Busy time at Christmas

Volume 49, No. 7, May 4, 2006

ISLAND HOME: SBLT Rachel Menser near Flying Fish Cove on Christmas Island.

BUSY BEE: SBLT Menser organising the Transit Security Element rotation courtesy of 36 SQN RAAF.

Red crabs will be one of the fond memories SBLT Rachel Menser will take with her after a four-month deployment to Christmas Island.

As the outgoing Australian Defence Force Liaison Officer – Christmas Island (ADFLO-CI), SBLT Menser said there was “no such thing as a normal day” during her working stint.

Operating independently in a remote and culturally diverse community presented a wide range of challenges that are not normally experienced during Supply Officer Application Course.
However, any problems needed to be overcome to ensure the success of a logistics visit by major fleet units deployed to Christmas Island.

SBLT Menser was responsible for the coordination of the ships’ victuals, fuelling and stevedoring. She also acted as a liaison officer with other government agencies such as Australian Customs Service (ACS), Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for contingency planning in case of civil emergencies.

A major part of SBLT Menser’s job was the coordination of the victualling and accommodation arrangements for the Christmas Island Detachment and the Transit Security Element (TSE) when they were ashore or during their rotation and repatriation to Australia.

Transportation of members of ship’s company or the TSE to the hospital or airport was also another important task. Frequently, when the Christmas Island Detachment was ashore, SBLT Menser was responsible for coordinating their busy schedule of sporting challenges and local projects within the community.

But it wasn’t all work for SBLT Menser, who enjoyed the wide range of cultural activities during her deployment. She also witnessed one of the biggest migrations on the planet – that of the red crab. Millions of tennis ball-sized red land crabs make their way down the steep cliffs to the ocean to spawn.

 If you are interested in becoming the ADFLO-CI, further information about the position can be gained through Fleet Human Resource Managers at Maritime Headquarters on (02) 9359 4679.

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