By Graham Davis
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Soldiers
surround Shark 07 during this enhanced security exercise
at HMAS Penguin in Sydney.
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Photo:
MAJ Allan Croft
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As
Navy Lieutenant Natalie McDougall lowered Shark 07, a Sea King
helicopter, on to the ground, 10 Army Reservists tensed and awaited
the order “go”.
When the Navy crewman slid the door open and gave the signal,
the soldiers sprang forward, leapt on to the grass and put a protective
cordon around the 817 Squadron aircraft.
It was an exercise on the parade ground of Victoria Barracks in
Sydney, but it was a very real-life start to an important three-day
exercise.
The exercise was conducted early this month and was aimed at honing
the domestic security skills of elements of the Army Reserve’s
8th Brigade. Around 150 soldiers from the Brigade’s Reserve Response
Force (RRF) took part.
The exercise was dubbed Rebus. The first phase was to provide
enhanced security for the Army’s historic Victoria Barracks.
Getting the troops on site was the job for the Navy’s heavy lift
helicopter, the Sea King.
LEUT McDougall was assigned to fly Shark 07 along with pilot LEUT
Mike Waddell and crew members LEUT Phil Woodward, WO Ian Davies
and LSA Jim Ritchie to help the Army. The aviators did many flights
positioning troops for the exercise.
One pick-up point was Middle Head. On the second day, the troops
went by road to Arthur Street, North Sydney, where their job was
to cordon and search a three-storey commercial building.
Another scheduled scenario was the detonation of a car bomb on
the playing field beside HMAS Penguin at Mosman.
The soldiers wore their combat uniforms and carried weapons for
the Victoria Barracks and HMAS Penguin scenarios.
No live ammunition was carried. The soldiers were not armed for
the North Sydney evolution.
