Our People in QLD
Sergeant Alex Barnes - IN THE CRADLE OF CIVILISATION
Sergeant Barnes sees tremendous significance in walking in the footsteps of ancient warriors in a land where 6,000 years earlier the Sumerians established the first known civilisation.
Sergeant Barnes said he is reminded daily of the ancient land in which he serves when he passes the Ziggurat of Ur, a three-storey stepped pyramid which was built way back in 2200 BC.
"It's really amazing to be here, given this place's fascinating history," he said.
Sergeant Barnes is such a history buff that he is a member of a medieval living history group, "The Companie of Knights Bachelor", which helps him understand what it was like here many centuries ago.
"Believe me, its quite special to be a soldier from such a young country as Australia and keeping the peace in such an ancient civilisation here," he said.
Sergeant Barnes said his wife, Deanne, and daughter, Genevieve, who live in Mitchelton, Brisbane, would be amused to know that he is a very popular person and that there is always a queue of people outside his office to see him.
"That's because I'm the Cash Office Operator and I give people their money," he said.
This is Sergeant Barnes' fourth deployment since he joined the Army, the day after Anzac Day, in 1989. He has since served in Somalia in 1993, Bougainville in 1999 and East Timor in 2000.
Sergeant Barnes is among the 550 soldiers based at Camp Terendak at Ali Air Base in Tallil, where the Australian Overwatch Battle Group has deployed for the next six-months to support the Iraqi Security Forces maintain the peace in the provinces of Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar.
Battle Group Tiger is serving in southern Iraq as the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 (OBG(W)-3).
OBG(W)-3 is based at Tallil, some 300 kms south of Baghdad , where it undertakes a security overwatch role for the southern provinces of Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar.