Image Gallery: October 2008
27 October 2008
Exercise Swift Eagle
Army units from all over Australia, combine with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to conduct amphibious training near Cowley Beach, south of Innisfail in far north Queensland, 23 OCT 2008.
HMAS Manoora, HMAS Tobruk, as well as the Cairns based Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) and HMAS Tarakan embarked Army amphibious craft troops and their equipment.
The amphibious component of current training – Exercise Sea Lion 08 – ran concurrently with Exercise Swift Eagle 08. The exercises were designed to develop and test the ADF’s operational capacity, part of which is the ability to conduct amphibious operations.
Other training activities on the exercise occur concurrently at the Army’s jungle training facility west of Tully and High Range Training Area west of Townsville. Those aspects of the training focused on further developing effective operating methods and structures to reflect current operational needs. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was also involved, providing fire support and air mobility support. The NZDF’s 161 Field Battery jointly provide fire support with Townsville based 4th Field Regiment and four UH1H helicopters operated alongside aircraft of the 5th Aviation regiment and Royal Australian Air Force.
Commander of the Army’s 3rd Brigade, Brigadier John Caligari, said Exercise Swift Eagle 08 & Exercise Sea Lion 08 was being conducted with the full support of the relevant Northern Queensland authorities.
“The exercise will prepare our troops for operational contingencies,” Brigadier Caligari said. “The community support we receive in Northern Queensland is outstanding and really appreciated by the troops.”
| 20081024adf8269111_01 Private Mark Haplin, 35 Water Transport Squadron, 10 Force Support Battalion directs the loading of vehicles from the beach head. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_02 Sapper Stephen Hoad, a Police Officer in civilian life really enjoys himself as a reservist engineer with 13th Field Royal Australian Engineers, Western Australia. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_03 Private Donna Sampey an Environment Officer with the Department of Defence also does the job in uniform as a member with 7th Heath Company 13 Combat Service Support Battalion, Western Australia. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_04 Private Steve Ward a Western Australian forester and reservist with the 13th Brigade gets a taste of the tropics. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_05 Corporal Keith Lucas Alpha Company, 1st Military Police Battallion, Townsville checks his vehicle after coming ashore. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_06 Sapper Jake Rolfe, a security science edith and Cowan University student, also works as a reservist with the Western Australian based 13th Brigade. Jake participates in Exercise Swift Eagle while enjoying the North Queensland. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_07 Ready to go, Sea King on the ground for one of many mock casualties from the Western Australian based 13th Brigade. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20081024adf8269111_08 Corporal Renne Phillips of Alpha Company, 1st Military Police Battalion, Townsville providing security and direction at the beach head. (Date taken: 24 October 2008) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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