Enviro award winners

Engineering success: Capt Gavin Cooper is an environmental champion. Photo by Cpl Cameron Jamieson

By Cpl Cameron Jamieson

INDIVIDUALS and organisations were recognised at a recent ADF award ceremony, but without doubt the biggest winner was the environment.

The presentation of the inaugural CDF and Secretary’s Environmental and Heritage Awards marks the end of a process in which numerous high-calibre submissions were evaluated before six awards were made.

Capt Gavin Cooper received an award for his outstanding initiative in developing a training package and guidance materials for raising the environmental awareness of engineers undergoing training at SME.

Capt Cooper said the formal lessons, pocket-sized field awareness cards and new doctrine would help Army engineers take an environmental-care leadership role within Defence.

“Many aspects of the Corps’ work has the potential to impact deeply on the environment,” he said

“If our sappers, of all ranks, understand what these impacts are and how to minimise them, we have the ability to better manage our tasks, in training and on operations”.

The ADF Warfare Centre’s Exercise Wing also received recognition for integrating environmental requirements into the planning processes of major exercises, including Exercise Talisman Saber 2005.

ADF Warfare Centre Environmental Officer Mr Travis Collins, who accepted the award on behalf of Exercise Wing, said the three top planning considerations for Exercise Talisman Saber 2005 were security, safety and the environment.

“It was great to see the environment get the right level of acknowledgement in the planning process,” he said.

Mr Collins said the ADF’s attitude towards the environment has changed over the years, and continues to do so, from both a top-down and bottom-up perspective.

“From the ground-up approach you see new soldiers coming through who are more and more environmentally aware, while from the top-down you see commanders who better understand their environmental obligations.”

More details on the 2005 award winners are contained in DEFGRAM 298/2005, available via the Defence intranet at http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/home/documents/data/DEFPUBS/DGM05/dg298_05.pdf