Aceh's rotors of mercy
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Captain
Adam Zahra is a Troop Commander from A Squadron, 5th Aviation
Regiment, which is based in Oakey, Queensland. Within days of
being recalled to his unit he found himself flying aid missions
to the devastated western coast of the Indonesian province of
Aceh. His unit has four UH-1H Iroquois helicopters based at Banda
Aceh Airport as part of Operation Sumatra Assist, and they are
continuing the work of supplying aid to isolated towns and transporting
displaced persons to Banda Aceh, where they can find sanctuary
in the displaced persons camps around the city.
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A
barge and its attending tugboat sit astride the main road that
leads along the western coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh.
The main road is cut or totally destroyed in many sections, which
has lead to the massed use of helicopters to move aid and displaced
persons around the area.
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The
western coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh has bee devastated
by the Boxing Day tsunami. Complete villages have been wiped off
the face of the earth, the coastline has been radically altered
and rice paddies are choked with mud and debris.
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By
Corporal Cameron Jamieson - filed 01 February
2005
There are
not enough words in the English language to describe the destruction
along the west coast of Aceh.
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The
western coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh has bee devastated
by the Boxing Day tsunami. Complete villages have been wiped off
the face of the earth, the coastline has been radically altered
and rice paddies are choked with mud and debris.
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A
UH-1H Iroquois helicopter from A Squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment
flies over the western coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh,
which was devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami. Complete villages
have been wiped off the face of the earth, the coastline has been
radically altered and rice paddies are chocked with mud and debris.
In the doorway of the aircraft can be seen loadmaster Corporal
David Meehan (in camouflage uniform).
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A
UH-1H Iroquois helicopter from A Squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment
flies over the western coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh,
which was devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami. Complete villages
have been wiped off the face of the earth, the coastline has been
radically altered and rice paddies are chocked with mud and debris.
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The main
road along the coast has been cut, washed away, and even blocked by
a stranded sea-going barge and tug.
In other
places the coast no longer exists - the road just leads into the sea.
The destruction
of the road has lead to a dependence on helicopters to move aid along
the coast, and the four deployed Australian Army Iroquois helicopters
of A Squadron, 5 Aviation Regiment, are playing an important part in
moving food, water and humanitarian personnel to the isolated communities.
Captain
Adam Zahra, 28, is a pilot who has been flying aid missions constantly
since the Australian aviators arrived in Banda Aceh.
He has
nothing but praise for the hard work performed by the unit's aircrew
and support personnel that were recalled from leave to serve on Operation
Sumatra Assist.
"The guys
have been very busy since we got here, we've been flying about eight
hours a day, which is a tremendous effort" he said.
"The majority
of the jobs have been humanitarian aid relief.
"We were
bringing back a lot of aeromedical evacuations, but that has tapered
off, and what we are seeing now is an influx of internally displaced
people, and we're bringing them back from the different landing zones."
Television
images can only hint at the level of destruction caused by the Boxing
Day tsunami, but the aviators have seen first-hand how entire communities
have been wiped out.
"It was
pretty horrendous when we first got here - you'd see large areas, about
10 by 15 kilometres, that looked like mud flats," he said, "but you'd
notice a mosque in the middle of it, and you knew a whole town had been
there but now it's gone.
Despite
the destruction, the Indonesians of Aceh have not lost their determination
to overcome their misfortune.
"The Indonesians
have done it very tough, but they have a lot of resolve," Captain Zahra
said.
"Initially
there were people we were seeing who hadn't had food or fresh water
for a week."
Now when
the aid helicopters land at the isolated towns the people stop and wave
to the aircrew as a sign of their friendship and thanks - a sight which
the Australians appreciate.
"The deployment
has been very challenging but at the same time very rewarding," Captain
Zahra said.
