TIGER TALES. END OF ERA FOR ARMY APCs. Tiger Tales up coming events. Binh Ba Day. Tiger Sports. Tiger of the Month. Tiger Cubs

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1 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 1 TIGER TALES END OF ERA FOR ARMY APCs Tiger Tales up coming events Binh Ba Day The 5 th Battalion is commemorating its biggest battle of battles. The event will be on Sunday the 6 th of June 2010 for all members past and present and their families and friends. Proceedings commence at 10 o clock and will include lunch, children activities and entertainment. Tiger Sports Captain Ruben Omaji wins his first Official fight in Darwin. Continued Page 11 Tiger of the Month The 5 th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment s Delta Company deployed from Robertson Barracks on exercise Southern Reach on the 6 th of April The training was held in the Cultana training area in South Australia, incorporated 10 and 11 Platoon to complete the final exercise using the M113A1 (A1) armoured personnel carriers. Delta Company culminated their training with the Quintas Cup, a military competition testing basic skills and drills of Infantry Soldiers. Exercise Southern Reach would historically be the last exercise to operate the A1 carrier, in order to make room for the new variant M113AS4. This months Tiger of the Month is Corporal Dakin from Charlie Company. Continued Page 3 Tiger Cubs This month we have two members bring new tiger cubs to the Battalion. Continued Page10 We Are the Tiger Battalion The A1 carrier has a long and proud history in the Australian Army since they were first introduced in After 45 years of service to the nation and serving in theatres like Vietnam, Somalia, and East Timor. 5 RAR saw battle with these very carriers during the battle of Binh Ba and again on operation s in East Timor. It was thereby appropriate that 5 RAR was given the opportunity to exercise these machines last before they return to Bandiana in Victoria for refit. Delta Company trained extensively on snap Vehicle Check Point, Counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) drills, Convoy, and Vital Point drills with the carriers in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan. Continued Page 2

2 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 2 The Section Commanders on the ground elaborated that most drills were conducted successfully however; basic drills let some individuals down, especially searching techniques in VP drills. Over all, the Soldiers of Delta Company adapted well to their Mech training and performed exceedingly well with their basic Infantry Minor Tactics. Quintas Cup, held on the 13 th to the 14 th April consisted of a total 48 hours of dismounted and mounted vehicle operations which lead into a 15 km Combat Fitness Assessment pack march. The Quintas Cup would also hold a live fire battle run serial as the final test for the soldiers of Delta Company. END OF ERA FOR ARMY APCs The live fire battle run would implement skills of soldiers operating their individual weapon system in a live fire environment. Crews of the A1 carrier would operate the main armament of the Carriers, the 50 calibre quick change barrel machine gun. The Platoons were individually tested on their basic Infantry minor tactics and mounted vehicle drills, and also ran through different serials of snap vehicle checkpoints, vital point drills, IED drills and casualty evacuations. Delta Company ended Quintas Cup and exercise Southern Reach late on the afternoon on the 14 th of April, the day that marked the last use of the in-service A1 Carriers. From the accumulated performances of both 10 Platoon and 11 Platoon it was a hard decision to choose which platoon came on top for the Quintas Cup, thus was a tie. Throughout exercise Southern Reach and the Quintas Cup, Delta Company established a variance of training experiences. The Company learned valuable lessons from vehicle drills using the A1 carriers, and what individual soldiers learned from being on the ground. The 15 th of April 2010 would end the final exercise that A1 carriers would be operated and proudly leaving 5 RAR Delta Company as the last Company to utilise the M113A1 Carrier. 5 RAR SNIPER STAND ON SHOW On the 14 th of May 2010 the 1st Brigade put on a rare public display of it s most prised weapons and specialist equipment as a demonstration for Defence s most recent graduates into the Defence Materials (DMO) program. On show upon the Brigade Parade Grounds, this event was aimed to display each combat unit s specialised equipment for the new DMO employees to review in a practical setting what they had previously learned in theory. The local Palmerston High School was also given the opportunity to attend and given an insight on the different jobs available within the Defence Force. 5 RAR s Support Company utilised the highly skilled and trained Sniper Cell to display the modern mechanised Sniper capability whereby members from DMO and the local Palmerston High School could get an insight into the weapon systems and tactics of the illusive sniper. Corporal Burley, Private Halsey, Private Bickerton, and Private Robbins were the sniper team sent down to display the capability of the 5 RAR Sniper Cell. The Sniper team displayed a variety of weapon systems such as the Sniper Rifle 98, 50 calibre Anti-Material Rifle, pistols, surveillance equipment and the soldier s individual Yowie suits. Students from the Local Palmerston High School were ecstatic to handle the Sniper Rifles that were on display. Corporal Burley gave the high school a presentation on the capabilities of all the weapon systems and an introduction on what it takes to be a sniper in the Australian Army.

