November - Department of Defence

A Casual Day packedwith funOn 3 September 2004 theDOD Mobilisation Centredeployed a very specialcontingent in the spirit ofCasual Day. The MobilisationCentre was host to 27children and three teachersfrom the Lettie Fouche School for mentallydisadvantaged children.At 09:00 the very exited 'troops'were received at the main entrance ofthe unit by Lt Col Jaco Pretorius, SO1Mobilisation, and the RSM, WO1 JanKoen, and escorted to Veld Kitchen 3in the concentration area. The sight ofa Ratel 60 and three fire-fighting vehicleswaiting in front of the facility andthe festively decorated tables inside,confirmed to the visitors that CasualDay, Mobilisation Centre style, wouldbe fun with a capital letter.After a warm welcome by Lt ColPretorius the 'troops' were handedover to WO2 Gerald Sansom, whowithout further ado explained militaryetiquette and informed the very attentivevisitors that Warrant Officers arerecognised by their being the guyswho can shout the loudest.The visitors were shown a video onthe history of the SA Armoured Corps(courtesy School of Armour) andanother on airborne infantry training(courtesy 44 Parachute Regiment),while feasting on 'ratpacks' containingchocolates, chips, condensed milktubes and cool drinks.The videos were followed by ashow-and-tell briefing on parachutingand parachute equipment by Sgt G.Feni, Sgt M. Ncomfu and L Cpl M.L.Kgobe from 44 Parachute Regiment.Parachutes were fitted and deployedin the brisk Free State wind by the visitors,who had decided that they allwanted to be paratroopers and werepreparing for selection by doing situpsbetween briefings.The visitors were divided intogroups and marched off in differentdirections to practise communicationwith field radios and ground smokesignals. Longing glances towards theRatel and the fire-fighting vehicleshad by now indicated to the hosts thatthe next activity was eagerly anticipated.The visitors were divided intogroups and were driven in the Rateland the fire-fighting vehicles to the A-Vehicle Park of the Centre to viewstatic displays of combat vehicles. Ontheir return to the Veld Kitchen the'troops' were issued with DODMobilisation Centre T-shirts sponsoredby the Combined Club of theunit. Hot dogs and ice cream toppedwith chocolate sauce were served indixies to the children, who cued likethe very disciplined troops they nowwere.At 13:00 very reluctant goodbyeswere said between new friends. KarelGoosen, a pupil from Lettie Fouche,confirmed what all the soldiers frompreceding deployments know: "It's'lekker' in the Army and theMobilisation Centre is the best!"Festivities continued for membersof the unit with 'potjiekos' at the transitstores. Participants were requiredto wear a Casual Day sticker and dressup, down or funny. Israelites, crossdressers,a cowgirl, a sailor andwomen in pyjamas enthusiasticallyentered the competition to determinethe best costume. Cpl I.T. Mojataufrom Facility Maintenance Sectionwon the competition. Lt Col F.W.Schutte, co-ordinator of the day, confirmedthat this community effortwould be an annual event at theMobilisation Centre. (Article by Nickyde Ru, DOD Mobilisation Centre)Mrs S. Janse van Rensburg and Mrs N. de Ru serving lunch to the visiting'troops'.N O VEMBER 2 0 0 4 • S A S O L D I E R41