Joint exercise a success
Volume 11, No. 45, June 15, 2006
By Lt Stephen Barton

Wide brown land: Members of 11/28RWAR deploy on exercise Tobruk at Lancelin.

SOLDIERS from 11/28RWAR joined forces in the field with 7 Fd Bty and 13 Fd Sqn in the sand dunes of Lancelin on June 3-4.

The joint exercise, Tobruk, involved a series of company deliberate attacks with 7 Fd Bty providing the fire support while the sappers provided battle noise simulation.

CO 11/28RWAR Lt-Col David Thompson said it was fantastic to have infantry including DFSW, artillery and engineers working together for a single aim.

“Exercise Tobruk was a resounding success with large amounts of learning for all team members,” he said.

Capt Martin Coles, forward observer for 7 Fd Bty, said that the exercise provided an excellent opportunity for units to gain a better understanding of how the others operate.

“It also demonstrates the significant advantage of combined arms attacks,” he said.

Tobruk was also a first for the assault company commander Maj Rhogan Aitken, who deployed on his inaugural exercise.

After a little more than 15 years as a regular and Territorial soldier in the British Army, Maj Aitken said he was very impressed with the standard of soldiering in the Australian Army Reserve during the exercise.