7 Bde sets op tempo

By WO2 Graham McBean

IT WAS anything but a traditional Christmas slow-down period at 7 Bde’s Gallipoli Barracks with three separate international deployments from Enoggera in the holiday “break”.

2CER headed Australia’s contribution to Op Spire in East Timor, 6RAR’s Secdet 6 deployed to Iraq on December 29 and the headquarters element for Op Sumatra Assist headed by commander 7 Bde Brig Dave Chalmers deployed from DJFHQ to Aceh.

The Brisbane-based soldiers will provide important contributions at critical times to their respective deployments.

More than 20 7 Bde and DJFHQ personnel deployed to the tsunamistruck area to coordinate the Australian military relief effort.

Maj Hany Hanna, OC 2 CER detachment, said the onset of the wet season in East Timor would oblige a focus on emergency roadwork.

“The terrain in East Timor is mountainous and the routes between Dili and Moliana are mostly unpaved and subject to wash-aways,” Maj Hanna said.

“Our main focus is to stabilise those routes in order to maintain that passage and ensure that the routes are not blocked or dangerous to travel.”

6RAR also had the dif.cult task of being in Baghdad during the Iraqi elections.