Brother and sister Colin and Toni McNeill are certainly doing their bit to keep the peace and maintain law and order in East Timor.

Colin, a Flight Sergeant, was serving with the RAAF in the UN Peacekeeping Force and Toni has rejoined the UN Civil Police organisation supporting the emerging nation. A close family, the two were delighted to be serving together in their respective professions.

The McNeill siblings were born and raised in O'Connor, Canberra, and attended Lynham High School.

Colin was a Works Supervisor working as part of the contingent at the Australian National Command Element Contingent in Dili. His role as the Estate Manager was to liaise with the UN for acquisition and disposal of properties and buildings used by Australian troops in East Timor.

He also was responsible for ensuring the best possible standards are maintained in areas such as ablutions facilities and accommodation.

A member of the RAAF for the past 17 years, Colin was on his first overseas tour of duty. After six months duty he returned home to his wife, Deborah and family on December 23 and will rejoin his unit, No 1 Combat Logistics Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond, this year.

Toni is a Station Sergeant who returned to East Timor on November 11 to take up policing duties in the township of Los Palos. She originally arrived in March but had to return to Australia after injuring herself in the line of duty.

There are now about 100 Australian male and female officers serving with the Australian Civillian Police contingent. Part of their work involves training East Timorese recruits at the Dili Police Academy to prepare them to eventually take over the role of policing their own nation.

Toni has been in the police force for 20 years and has previously served with the UN Civil Police in Cyprus in 1991-93, 1995, and 1997.

She will return to Canberra and her general policing duties with the Australian Federal Police in May.