3 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 3 60 SECONDS WITH BIKO OC CHARLIE Shortly after boozer parade one afternoon I hung around a little longer in order to speak to Major French, to ask him some questions for this very article. The interview would have begun slightly sooner if it weren t for a python which decided to make a home beneath one of the wheelie bins. It was here where I witnessed first hand Major French in his role as Officer Commanding, overseeing the umm... careful removal of this unwelcome intruder. Sure enough the snake was dealt with in a way only befitting an infantry battalion. Major French or Frenchy to those who are not required to address him as Sir is 31 years of age. Married to Liz from whom has given him two young boys, his eldest of 3 years new born. Major French joined the Army back in 1996 some 14 years ago straight out of high school. The army is simply something he had always wanted to do and having known other officers before signing up he was more inclined to go for his commission as opposed to going down the Kapooka path. I asked Major French if he had ever been infringed during his career, he said Never been charged, never been caught. Major French said that he s currently in his dream job, newly appointed OC of Charlie Company, and is quite content in his position, but given that he intends to stay in the army as long as they ll have him, I m sure he ll be keen to climb that ladder again with time. Even though Major French intends on staying in the green machine I posed to him if he did hypothetically leave the Army what would be his preferred line of work. With that he simply said Sports Management, preferably rugby union. Like everyone in the army there are certain things about it which cause great annoyance. For Major French it is paper work and the having too much of it and unrealistic directives from desk warriors. And if I could throw in my two cents I ve noticed that he s none too fond of dirty fridge seals during room inspections. Major French is an avid sports fan following rugby union, cricket and skiing, having participated in them all at some point and in his words very poorly. In his spare time he s tending to the needs of a newly born baby with his wife Liz, but if he had time for other things it would be spent cycling and to the study of military history. His favourite drink is Rum & Coke which he may possibly drink while watching his favourite movie The Usual Suspects. When asked weather he prefers RM Williams or Country road (Fashion Labels) he replied Billabong. Major French says that he loves Darwin and the relaxed lifestyle it offers and the lack of pretentious individuals who are so abundant in the big cities. I gave Major French the opportunity to send a message out to all his diggers in Charlie Company and this is what he had to say, Do more than is asked, more than is necessary, you ll get better at it and enjoy everything more.

4 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 4 CO 5 RAR Reports The 5 th Battalion has commenced the New Year with eagerness and enthusiasm for the opportunities that await us in This anticipation comes on the back of a successful 2009 that saw elements of the Battalion deployed across three separate operational environments and a complete domination of the 1st Brigade Commander s Trophy and sporting competition. The Battalion is almost fully manned with over 750 soldiers, making us the largest Battalion in the Regiment. With the recent march in of MTF personnel from across the Brigade our numbers have swelled to over So far this year, I have observed training conducted by all companies and have generally been pleased with the standard I have observed. The Battalion team won the Brigade military skills competition and our AASAM team won the RAR trophy with some excellent shooting. As we prepare for deployment to Afghanistan later this year, I ask you all to remain mission focussed and remember that the quality of the training you are conducting now may be the difference between life and death for you or one of your mates. It is vitally important that we prepare ourselves as well as possible. Train hard and make the time you spend with your families count. DUTY FIRST Corporal John Dakin is the Tiger of the Month His loyalty to the Coy and Battalion is unquestioned and he has given and received that same loyalty to his soldiers, and lifted their collective efforts. He is a determined, combat focused and strong young JNCO who has made all efforts to train his soldiers to the highest standards. At short notice he assumed command of the C Coy MSS after his SECT COMD was deployed to assist RMC, and his confident approach and job knowledge ensured that this was a seamless transition. CPL Dakin developed and ran an excellent training program designed to test the individual and collective skills of his section. CPL Dakin is nominated as 'Tiger of the month' for his work as A/SECT COMD MSS and training of other soldiers. CPL Dakin has exemplified the "Traits of the Tiger" and the spirit of C Coy. He is a keenly focused individual, determined to prepare his soldiers for operations in combat conditions and ensuring their skills are constantly tested and developed. He is an extremely fit JNCO who provides an excellent example for all members of the Coy to follow in his approach to his work, his personal readiness. He was intimately aware of all issues regarding the welfare of his soldiers and was able to provide excellent advice to the CHQ on MSS issues and guidance to the more junior members of the section as required. His skills and dedication to his duty resulted in his early promotion to CPL within C Coy and command of a rifle section. CPL Dakin is a fitting recipient of the title of 'Tiger of the Month' and should be commended for his efforts

