The Top Ender Magazine February March 2021 Edition

Welcome from the Top
Happy New Year to all Defence
families and welcome to those who
have recently arrived in the Northern
Territory. On reflection, 2020 was an
extraordinary year for our nation, with
two domestic emergencies —
Operations BUSHFIRE ASSIST and
COVD-19 ASSIST — testing the ADF’s
preparedness and adaptability. The
demand for ADF support was intense,
requiring more high readiness
capabilities in more places, more often.
This resulted in many of our people
spending more time away from
home, which was only possible with
the love and support of family and
friends. With this in mind, I extend
my sincere appreciation to
everyone who supports the ADF in
the Top End.
The ADF has provided ongoing
support to the NT Government’s
COVID-19 response since March 2020,
and these efforts are likely to continue
into 2021. I particularly appreciate
those ADF personnel who remained
on task over the Christmas and New
Year period. The sacrifice made by
these members and their families is
significant. Whether you were attached
to a headquarters element in Darwin
or Alice Springs, a member of the
quarantine compliance monitoring team
in support of NTPOL or working to
facilitate the repatriation of vulnerable
Australians from abroad, your
contribution is valued and has helped
ensure the health and safety of all
Territorians.
As I reflect on the year that has passed,
I am inspired by the resilience
demonstrated by all Australians and I
am particularly proud of the
contribution of our service personnel.
The attitudes, professionalism and
compassion, in challenging
circumstances, has been impressive.
Supported by our families and friends,
we truly have served the community
within which we live and work. This has
been both humbling and incredibly
rewarding. I commend all Defence
families for enabling this support,
particularly in the midst of so much
uncertainty. I have also been impressed
with the resilience and spirit that the
wider Top End community has shown.
In the face of dynamic circumstances
and considerable ambiguity, the
community has remained united,
supported one another and
demonstrated true Territorian spirit.
While 2020 provided many
unprecedented challenges, we must all
prepare for what 2021 may bring.
Notably, the 1st Brigade has retained its
role as the Australian Army’s Ready
Brigade, while the Patrol Boat and
Regional Force Surveillance Groups will
continue to protect our maritime
borders. The RAAF will continue to
play a critical role in the repatriation of
Australians from overseas, while also a
key enabler for all ADF contingency
operations. Being ‘Ready’ requires —at
times — high operational tempo to
support both domestic and offshore
operations, as well as the need to
maintain high readiness forces for a
range of contingencies. This is a no-fail
mission.
While we must maintain our strong
readiness culture, I encourage all service
personnel to maintain an effective
work-life balance, where possible. I aim
to have our people at home with
families for important events, including
school holidays and major festive
periods. While travel opportunities
were limited throughout 2020, the
New Year brings with it renewed hope
for domestic and overseas travel. I
encourage all personnel to make the
most of their Remote Location Leave
Travel (RLLT) entitlements and take
the opportunity for downtime
whenever it presents.
The ADF’s service to the nation during
2020 confirms the need to foster
important relationships through
community engagement. Our role
within the community is critical and
important for the ADF’s reputation, as
well as our own individual well-being.
This is particularly important in the Top
End, noting the challenges from
geographical dislocation with the rest of
the country.
I encourage all ADF families
to enter the New Year with
a sense of purpose and
positivity. Immerse
yourselves in all that the
Northern Territory has to
offer, and explore the many
unique and vibrant natural
and cultural attractions
available. I sincerely hope that you
embrace the challenges and rewards
that a posting to the Top End provides.
Defence’s greatest asset is its people,
including our families. I look forward to
engaging with as many of you as
possible throughout 2021.
Australian Army
Brigadier Ash Collingburn, DSM
Senior ADF Officer in the NT and
Commander 1st Brigade
Hi everyone, Happy New Year to all
and I hope that 2021 finds you in a
good place. For those new to the NT,
welcome to the Top End Navy and
wider ADF Team in HMAS
Coonawarra, the Larrakeyah Defence
Precinct (LDP) and Defence
Establishment Berrimah (DEB), and to
what is a unique and wonderful part of
Australia.
To those who have continued to work
at sea and ashore over the Christmas/
New Year period in support of
operations, I thank you for your Service
during what is traditionally a time of
pause for most Australians. In particular
too, I wish to thank family members for
your understanding, sacrifice and the
important ongoing support you provide
to your loved ones. You too are very
much a part of our team, and I am very
grateful of your strong support.
Although 2021 has arrived, the
challenges of COVID-19 remain with us
as they do across the globe, and I note
the additional difficulties this has
presented for many of us, including not
being able to visit family and friends in
2020, and having plans disrupted at
short notice recently. I remain
impressed by your efforts to manage
these issues, and more broadly of our
contribution to Government efforts
here in the NT and across Australia to
manage COVID. We look ahead with
much optimism as we build on National
efforts which will see us progressively
emerge from the current pandemic
over the coming year.
I was very excited to return to Darwin
in December, having enjoyed a
previous posting here in 2011/12.
During that period (and I’ll pick up
where I left off in this regard) I sought
as much as possible to experience the
unique beauty and cultural diversity of
the Top End; I encourage you to do
the same. Whether you’ve been here
for a while or are newly arrived,
acquaint yourself with the many natural
and cultural attractions that are part of
the annual rhythm of Darwin and the
Top End, and engage!
For newcomers, I strongly endorse the
DCO Darwin Welcome ADF Families
Event to be held on January 23 at a
local venue. You will meet your local
DCO Darwin team, learn about the
wide range of support and networking
services available to you, and also meet
some of the amphibian locals who
sport a very wide grin – but don’t get
too close! We will continue to provide
opportunities throughout the year for
connection and access to information
on all available services through
information events in LDP and via
regular Navy Divisional System
interaction.
Having joined our Team in the Top
End, you are now part of a large,
diverse and growing Navy presence,
with more than 700 uniformed
personnel in a variety of roles spanning
Navy and Joint positions. The Navy
(and ADF more broadly) constitute a
significant part of the Darwin/NT
community. Indeed, our families inject a
depth and breadth of diversity through
their engagement in work, schools,
sporting activities, and other social
engagements. We are well respected
and enjoy a good reputation, to which
you will make a direct contribution as a
member of the wider community, and
by participating in various HMAS
Coonawarra community-based
activities. These events are a great
opportunity for us to share with the
community our great pride in our Navy.
The year ahead will be another busy
one with ongoing operations and
exercises at sea, and the essential work
ashore in support. All this while we
build future capability including
infrastructure upgrades above and
below ground in HMAS Coonawarra
and across LDP and see work progress
on our waterfront infrastructure.
In closing, I trust you will make the
most of the professional opportunity
and challenge provided by our work in
the Top End, and hope you and your
family find your time in this unique part
of Australia enriching and enjoyable. I
very much look forward to seeing you
at work and in the community
throughout the year. Be ‘Fit to Fight’, be
safe, remain connected and prosper.
Australian Navy
Commander Moses Raudino
Senior ADF Officer in the NT and
Commander HMAS Coonawarra
4 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 5