures and learning about their way of life.

PTE Clegg

WO2 Prior

WO2 Prior
I have really enjoyed doing the job of Operations Warrant Officer (OPSWO) on this deployment. After hours I like to relax with a movie or two, or beating the Sigs at darts.

POSN Marshall
I enjoy the challenge of working with the fellow services and I am learning quite a deal about relations with coalition forces. The concerns about the logistics systems ashore are now behind me and I am getting all tasks completed. I have learnt more about the role of a logistics manager with the variety of challenges presented during the deployment.

POSN Marshall

PTE Mendham

PTE Mendham
I am looking forward to the variety of challenges presented with moving a warehouse, with the associated logistics problems and finding solutions. Working with the other services has been an eye-opening experience with an insight into how the other services tackle problems.

CPL Griffiths
The tour had many great memories but the highlight of my tour in the Middle East has to be playing the Last Post at the dawn service on ANZAC day in Baghdad. Any nerves I had prior to playing were soon swept away as the sun rose over Camp Victory during the bugle call. I didn't just feel Australian, I felt proud to be Australian.

CPL Griffiths

Newsletter No 6 - 10 June

Hello to our family and friends,

Hello Australia from Kandahar, we hope that all is well at home. There have been many changes around here and they have required a lot of ingenuity from those involved. I once read "Creativity is to discover the unexplored frontiers of the infinite universe of the mind .... A closed mind is worth nothing and not good for anything". Fortunately, the majority of us came here with an open mind so completing tasks that require creativity is achievable, to say the least.

This month we have instalments from the Warehouse, Headquarters, and Transport Sections. So for you, it's time to relax?. you know what that means, a glass of wine, your favourite easy chair and of course reading this letter. So go on, indulge yourself, that's right?? kick off your shoes, put your feet up, lean back and just enjoy this newsletter. After all, reading soothes even the savage beast.

Q-Store: How time flies! The last few months have just flown in the Q-Store, we continue improve the store and are now moving through the leave period. We have definitely settled into a daily routine and barely notice when one week ends and another starts. The weather has become very warm and uncomfortable, with a never ending supply of dust.

There are the usual daily challenges of supplying so many different Australian elements, but we have managed to keep everyone happy whilst maintaining a smile. The favourite saying for WO2 Powell is, "hardly a challenge".

Shortly we will start to get ready for the handover, signifying that it will soon be time to head home.

CPL Bray, AKA J2 the B

HQ FLLA Afghanistan: The past six weeks has seen the nerve centre of FLLA Afghanistan extremely busy facilitating and hosting a number of visits from the ADF and other organisations. This has included the Governor-General, Chief of the Defence Force and Recon Groups. WO2 Avery, has recently returned from leave with a big grin on his face and MAJ Blair, is looking forward to his leave in the next few weeks. WO2 McKie is just a little excited about his trip to the Mediterranean and has recently treated himself to the worlds biggest camera; it has such a powerful lens he can see the Taliban changing their minds. The OPSO is beginning to develop square eyes from staring into his computer screen all day. He is certainly looking forward to his leave in July and arriving home for his children's birthdays. We continue to work hard and are looking forward to finishing the deployment on a high and getting home safely.

CAPT Baldwinson busy at work!

Transport Section: Well, we're halfway through our deployment already! Time has flown by since we did our hand-over on arrival to Afghanistan. After a busy handover, which was a lot more hands on than expected, the truckie and the termite were let loose on an unsuspecting Kandahar Airfield with no supervision (although under the watchful eye of the WOCON). But, of course, everything fell into place, and all the work done during hand over paid off.

Most of our work over here revolves around the incoming flights. LCPL Foxley (Fox) and have worked hand in hand with the various RAAF Air Load Teams (ALTs) to make sure the cargo and passengers have gotten away relatively unscathed. We've had some very busy periods, which included the FACE Tour and some Very Important Persons' visits. The only time things come unstuck is when the aircraft decide to break down and not tell us in advance!

Fox has claimed the position of the Tim Horton's Liaison Officer (THLO), as he is a regular down there, and all the staff know him quite well, and shudder at the large orders of coffee and donuts he tends to place when he graces them with his presence. Thomo has been told by the OPSWO that he's like "Idi Amin on a bad day" when he's stomping around the yard making sure people are doing the right things with HIS vehicles!

