Our People in VIC
Scott D’Rozario - Dingley Village
As a Detective Senior Constable, Dingley Village’s Scott D’Rozario normally works in plain clothes. But the next six - eight months will be very different.
Scott will be in East Timor, wearing his Army Reserve Captain’s uniform. He’ll be part of the Civil-Military Cooperation team and the Liaison Officer between the Australian Defence Force and the Local Police Force (Police National Timor Leste - PNTL).
“I spent two months in Timor Leste earlier this year but now it’s the real thing,” said Scott. “My wife Denise is almost getting used to the idea of me being away, but it will be more of a puzzle for our son Bexley (7) and daughter Piper (4).
“Over there my job will be finding ways to cooperate with non-military people to get tasks done.”
Scott joined the Reserve in his teens as a Private, specialising as a medic. He then began Officer Training and was commissioned as an Officer in the Corps of Engineers.
“As a uni student I not only earned some money, I found I really enjoyed it,” Scott said. “Now I’m 32 — and am still having a good time.”
In East Timor the Australians will be supporting the local police. It will involve plenty of patrolling and talking to the locals — keeping their finger on the pulse. Many of the infantrymen have already been sent on courses in Tetum (the local language) which lasted up to three months.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how things have progressed in the last six months,” Scott said. “There’ll be an election while we are there — but we are expecting a very smooth transition. It will be democracy in action.”
In October, Scott and his comrades will be coming home cashed up, thanks to tax-free pay and allowances.
“We’ll be using most of it to bring down the home loan,” said Scott. “But first Denise and I will be taking the kids on a tour of the USA — Victoria Police have been really supportive and great in allowing me this time away to deploy overseas with the Australian Defence Force.”
The Australian-led International Stabilisation Force is in-country at the invitation of the East Timorese government to be prepared to support East Timorese and United Nations security forces to maintain a secure and stable environment.
All reservists are volunteers and have to volunteer again to serve overseas. Reserves can also support security within Australia at major events such as the Commonwealth Games or Heads of Government visits.
If you want to know more about Australian peacekeepers or support the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial Project, please visit: http://www.peacekeepingmemorial.org.au/