Daly River locals watch as Norforce soldiers patrol on Zodiac watercraft. Photo by Pte John Wellfare, Army newspaper

Taking it to the people

By Pte John Wellfare
NORFORCE fills its role as the Army's and essentially the country's eye's and ears in the Northern Territory and Kimberley regions in a unique and highly-effective way.

Covering a wider area than any other military unit in the world, Norforce has come to regard innovation and imaginative forward thinking as the key to success, which is why it's the Northern Territory's largest employer of Aborigines.

CO Norforce Lt-Col Clay Sutton said actively recruiting within indigenous communities was the only practical way to cover the unit's 1.8 million square-kilometre AO.

"I can be around, for example Derby, for maybe 10 days a year, we might have a patrol there. We might have two patrols, but that's only a short period," he said.

"The beauty with our concept of community engagement is that we have our soldiers living in those areas."

Norforce patrol 2IC Cpl Darren Rashleigh moved to the small indigenous community of Daly River six years ago and said the Army's positive influence had repercussions throughout the town.

"There's a lot of stale atmosphere in the communities, all communities not just Daly River, [so] when people here see myself and other people who are from Daly River and Norforce, they see it as a way of different employment, a way of different life skills and a way to have a bit of pride in themselves," he said.

"They also see it as a culture. Norforce re-enforces that we are a culture, we are an Army culture and an especially community orientated Army culture and they see that.

"They look at us as friends, they enjoy our company, they enjoy us being a part of it and they enjoy being a part of Norforce."

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