Fighting fit

On patrol: 1RAR’s Pte Glen Neisen returns from a stalking activity during exercise Blue Banner. Photos by Cpl Hamish Paterson

BBDA clear: LCpl Glen Mark Scott assesses Pte Greg Crooks on the M72A6.

Open wide: 3CSSB’s Pte Sarah Harrison and Capt Victor Olsson conduct a dental check on 1RAR’s Cpl Jarrett Vesley.

By Capt Al Green

Volume 11, No. 39, March 23, 2006

“BE READY” is the catch-cry of every unit and every soldier in the Australian Army.
It’s a term that has significance in a new century marked by the rapid and effective response required to wage war on terror and to conduct security and peace operations throughout the world.

Mission focus, capability, individual and collective competencies are the values and elements that have come to the fore in this operating environment – and at the basis of these lies administrative readiness.

1RAR recently “smashed” the administrative readiness requirement in their year’s first major activity, Exercise Blue Banner.

Conducted at Camp McAliney within High Range Training Area in late February, the aim of the exercise was to allow the unit to conduct administration and training away from the confines of barracks at the commencement of the year.

It was also an activity that achieved much more than the basics said 2IC Support Company, Lt Nathan Ellis.

“Exercise Blue Banner was a good chance to focus the efforts of 1RAR to assume the on-line responsibilities of the Ready Battalion Group early in the first half of 2006,” he said.
Activities included the delivery of annual mandatory briefs, the conduct of checks by field deployed medical and dental teams for AIRN, as well as revision and development of individual and section level infantry skills.

At the completion of the exercise soldiers were put through a bullring activity, which will contribute to the 1RAR Champion Soldier Competition for 2006.

Lt Ellis said the exercise also contained sufficient complexity to throw up challenges and was a great training opportunity for the unit’s leaders at all levels.

“Officers, senior NCOs and Warrant Officers were given the chance to revise their tactical ‘nous’ with the conduct of a series of TEWTs, while Battalion HQ revised and developed its deployment procedures with the conduct of HQ step-up training,” he said.

One of the core elements of the ADF’s pre-eminent manoeuvre battle group, 1RAR, is a unit capable of, and suited to, conducting high intensity war fighting in complex environments.

Constant challenge is, therefore, necessarily a way of life for 1RAR soldiers – but they wouldn’t have it any other way.