The camp is always changing, almost daily! We've seen a few ALTs come and go during our time here so far, the funniest of them being the SGT, who we referred to as "Norman", after the main character of a joke he decided to tell us! Even now that he's left the area, cries of "Norman is an ambulance" can still be heard loud and clear, accompanied by people laughing. All the ALTs we've worked with have been fantastic, and it's always a shame to see them move on.

Leave is not too far off, and by the time most of you will get to read this, we should be on our 3rd or 4th beer? we hope. Although time has gone quickly, our leave date seems to take longer to get too the closer we get to it!

So after leave, we'll be back in the hot seat, cracking on with it, and counting down the days until we can come home!

From the most important people here?. Cyas next time!

LCPL Foxley practicing his charm for the staff at Tim Horton's coffee shop

CPL Thompson grooming

Dust?bloody dust??.What more can I say? Uruzgan Province has come full circle. Gone are the picturesque snow capped mountains, now the landscape resembles the moon!! You can set your watch by the afternoon dust storm - and this is that fine talcum powder dust that gets in everywhere. We live in hope for a shower of rain just to clear the air. The temperatures are currently in the low 40's. However, Harley and Luke will tell you it is about 70 degrees behind the plane. This is due to the fact that Australian planes leave their engines running and with the added heat of the engines there have been some unpleasant times lately - and don't forget the dust that goes with it.

Harley loading C130

Luke and Harley at the rear of an Antonov

Since our last newsletter, the CDF, Air Marshal Houston, and Minister of Defence, The Hon Fitzgibbon, have both visited this location. Their visits were in response to the tragic loss of LCPL Jason Marks late last month. Certainly ANZAC Day here held special significance for all Australian Forces.

Harley is on holidays with his fianc? They are both, I am sure, drinking cocktails (could be rum) on the beautiful Greek Islands - where, I am assured there is no dust.

He could not get on the plane fast enough to get out of here. He is due back soon and we are all looking forward to the stories and photos.

Luke is on the countdown to his holidays. He and a number of his FLLA mates from other areas have booked themselves a Contiki Tour around Europe. I am not sure how many sights they will see, but there is bound to be a collection of souvenirs from the numerous pubs they will visit - probably wouldn't notice, or care for that fact, if there was dust were they are going.

I am heading home shortly and some normality for a little while at least. Phil will be jetting in from another area to look after things here for me - which reminds me, I have to send Phil an email - better warn him about the dust. We also have a new member of the team. Sean has joined us from the Reconstruction Task Force. He has fitted right in and is learning the ropes. Hope he has better luck with the cat than Thommo did.

Speaking of the cat, Puss is doing fine. He went missing for a few days and there were a lot of concerned people around the place. There were constant updates in Orders Groups about possible sightings of Puss and there was the odd search party, but eventually he turned up - a kilo lighter, but the amount of food we fed him more than compensated for that. Rest assured he is back to his normal self. Like I have said before, he is not much of a cat, more a dog really, but he did catch his first mouse the other day as the photo below reveals. By the way - if you pat the cat, you get a dust cloud.

You didn't say what type of mouse!

The days are flying by and we are still working hard and enjoying our time here. Before you know it we will be back home annoying our families. See you all soon.

Mel, don't touch the read button!

By the way - did I mention the dust?

Officer Commanding in Baghdad. The team in Baghdad has now reached the half way point for this deployment and I think this is a good opportunity to let you know my thoughts on how everyone is tracking.

The work done by all of the Soldiers and Sailors has been top rate and I often receive positive feedback from our dependencies reinforcing how well the team is doing.

Over the past three months the team in Baghdad has achieved a lot; all of the Soldiers and Sailors have developed well to the environment and tempo and are proving to be very valuable members of the Australian contingent in theatre.

I am continually impressed with the attitude, dedication and professionalism of the team and am certainly very proud of them. I would like to let you all know, from my point of view, that everyone is travelling well and doing an outstanding job. You should all be as proud of their contribution as I am.

