Defence

Vice Chief of the Defence Force

World-changing tour

Kebara villagers welcome the RSL Cadets of the Year.
Photo by Lieutenant Clint Wilson (AAC)

By Gai Brodtmann

It was a day that changed the lives of 13 cadets forever. This year's Returned Services League (RSL) Cadets of the Year tour of Kebara in Papua New Guinea (PNG) over the Anzac Day week was such an 'awesome experience' that the Navy, Army and Air Force cadets have decided to 'adopt' the village.

The cadets, who were chosen for the tour for their exceptional achievements in training and development, attended the Anzac Day dawn service at Bomana War Cemetery and a gunfire breakfast at the Australian High Commission. They visited the Kokoda track and battlefields, Popondetta and other significant Australian military sites. Two World War II veterans also took part in the tour.

'The tour helped fulfil most of my dreams, and following in the footsteps of the soldiers who walked the Kokoda track was very moving. I would never have got that far with a rifle in my hand,' said Midshipman Kaitlyn Tait from Training Ship (TS) Pioneer in Mackay.

It was, however, the visit to Kebara village that changed the worlds of the cadets.

'The time we spent with the villagers changed our hearts and made us think outside Australia,' said Midshipman Tait.

'In PNG they don't have as much as we have. We handed out balloons and lollies and the looks on the faces of the children were amazing.

'We met the teacher in the village who didn't have enough school and medical supplies, and that made us all realise that we wanted to do something and we all had a part to play.

'So the cadets swapped addresses, and we are going to mobilise our units to send supplies back to the village. We also set up a pen-pal system so we can keep in touch with the villagers,' she said.

From left to right: Clint Wilson LT (AAC), Ashley Marr FLGOFF (AAFC), Luke Foden CUO, Amelia Samuels CDTWO1, Chief of Defence Force PNG, Commodore Peter Ilau, Stuart Parry CUO, Alida Sayuni CWOFF, Chris Smoje MIDN, Persine Ayensberg SBLT (ANC), Nikki-Lee Patterson CUO, Gordon Burgess MIDN, Kirsty Foale MIDN, Shannon Thomas CUO, Joshua Muscat CPO.
Photo by Lieutenant Clint Wilson (AAC)

After the cadets were welcomed by traditional warriors, the villagers sang 'Advance Australia Fair' and a 'thankyou' song for Australia's efforts during World War II, which had 'everyone in tears' according to tour leader and cadet instructor, Lieutenant Clint Wilson, Australian Army Cadets.

'It was the most magical day,' he said.

'The two diggers led us into the village, where they met the warriors. Following the ceremonies and a tour of the village, we went swimming in a nearby creek, and the villagers played music as we swam around and played with the children.

'It was an experience the cadets will never forget. We went to PNG to do a battlefield tour and got that plus a significant cultural experience.'

Under the scheme, each RSL state and territory branch nominates one to three high-achieving cadets to take part in an international tour. The aim of the tour is to expose cadets to places of particular Australian military significance and inheritance.

'Cadet involvement in a scheme such as this underscores the important role these young Australians play in preserving and honouring our nation's military history, particularly at the community level,' said Major General Mick Fairweather, Head Cadet Policy.

The scheme is funded by the RSL for cadet costs and the Directorate of Defence Force Cadets for cadet staff costs.

Eight female and five male cadets aged between 16 and 19 were this year's recipients of the RSL Cadet of the Year award. The cadets were from Queensland (3), New South Wales (3), Victoria (3), South Australia (1), Western Australia (1), Tasmania (1) and the Northern Territory (1).

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