Our People in WA
Rhys Johannessen - Middle East ANZAC Day for Rockingham Digger
“I guess it seems odd that I joined the Army from the home of the Navy’s Fleet Base West! I wanted to travel Australia, so being posted to Townsville was a good start. Now I’m overseas for the second time, and promoted to Lance Corporal,” Rhys said.
Rhys, 20, has specialised as an Army storeman. In the Middle East he is responsible for issuing and accounting for ammunition. “There’s a lot of interesting stuff about my job. It’s something that not a lot of people get to do and I believe it’s for a good cause.”
“This is my second overseas deployment. I went to Timor in 2006. That was a very short notice deployment for me — I just packed my bags and jumped on a plane!”
Thousands of Australians served in the Middle East in both First and Second World Wars and Rhys will be there on Anzac Day itself.
“It’s a privilege to commemorate Anzac Day while I’m doing my job on operations. When you think about how many Anzacs have been through the Middle East in the past it’s hard not to feel a connection with them.”
Rhys is one of some 1500 members of the Australian Defence Forces who are now on duty in the Middle East as part of Operation Catalyst, the Australian Government’s contribution to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq. Working with the Iraqi Government and coalition forces, Australian military personnel are continuing to work for a more secure environment and assist with national rehabilitation programs.