Delivering the goods
Volume 11, No. 47, July 13, 2006
By Cpl Andrew Hetherington

In the bag: Cpl Ron Ashlin does his postie duties in Dili. He works at the DFSU post office with 3CSSG. Photo by LAC Rodney Welch

Slide show: CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy promotes Cpl Andrew Goss, 3CSSG, on a visit to Dili. Photo by Sgt John Carroll

3 COMBAT Service Support Group (3CSSG) is providing a wide and diverse range of logistical and support services to the Operation Astute force deployed to Dili.

The unit is comprised mainly of soldiers from 3CSSB based in Townsville, but 3CSSG CO Lt-Col Andrew Bottrell said many personnel from other units were assisting with their mission.

“We have terminal and petroleum operator sections from 10FSB, an air despatch section from 176 AD Sqn, a postal section from DFSU, signals support from 3CSR and heavy transport support from 26 Tpt Sqn,” he said.

“Within the unit we have all the usual 3CSSB sub-unit functions represented; a health company providing health, dental and X-ray support, a field workshop, field supply company and a transport squadron.”

Lt-Col Bottrell said the unit’s role as the logistic component of the Op Astute force was to provide second and third line logistical support to the entire force.

“We have the logistical responsibility for all the land based forces here, including the land-based Air Force element,” he said.

“In the first couple of weeks of the operation we were actually providing first, second and third line logistic support, because the units that were here did not have their echelon support with them at that stage.
“Our focus for the initial period of the operation was to provide water, rations, fuel and mobility support to the whole force.”

Lt-Col Bottrell said 3CSSG mebers had been working many extra hours and on a wide variety of tasks to ensure that the force was well supported and supplied.

“3CSSG would be the most diverse organisation here in East Timor. On average we complete about 60 separate tasks every day,” he said.

Lt-Col Bottrell said the unit delivered rations and water to units around Dili every day, and had personnel providing refuelling operations at the airport.

“We also operate the transit area receiving the cargo loads from the Air Force aircraft that come in,” he said.

“The workshop is performing their normal maintenance and servicing of all the vehicles as well as some specialist technical support to the force.”

Lt-Col Bottrell said the unit had already delivered a significant amount of water, combat ration packs and mail to the Operation Astute force.

As an example, it delivered and issued 506,456 litres of bottled water, 57,090 combat ration packs and 28,690 boxes of hexamine from May 29 to June 18.

And from June 12-18, a total of 302 bags of mail weighing 4154.9kg was delivered to units and 30 bags of outgoing mail, weighing a total of 303kg, were sent back to Australia.

The unit’s main goal for the future is to consolidate the good work it has already completed.

Lt-Col Bottrell said so far there had not been any large logistical shortfalls, and he wanted to make sure the little things did not become mountains.

“When we get demands from the force, we need to satisfy them very quickly,” he said.

“I would like to thank the Joint Logistic Command in Australia which has been very focused on supporting us.

“That support has been based on the experience gained in the past six years the ADF has been involved with supporting operations.

“The other important goal I have for the unit is to ensure we don’t have any road accidents. The roads are becoming very busy now in Dili and we want to make sure our soldiers stay safe when they travel.”

He said the unit also had other goals while it was in Dili and they involved providing direct assistance to the East Timorese.

“We are looking for a project to work to spend time with the local community,” he said.

“We have made contact with a local village chief and we are looking at setting up some sporting events with the kids, so we can develop a bond with the community.

“We are also looking at helping an orphanage or school, where we can go in and build some furniture and do some minor construction work to help them get back up and running.

“A lot of the villages around the area have been destroyed in the recent violence and we would like to help them to rebuild their community.”

The performance of 3CSSG’s soldiers since arriving in Dili has greatly impressed Lt-Col Bottrell and he said their families should be proud of their efforts.

“I have been blown away by our soldiers’ performance. When you give them a real job to do, put them under tough conditions, you watch them do their work and they do it very well,” he said.

“Their loved ones should be proud of them, I certainly am.

“Their training has set them up well and they have enjoyed putting their training into practice. they’re not just using their specialist skills buy their soldiering skills as well. That is what they’re trained to do.”