Domestic security
8 Bde practise ready response on Ex Rebus

Members of 8 Bde RRF deal with an angry crowed while manning a VCP for the protection of MAF delegates housed at Middle Head. Photo by Sgt John Waddell, 41RNSWR

By Graham Davis

AS LEUT Natalie McDougall flared Sea King helicopter “Shark 07” onto the ground, the 10 soldiers in the back tensed like coiled springs, waiting for the command to go.

They felt the thump as the helicopter made contact with the earth, signalling that they had arrived.

The Navy crewman was a blur of movement as he slid open the door and signalled them to deplane.

The soldiers charged forward and leapt outside, running and throwing themselves onto the grass, creating a protective cordon around the vulnerable airframe as it powered up and sprung back into the sky amidst the roar of engines and the smell of burnt fuel.

Once the excitement of the arrival had passed, the seriousness of the job at hand began to sink in to the prone soldiers.
Now could begin the deadly game of cat-and-mouse against the terrorists, with no clear indication of who was the cat and who was the mouse.

Some exercises are more realistic than others, and that morning of jet-fuelled adventure gave a very real-life start to an important three-day exercise held recently for members of 8 Bde’s Reserve Response Force (RRF).

Ex Rebus was aimed at honing the domestic security skills of the reserve soldiers, with around 150 soldiers from 41RNSWR, 7 Fd Regt, 8CER, 8CSSB and 12/16HRL taking part.

OC 8 Bde RRF Coy Maj John Fahey said this was the first time reserves had provided security and search teams in three key Sydney locations, which included the historic Victoria Barracks.

“The reserves had to deal with exercise scenarios such as crowd control, car bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and trespassers while dealing directly with the general Sydney public,” he said.

The exercise required the RRF to provide protection for MAF delegates housed at Middle Head who were involved in talks with Pacific nation leaders at a conference at Victoria Barracks.

Trouble was never far away, but with it came valuable lessons for the soldiers that will improve their security skills, which will hopefully never be needed, but could be called upon at any time.