5 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 5 THE WONDER MONTHS Delta Company came back for the New Year riled up and ready to go. All eyes were on Afghanistan as the Digger net kept everyone informed as to what we would be doing throughout the year. The Company took on a new look with plenty of Digs from Singo and a new CHQ in the form of OC MAJ Roy Henry and 2IC CAPT Omaji. It was quickly established with the meshing of CHQ and the soldiers the focus of the year would be on realistic graduated training designed to train us for the likelihood of combat before the year is out. February saw the mustering and administration of the platoons into units with a strong identity. The focus was on the NCO s who provided a solid IMT platform and battle fitness to prepare the lads to step up for March. Towards the end of February we saw many depart on courses, most heading south to conduct M113, PMV and SIO-S courses. Closer to home Sniper Cell plucked a handful to participate in Pre Course assessment for the Sniper course, of which Delta fielded two successful candidates. The beginning of March saw the focus on Range Week. The order of the day was rounds down range and the boys certainly did that, achieving excellent groupings from standing, kneeling and prone positions and at alternating ranges. LF4 was shot again and again on the GZR and 200m was drilled concurrently from the MTR. The results were excellent and set us up for success for the remainder of the week Gunners got their day out too and with plenty of link they improved their collective skills firing at alternate ranges on snap and deliberate serials from all positions. By the end of the day the Gunners had brought their F89 s under control and were missing low flying aircraft and hitting rabbits at 200m. Mid week LF6 was shot and some excellent results were achieved. More than 15 people qualified to shoot the AMP and across the board second and first class shots were the norm. Although shooting by day provided great results shooting by night presented new considerations. Working with NFE to engage at extended ranges was challenging and provided a great lesson in the art of night fighting. Soldiers who qualified for the AMP shoot were bussed out the next day and although many cursed coming in close to miss out by 1 or 2 shots, 5 earned their Cross Rifles. You ll know who they are on ANZAC Day because they ll have big grins. Throughout the week concurrent training had focussed on AACFF, First Aid and battle PT. The components of concurrent training and shooting were assessed in a culminating activity that encompassed stretcher carrying, battle shooting from alternating positions, AACFF, First Aid, LZ marking and IMT s. The soldiers performed excellently under stress and in the heat of the day. In the end, 41A dominated and set the standard for what we can achieve with a well trained motivated Infantry Section. NOTICE TO TIGER MEMBERS RLLT DEALS Exclusive Defence Deals with Escape Travel Palmerston $ 100 off international packages * $ 50 off domestic package * 10 % off Travel Insurance Free kids pack for families Complimentary gifts for honeymooners and special occasions. Call them now on Or drop in and see them You ll find them near Gloria Jeans, next door to SportsCo in the Palmerston Shopping Centre 5 RAR Upcoming Leave Period 5 RAR Reduce activity Leave period is beginning on the 12 th of June 2010 and ending on the 27 th of June Escape Travel Palmerston your local travel specialists proudly supporting defence force members and their families.

6 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 6 5 RAR COIN COURSE While many departed on a well earned holiday in January 2010, several individuals from 5 RAR deployed to Afghanistan to attend the Counter-Insurgency Leaders Course. The following members; CAPT R. Omaji, LT T. Butcher, LT T. Friend, WO2 B. Tully and SGT C. Gilchrist were fortunate enough to attended the course which was run by our American counterparts during the period of Jan En route to the course, this assorted group of SNCO and Officers transited through Kandahar, Tarin Kowt and Kabul. During their travels the group had the privilege of discussing the current operating environment with members of Australia s MRTF 4 as well as the Initial Incident Response team operating in Tarin Kowt. Many of those that the team spoke to from the 1 RAR Battle Group were soon to return home after their 8 month tour and were longing to take some well deserved leave. Interestingly, these members that we spoke to all drew on their common frustration with the prevalence of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) within the Uruzgun Province. Many further commented that they believed that the increase in IED finds and strikes was increasingly becoming linked to the volatile economic climate of the region. As such, with the median payment of US$40 to place an IED, it becomes a promising means of supporting families throughout periods of hardship especially leading up to winter. The Counter-Insurgency Course is a relatively new initiative instated by ISAF Commander, General McChrystal. As such the COIN Academy is the leading institution which is teaching ISAF personnel the fundamentals of how to successfully engage in counterinsurgency warfare. As expected the Academy is supported largely by the United States Military however there is a respectable contribution of Australian Instructors and affiliated personal that support the Academy s work. The course itself was structured in such a way that guest speakers would drive the subject matter and as such there was a significant emphasis placed on the quality and diversity of the presenters. The spectrum ranged from Non Governmental Organisations such as USAID, to Government Ministries such as the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), to interpreters as well as representatives from the Afghan National Army, Police and Commandos. Throughout the course two of the most defining presentations were delivered by a United States representative who discussed the National Campaign Strategy for both ISAF and OEF forces for 2010 and secondly by a representative from the Afghan Commando Brigade who talked about the Afghan perceptions of foreign forces in their country and the development of their national defence force. Interestingly, both speakers presented a common concept, in which they urged the students to go forward and employ the practices taught at the academy but to always do so in conjunction with co-ordinated military action. As a result of all the product and presentations delivered at the Academy it soon became evident that the core principle of counter-insurgency warfare was that our actions need to be civilian rather than enemy driven. Consequently the soldier on the ground needs to be conscious of the possible second and third order effects which may both directly and indirectly result from his actions. An example of this is presented in the scenario below. For instance, let s take the sighting of an LZ for a routine resupply whilst out on patrol. The commander initially determines a suitable LZ not far from his current location amongst farming lands. After arriving at the selected site he realises that crops are being farmed on the intended LZ. Thus the dilemma, should the commander still utilise this LZ or reconsider his options even though the next suitable ground may be 30 minutes away? Consider this, you conduct the resupply but in the process a large portion of the crops are squashed and torn from the ground due to the recent drought. What impact does this have on the farmer? Does this now mean the farmer now can t support his family for the coming winter? Will the farmer now have to turn to other means to earn money until the next farming season? And finally, what does the farmer now think of Coalition forces? Continued Page 6

