SOME of the ADF's top shooters fared well at the seventh Brunei International Skill at Arms Meeting (BISAM) recently, despite a less-than-desirable start.

The ADF's results at BISAM 2001 could accurately be described as mixed with some quite outstanding results achieved as well as many average ones.

The rifle team won the Cheteria Match, the final and highest-scoring rifle match at BISAM, including four rapid and snap serials between 500m and 300m on a classification range. This result helped lift the rifle team into third place overall, despite a poor start.

In the Team Snap Match the ADF finished third with 89.5 points, just one point behind second and a further one point behind the winners, the Malaysian Armed Forces. The Team Snap Match required a team of six to negotiate a 100m obstacle course before shooting at 300m prone and 200m kneeling or squatting.

A number of Australian shooters distinguished themselves individually. Capt Stuart Boyd-Law, APA-Brisbane, and Cpl John Caples, 76 Sqn, RAAF, both shot the equal third highest score - 196 out of 200 - in Match 3, The Pengiran. Cpl Russell Teale, 1 Avn Regt, shot the second highest score - 167 out of 200 - in Match 4, The Cheteria.

The Sultan of Brunei presented a number of team trophies on the final day of BISAM, as well as individual trophies to the top 30 rifle shooters. Six Australians finished in the top 30, led by Capt Stuart Boyd-Law in seventh place.

Australia also did well in two novelty matches.

On the opening day, Lt-Col Dave Hayes teamed up with three other contingent commanders to win the VIP Rifle Match while CA Lt-Gen Peter Cosgrove joined the winning Sultan of Brunei's team for a VVIP Pistol Match.

A total of nine teams from seven countries came to compete - Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK.

BISAM showcases Brunei to the world and as such, the ceremonial side of the meeting was every bit as important as the shooting.

There were four such ceremonies - a flag raising upon arrival of all contingents, an opening ceremony, a closing ceremony attended by the Sultan of Brunei and VIPs from the nations present (Lt-Gen Cosgrove representing Australia) and a flag lowering on the departure of the national contingents.

The ADF team that represented Australia at BISAM was selected after a signal was sent to every unit in June seeking expressions of interest from shooters whose results over the previous two years met specific criteria.

Unfortunately resources were not available for a pre-shoot concentration and only 20 shooters were eventually selected using the results provided.

Eight supporting staff - a contingent commander, adjutant, cook, quartermaster, and coach for each discipline - completed the team, and where possible these members also competed as shooters.

The final team included 16 Army, three Air Force and one Navy shooter. All eight supporting staff were Army, primarily because the mounting unit for this activity was the School of Inf.

After a seven day training period in Brisbane the team deployed by Hercules via Darwin to Brunei - 11 hours in a Hercules over two days.

Once in Brunei the team was accommodated at Sittang Camp, a small British training facility only 10 minutes drive from Binturan Range Complex.

There were few opportunities for training once in country but this became largely irrelevant as there was hardly any time.

Two team members distinguished themselves with acts of individual courage during this deployment - Cpl Russell Teale, 1 Avn Regt, twisted an ankle badly during The Pengiran and was forced to rest a day and miss the Team Snap Match.

He came back for Match 4, The Cheteria, which included a 200m run (or hobble in Russ's case), firing rapidly once on the mound to overcome his slow movement. Russ not only helped the ADF to win the match, but came second individually - an outstanding achievement.

When, at the evening function on the opening day of BISAM, it became apparent that Karaoke was to be the entertainment, Capt Joe Kelly bravely volunteered to show the other contingents that Australia could mix it with the best of them. A rendition of Yellow Submarine was well received, even by those who could not speak English.

BISAM proved to be no swan trip for members of the ADF team.

During training in Australia the team was up early, on the range until the light faded and occasionally on the WTSS in the evening.

In Brunei, every day was above 35C, some were above 40C, and the humidity was close to 100 per cent and it was not unusual for the shooters of all countries - not just the Australians - to look as if they had just taken a swim after some of the more physically demanding matches.

While the ADF team's results were moderately disappointing, they did, perhaps, accurately reflect the team's manning and preparation for BISAM 2001.

With just a week of training, this minimum-strength team was able to recover from a poor start and eventually produced winning results against some of the best shooters in Asia.

This suggests that given more time for training and a full-strength team, the ADF could easily equal those teams that trained for several months before BISAM, or perhaps if the event had lasted a week longer, the ADF might have done better.

Results aside, the ADF's participation at BISAM was an exceptionally valuable exercise in regional engagement. The Australian flag was waved proudly alongside those of our neighbours, friends were made and much was learnt about the culture and shooting of regional nations.

Members of the ADF Shooting Team will return to their units and, through weapon training lessons and range shoots, help to spread the skills and experience they have gained.

In this way as many ADF members as possible will benefit from the participation of this team at BISAM 2001.

By Lt-Col David Hayes