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On
the trail of rust and dust
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Members
of No. 1 Combat Logistics Squadron pictured during their
road trip to inspect and repair the cache of stores at Air
Force’s bare bases.
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PERSONNEL
from No. 1 Combat Logistics Squadron have braved scorching temperatures,
rough outback roads and thick, red dust to successfully complete
Remote Trek 2002.
Exercise Remote Trek is 1CLS’s annual cache validation of stores
at Australia’s bare bases.
Travelling in a vehicle convoy from RAAF Base Townsville, the team
– comprising 1CLS personnel, supported by members of No. 382
and 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadrons – headed first
for the bare base at Learmonth in Western Australia, the first leg
of a trip that would take nearly two months.
The validation involved far more than simply stocktaking. It was
an important step in inspecting equipment and protecting it against
the twin evils – rust and dust – repairing or replacing
any items that had been used since the last stocktake and the inspection
of holding facilities for environmental damage, especially termite
invasion.
With the stocktaking and facility inspection process over at RAAF
Base Learmonth, the convoy then made a beeline for RAAF Base Curtin,
near Derby.
Being further north and inland, the team had to deal with much harsher
conditions than it experienced in the south.
With daily temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, the working
routine began well before daylight to avoid the worst of the heat.
But even the early starts did little to alleviate the conditions.
Termite damage, already witnessed at Learmonth, was far more evident
at Curtin, adding to the work efforts as attempts were made to repair
damage done to stock and containers.
In order to prevent more infestation, a number of defensive measures
were put in place, including the elevating of all containers on
concrete blocks and the initiation of a spraying program.
Despite the harsh Pilbara heat, the thick coating of Western Australia’s
infamous red dust and the isolation from family and friends, the
teams worked tirelessly, providing accurate stores ahead of the
cyclone season in the west.
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