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Sailors form integral part of anti-terrorist unit

Deputy Maritime Commander, CDRE Les Pataky (left) and head of the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving FEG, CAPT Mike Angus talk with an Incident Response Regiment member wearing his ‘splash suit’ at Holsworthy.

Members of TAG/East go through their paces for Minister Hill.

The Incident Response Regiment

The Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill has spelt out the composition of the Incident Response Regiment. It has : A headquarters element based at Holsworthy Barracks which commands the unit and provides advice on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive threats. A scientific and technical organisation supported by the Defence Science and Technological Organisation which is capable of conducting analysis and providing advice on CBR agents and materials. A CBR squadron capable of rendering safe CBR devices, conducting decontamination and treatment of casualties and providing advice on CBR agents and materials. An emergency response squadron which consists of three emergency response troops.

Thirteen sailors are now part of a crack anti-terrorist unit set up in Sydney to protect eastern Australia.

The 13, members of the Clearance Diving Group, have for the moment put aside their diving equipment and are now using their weapons skills as “assaulters” and snipers.

“They have been with the new unit since January,” the Deputy Maritime Commander, CDRE Les Pataky said earlier this month.

“We will be seeking another 30 from the Clearance Diving Group to undertake the training,” he added.

The divers are members of Tactical Assault Group/East (TAG-E) set up at Holsworthy at the behest of the Government.

TAG/East is part of a much larger umbrella group called the Incident Response Regiment (IRR).

With about 300 personnel the IRR will be able to respond to chemical biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive incidents both domestically and in support of Australian forces deployed overseas in a high threat environment.

The IRR was formed to protect the 2000 Olympics and enhanced after the September 11 attacks. It was involved in CHOGM protection in Queensland.

TAG/East’s primary role will be rescuing hostages taken by terrorists.

It received $219 million over four years with personnel drawn from the 4th Battalion (Commandoes) and the Royal Australian Navy.

“The raising of a second Tactical Assault Group to complement the existing group bases in Western Australia ensures that we have the capability to respond to simultaneous and geographically separate terrorist incidents,” the Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill said.

The wraps came off the IRR and TAG/East on Thursday, September 5 when elements of both units went through their paces during a series of practical and static demonstrations at the Holsworthy Army Complex in the south-western suburbs of Sydney.

Nearly 40 members of the media were bussed in along with Federal politicians led by Senator Hill, his assistant minister Mrs Danna Vale and Opposition Senate leader, Senator John Faulkner.

Senior Navy and Army officers attended.

Representing Navy were CDRE Pataky and the head of the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving FEG, CAPT Mike Angus.

With a backdrop of Defence personnel wearing protective clothing, Senator Hill said: “While we don’t know of a direct terrorist threat to Australia at the moment, we don’t want to get to a situation where it is too late.

“It’s taken a year to build up this capability to its current state.

Senator Hill had said earlier there was no known specific threat of terrorism in Australia.

“However, the lesson of September 11 is that we can’t take any chance.

“The potential consequences of an attack are just too catastrophic to ignore,” he said.

CO of TAG/East, LTCOL Greg De Somer said: “The Navy is providing a very critical role in the company.
“They are both ‘assaulters’ and ‘snipers’.

“We have an evolving capability over time which will draw upon their unique diving capability,” he said.
The personnel then went through a series of demonstrations beginning with an assault on a ‘training house’ where terrorists were holding hostages.

This saw a squad of ‘Men in Black’ (the assaulters) blow open a door with a charge and then enter, search, ‘take out’ terrorists with gunfire and rescue ‘hostages’.

Next came a walk through of inflatable decontamination and medical treatment tents.

CDRE Pataky and CAPT Angus spent some time speaking with a member completely encapsulated in a “splash suit” and wearing a gas mask.

The member’s role would be to decontaminate any victim or rescuer hit by life threatening substances or fumes.

Visitors then saw a number of bomb detection dogs go through their paces.

At the firing range, snipers, one Navy, one Army ‘took out’ two mock terrorists holding a hostage.

It was not until the snipers stood up in grass and bushland 200 metres away, did the visitors know from where the killing shots had come.

The guests then saw three ‘men in black’, using both machine guns and pistols, show their skills on targets in the range.

The final demonstration saw a trio of ‘assaulters’ kill mock terrorists in a room by room search scenario.

• By Graham Davis

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