7 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 7 5 RAR COIN COURSE Now in hindsight, there is no disputing the fact that our own security and that of those we are sworn to protect most come foremost, however sometimes the practicality of it must be tweaked. Thus is it not more successful if we can still conduct this task without generating bad sentiments against coalition forces even though the timings of the task had to subsequently be extended. In conclusion the opportunity to have attended the COIN Academy was second to none. The course not only served as an effective medium for teaching the principles behind counter-insurgency warfare, but also facilitated forming contacts with various other militaries. Additionally, those who attended were able to gain a sound understanding of the theatre to which 5 RAR will shortly be deploying into. As such, it would only serve the unit well to continue to send individuals to attend the course in the lead up the unit s deployment to Afghanistan as part of MTF2 in late Left to Right: L.T BUTCHER, WO2 TULLY, SGT GILCHRIST, CAPT OMAJI, L.T FRIEND 5 RAR SNIPERS Only a few hours after first light and already the humidity in the thick overgrown training area makes sweat bead off their green painted faces. The ragged, shaggy yowies move slowly and silently, bolt action rifle in hand, pausing regularly to observe their surroundings. Today, they would stalk their way to an enemy observation post where they would greet the occupant with one life-taking shot. But it was at that position where the Sniper's greatest challenge resided. Upon the enemy post sat one of their own Team Leaders, seasoned in the art of sniping. Carefully poised with a set of binoculars, this Enemy slowly searched the area before him for the slightest sign of an intruder. Neither side takes their role lightheartedly; there is no medal for second place in this environment. This is a typical training scenario for the soldiers currently conducting on the Sniper Course run at 5 RAR during March and April The trainees will endure a lot of fatigue, both physically and mentally, and have to be able to remain proficient throughout. If you don't love living in the field, getting dirty, cut up, crawling hundreds of metres at a time, getting in fistfights with mosquitoes, and staying cold for days at a time then this isn't the job for you. Field skills are just as important as being able to shoot well. The ability to remain undetected and engage a hostile target with precision fire from a distance beyond normal infantry weapon systems has always been a significant advantage during conflict. On completion of the course the newest members will become an integral part of the Sniper Cell, providing 5RAR with a critical capability that can be utilised in all phases of war.

8 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 8 5 RAR RECON SURVIVAL COURSE Soldiers from Support Company 5 RAR along with members from Norforce joined together to embark on a 2 week survival course. The course entailed how an individual or group can use their environmental surrounding to sustain them with food, water and shelter for basic survival. The local indigenous community of Daly River assisted in the teaching of survival to the infantry soldiers of 5 RAR and the Norforce patrolmen having a wealth of local knowledge and experience in living in the Top End. Recon Platoon from 5 RAR s Support Company was the main body of the course but was also assisted with members from Signals Platoon. Soldiers Pte Geyer, Pte Poulter, Pte Ognew, Pte Clarke, Pte Robertson, and Pte Klarner were selected to attend the survival course, learning extensively from the McTaggart family; the indigenous community of Daly River. Above Soldiers from Support Company and Norforce with the McTaggart Family The McTaggart family taught many skills including providing the course with freshly caught turtles, a kangaroo, bush yams and damper. They also went on to explain their hunting and gathering techniques. By giving their knowledge on Australian bush tucker it aided the soldiers on the techniques on surviving in this hostile environment. Daly River indigenous resident Patricia McTaggart gave the soldiers of 5 RAR and Norforce a complete demonstration on the preparation on how to make a hot coal oven in the Northern Territory bushlands. The community s broad understanding of the land and local knowledge is a great learning asset for the soldiers and their understanding of this unique.

9 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 9 I 42 BUSY SCHEDULE I42 has had a busy yet successful start to In between the tires of leave apps and security upgrade paperwork, members departing on courses and the tasteless humour of several JNCO s the Platoon has achieved some commendable results across the board. During the conduct of D COY s range week the platoon revisited the traditional live fire competencies for small arms. After some successful shooting the platoon then commenced a series of several unorthodox but challenging F88 and F89 shoots which tested them both physically and mentality. Fortunately though, between the wholesome a-lar-carte gourmet cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner provided by the Company 2IC, CAPT Omaji, the boys managed to stay focussed and maintain some commendable shooting results. In line with this achievement, the platoon also achieved a very good result in the section level competition at the end of the week. The competition saw all sections participate in a march and shoot scenario which involved a pack march, stores carry, section defence shoot as well as a medical casualty and AACFF stand. Hats go off to both CPL Herbert and CPL Solis who respectively achieved 1 st and 2 nd place within the Company. There was no rest for the wicked as the following week the Company then deployed into the Close Training Area to revisit section level IMT s. Having deployed several weeks prior for a pre-shake out CPL Solis, CPL Herbert and CPL Monkhouse hit the ground running and lead there sections through a series of test of objectives. In between avoiding spotlighting shooters, snake bites and the local 3m salt water crocodile, all three section commanders achieved some good training and were subsequently able to identify several areas for improvement. Similar to the week before, the CTA activity was shaped to identify the best performing sections within the Company and as such each section was assessed on three deliberate attacks. The results were once again heavily skewed in favour of I42 with CPL Herbert securing 1 st, CPL Solis 2 nd and CPL Monkhouse 4 th. Following several days out bush the Platoon returned to the hangers with one final hurdle, a 10km pack march followed by a water obstacle crossing. Whilst some might argue that the water crossing was conducted prior to the North pool, due to the previous nights rain flooding the perimeter fence, the event was a great success which was undoubtedly felt by all the next day. Binh Ba Platoon was formed earlier this year to administer the injured soldiers, the new march ins and any one else in between. Over the past two weeks Binh Ba has administered over 50 new soldiers. When the new soldiers arrive, they are picked up from the airport by army transport and then dropped of at the 5 RAR guard room. The RPs are responsible for the first bit of admin which includes sorting out their accommodation and and conduct records. From there the soldiers are marched to Binh Ba PL wear they undergo acclimatisation PT, march in paper work, and given briefs about Robertson barracks and the Darwin area. They idea is to march them into a company after two weeks with all their administration completed. Aside from the new soldiers, Binh Ba is responsible for Rehabilitating the injured soldiers of 5RAR. Lcpl Bettes is responsible for the MEC-3 members who are not injured and are able to participate in PT, his job is to get them to a fitness standard that is acceptable in the rifle companies. Time in Binh Ba is spent either at PT, admin work, or following a training program to maintain soldier skills. This includes nav lessons, all arms call for fire, studying the MAF, and weapons lessons. At the moment there are seven soldiers from Binh Ba in Cultana playing enemy for C coy. So far Binh Ba PL has not had any major disciplinary issues, and what little ones that have occurred have been dealt with quickly and appropriately, with no soldiers having proved themselves as admin nightmares. Binh Ba PL is becoming more efficient every day, and the speed at which administration is being conducted will only get faster. Whilst all that is green may appear to be the emphasis of this article there are two other notable events that have occurred recently. Firstly, for those outside of the Rugby mafia, CPL Solis has achieved some respectable results whilst representing 5RAR in the 1 Brigade Rugby Union team, most notably at the recent Kapooka 10 s competition. And finally, we would like to congratulate PTE Flynn on the birth of his first child Ruby Jade Flynn, who was born on the 28 Feb 10.

