MEAO loggies arrive home
Volume 11, No. 50, August 24, 2006
By Michael Brooke

Aim: Sgt Marc Meers (above) watches an Iraqi Army officer firing a Steyr at the rifle range in Tallil. The Team organises dissimilar weapon shoots with the Iraqis as a rapport-building exercise.

A LANDMARK group of ADF loggies, including 43 Army personnel, who deployed together as the Force Level Logistic Asset (FLLA) returned to Australia on August 10 after a successful six-month deployment to the Middle East.

Every FLLA member was greeted with a handshake and praise for a job well done by Comd 17 CSS Bde Brig Mick Kehoe at Sydney airport.

Brig Kehoe said their arrival home was significant as they were the first to prepare, train and deploy together under the FLLA banner, an initiative that led to a higher standard of logistical support being delivered to the ADF personnel in the MEAO.

“This group acquitted themselves extremely well and proved the concept of logistics teams preparing, training and deploying as a formed body,” Brig Kehoe said.

“They’ve done a great job and much of that is due to demanding and rigorous training and preparation, and the cohesion built around a team that knows each other and has confidence in each other.

“As a result of this group mentality, these soldiers have returned to Australia with their heads held high because of the collective pride in what they achieved as a highly professional team.”

Members of the FLLA said it was important to deploy and return to Australia together because it reinforced the feeling of pride in what they achieved.

10FSB storeman LCpl Melissa Berger said deploying as a group made a huge difference to morale and enhanced feelings of purpose and achievement.

“We left not knowing each other that well, but we’ve come back as a group of very close friends who have great pride in our collective achievements,” she said.

Preventive medical technician Cpl Guy Price, the sole reservist in FLLA-1, said he would treasure the memories of what he and his team members achieved.

“Coming home alone from my first deployment would have been a little depressing and would have lacked the group euphoria of having achieved something significant as a team,” he said.

During their six-month deployment FLLA-1 received around 360,000kg of cargo from Australia on sustainment aircraft and provided a reception service for about 1000 ADF personnel.