By Cpl Jonathan Garland
IF IT has the potential to blow up, the man to talk to at PKF Headquarters is Maj Christopher Hely, Senior Ammunition Technical Officer for Australia.

Maj Hely and two explosive technicians from the Thai military are responsible for managing the safety and storage of ammunition for United Nations peacekeeping forces in East Timor.

The three are also responsible for safely disposing of explosive devices found outside the Australian AO.

“While the Australian battalion in AO Matilda looks after EOD in their area, they can't be tasked outside their AO, so we pick up responsibility for the remainder of East Timor,” he said.

Many of the explosive devices that turn up around the country date from the Allied and Japanese campaigns of WW2.

Maj Hely said his Thai colleagues were very professional and the three of them worked very well together as part of the multi-national peacekeeping force.

The ADF is continuing to provide a professional military force of around 1100 full-time and part-time personnel from all three services to the UNMISET.

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