Edition 1204, December 11, 2008 - Department of Defence

16 TRAINING
Reputation & Results
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Army December 11, 2008
Tanked in the USA
Home on the
range: An Abrams
tank partipicating
in an exercise on a
Californian range.
By Cpl Adam Lea
FORTY-FIVE Australian soldiers
from 1 Armd Regt travelled to the
United States and experienced the
only thing in nature that can stop
an Abrams tank in its tracks.
The range in the Californian
desert was the highlight of the exercise
for most of the Australians but
the desert revealed a secret weapon
that had major strategic implications
– the desert tortoise.
Troop Leader Lt Brendan
Thomas said he couldn’t believe it
when they received the briefing.
“When we came across a tortoise
we had to stop, call it in, then wait
for it pass by,” Lt Thomas said.
“It’s a real tank stopper.”
The visit was part of Exercise
Gold Eagle, a reciprocal com-
pany group exchange between the
Australian Army and US Marine
Corps.
The exercise tested the tank
crews and other trades including
heavy rig drivers, mechanics,
clerks, medics and recovery crews
in the unfamiliar conditions of both
nations.
The soldiers from 1 Armd Regt
were based in California to train
with the marines at their state-ofthe-art
training area. The urban environment
training facility allowed
infantry and mobility units to cooperate
and engage multiple targets in
a real-time live-fire exercise.
SSM WO2 Dale Wallace said it
provided a great, unique, live-fire
opportunity in an urban environment.
“We got to trial kit we are looking
at getting back in Australia,
including the Tank Urban Survival
Kit (TUSK),” WO2 Wallace said.
A month earlier, 50 marines from
1 Tank Bn, 1 Marine Expeditionary
Force were on exercise at Mt Bundy
in the Northern Territory with 1
Armd Regt.
The Americans passed on their
expertise in armoured operations and
demonstrated their skills and combat
experience gained from operations
in Iraq to their Australian peers.
Troop Leader Lt Mackay
Gair said it took a little while for
the Americans to adapt to driving
around trees.
“While the operating conditions
were different, it was great to combine
aspects of tank mobility and
combined arms to improve both
individual and troop level operations,”
Lt Gair said.
Gunners target audience
By Maj Antoni Furman
THE gunners of 7 and 23 Fd Regts
experienced extreme weather conditions
at Singleton during their
final artillery live-fire exercise for
2008 held on November 14-16.
In blustery conditions, the two
artillery regiments battled the elements
to achieve artillery tactical
deployment and technical training
objectives.
The exercise objectives were
to reinforce artillery trade training
and exercise HRR Joint Offensive
Support Team (JOST) capability.
Friendly rivalry between the two
units reinvigorated a competitive
spirit on the gun-lines and unit pride
was at stake for detachments conducting
their drills better and faster
than their competitors.
Bdr James Lunan, 7 Fd Regt,
said the exercise was an opportunity
to do something they didn’t usually
do – having two call-signs on the
ground.
The gun-lines conducted 24-hour
operations, responding to calls for
fire in between direct and deliberate
deployments. The exercise paused
for a few hours with unit RAA associations
and cadet units visiting the
regiments in the field to witness a
demonstration of the guns deploying
into action.
Seventy-five members from
AACC were given opportunities to
see the regiments participate in a live
fire of their 105mm Hamel guns.
Most of the cadets had not seen
the artillery operate before, making
the experience of all the regiment’s
guns operating in unison special.
The cadets were also shown the
other end of the operations and the
roles undertaken by the forward
Look see: The guns conduct
a fire mission. Cadets at the
range in Singleton (inset).
Photos by Sgt Jon Lowe and Andy Kerr
observers. The cadets were surprised
at the complexity involved in the
roles of the forward observers, and
were told about the importance of
their role in the broader spectrum
of the defence force and integration
with other corps and services.
Seventeen potential recruiting
candidates also attended as part of a
‘try-before-you-sign’ initiative.
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