By Cpl Belinda Mepham
MULTI National Forces are part and parcel of overseas operations – so are the exchange programs that operate with or without war and peacekeeping tours. Operation Citadel and 5/7RAR are no exception.

Maj Jason Ward, OC D Coy 5/7RAR, shares common experiences with Capt Ian McCormack, 2IC of D Coy 5/7RAR, who belongs to the 1st Duke of Wellington Regiment (1DWR) from the UK.

Maj Ward has been on exchange to the British Forces before and has found some common ground with his 2IC.

“I was a part of an eight month exchange with the 2nd Bn Princess of Wales Regiment, spending six and a half months in Bosnia with NATO focusing on security there,” he said.

“I was 2IC of the British Rifle Coy. Our command included the Divisional Reserve and the Public Order, so all the riot gear and my OC at the time had done a 5/7RAR exchange in 1991 and 1992 so we knew all the same people. At that point in time I didn’t know I was coming to 5/7RAR and now I have a 2IC from the British Army.”

Capt McCormack has been here for two years with 5/7RAR as part of the Guard Exchange, which is a British military exchange program.

“I’m not a guardsman but I came in May 2001, based in Darwin and arrived in Timor February this year,” he said.

Capt McCormack is from 1DWR, which is based in Germany. Capt Mick Garraway from 5/7RAR replaced Capt McCormack in 1DWR.

“Capt Garraway is the 2IC in my unit in Germany, which is in the Middle East, and although I am not there with them I haven’t missed the opportunity to get another gong,” he said.

Between the two forces the military game plan is generally similar.

“The way we do business is essentially the same. There are only a few acronyms and words I have to get used to.”

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