Rise above the call
ADF keeps games on track

By LT Cameron Jamieson and WGCDR Keith Miller
Volume 48, No. 5, April 6, 2006

Two Hornets from No. 77SQN fly training combat air patrols over Melbourne in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games as part of Operation Acolyte.

Photo by WOFF Robert Thompson

THE Commonwealth Games are over but the memory of their success will remain for a long time yet, thanks in part to the commitment of the ADF members assigned to Operation Acolyte.

Reaching a peak force level of 2600 personnel, the soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen of Joint Task Force 636 worked around the clock to ensure the games remained safe, secure and successful.

F/A-18s patrolled the night sky as troops on the ground prepared to support the Victorian Police and emergency services across the city.

As well, RAAF East Base Sale was busy with more than 200 extra people to house and feed as well as many extra aircraft, mainly from No. 77SQN, to support.

Base Commander WGCDR Grant Murphy said the workload on his refuellers, runway sweepers, air traffic controllers, security personnel, firefighters, catering and other staff had been very high, but “they all rose to the challenges this essential national support task required them to meet”.

He said that Acolyte showed the capability of the base to support ADF operations on a wider scale.

The commander of Operation Acolyte BRIG Andrew Smith said it had been a fantastic privilege to command the whole of JTF636.

“They were asked to do something that was out of the ordinary, and they rose to the challenge,” he said.
BRIG Smith said the task force’s lack of a high public profile meant they had achieved a major goal.

“If you look in the newspapers you’ll see lots of things about athletes and the closing ceremony,” BRIG Smith said.

“You have to dig right down to find anything about security. So people were able to attend and enjoy the games without worrying about security.”

“We were able to deliver the effects we were there to deliver, in regards to the security of the games and to the conduct of the games, through our ceremonial and general support.

“And we were able to do it while keeping exactly the right level of Defence profile in the community.

“While security was 95 per cent of our task, it was important to remember that the Commonwealth Games was not a security operation.

“It was a sporting carnival and cultural event that was based on friendship across the Commonwealth. That’s what we want people to remember about the games, so while we were working, we wanted people to be focused on enjoying the games.”

BRIG Smith said he had a lot of good memories and was particularly impressed by the commitment of the personnel involved.

“I remember seeing Reserve members at around two o’clock in the morning at a vehicle check point,” he said.

“They were working hard, pulling together with the members of the Victorian Police and contract security people to get the job done.

“They were behind the scenes, and there was no-one else around to see them, but they were doing their job.”

.