Congratulations to Lisa and Jason on the birth of their daughter and also to Corinne and Nathan on the birth of son. May they both bring you many years of joy and happiness.

On behalf of everyone at FLLA Baghdad we would like to wish all of our mums a very happy Mother's Day, we were all thinking of you.

Trade Cell: Well G'day again from the tradies up here in Baghdad, its come to that time in our tour where our hard work, sweat and tears are starting pay out for us. That's right its R & R time. While some of us are living the life of leisure by going to Rome and Italy, others are quite content on going home and just kicking back with a can of Bundaberg's finest. Either way catching up and spending as much time with loved ones is our number one priority.

Work for the trade cell this past month hasn't really changed, its been fairly steady with the occasional late night here and there. All in all there is always something to do and always something to achieve.

Anzac day this year was a real treat, while Griff put both his writing and musical skills to the test, Ben had his work cut out for him with playing a vital part in the Catafalque Party. It's a pity Shane wasn't around to spend the day with us. None the less, the rest of the trade cell made the most of the festivities, from everyone's favourite the good old Two up, to just kicking back and having a yarn with our mates, it was a really great day.

To all the families and loved ones of the trade cell who have supported us and kept our spirits high thank you so very much and we cant wait to get home, until next time chin up and keep smiling everyone, we will be home soon.

Q-Store: It's now May and it has gone quickly. The electrical work on the warehouse has been completed and it accommodated the ANZAC Day activities without any issues. After a few brews and long discussions with everyone in the warehouse - where the best ideas were selected - we decided on making the warehouse layout the most efficient set up for work. CPL Fidlers' Repair Parts Section has been set up in the warehouse and it looks as good as the man himself.

Inside the warehouse

POSN Marshall is continuing to be the Q Cell's fearless leader, working around the clock to get the job done. His efforts are rubbing off onto the rest of the crew, with everyone rising to a new level of Q Store greatness.

The rest of the Q-Cell LS Perry, LCPL Hammett, PTE Blackett and PTE Mendham are all flat out with the movement of stores and their daily workloads. Morale in the Q-Cell has sky rocketed with everybody's light hearted, but serious approach to work paying off.

Re-stocking the shelves

POSN Marshall and PTE Mendham returned from leave with big smiles on their faces but wouldn't elaborate any more, whilst the remainder of the Cell are now looking forward to the break. Nathan also welcomed a new addition to his family with the birth of his son.

It is warming up here as the height of summer looms and the pool is looking more inviting day by day. Everybody is keeping fit with PT and taking advantage of the gym facilities.

The Q cell send a big HELLO back home, they are all enjoying their time here but we all miss our families back home, and are looking forward to a weekend off to put their feet up.

Support Section: The month flew by in a blur of excitement for SPT Section. Two members left on leave, signalling that the honeymoon period was well and truly over. We also enjoyed the festivities of ANZAC day, a memory that will stay with us forever. LCPL Wilkes took part in the Catafalque Party for the Dawn service and the drivers provided transport throughout the day.

ANZAC Day Ceremony

LCPL Wilkes (preventative medicine) has had an eventful month, which entailed the investigation of a food borne illness, assisting the Baghdad plumber in solving sewerage and grey water disposal problems in the accommodation areas and conducted a mosquito survey of the Baghdad compound.

It has been a hectic time for the Transport staff here in Baghdad. Living up to the Corps motto 'Par Oneri' the Truckies were required to step it up a notch with the arrival of a Very Important Person, namely CDF. With regular visits from the ambassador and our daily tasks, we have been kept rather busy.

Things became a little chaotic when PTE Clegg and CPL Meersbergen (Postie) went on leave bringing the section down to a total of five. LCPL King filled in as the resident postie, doing an outstanding job ensuring the mail flow, while CPL Miller held the fort for the Transport Cell.

During the last two weeks CPL Marron has been required to travel to support of one of our dependencies. She is coping well with the significantly increased work load and should be back with us this week.

All members of SPT Section are doing well; we look forward to the coming months and a swift return home to our loved ones. We send out congratulations to Jason and his family who welcomed a beautiful baby girl during his leave.

