Image Gallery 2007
25 December 2007
Sapper Pat Bear enjoys Christmas with RTF
Sapper Pat Bear was donated to the Reconstruction Task Force Three by the Defence Community Organisation in Townsville as a focus for the children of the deployed soldiers, who can read about Pat’s adventures in the Task Force’s welfare newspaper. Pat’s popularity has grown to include the parents, family and friends of the Task Group’s troops, and even Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made time for a photo stop with Pat during a recent visit to the Task Group.
Reconstruction Task Force Three (RTF-3) is the third rotation of Australian Defence Force reconstruction troops to Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, as part of Operation SLIPPER.
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Wainwright, RTF-3 is a combined arms team, predominately using Army engineers with infantry and cavalry security elements to achieve its mission. RTF-3 is in partnership with the Netherlands Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and forms part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
RTF-3 concentrates on reconstruction, improvement of provincial infrastructure and community based projects. The RTF also provides trade training to the local population and military engineering training to the Afghan National Army.
The Task Force contains around 380 ADF personnel from predominately Queensland based units. It is equipped with Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles (IMV), Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs) and armoured engineer plant equipment.
Operation SLIPPER is the ADF contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Operation SLIPPER is an important component of the Australian Government's commitment to working tog.
| 20071224adf8267338_039 Captain Ken Golder, 27, keeps an eye on the adventurous Sapper Pat Bear. The two Reconstruction Task Force soldiers have a busy Christmas 2007 schedule ahead of them, with Christmas carols, Christmas lunch, a church service and sports carnival to attend. (Date taken: 24 December 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20071224adf8267338_056 Captain Ken Golder, 27, keeps an eye on the adventurous Sapper Pat Bear. The two Reconstruction Task Force soldiers have a busy Christmas 2007 schedule ahead of them, with Christmas carols, Christmas lunch, a church service and sports carnival to attend. (Date taken: 24 December 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20071224adf8267338_059 Captain Ken Golder, 27, keeps an eye on the adventurous Sapper Pat Bear. The two Reconstruction Task Force soldiers have a busy Christmas 2007 schedule ahead of them, with Christmas carols, Christmas lunch, a church service and sports carnival to attend. (Date taken: 24 December 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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