Organising the chaos
While medical personnel deployed into Bali to treat victims of the October 1 bombings and aircrew ferried people and supplies to and from the region, members of No. 396 Combat Support Wing worked tirelessly to tie all elements of the operation together. Andrew Stackpool reports.

Members of No. 396 Combat Support Wing transfer patients from an Air Force Ambus to a C-130 in Darwin, for a flight to Newcastle on October 5.

Photo by GPCAPT William Griggs

Members of No. 396 Combat Support Wing assist aircrew and ambulance officers loading patients into a C-130 for the flight from Darwin to Newcastle.

Photo by CPL Peter Borys

DISASTER response requires many players.

It calls for quick decisions, parallel planning and rapid increases in operational tempo.

The combat support personnel of No. 396 Combat Support Wing proved themselves up to the challenge during Operation Bali Assist II – the recent airlift of victims from the terrorist attack on the Indonesian island on October 1.

“The Wing received the first alerts about the Bali situation shortly before midnight on October 1,” Officer Commanding No. 396 Combat Support Wing Group Captain Mark Kelton said.

“Pre-emptively, we stood up No. 321 Combat Support Squadron, who then ramped up the base operations centre and planning teams while the Wing headquarters began to prepare for the coming days.

“This was a scenario that the northern airbases were well experienced in dealing with, and for which they were well prepared.”

Despite being on a period of operational stand-down after Operation Tsunami Assist, No. 321 Combat Support Squadron immediately began recalling RAAF Base Darwin personnel.

By early next morning, airbase officers and HQ NORCOM staff were planning for the receipt of aircraft and evacuees.

No. 321 Health Support Flight were alerted early on the morning of October 2 and worked throughout the night preparing for what they knew would be a specialist medical response.

Flight Lieutenants Toby Leslie and Dave Mitchell coordinated the numerous medical inputs to ensure that RAAF Base Darwin synchronised with other agencies involved in the operation.

Flight Lieutenant Mitchell was involved early in the Aero Medical Evacuation planning when the reservist medical staff arrived later that morning and then went to Bali on the AME.

He returned at 6am the next day and went straight to work to conduct the base sick parade.


Meanwhile, Wing Commander Karen Leshinskas arrived from HQ Health Support Wing and, with Lieutenant Colonel Dianne Elson from NORCOM, coordinated the health services response at the base and with Royal Darwin Hospital.

Acting Base Commander Squadron Leader David Anderson and his team led airbase support planning at RAAF Base Darwin. Everything from security to airfield services, accommodation and catering was brought on-line in record time.

“We were fortunate to have so many personnel who had been through this sort of thing before and just knew what had to be done,” he said.

“The teamwork between Air Force, [Corporate Services and Infrastructure-Northern Territory/Katherine], Army and all our support agencies was simply outstanding.

The Air Terminal Detachment here had already been working hard with the aircraft on the ground, and they handled the extra workloads generated with superb dedication and professionalism.”

Squadron Leader Anderson praised the efforts of Flight Sergeant Dave Gay, who was the ramp site commander and a veteran of the first Operation Bali Assist.

He managed the support personnel at the back of C-130 aircraft loading and offloading the casualties. He also coordinated the pick up and delivery of patients to and from the Royal Darwin Hospital.

Early in their planning, No. 321 Combat Support Squadron identified a need for external assistance in some areas.

A fast call to RAAF Base Tindal resulted in an additional Air Load Team, logisticians with dangerous goods packing qualifications, specialist drivers, and a second ambulance bus.

Tindal’s personnel began arriving by road in the early afternoon and then by the air charter aircraft based there. The AME team at RAAF Base Tindal was also called forward.

Other personnel found themselves in unfamiliar roles. Members of 16 Air Defence Regiment found themselves stranded when C-130s assigned to Exercise Bersama Lima were grounded to await re-tasking.

They offered their services and trained as stretcher-bearers to support the expected medical casualties.

Members from Joint Logistics Support Unit-North, military members from the Regional Calibration Centre, local Defence media, Defence Community Organisation and Corporate Services and Infrastructure-Northern Territory/Katherine communications and garrison support staff also responded to the call, while Darwin International Airport staff became involved throughout the northern airbase response plan.

As the C-130s arrived from RAAF Base Richmond, Darwin was fully ramped up to support the aircraft and No. 86 Wing’s Operations Centre. Quick turn-around and reloading meant the two rescue aircraft were airborne shortly after 8pm local time; just 20 hours after the Wing received the first mobile phone call.

“It was a gratifying feeling to watch the aircraft, knowing that everything was in place for their arrivals and departures,” Group Captain Kelton said.

“The airbase support all ran to plan and it ran like clockwork.

“[Bali Assist] was a real test for my headquarters and its small staff, with their new responsibilities for all the operational airbases in Australia.”

As Darwin moved into overdrive, No. 396 Combat Support Wing alerted RAAF Base Williamtown, which immediately prepared for and then received the patients transferred by C-130 from Darwin to Newcastle.

Wing Commander Dean Carr and his staff at the Combat Support Unit, Williamtown, quickly liaised with the Emergency Management Agency and officials at John Hunter Hospital, while No. 2 Air Transportable Hospital Squadron prepared and trained members of No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron to handle the delicate task of transferring patients to waiting ambulances, and security personnel prepared their reception plans.

“As the aircraft departed RAAF Williamtown, another well-prepared and highly professional combat support plan had been executed in close cooperation with civil agencies,” Wing Commander Carr said.

“More importantly, we helped some badly hurt people from the Newcastle area.”

 

Facts of Op Bali Assist 2

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