Australian Army has arrived in Geraldton for region's biggest exercise of the year

Hundreds of Australian Army soldiers and cutting-edge Defence vehicles have arrived in Geraldton ahead of a major local training exercise.

Exercise Arras Sprint has kicked off and will see Army personnel and their armoured and heavy vehicles moving around town for the next week as they fight a fictitious enemy role-played by fellow soldiers.

Commander of Joint Task Force 629.6, Brigadier Damian Bushell, said Exercise Arras Sprint would give Geraldton residents a rare chance to see the Army in action.

“We’re very excited to be in town for what is our biggest exercise of the year. We are here to conduct serious training and the Geraldton community will play a very important role in the success of our mission,” Brigadier Bushell said. 

Brigadier Bushell reinforced that while the training aims to be as realistic as possible, safety will always be front of mind for his personnel.

“Although our soldiers will be patrolling while carrying their weapons, there is no real threat and certainly no cause for alarm,” Brigadier Bushell said. 

“Quite a number of our soldiers are from Geraldton and so it is really critical that we get out into regional areas to conduct important training and also to build meaningful relationships with the communities we serve.

“We would ask those who do engage with us over the next two weeks to be mindful of their surroundings and to follow safety directions at all times.”

Joint Task Force 629.6 is made up primarily of soldiers from Perth’s 13^th Brigade, whose mission as part of Army’s 2^nd Division is to defend the Australian homeland.

“We have engaged very closely with local and state government agencies in the planning of this exercise, which wouldn’t be possible without the support and warm hospitality afforded to us by the people of Geraldton,” Brigadier Bushell said.

Media and members of the community can access imagery of Exercise Arras Sprint at www.images.defence.gov.au or by visiting the 13^th Brigade Facebook page.