27 November 2023
Forces Entertainment were back supporting ADF personnel and their families for the ADF Ball in Penang during a recent tour to Malaysia.
Forces Entertainment Contingent Commander Major Dave Thompson said there were endless opportunities to perform for posted personnel and their families, while adding value to the ADF’s local engagement plan.
“Forces Entertainment has always strived to bring a bit of home to our teams working overseas. Having an opportunity to pack several shows across a diverse spread of activities required a flexible approach to the performance plan,” Major Thompson said.
Members of the Australian Army Band Melbourne, an Army Reserve sub-unit of the Australian Army Band Corps, also supported the tour.
“The bandies were all Army Reserve musicians who are also gainfully employed as professional musicians in the Melbourne music scene,” Major Thompson said.
“We were fortunate to have a versatile band that knew how to entertain and engage any given audience.
“Our short time in country was quite valuable from a morale and community-engagement standpoint.”
Over five days, the band were able to put together six shows that varied between intimate performances for ADF personnel, their families and friends, to local primary and high school performances and the ADF Ball.
“We had the opportunity to bring smiles to a lot of faces, while keeping our footprint quite small,” Major Thompson said.