Recent trip North: An opportunity popped up that allowed a small team from Baghdad to travel north to help out one of our dependencies. CAPT Siwek, CPL Fidler, CPL Miller and LCPL Hammett all caught the US Helicopter to get there, which allowed for a very good bird's eye view on the area and to take in the living conditions of the locals. A few stops were made on the way, at times feeling as if we were landing in someone's backyard.

The boys all worked very hard to get the job done, much to the thanks of the guys that work there. With the work out of the way we were given a guided tour of the camp. The camp was a combination of a Coalition and Iraqi barracks, which was very similar to where we work; dry, dusty and flat.

We were fortunate enough to go through an armoured vehicle graveyard, which went for as far as the eye can see and seemed to contain every type of tank, truck and artillery piece every owned by the Iraqis. Plenty of photos were taken and we all enjoyed the opportunity and took it as an opportunity to recharge. We all bought something for our partners, where one of the salesmen offered to try it on for the OC back in his room, to which the OC obviously kindly declined.

Until the next newsletter, we all send our love.

Billabong Flats was recently blessed to be visited by the two charming characters, Hamish and Andy. These fine and handsome chaps uplifted the spirit of everyone from the time they stepped foot into the Middle East. The pair of comedians were fitted with protective gear, given first aid lessons including the application of a trauma tourniquet and received their safety brief, as they became fully prepared for their tour forward into Afghanistan. They brought with them staff for a live cross over to the Rove show, in addition to providing a unique radio show from the front line in Afghanistan. It became obvious that their presence and good sense of humour was certainly appreciated by all Defence personnel and the effort they made in visiting us all in the Middle East is remembered and appreciated.

Hamish and Andy getting kitted out and receiving medical training on dust storm

Armourer: Since deploying to the Middle East, I have enjoyed the fact that I get to do what I'm paid for as a fitter/armourer. The amount of weapons that I have had to inspect is phenomenal. Of the deployments that I have done, this is by far the best. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of mates to be working with for 6 months. The only thing that I won't get used to while I'm here is the sand and the wind, especially at the range. It's amazing to see how our Coalition partners work and to see how much gear is involved in this operation.

Groundhog day is inevitable on a deployment so after a busy 10 hr day at work, I like to relax by watching all my favourite TV shows that my girlfriend sends over for me and playing computer games. The Coalition BBQ is another event that breaks up the routine and is something that we all look forward to.

Operations Cell: The FLLA Headquarter Operations Cell is a small team compared to the task it carries out. We work with current and future operations and are constantly planning and reviewing upcoming events. We also manage contracts and communications. The gang is made up of Shaun, David, Craig M, Craig A, Robbie, Gio and Fletch. Gio also has the difficult job as acting as the CSM (Company Sergeant Major) for the HQ, often described as trying to herd cats!

Some of the gang from the Operation Cell

Regimental Aid Post: We have been extremely busy over the past few weeks. Our small team is Mel, Susan, Bree, Walter and Tim - who recently joined us when Simon left. Our time lately has concentrated on taking care of the large number of personnel who pass through Billabong Flats. We hold the responsibility of providing a Health Brief for each person passing our location and preparing them medically for moving forward to other locations. We also ensure that before personnel return to Australia that they receive a full medical screening, which can be quite time consuming. Other tasks that we do is providing support to range shoots as well as travelling to various bases around this location with patients to see different specialists and receive scans etc. Finally, the remainder of our time is spent taking care of all personnel with serious injuries and illnesses, to the more common "cough, cold and sore hole" typed conditions.

Padre: Life is often described as a journey, travelling through experiences and events that shape and change us and our perspectives on the world in which we live. Some of those journeys are rich and fulfilling, others can have the potential for growing in new ways.

For me the deployment has gathered these all together. Where most of our FLLA people are involved in some form of service delivery role, my role as Padre remains very much people centred. Even though I have been privileged to visit Baghdad, Kandahar and Uruzgan Province it is the people in these places that I recall more so than the places themselves.

Chaplaincy has often been described as 'loitering with intent' - waiting for the invitation to engage in a conversation of life. The richness of my role has been to share conversations as varied as those that celebrate the love and belonging of family, personal struggles with issues, confronting the death of loved ones, rejoicing in the birth of children. Others have dealt with issues of life in the Middle East such as working together in a diverse environment, addressing issues that crop up or simply the ups and downs of emotions. In all of this a Chaplain's training, skills and expertise in listening, assessing issues, counselling, insight into people are utilised as well as offering the resources of faith, life and celebration.

