Our People in WA
Brett McKenzie - Landlocked In Afghanistan
Landlocked Afghanistan is not where you’d expect to find Kendenup’s Brett McKenzie especially as he’s a Navy Lieutenant.
Brett, 32, is normally more at home navigating an Australian warship on the high seas.
“There aren’t a lot of Navy personnel in Afghanistan and it’s certainly unusual for a seaman officer to be here, but it’s been an incredible and interesting experience,” Brett said.
Brett is currently working alongside Australian Army and United States military personnel as part of the headquarters staff at Tarin Kot in Uruzgan province.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. They do things differently — and you can always learn better ways to do your job!
“The US personnel have typically done one tour in Iraq and many have done one or two tours here, so I’ve learned a lot from them.”
After three-and-a-half years in Darwin, where he was an executive officer on the landing craft HMAS Balikpapan and on two Armidale-class patrol boats, Brett’s job is now very different.
Brett and the other 1550 Australian Defence Force personnel currently in the Middle East Area of Operations are part of Australia’s contribution to the international campaign against terrorism.
“My job is largely office-based, but I’ve had the chance to go ‘outside the wire’ with our reconstruction team doing some work in a nearby village and I visited three Australian patrol bases over Christmas time,” Brett said.
Brett is not the first family member to earn a living in uniform.
“My dad spent 26 years in the Army so I was always around the military as a kid,” Brett said.
“Dad retired as a Warrant Officer Class One and was in the infantry, serving with the Special Air Service, commando units and other infantry units.”
When his deployment ends in a few weeks Brett is eager to catch up with his fiancée, Tara, an occupational therapist in Albury, NSW, so they can plan their wedding.
“When and where the wedding happens is a little up in the air at the moment, because I’m not sure where the Navy will send me next,” Brett said.
“But I’ll get some leave when I get home and then we can start to sort out our future together.
“I’m also keen to get back to Western Australia to see my sister in Perth and get out to my parent’s farm at Kendenup so I can help out — and mum can cook for me again. I miss her cooking.”