10 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 10 ANZAC TRADITIONS SHARED WITH WULAGI PRIMARY SCHOOL On Friday the 23 rd of April 2010, PTE Joshua De Backer departed Binh Ba Lines for Wulagi Primary School to educate and inspire students with the ANZAC spirit from recounting battle honours and bravery from young Australians that have shaped this great nation. PTE De Backer was given the opportunity to share with early childhood classes from Transition to Grade 5 on the traditions of being an ANZAC and the experiences of being a soldier in the Australian Army. Mrs Susanne Fisher, Principal of Wulagi Primary, welcomed the opportunity of having a soldier go from class to class and individually speaking with the students on the customs and traditions of the ANZACs. PTE De Backer said, It was a great pleasure to go to the local school and talk to the kids about ANZAC Day and teaching them about what it s like to be a soldier. PTE De Backer was amazed that the majority of children in early childhood had a good understanding of ANZAC Day and the history of the Australian Army. The school of 200-odd students held a Service at lunchtime to finish the day s commemoration to the ANZACs. The special guest for the ceremony was Mr Robert Johnston, a veteran of the Vietnam War and President of the NT Association. An introduction was also given by the local MLA representative; Mr. Peter Styles, who showed his grandfather s and father s war medals. The Ode was given by both school captains Marnie Hake and Zackary Derksen. The NT News was also present recording and taking photos of the whole ceremony. The school conducted a beautiful ceremony and captured exactly what the ANZAC spirit is all about. Upper Primary grades 5/6 have been studying the ANZAC traditions and the battles that the ANZACs fought. Asked to provide an impromptu military training experience, PTE De Backer provided a demonstration on camouflage and concealment for the students who were practiced in the application of camouflage paint (and it s delicate removal). The face painting proved a hit with the little-ones and certainly left the students with a lasting impression of ANZAC Day and the Australian Army. Wulagi Primary was very welcoming to the traditions of ANZAC Day, all the classes having made their own wreaths to present at the ceremony of flag-raising in honour of the ANZAC soldiers. Private De Backer, Teacher Mrs Cheryl Burnett and grade 2/3 of Wulagi Primary School

11 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 11 MORTAR PLATOON Well it s been another busy start to the year of training in 2010 with the majority of the Platoon away on course, including SIOS, JLC, Officer/ NCO Mortars, Languages, PMV/Commander Driver courses and lets not forget to mention the odd couple of soldiers sent to Cultana to support the other Coys. As far as training within the Mortar Pl is going, most of the members are either on course with the remainder of SPT COY forming into training Pl. Activities conducted so far include line drills, Urban training with Delta Coy, a strict PT program and also a week long range phase which incorporated pack marching from SPT Coy to the range in the morning followed by a return in the evening. Congratulations to PTE WALL who had a baby girl born this month and PTE Martin from Mortars who had a baby boy. PTE Martin could not decide a name for his new born, so to solve this dilemma names were put into a hat from Mortar Pl and PTE Martin drew out the name of his child. The wait was finally put to an end when he withdrew the new name of his first born boy. Some of the names put forward were; Ray, Akhmed and Slumdog. After much debate with his partner they decided to name his child Alex after LT Alex Davidson our faithful Pl commander. TECH SUPPORT PLATOON 5 RAR RAP The RAP, to say the least, had a hectic start to the year attempting to achieve medical readiness for the close to 800 soldiers and officers of the Battalion. We have been kept on our toes completing annual health assessments, vaccinations and sick parades. This is in addition to the never ending chain of medical administration. We currently have two members deployed to Malaysia on RCB, CPL Schofield and LCPL Rivadillo. PTE Dovey is currently attending the Advanced Medical Assistant Course (AMAC) at the Army School of Health. The RAP welcomed several new members this year: LT Van Ash RN, SGT Lees, CPL Cantwell, PTE s: Gulliver, Gardiner and McInnes; joining the RMO CAPT Heathcote, WOMED WO2 Brooks and Carol Perry our civilian RN. We will have several members of the RAP attending different courses this year including AMAC, Acute Mental Health On Operations and Rotary Wing Aero Medical Evacuation course. In addition to these courses, members will also take part in various other promotion and subject courses as well as specialised pre-deployment medical training. The RAP will remain committed to our mission in securing medical readiness and care for 5RAR. Whilst our work load is massive and shows no signs of abating, morale remains high and we are looking forward to the future challenges of the year. Well, it s a new year in the Tigers workshop which brings a new dynamic to the workshop floor. Over the Christmas break we said goodbye to a number hard working faces and hello and welcome to the new faces and their families that have joined Tiger family. This year was marked to be a busy year and has already proven to be just that. With the preparation of the vehicles for Exercise Southern Reach Around being given to the workshop at the last minute, the workshop had to burn the candle at both ends to get the vehicles ready, and did so without reproach. Due to the introduction of the new M113 AS4 later this year, a whole new range of challenges are sure to arise which we are sure to find interesting and confusing, but are sure to adapt and over come. This year the workshop has more people than last year and with the influx and promotion of rank we should be able to conquer the manning issues we faced last year. This should mean we all get to spend more time at home with our families before some of us depart for 8 months overseas on deployment.

