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GET OUT AND
HIT THE ROAD
BY CPL Andrew Hetherington
Edition 1171, July 26, 2007 |
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VEHICLE CHECKS: LCpl Michael Ferguson makes first parade checks to his Mack Fleetliner truck before he departs for another driving task to Gladstone
Picture: Cpl Andrew Hetherington |
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FOR 26 Tpt Sqn, Exercise Talisman Saber was an opportunity for the unit to do what it does best – distribute anything and everything by road to ADF and US units in the field.
The squadron arrived at the Rockhampton exercise base camp on May 19 after having already driven from Sydney and Puckapunyal to north-west Queensland on a long road distribution task, according to OC Maj Mal Brick.
“We dropped 17 Const Sqn off at Doomadgee to do their AACAP task. We then drove across to Townsville and picked up 10FSB to move them down to the exercise,” Maj Brick said.
“Members of the unit also spent two months in Rockhampton before that with 30 Tml Sqn, building the Urban Operations Training Facility at Shoalwater Bay. By the time we go home at the end of July some of the guys will have spent five months in Rockhampton so far this year.”
The unit had 155 personnel and 90 vehicles participating in the exercise.
“One of the aims I had for the exercise was to demonstrate the squadron’s ability to deploy as an independent organisation,” Maj Brick said.
“We have the three road transport troops here – 85, 86 and 87 – with Mack Fleet liners, Mack prime movers, S-Line prime movers and Mack R series trucks,” he said.
He said the unit borrowed a section of Unimogs for the exercise to train new drivers and to provide some flexibility in tasking.
“We also set up our own workshops, accommodation and field kitchen,” he said. “It is a good to have the squadron in the one location, it doesn’t occur very often.”
In Rockhampton the unit performed a wide range of road transport tasks, moving everything from water to large cranes.
“We have delivered water to the deployed hospital, fuel to the bulk fuel installation and water to the underground water tanks on the Shoalwater Bay Training Area,” Maj Brick said.
“Between May 18 and June 27, we moved more than 1,800,000 litres of liquids, 395,000 litres of diesel, 263,000 litres of JP8 fuel and 1,142,000 litres of water.”
During the exercise, LCpl Michael Ferguson, 85 Tpt Tp in Moorebank, said his and the unit’s work tempo was demanding.
“We have been really busy. Today I’m heading to Gladstone to pick up a load and tomorrow I’m delivering it to Townsville,” he said.
“There have been no dramas for me on this year’s exercise. I always try to enjoy myself because life is too short.”
As well as performing its obvious role of providing effective third-line road transport distribution tasks, Maj Brick said the unit did not waste any down time during the exercise.
“We have also worked on some of the squadron’s training objectives. We have run first aid courses, driver training, participated in 10FSB IMTs, and military self-defence training,” he said. “The aim for us was to maximise our time to achieve training objectives.”
Following the exercise, 26 Tpt Sqn will not have much time to rest before other tasks fill schedule.
“We will have to bring back the AACAP guys in September and our calendar is getting pretty full,” Maj Brick said.
By the end of the year the unit will also have moved into its new home in the superbase at Amberley. |
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