Hammer time
Volume 11, No. 54, October 19, 2006
By Flt-Lt Trevor Grant
and Cpl Mike McSweeney

In the swing of it: LCpl Toby Stoll, 1CER, nails together the frame work on a wall for the Australian camp in Afghanistan. Photo by Cpl Ricky Fuller.

THE Australian Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) may have only just arrived in Afghanistan, but their legacy is already set to live on long after they leave with the construction of a Trade Training Centre.

RTF Commander Lt-Col Mick Ryan said construction of the centre should take about eight weeks and that when completed, would be a centre for learning a range of building skills for the local people.

“The benefits of these skills will continue well after our personnel have returned home. It is an investment in the future of Afghanistan,” Lt-Col Ryan said.

“By having a Trade Training Centre it will provide a place where they can come and learn a range of building skills from carpentry, block laying, small engine maintenance and other skills in a bid to assist Afghanistan and the people of the Oruzgan Province to achieve a stable and secure future.

“We hope that this school may provide a model for other Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) across Afghanistan to emulate.”

Australia’s 400-strong contribution to the Netherlands-led Provincial Reconstruction Team is a mix of command, engineer, security and support elements and includes Bushmaster IMVs and ASLAVs.

The team forms part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force stage three expansion.

“This is a good mission. It’s all about us working with our Dutch partners to ensure the local Afghan people get a fair go,” Lt-Col Ryan said.

Since arriving in the Oruzgan Province, Australian soldiers have been busy working along side their Dutch counterparts to construct their Forward Operating Base, Camp Holland.

“Our immediate priorities have been getting ourselves set up in appropriate working and living accommodation, getting our communications and logistic chains squared away and integrating our planning with our Dutch partners,” Lt-Col Ryan said.

Linesman Cpl Liam Cooper said he and his team had been digging trenches and laying hundreds of meters of communication and data cables for the new base.

“We need to make sure that we have enough cabling to cover all of the needs of the Australian contingent,” Cpl Cooper said.

“This includes cables and power for the Internet, DRN and welfare equipment.”

Spr Tim Lee said he had enjoyed working with the Dutch tradesmen.

“They’re a great bunch of guys,” Spr Lee said.

“They know their stuff. They even have a similar sense of humour to us.”

Lt-Col Ryan said he was confident in the abilities of the soldiers.

“The task force has done the training, it has been well equipped and will be more than capable of deploying to conduct protected reconstruction operations with its capabilities,” Lt-Col Ryan said.