12 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 12 5 RAR CATERING Well the year has started with catering platoon hitting the ground running with a flurry of the usual activities to start the year off. First we had everyone s favourite, the start of year induction training where most just managed to stay awake. Then the new members of the unit started to familiarise themselves with the Battalion and the who s who in the zoo. This year s new march-in s for Catering Platoon are WO2 Warren Twaddle (Caterer) who has come across from 2 Cav Regiment, Darwin, SGT Jason Bateup from 7 Signal Regiment (EW), CPL Andrew (Cowboy) Cowen from B SQN 3/4 Cav Regiment Townsville, and CPL Daryl (Freeo) Freeman from 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment, Townsville and CPL Brendon Mc Donald from 2 Cav Regiment. So far this year we have seen the Caterer and PTE Darcy deploy to Cultana on EX Southern Reach for three months and SGT Mick Kearney head off to complete his Sub 1 for Warrant Officer, leaving Cpl Cowen as the acting Caterer over this time. SGT Jason Bateup is currently on deployment with the Rifle Coy Butterworth and is due back in the not too distance future. The first function that the platoon supported this year was the Battalion Birthday which due to a heavy storm was cancelled at the last moment and re-scheduled for the following weekend. We have also been very busy with the normal day to day support to all of the messes within the Brigade which has seen the boys perform well with the heavy work load. At present we are preparing to support the snipers course at KFTA as well as EX Nui Dat, Ex Rapid Tiger, and ANZAC day just to name a few. We are looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead and hope to make this year the best year for 5 RAR Catering as this will be our last year in the Battalion before we are all posted to 1 CSSB and the new Catering Coy at the end of the Year. 5 RAR TIGER CUBS Alexandra Loftus Daughter of CPL G. Loftus 5 RAR Support Company Born 25 Mar 2010 Delivered at home by Lofty In a birthing pool Jack Archibald Peasley Son of Kurt Peasley 5 RAR Support Company Born 16 APR 2010 At Royal Darwin Hospital 5 Lbs 9 oz/ kg 8 Lbs 16 oz/3.7kg

13 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 13 RUGBY PLAYER MOVES TO BOXING SENSATION 5 RAR SPORTS ZONE 5 RAR s Captain Reuben Ute Omaji contented his first official amateur fight against Sam Swalding on 17 April 2010, whereby he triumphantly won the Northern Territory Boxing Association Super heavyweight division fight. Omaji is well known to 5 RAR as one of the Tiger rugby players, whom early this year participated in the 1st Brigade rugby team. Captain Omaji, who first enlisted to the Australian Defence Force on 09 Jul 2002, has been deployed to East Timor and Solomon Islands on Operations ANODE and ASTUTE. Omaji has always been passionate about his sports, and throughout the last year has been juggling his rugby with his boxing training. After participating 5 RAR win of the BDE Rugby tournament last year, he came to the decision to bring his rugby playing to a close and become more serious about his boxing training. Omaji commits most days of the week for his boxing training and also dedicates himself to extensive explosive and dynamic strength trainnig. His training consists of a cardio based workout and a gym based circuit. Despite recently being deployed to Cultana on exercise before his fight, Omaji still made time for his exercise program in the field. Omaji has always enjoyed the art of boxing since childhood, he says its old fashion prehistoric fun, two men enter and one man leaves. All of Omaji s dedication to training assisted him to victory in his fight against Sam Swalding. Originally Omaji was not meant to contend against Swalding for the official fight, who was a last minute fill-in due to the original contender being injured. On the 17 April 2010 Reuben Omaji weighed in at 91.7kg against Sam Swalding weighing in at 119 kg. Victory aside, Reuben said I could definitely feel the weight difference. The fight between Omaji and Swalding was booked for three by two minute rounds. The fight ended just short of the last round by 20 seconds due to Swalding receiving an injury to his elbow. Omaji delivering a swift blow to Swalding Although, Omaji still would have won the fight regardless of this injury as he was leading by seven or so points. Omaji said It was a tough fight and a good experience. I learned much from my fight, especially to keep my left guard up and to keep my chin tucked in. Omaji is continuing his training and aspiring to participate in more official fights, and if work permits, will one day turn professional. BRENDEN BETTESS IS TEAFA s 3 RD BEST & FAIREST Last year s 5 RAR Aussie Rules best and fairest winner LCPL Brenden Bettess has now left his mark on the local AFL competition. TEAFA (Top End Australian Football Association) tallied up all the votes from the last footy season on Monday 23rd of February and placed Brenden in at 3rd place for best and fairest. This was no mean feat as the tallied votes came from a pool of over 150 players who all could have potentially won votes. Brendan plays for the Pint Football Club (Pint Green Ants) who are currently undefeated this season. This is only Brenden s first season with the team but has already made an impression in what is an A grade league. After demolishing their opposition in the preliminary finals Brenden and the rest of the Pint Green Ants are set to play the Banks Bulldogs on Sunday 7th March for the Grand Final. The Green Ants are especially keen to take home the trophy to finish off their perfect season.

