National recognition

Rewarding work: Cpl Graham Warren, OCdt Arlo Meany, Sgt James Clench, WO1 David Quirk, Lt Craig Bury and Lt-Col Ian Cumming accept their award. Photo provided by Engineers Australia

ARMY engineers who braved the horrors of Banda Aceh earlier this year have been recognised with one of the nation’s highest engineering awards.

Task Group 629.2, the engineer group assigned to Operation Sumatra Assist, has received the National President of Engineers Australia’s award for their efforts to help restore Banda Aceh’s destroyed infrastructure following the Boxing Day tsunami.

The award came as a surprise to the Army engineers who attended the Engineers Australia Excellence Awards, held in the Great Hall of Parliament House. Their presence at the awards was a follow-up to the group’s winning of Engineers Australia’s Northern Division President’s Award, and were caught unaware when the winner of the national award was announced.

Professor Andrew Downing, National President of Engineers Australia, said he was greatly impressed by the quality of their work under most difficult circumstances.

“Their attitude to their work, their gaining of the trust and involvement of local communities to ensure that their important work continued after they left, and their commitment as members of the engineering team, has left an indelible mark,” he said.

CO TG629.2 Lt-Col Ian Cumming said it had been a dramatic start to the year when they deployed to Banda Aceh, but it would be difficult to find a better way to finish the year off.

“It is an honour to be recognised with this special award for conspicuous engineering effort, by the peak professional body of our engineer peers,” he said.

“It makes me very proud of the soldiers and sappers of the Army, who made the people of Aceh’s life that much better.”