Ready to roll
Secdet 10 gears up for Baghdad’s streets
Volume 11, No. 50, August 24, 2006
By Maj Leah-Barbara Maguire and Pte Kristen Pickering

These soldiers are readying to deploy with Secdet 10. A random rocket attack that injured four current Secdet members in Baghdad on August 14 is a reminder of the importance of being well prepared.

THE Combat Training Centre (CTC) brought a touch of Baghdad to Brisbane during training for Secdet 10.

About 100 personnel were involved in the Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRE) from August 9-15.

While most of the training was conducted at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, and Witton Barracks, Indooroopilly, ASLAVs moved through the streets of Brisbane to prepare the troops for urban security tasks in Baghdad.

Capt Roy Henry, CTC Ops Cell, said CTC was the one-stop shop for complex, realistic, relevant and demanding war fighting exercises.

“We were here to provide an experience, not training, and we certainly didn’t aim to give lessons or assess the personnel on their conduct,” he said. “The aim of the experience was to expose personnel to the good and bad days applicable to whatever operation the members are going on.”

CTC Opfor commander Maj Simon Gepp said that the training delivered by CTC increased situational awareness for troops and increases their knowledge of the hostile regions to which they deploy.
“If we win, we win because our plan worked, and if we lose, we lose because the Australians were better,” he said.

“If we can make them focus on an area, or realise that they are deficient in an area of either their skills or ability before they go into a fairly hostile environment, then at the end of the day we have saved lives.”
OC Secdet 10 Maj Terrence Cook said he was very pleased with the performance of his troops during the MRE.

“CTC has provided realistic training that has tested our reactions to many scenarios that may be experienced in-theatre,” he said.