14 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 14 5 RAR PLAYER LEAD 1 ST BDE RUGBY TEAM TO WIN TENS The 1st Brigade rugby team, the Spartans, won their first 10 s tournament for the season on Saturday 27th of February. The newly formed team, captained by LT Alex Davidson, is made up of a majority of 5 RAR players with the rest coming from other units around 1st Brigade. Rugby 10 s is a variant form of rugby union in which teams are made up of ten players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. This allows for a single team to play several games in a day. Of the eight teams that competed in the South Darwin 10 s the Spartans played three of them. The first match was against the Palmerston Crocs. The Spartans had scored 3 tries and 2 conversions against the Crocs 1 try, the Spartans coming out the victors In the second match the Spartans came up against the Casuarina Cougars, who incidentally were ranked number one and tipped to win the tournament. The first half resulted in a stalemate with neither side making a try. Then late into the second half the Spartans scored a try. With only minutes to go the Cougars managed to make it pass the Spartans defence and scored a try, but missed their conversion which would have won them the match. Because the Spartans scored first, victory was given to them placing them into the Grand Final. The Grand Final was played against the Darwin Dragons. The Spartans made 3 tries against the Dragons 2 tries. With that the 1st Brigade Spartans claimed the trophy and the $1000 prize. When Captain of the Spartans, PTE John Cannons, was asked about the day, he had this to say, The boys pulled together with a last minute team and everyone played well. You can expect big things from this team. The Spartans next game is on Saturday 6th of March, the Jabaroo 10 s. These will be the last games they play before the Kapooka 10 s. Front Row: PTE David INGRHAM, PTE Mitch JUDD, CAPT Reuben OMAJI, PTE Josh GRAY, MAJ Sean KEARNS (Captain / Coach), CAPT Dave JENSEN, CPL Tim GLOVER, PTE Marshall FOWLE, PTE Shaun KOBER, PTE Bart ZAMMITT. Back Row: PTE BJ Lawrence, PTE James BOUCHER, PTE George ALLEN, PTE Paul MOEONO, PTE Chris COOPER, PTE Marty EAGLE, CPL Chris DONOVAN, PTE John CANNONS, LT Alex DAVIDSON. Absent: CAPT Michael O'DONNELL, LPL Matt SOLIS, LCPL Josh POMEROY, PTE Tommy BOOLE, PTE Rees NICHOLLS, PTE Howard AWESSA, PTE Aiden ALLT, PTE Jeremy HENDERSON, PTE Jake BOON, CFN Jake BYRT, LT Jake FISHER, PTE Cole RADNEDGE.

15 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 15 BROCK MILLARD NARROWLY MISSES NATIONAL QUALIFICATION PTE Brock Millard, our resident unit swimmer has narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Telstra National Swimming Championships by only 0.13 seconds. This meet would have given him the opportunity to compete for Commonwealth Games selection. It was at the Power in the Water swimming meet on the 13th of February where Brock swum his premier stroke, 50m breast stroke, clocking in at seconds. There was only one Territorian who ended up qualifying for the championships. Brock joined the Army back in June 2006 and since then he s been deployed to both Iraq (OBGW-3) and Timor Leste (TLGB-5), having served most of his time in Delta Coy. On the 12th of March, Brock will be shaving his head to help raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation in the World s Greatest Shave. When asked if the shaved head would help him achieve faster times in the pool he replied, probably not. For the future Brock has set the bar high. He s hoping to train for a full year with the intention of hitting next year s nationals hard, clearing a way for the 2012 Olympic qualifications. Private Brock Millard With that Brock said If you aim for the stars and you reach the tree tops you ve done pretty well. Lately Brock s training regime has been pretty intensive with two pool sessions a day Monday to Friday and a single session on Saturday, totaling in over 25 hours of swim time a week. The next swim meet on Brock s schedule is the NT Open and Age Championships from the 11th to 14th of March. Brock will be competing in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle as well as the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke. TIGERS STAR IN TEAFA GRAND FINAL WIN After an outstanding season with the Pints football club, 5 RAR s Aussie Rules 'Best and fairest' winner LCPL Brenden Bettess (pictured right of LCPL Sid Dutton) and PTE Chris Demaine starred for the Pints Football Club as they took the 2010 Top End Australia Football Association (TEAFA) grand final. The grand final was played at the Gardens Park Oval in Darwin on the 7th of March 2010, and for the second season in a row The Pints took the match against The Banks. It was a close match between the two teams, but The Pints always kept ahead in each quarter. It was 5 RAR s very own LCPL Bettess who played exceptionally well, scoring two goals in a hard fought game. The game ended in the final quarter with Pints winning and, although LCPL Bettess didn t score all the goals, he was definitely best on the ground. On the 17th of April 2010 The Pints football club held their awards ceremony for the club to merit players of exceptional performance throughout the season. It was no surprise to the audience or players, that Bettess was awarded the golden boot award for being the most consistent player throughout the season.