There are images I will take with me from the deployment of places and events - like blessing the Chinooks before their first operational flight, flying into Uruzgan Province and the opulence that was Baghdad. The larger motif, however, is the Service men and women who are so impressive in who they are and what they do and who it has been my privilege to serve and serve with.

Blessing the Chinook

As you have read, our team is kept busy and there is never a dull moment in the FLLA. We have people coming and going with leave which is generating a lot of enthusiasm and excitement as we finally get to see our loved ones again - even it is only for a very short time. This also creates a lot of hard work as we need to cover all the jobs whilst people are away enjoying themselves as the Operations do not stop! Please don't forget to keep sending us mail and remember to put the correct address on the mail so it gets to us quickly.

The FLLA 4 Team

Before / after a dust storm

An early afternoon dust storm

Meet the Team - No 1

SGT Shipley

SGT Shipley
Since deploying to the Middle East, I have enjoyed that fact that I'm doing what I get paid to do whilst in an active operational setting. The differences between this deployment and previous deployments are the countries climate, especially with the extreme weather shifts from cold to hot and of course we can not forget all of this sand. My other deployments have been to Timor Leste being more tropical and humid.

Due to this being a Tri- service deployment I have found it very interesting to see how other Services do business to achieve the same aims. The best part of this deployment is our coalition partners getting to know how other forces work and operate. Also this gives Australians the opportunities to have a close look over coalition equipment. Due to where our deployments dates fall we have the honour in remembering fallen comrades who have fallen before us whilst making their sacrifice while on operations on ANZAC day during our deployment. This being my third Anzac Day I have spent on deployment and certainly will be one to remember.

SGT Handsaker

SGT Handsaker
This is a great opportunity to be able to conduct my trade on operations after 20 years of service. I find it interesting that coalition forces face the similar issues and problems that we experience.

CPL Fidler

CPL Fidler
I am looking forward to spending ANZAC day in the Baghdad because it will be like no other ANZAC day ever for me. The reasons for this being, I am the guard commander for the ceremony and being on operations in a war zone defiantly will add to the atmosphere. Also what better way is there to remember and pay my respects to the diggers that fell at Gallipoli by performing a catafalque party whilst representing Australia as part of a multinational taskforce. I am sure the sound of the bugle echoing over the lakes at Victory Base Complex will set the scene. I will never forget the day and look forward to it.

LCPL King

LCPL King
On this deployment I have really enjoyed working in a tri-service environment as it allows me to see how other coalition forces operate. After a busy day I like to relax by watching a movie or going fishing with my mates.

CPL Bray

CPL Bray
This is a deployment that I have wanted for some time, as the chance to see a country as unique and as harsh as Afghanistan is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a strange, dry and dusty country; the people get by with very little and cope with huge extremes. We hit the road running upon arrival in Kandahar, not only was there a handover to complete but we had a substantial amount of extra people to take care of at Camp Baker due to rain in other parts of Afghanistan.

Once things settled down and we got into a routine we started the big job of moving things around the supply store (we are not a Q Store as we are all Yardies). It has been a challenging time getting all the stores moved and placed in a functional way but things are now falling into place and looking good. When we get some down time you can normally find us at the British coffee shop called the NAFFI, or at the American PX which is your general supplies store. Ground hog day has definitely set in and we have a saying here, "Monday, everyday is Monday".

LCPL Allison

LCPL Allison
This being my first deployment I have found that the Junior and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers bond a lot more than in barracks; we eat, sleep and work together. It becomes very hard getting out of bed some days as weekends don't count in this place. Working in a Tri-Service environment has been very interesting and sometimes difficult breaking away from the ARMY answer.

I have enjoyed the role as the Postie because when the mail is in you're the most loved man around town, however on the other hand when not much is about you're not the favourite anymore. But in saying that it's always good to see our members here receive much wanted parcels in the mail from their loved ones.

