MEDIA RELEASE
MULTI-NATIONAL DEFENCE EXERCISE IN BRISBANE
Brisbane will host one of the most challenging and complex multi-national peace-keeping exercises held in Australia, from this Saturday, October 31.
The command post exercise, called Rainbow Serpent 98, will involve more than 600 senior Army personnel from the ABCA group of nations (America, Canada, Britain and Australia) and New Zealand, who will send observers.
Exercise Rainbow Serpent, which will not involve any troops or equipment in the field, is a problem-solving, decision-making exercise designed to evaluate the ability of the ABCA nations to operate jointly in a peace-keeping or peace-enforcement operation.
It will be based on a mythical country called Capricornia, which is suffering instability and inter-clan conflict.
Capricornia Force has been sent in by the United Nations to bring security and stability. Headquarters of the force and its component brigades will be based at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, for the exercise.
Commanders and their staff will have to make decisions on humanitarian, security, health, logistics, media relations and other issues likely to be encountered in a country torn apart by ethnic and political division.
The multi-national force will be commanded by the Commander of the Brisbane-based 1st Division, Major General Peter Cosgrove.
It will comprise personnel from the United States 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Light) based at Fort Lewis, Washington; the British 15th (North East) Brigade, based at York in Northern England; the 5th Canadian Mechanised Brigade, based in Quebec; and the Brisbane-based 7th Task Force.
About 40 New Zealand Army personnel will attend as observers.
As part of the exercise military commanders will be exposed to simulated media interviews to demonstrate how media coverage and public opinion may affect the conduct of operations.
The overseas contingents will arrive in Brisbane by October 30 and are expected to return home on 13 November.
Rainbow Serpent is one of a series of ABCA exercises which are held every two years. Great Britain will host the next ABCA exercise in 2000.
Further information . . .
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Seaman on 0419 995 411 or 02 9339 3477
CHIEFS OF STAFF/ NEWS DIRECTORS NOTE:
Media representatives are invited to attend the exercise on Tuesday November,
10. Please contact Lieutenant Colonel Peter Seaman on 0419 995 411
for further information.
Requests for interviews should also be directed to Lieutenant Colonel Peter Seaman on 0419 995 411.