16 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 16 MILLARD DARWIN RECORD HOLDER Private Brock Millard has again successfully smashed Northern Territory swim records in a championship swimming event. Previously in March, Millard contested in the Mens Open 4 x 100m medley relay where he broke the NT All-Comers Record. Millard also set the new record at 4m 15s 24ms whilst competing at the Vorgee NT open & age championship at Casuarina pool. This month was a significant stepping stone towards Millard s achievements in competitive swimming, motivating Millard to train harder towards competitions held in May. On the 1 st of May 2010 Private Millard attended the Power in the Water Final, a competition held in Darwin at the local Casuarina Pool. Millard set another record at this event on the Mens Open 400m freestyle, making it across the finish line at 4 m 28 s stating that winning the event and breaking the record was a great start to the month. A successful month for Private Millard which has seen him continue breaking more Darwin swim records at numerous events. During the Darwin swimming club championship held at the Parap pool on the 14 th of May 2010, Millard made an outstanding achievement by breaking two Darwin swimming records in the same day. Millard broke the Men s open 400 m freestyle which saw him set the new Darwin best time at 4m 26s and 16ms. Only a short time later Millard recorded 5m 6s 18ms on the Men s open 400m individual medley. A quiet achiever, Private Millard has let his results speak for themselves, a testimony to the arduous hours and intense training and self discipline required of such a champion. Whilst he may be known to shy away from the lime light, there is no escaping the fact that Brock Millard has become a household name in Top End swimming circles. 5 RAR AFL & VOLLEYBALL CHAMPION The 5 th Battalion orderly room Sergeant Lisa Roberts has been aspiring to be quite the diverse sports contender. Lisa enlisted in the Australian Defence Force on the 10 th of November 1999, and has since enlistment been deployed twice on Operation Astute in 2006 and Since 2002 Sergeant Lisa Roberts has been playing Indoor volley ball for the ADF, eventually lead her to play for Australian Defence Volleyball Association. She has been selected for the All Star Six awards and nationals teams, which would have gave her the opportunity to play against the USA and New Zealand. Apart from contending in Volleyball Lisa has also been playing women s AFL in her spare time as a civilian sport. She currently plays for the Women s Waratah team, contested in the grand final last season coming runners up to Saint Mary Women s team. During that season Lisa was awarded Best and Fairest Player for 2009/2010 season and cam runners up in the Women s League best player for the season. Most recently Lisa played in a game for the 5 RAR Tigers in an AFL scratch match against 7 RAR. Besides Lisa s passion for AFL and Volleyball she also enjoys running, though she doesn t run competitively she did participate and won the 1 st Brigade Cross-country in 2005 and Lisa is well known for winning the Annual Lighthouse to Lighthouse Marathon which she ran 1 st place in 2002 and 2003 on her posting at SCMA. Sergeant Lisa Roberts plans to play AFL and Volleyball as much as her duty allows her to and is aiming to selection for Australian Teams. When ever Lisa is lacking on motivation for her sports training she refers to a quote he training partner gave her once Train hard, race easy, which has stuck with her over the year to always give an extra boost of motivation.

17 Tiger Tales Issued, April May Page 17 THOMAS MURRAY MAKES THE GRADE PTE Tom Murray has been riding motor bikes for over 8 years. Last year he decided to take his passion for riding to the next level. In mid July 2009 PTE Murray became a member of TERRA (Top End Road Racing Association) and started riding in B grade with lap times of 1min 20sec on his Yamaha R1. By the end of 2009 he was winning B grade, and in 2010 became an A grade rider lapping at 1min 16sec. The fastest guys in the club are lapping at 1min 12sec, and the superbikes are doing 1min 8sec. Murray enlisted in 2006 and deployed to Iraq in 2008 with Secdet 14. He currently works as an INT Dutyman in the 5 RAR Intelligence cell. With continued practice, Murray hopes to improve his lap times and move up the ranks to eventually win the TERRA A grade championship. He is a firm believer in using riding skills on the race track rather than on the road. Sure it s faster on the track, but it s still safer. It s controlled. You can push without worrying about oncoming traffic he says. His motivation to take to the track was a serious accident that left him unable to ride for 6 months. He wanted to be able to improve his skills without the dangers of riding on the road. With the amount of riders getting hurt on sports bikes, I d recommend everyone invest in a track day to improve their ability. 5 RAR Sports Training Area Notices Rugby TUE 0730 at the Jackson Field POC Maj Kearns OC Spt AFL TUE 0730 at the Graham Oval POC Capt Leckie RSO Spt Touch TUE 0730 at the Wier Sports Grounds POC Sgt Jones Mortar PL Sgt Soccer TUE 0730 at the 2 Cav Parade Grounds POC WO2 Tully CSM Spt Coy Netball TUE 0730 at YMCA Centre POC TBC Volleyball TUE 0730 at Nth Gym Pool POC WO2 St Clair CSM C Coy For more information about track days go to Sports Representatives still needed for other sports please contact 5 RAR Sports Officer Captain Trembath for Details