Good fist of it
Volume 11, No. 53, October 05, 2006
By Maj Graeme Henley

Carted away: Sgt Justin Tomlinson helps a Timorese man stick up an information poster. Photo by Cpl Bernard Pearson

ONE of the most difficult things to achieve when deployed to a country that does not have English as a common language is providing people on the street with information about ourselves.

JTF 631 has been in Timor-Leste – along with defence and police forces from other nations – for about four months. In that time, the public face of this force has changed several times and a dedicated team from JTF 631 has been working hard to keep Timorese up to date with these changes.

The Force Information Support Team (FIST), led by WO2 Andrew Craig, has been busy producing and distributing pamphlets. With its own photographic, linguist and printing capability, FIST produces high-quality product in English and Tetum (or Tetun) and distributes it widely throughout the country.

The local population enthusiastically receives this information, even lining up, getting off buses and out of their cars to get their copies. The pamphlets are intensely read by citizens of all ages, carefully folded and pocketed or put away.

Larger posters are posted on walls and shop windows and remain in place for weeks on end. WO2 Craig said while patrolling and handing out material, troops were often directed to the fact that previous posters still took pride of place in shop windows.

“FIST has a vital role in ensuring that the local population is made aware of the purpose and mission of deployed forces,” he said. “General information on road safety, particularly when near military vehicles and helicopters, plus what to do if arms, ammunition or unexploded ordnance is found, is also passed to the public.”