A small group of the boys have been really hooking in when it comes to PT. Faulks, Tatts and I have the pleasure of running PT. We have put together a strength test which is all to a cadence and we base our lessons on building strength and making the Basic Fitness Assessment a walk in the park.
In my down time I like to going to the gym with Faulks and watching movies; having limited access to TV programs from home you tend to watch a lot of movies.

ANZAC Day in another country just is not the same but it's what we make of it and we still pay our respects to the soldiers before us. I must leave with this quote, "I can't believe PT is compulsory".

Newsletter No 5 - 28 April

Hello to our family and friends,

Last month at Billabong Flats we had some people attend the local Base Open Day. Also attending were groups from the other coalition foreign military contingents. After the welcome speeches, the team was treated to traditional singing and dancing. "Rocket" and "Hawdy" were encouraged to join in. With this invitation the two proceeded to show off some traditional dancing of their own, impressing our hosts. After a few camel rides, the contingent sat down for some local coffee and tea. The night culminated in feast including local delicacies such as Roasted Goat. The group returned to Billabong Flats better for the experience.

Our Psych Team has enjoyed some busy periods as part of FLLA 4 and have not really shared a lot of time together as one whole team (even though they really do like each other, really!). They have been lucky enough to spend their days in FLLA 4 travelling around the Middle East supporting ADF members and (hopefully) improving their mental wellbeing. The bulk of their work is spent having a chat with all members prior to their return home (although many believe they spend more time shopping than actually working when they are away) and they have been on the receiving end of some great experiences of those deployed here.

Never people to ignore their own advice, they have been participating in the many social/leisure activities conducted in FLLA 4 and around the Middle East. American Bingo was an educational experience, particularly when you have no idea how to play and only discovered what all the amusing adages really meant halfway through the game! They have a star runner (Rach) in the team who has won the 5 km fun run many times and the whole team has been exercising to burn off all the fried food that is consumed. After a hard days work, the pizza/shisha caf?as a great atmosphere to help relax the mind and the trivia nights have given them an insight into their own knowledge downfalls (the wooden spoon prize is great anyway).

With all this in mind, their time here has flown by and unfortunately draws this psych rotation to a close (sigh, sniffle). In the near future, FLLA 4 will be refreshed with a new psych team to provide support for the remainder of our tour and no doubt they will enjoy the personal and professional rewards of the FLLA 4 experience, as our current team did.

The Psych Team

Transport is one of the most demanding roles within Billabong Flats. They are always on call and always Par Oneri (Equal to the task). They have had some hectic as well as good times. They do a lot of airport runs picking up all sorts of people travelling in from all over the world and transporting them back to our humble abode at Billabong Flats. They are a small team which only got smaller when Kiwi proved that Kiwi's really can not fly by falling off the back of a truck. The newly formed 'six pack' consists of the following people. Hoppy; our illustrious leader, Sol; the newly appointed second-in-charge, Youngy who is serving his country and making friends with our coalition allies?, Kirstan who keeps the morale up with her bed time stories?, Nat our demure wall flower who keeps a little black book somewhere? Of course there is also Ecky our gun slingin, car crashin cowboy. Just recently, our team welcomed young Terry.

The Transport Section is a great team and they are doing excellent job here in the Middle East. It's a great experience working alongside the rest of the FLLA as well as our coalition friends.

The Transport team

Kiwi

Happy Birthday for 'Undies' and Amber

The boys south of Billabong Flats are still getting over their "HULK" load of Easter eggs which also came with rainbow of candy - so everyone can stop worrying now. Also as predicted it is getting hotter. The focus this month being before/after hours physical fitness. Our new Instructor, "Crazy I's", has had a blitzing start by making a lot of good use with the beach volley ball court in the evenings and fun sessions in the morning. His predecessor has done a good job in starting to "green up" the footy field which he has kept up to a good standard, it's not quiet the SCG or Gabba but to their credit both men have grown grass in a demanding climate. Crazy I's isn't the only new kid on the block with a few others now joining our combined team in the south.

