Our People in NSW
Jeff Lee - Jeff brings the bases home
MILPERRA’S Jeff Lee was sweltering on a dusty, humid Timor Leste construction site this Christmas but all he could think about is the support for his family back home.
The 43-year-old Army Sergeant shook off praise for his work as the acting commander of the engineer detachment in Dili for Operation ASTUTE and instead heaped praise on his neighbours back home.
“I need to send out a special thanks to our friends and neighbours back home in Milperra who have been unfailing in their support of my wife Dianne and two kids Jack and Charlotte,” he said.
“We are part of an excellent community spirit and thanks to Milperra Public School students and teachers who have been very supportive of both my deployments to Timor Leste.”
Jeff, a former Christian Brother Lewisham Student, joined the Army in 1996 and is currently posted to 5th Construction Engineer Regiment which has brought him to Timor Leste to assist in the drawdown and redeployment of Australian personnel.
“I am currently based at the Helicopter Point of Departure (HPOD) in Dili where we are responsible for repairs, construction and base remediation to support the International Stabilisation Force drawdown and ADF return to Australia. It has been a real experience with the variety and quantity of work and being in command of an excellent crew that are very professional and bring a wide range of skills – we also had some opportunities to support humanitarian work for local clinics and orphanages”, said Jeff.
Jeff joined the ADF in 1996 and follows in the footsteps of his uncle Joe Bonnici who served in Vietnam (1968-1969) with the Royal Australian Engineers and his grandfather who was a gunner in the Royal Maltese Army in defence of Malta in WWII.
This is his second deployment to Timor Leste after his first in 2010 and Jeff admits he will take plenty of memories away from this trip.
The engineers are a creative bunch so when Jeff has time away from to work he relaxes for a swim in the engineers-constructed swimming pool, watches movies and makes the trip into Dili every now and again for a pizza.
The trip has been eventful and busy but he admits he cannot wait to get home to see his family, Roxy the Jack Russell-X-Cattle Dog and back into some sport when he returns in the New Year.
“I am really looking forward to catching practice with my kids, shooting hoops with the kids in the backyard and working on my Ford Coupe V8. I also can’t wait to get back to baseball with the Moorebank Royals, going to Sydney Blue Sox baseball games and watching TV on my 3D big screen.”
Timor Leste began an exciting new chapter in its history when the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF) ceased security operations on 22 November.
After more than six years of supporting the Timor Leste security forces, the ISF role has changed to the redeployment of its people and equipment to Australia and New Zealand.
ISF troops started to depart Timor Leste in late November and bases will be remediated for handover by mid-2013.