Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

	WO2 Peter Sherwood and the AACAP team are a novelty attraction for local children on Palm Island. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper
Spr Justin Loveday, 17 Const Sqn, gets on with the job at a housing site on Palm Island. Photo by Cpl Jason Weeding, 1JPAU(P)
	Sgt Damien Cahill, left, slaps bass while he and the 1RAR Band warm up the local community and 17 Const Sqn on Palm Island, as part of the Tour De Force concert. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper
Cpl Melissa Dawes, 1RAR Band, amuses some Palm Island children during a sound test before the Tour De Force concert. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper
	William Coolburra (right) and Spr Dave Chester, 17 Cont Sqn, have two things in common – engineering and Palm Island. Mr Coolburra was an engineer in the Army for 16 years and is very proud of AACAP. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper
Wayne Chookie, Palm Island resident, spent 25 years in the Army and is enjoying the military presence of AACAP. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper
	Spr Dave Chester, 17 Const Sqn, discusses a construction job with a keen local. Photo by Cpl Jason Weeding, 1JPAU(P)

By Maj Tony Park

RUSSELL Crowe hit the nail on the head when he told journalists on Palm Island for the Tour De Force concert that the engineers had been working their guts out and were doing a great job.

Sappers from 17 Const Sqn, the lead construction agency for this year’s ATSIC-Army Community Assistance Program (AACAP), have made big inroads into their tasks of building new houses, roads and other amenities for the local community.

AACAP is a joint initiative between ATSIC, the Department of Health and Ageing and Army, designed to improve health-related infrastructure for remote indigenous communities.

The seventh AACAP has engineers building seven of 21 new houses planned for the remote Aboriginal community, along with the construction of two new roads.

The frames and roofs are already up on two of the “Army” houses, and internal fit-out will start soon.
22 Const Regt are currently working on a third.

Road works were also progressing well.

The engineers were also involved in training 23 local people in the practical component of a TAFE Certificate One in General Construction course.

Trainees and soldiers are working on a foreshore renewal program, which includes construction of barbecue shelters and a walkway.

Randwick-based 19 CE Works is providing project management for all works including numerous civilian contractors.

A wide variety of vocational and skills courses were run for the community during the five-month deployment.

Defence will provide medical, dental, veterinary and environmental health support to the Palm Island community during the program.

In all, about 250 personnel have deployed to the island.

OC 17 Const Sqn, Maj Paul Hobbs, said AACAP is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“It provides the Army with an opportunity to deploy to a remote area using air, road and sea transport, and then conduct realistic and valuable training,” he said.

“At the same time the residents of Palm Island receive improved infrastructure, and training and employment opportunities.”

A high proportion of Palm Island’s 3000 residents turned out for a recent open day organised by the squadron to show off their equipment, skills and people.

Councillor Delena Foster, Chairperson of Palm Island Council, told the open day crowd that Palm Island Council was behind AACAP 100 per cent.

Spr Tim Anderson said the engineers had already had a warm welcome from local people in the first few weeks of the project.

“We’re interacting well with the local people. We get local knowledge from them and learn about their history. Also, they’re interested in the Army – we get a lot of people asking what sort of jobs they could do in the Army,” he said.

Maj Hobbs said it was important to remember that AACAP deployments meant soldiers were away from families and loved ones for long periods of time.

“We value the support we receive from our families and couldn’t do our jobs without it.

It’s important for us that the families back home know we are doing a very important job, which will directly improve the standard of living of a needy group of Australians.”