Can we fix it? Yes, we can

What’s next: Cpl Peter Gardiner working with East Timorese Defence Force Assault Pioneer Platoon members and locally employed civilians at the Tonnabibi meeting house. Photos by Cpl Damian Shovell

Many hands make light work: Cpl Peter Gardiner assists his workforce of East Timorese Defence Force assault pioneers and Tonnabibi villagers in lifting a beam.

By Cpl Damian Shovell

REWARD for a job well done has seen a 2CER plumber in East Timor gain his second Force Commanders’ Commendation in successive deployments.

Since first deploying to East Timor with Interfet in 1999, Cpl Peter Gardiner has had successive commendations on Op Citadel and Spire after designing and project managing a series of constructions at Balibo in December 2004 and in Tonnabibi in 2005.

The likeable tradesman won his first award for his work at the Balibo Girls’ School where he built a dormitory and 36,000-litre rainwater tank alongside a Fijian carpenter and three East Timorese villagers employed as construction hands, introducing the community to the advantages of roof guttering.

“6RAR also provided a couple of blokes from snipers who gave me a hand and there were people from the hospital and headquarters who helped in the painting,” he said.

Visiting his work since being back in the country, he was greeted by familiar faces including the same Australian teacher who, until recently, taught at the school.

With 2CER recognising Cpl Gardiner’s talents, this time the soldier of nine years was handed the task of designing and project managing the construction of a village meeting place, school shelter and playground equipment for the Tonobibi community under 2CER’s Skills Knowledge Transfer Program.

Cpl Gardiner took a stroll through the stores yard, “took a look at the materials available and drew up the plans”.

With offsider Sapper Lee Eastwell, the two arranged materials and soon had construction under way with the assistance of East Timorese Defence Force sappers and the same villagers who had assisted in 2004.

“Every day we had an audience; kids hung around all day and sat by the side of the road just watching,” he said.

“It’s a good feeling. I like my job, I like building and being able to help out. You build up a good rapport with the [local employees] and after having gone away and come back again, they remember you.”

He said service on AACAP projects and the Construction Foreman’s course where he learnt basic building and drawing skills, plus the experience gained from being on job sites, had prepared him for the task.

Cpl Gardiner’s deployment will be cut short as he soon takes posting to 17 Const Sqn in May to deploy for four months on AACAP, leaving a couple of jobs at the Tonobibi school in the capable hands of Sapper Eastwell and the East Timorese sappers.

“Easty will continue the good work and perhaps build some swings and a seesaw for the kids,” he said.