Cpl Mick Welsh, Mov Con Detachment, surveys his AO in East Timor. Photo by Cpl Wade Laube, 1JPAU(P)

Movers and shakers of East Timor

By Cpl Jonathan Garland
AMONG the UN community in Sector West, East Timor, are soldiers from Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, Portugal, Japan and Australia – and their travel is managed by just two people.

The Australian corporal and private who make up the Movement Control Detachment in Suai are responsible for manifesting of flights, requesting special flights, movement of cargo and management of barge visits.

Cpl Mick Welsh, Movement Control Detachment in Suai, said it was a challenge to organise movements for all the nationalities in the area, sometimes including the East Timorese.

“It can be quite a big challenge working with all those languages and cultures at times,” he said.

“Particularly with a group like the Thais, who don’t have English as a second language, we have to work through the communication barrier.”

Cpl Welsh said the best experience of his tour was being among the local popuation and interacting with them on a daily basis.

“It’s quite amazing to have anything up to 100 children just mob you and all they’re saying is ‘Aussie’s good!’ – you can see how appreciative they are of our assistance.

“Especially having kids of my own and missing them a lot, it’s great to be able to take the edge off that by interacting with the kids over here.”

Cpl Welsh is a reservist who works on locomotive maintenance for Freight Australia in Victoria as an electrical fitter.

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