Recently, one of our Recreation facilities "Cloud lands" had a face lift, and unlike a job done by Edward scissor hands, this job looks really professional. The room itself has been divided across the middle, one side still for movies and the other side for gaming. Inside the new wonderland lives the latest time out gear comprising of a Wii and a PS3. Each of these off the chart gaming devices have enough games to keep any gamer at ease for some time. Both of these little beauties are hooked up to individual Samsung plasmas, which add to the already great atmosphere. The Cooks from our Host Unit, have an outside serving area from which they can produce the best food to EVER grace the hot plates. Not forgetting the side dishes, thanks boys.

Some people may still find themselves wondering what they could do during their down time around here. The answer is now simple, as those people can only be Air hockey ninjas or Table tennis titans. For the titans it's a basic set up for those who are unable to play god sports like RUGBY. For the ninjas out there who like to play "death puck", they will find solitude in this new device found outside beaches, there are no direct related deaths from this new X-TREAM sport, yet. Stay in tow for our next issue of "a month in a node".

The boys from the South

Hello once again to all your loved ones from Kandahar, it has been, as usual, a very busy couple of weeks since we last wrote. There is something new in the air, if you stand back you can smell it (no not the poo farm that blows its aroma daily at 4:00pm). It is the smell of excitement; excitement because it is almost holiday time. It begins very shortly and yours truly is the first to depart, followed by the Company Sergeant Major (I hope he is not following me). This week the Regimental Aid Post (RAP), Research, Investigation and Stocktaking (RIS) / Local Purchase Officer (LPO) and Signals sections have provided some info on what they have been up to.

The RAP has settled into its location, next to the hospital. Members of FLLA, Rotary Wing Group (RWG) and Camp Palomino often drop in clutching a Tim Horton's coffee or just come in for some good old plane spotting.

It has been a busy last few weeks for us here with plenty of work at the hospital, permethrin dipping of uniforms for all the Australians here (to keep the mosquitoes away) as well as the usual treating of coughs, colds and sore holes.

Both medics have displayed their versatility with Roger completing the blast wall mural for the RAP, whilst Stu has given Jamie Durie a run for his money with some nifty landscaping around the place.

Regular rostering of Australian medical staff at the hospital has also recommenced, further cementing and fostering a strong working relationship with the Canadians and Dutch. This partnership with the multinational contingent of specialists, primary care doctors, nurses and medics is of great benefit to any injured ADF personnel in Afghanistan.

The future looks bright for us here, we hope to connect to mains power shortly negating the need for our generator known affectionately as "lil old faithful." This will finally allow us to turn on the air conditioners. Take Care and Stay Safe.

The Doctor (centre) and Crew

The RIS and LPO section have been extremely busy in the last eight weeks trying to ensure that their work does not get ahead of them.

Every Saturday, Vinnie maintains his prowess as the Australian negotiator at the local gem market. His knowledge of gemstones has been in great demand, and the merchants shudder as he approaches with another bunch of potential Aussie buyers. Besides work and giving advice every Saturday, Vinnie has continued to improve the lives and living conditions of the "Bird Cage" occupants, which is a constant source of relaxation for all Camp Baker members.
In the RIS, Buck continues to find cheaper ways to package and send home Pashminas, a great gift for the females of the family. At the completion of most days, Buck enjoys relaxing at the "Bird Cage" chewing the fat and playing darts.

Vinnie and Buck would like to take this opportunity to say a big hello to their loved ones back in Australia, and to let them know that they miss you all.

The Birdcage

The Comms Team has continued their commitment to making life easier and more enjoyable for all staff and visitors to Camp Baker in recent weeks. The latest work on the Welfare Internet Suite (WIS) saw the introduction of the "gaming" room for members to take their laptops and play network games with or against work mates. Unfortunately, not all the gamers are happy with this, as their seems to be some bitterness towards some of the Comms staff in regards to the skill level advantage they show when playing "Call of Duty 4", the local game of choice. The WIS has also been popular due to the shared drive allowing access to many different television series, movies and music. All this has helped make the CIS team popular with everyone at Camp Baker.

Members of the Comms Team have been getting involved with the local sports scene. The Fearless Leader tried turning a soccer match into boxing recently when playing against one of the British teams, whilst certain other members have not fully grasped the rules of soccer, notably the fact that your hands are not supposed to get involved. So far we have had a thumb and finger injury whilst playing the world game also known as football.

