From CDF: Support as long as needed

By Andrew Stackpool, Directorate Defence Newspapers - filed 06 January 2005

CDF GEN Peter Cosgrove has been unstinting in his praise of the ADF's personnel involved in the disaster relief operations in Indonesia's Aceh Province following the earthquake and tsunamis that cleaved a path of destruction through Sumatra.

"I am proud of all our people and the great work that they are doing in such difficult and demanding circumstances," he said. He warned that despite the hard work much remains to be done but that the ADF would remain "for as long as it takes."

"They're all working very hard, and of course they're still flowing into the Sumatra area. We will have over 400 there today, and rising to a strength - when our ship and the engineers aboard the ship arrive, of up to 1000. That would, at this stage, be the extent of our ADF commitment.

"Every man and woman on the ground is working very hard right now, but there is still a lot more work to be done."

GEN Cosgrove said that great progress is being made by all the aid agencies, and of course the Indonesians who are working very hard and the ADF.

"The military forces there are very busy, getting out and about to the communities that haven't been visited yet during the crisis and making sure that the people have water and food. They are also assisting in evacuating the worst of the injured."

Nevertheless, the rehabilitation of the Province and its people will take a long time and that the ADF was fully committed to see the job through to the end, as long as it was needed.

"This is a time for us not to stint," he said.

"Whatever's needed, we'll provide. We're already looking at the manufacturing of clean water. We've got a unit there producing a half a million litres a day, and that's working very well for the people of Banda Aceh.

"It's that sort of thing which, in the future, if more of that's needed, then certainly between ourselves and the Indonesians we'll arrange for that to be sent.

"We'll be there as long as we're needed - if that's months, then so be it. We're there for the long haul at the request and with the agreement of the Indonesian Government. We won't stay longer than we're wanted, but we'll be there as long as we're needed."

GEN Cosgrove indicated he would like to visit the forces in the field but that was not his priority at the present time.

"My job's back here making sure everybody that goes up there gets there in a timely way, with the right kit and that we support them after they're there."