By Lieutenant Simone Heyer
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FLTLT
Matt Webster flies into Shoalwater Bay Training Area during
Exercise Talisman Sabre 05.
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Photo
by CPL Bernard Pearson
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Personnel
from Nos. 23 and 38 Squadrons and No. 1 Ground
Liaison Group worked together on Exercise Talisman
Sabre 05.
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On
one sortie, a Caribou crew offloaded 243 MRE
packs in 10 minutes.
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IT
COULD be difficult to know what side you were on if transporting
allied and enemy forces, as well as those assessing them.
But it was no problem for the hard-working members of No. 38 Squadron
during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Flight Lieutenant Michael Burgess-Orton said the role of the squadron
was tactical transport in support of the red, white and blue forces.
“Crew had to change hats, they had to disregard information
about where they dropped off each force, and not give any intelligence
to the wrong force.”
He said it was difficult for ground parties to establish No. 38
Squadron’s allegiance.
“No-one knew what side we were on. Everyone tried to shoot
us down.”
The squadron operated two airframes with four crews, from June
19 to the end of the exercise.
“We had 43 personnel come together from Amberley and Townsville,
No. 23 Squadron and No. 1 Ground Liaison Group – we try to
do all exercises together and we worked well as a team during
Talisman Sabre.”
He said the squadron made an effort to get training benefits from
their tasks.
“The job we do in a training exercise is the job we do in
the real world. For example, our deployments to the Solomon Islands
and Timor Leste involved the same kind of tasks.
“Exercise Talisman Sabre was a good opportunity for crews
to consolidate their training in a tactical air space [and] air
crews have become very familiar with the training area.”
Flight Lieutenant Burgess-Orton said the Caribous had the capability
to land on short, unprepared airfields.
This enabled the crews to deliver rations to the US 1/501 Parachute
Infantry Regiment.
“We offloaded 243 Meal Ready to Eat [packs] in 10 minutes,”
he said.
“Delivering the rations really was a team effort on behalf
of the crews. The Americans were delayed and we pulled
together to get the job done.”
Overall, he said No. 38 Squadron had a great deployment, good
serviceability of aircraft and the support of a high-spirited
ground crew.