In an effort to get away from working late hours in the office a Playstation 3 was installed with "Guitar Hero". The geeks have taken to Guitar Hero like ducks to water and so has some of the other staff, popping into the recreation room to cheer on the want to be "rock gods", and occasionally taking up the challenge to rock out.

Until our next newsletter or the next time that we see you (which ever comes sooner), from all of us here in the Comms team at Kandahar, take care, we miss you and cannot wait to see you again.

The Fearless Leader (when not playing soccer)

Hello again from the FLLA 4 team in Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province. Since our last newsletter we have had a couple of visits from a number of Australian artists. The FACE tour arrived in town with Angry Anderson and his crew to perform two concerts and Hamish and Andy secretly flew in to do radio broadcasts back to Australia. Both visits were a great morale boost to the troops here. We have ANZAC day coming up and we are all looking forward to a couple of beers and some Two-Up. However, it will also be a time of solemn reflection in memory of the three Australian Soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan over the last year and of the two Dutch Soldiers who lost their lives here last week.

It has been a very busy time for all of us with the rotation of RTF. By 'all of us' I mean that we have two other detachments under the roof of The Shed. We have two members of the RAAF, 'Swanie' and 'Dick', who form the Air Load Team and we have our Mover's and Groover's from Joint Movements Coordination, Andrew 'the Rooster's are a chance this year' and Lisa 'the plane's late again'. All of us work together as a team to make sure the movement of people and cargo in and out of this location is as smooth as possible. We hope that their families enjoy seeing a photo of them as well.

The Team from "TheShed" with Hamish and Andy

We have had a number of large dust storms and magnificent thunderstorms recently and we are gearing up for more as the Rainy Season approaches. The temperatures are rising daily and it will not be long before we reach 45 degrees. The landscape here is quite surreal and in stark contrast to the conflict that is raging around us. I am told that in years gone by, during the winter months, the mountains around Tarin Kowt and indeed within Afghanistan itself were a popular holiday spot for snow ski enthusiasts - hopefully that pastime will re-commence in the future.

The Freighty Boys, Harley, Luke and Thommo, have been working hard - lots of planes and cargo. Unfortunately, Thommo, who leaves us shortly for home, had the miss-fortune of stepping on Puss last week and now has some permanent reminders on his leg to take with him. Luke continues with his favourite past-time of going to the gym, I am sure his parents will not recognise him with the amount of weight he has lost and believe me that's not through lack of eating - pizza nights are to go at the moment. Harley has finally worked out his travel plans for his holiday with his fianc?- with the amount of emails, phone calls and faxes it took we all hope that they have a fantastic time.

Harley and Luke at the back of a Hercules aircraft - props running!

The Team and Puss

We hope you enjoy the photos of the team (including the cat). Keep the mail coming. Remember our holidays/leave is not far away, so we will all be seeing you soon.

The Support Section in Baghdad has had an all round busy month with one of the Transport members going on leave, the remaining two were left to run the show. With the arrival of the Tour de Force (Australian artists providing a concert) things went into overdrive and the demands on transport were of a high priority, transporting both performers and equipment at all hours of the day and night. A big thanks goes out to all the other sections that pitched in and helped with either transporting equipment or just getting in and helping the transporties when they were too busy.

Griff and Brownie

The postie has been busily organising himself for his leave and on top of that having to deal with the demands and questions as to where has all the mail gone? A question he himself is often left asking. However, once the mail does arrive he always has it sorted and delivered by the end of the day. Sometimes the team look forward to him more than Santa.

Inside the Operations Room, things are always hectic with the Operations Warrant Officer organising our last trivia night and also having a lot to do with the organisation of the Force Tour, a big well done goes out for all his efforts. He also managed to raise some money that will to go toward one of Angry Anderson's projects on the South coast of NSW as a thank you for all their efforts. The Orderly Room Clerk has been gathering leave applications, submitting leave applications, re gathering leave applications, re submitting leave applications in order to make sure they are completed prior to members going on leave.

Enviromental Healthy has had his plate full with investigations into 'possible' food poisoning and the never ending task of keeping the Australian Island