From the
Commander’s
Our combined efforts
will ensure maximum
funds flow to Legacy.
NOTHER public
event coming up
is the 2RAR Freedom
of Entry to the City of
Townsville to be conducted
at 5.30pm tomorrow
(Friday, September 2).
CO 2RAR LTCOL Michael
Bassingthwaigte will lead
approximately 560 soldiers
on the march along The
Strand from Anzac Park
to Jezzine Barracks.
The Battalion was originally
granted the Freedom of
the City of Townsville
in 1971 as a result of the
close association between
the citizens of Townsville
and members of 2RAR.
The ceremony of Freedom
of Entry is one of the
oldest military traditions.
It dates back to medieval
DESK A
G
REAT to have
Ted Bragg and his team
back on board this month
and I welcome the birth of
a new online e-publication
that supports Defence
members, their families
and the community here
in North Queensland.
We’ve already seen
photographer David Brock
active at sports and key
events, so this first edition
is sure to be populated
with great images.
We have a busy month
ahead, full of interesting
events and initiatives.
While I don’t have the
space in this column to
cover all of them, I am sure
you’ll be able to read about
most of them elsewhere
in this fine publication.
I would however like
to highlight a few.
OMMUNITY
Engagement Officer,
MAJ Amanda Gibbs, has
been doing a fine job
blitzing the airways and
newspapers to inform
everybody about the
Lavarack Barracks Open
Day on Saturday (September
3) from 8.30am until 3pm.
I encourage all to
come along and enjoy a
fantastic experience.
This event is special to
us, primarily because it is
our major fundraiser for
Townsville Legacy in 2016.
This fundraising helps
provide support to
approximately 750 local
widows and 50 dependants.
I thank RSL Queensland,
our main sponsor for
the Open Day.
Readiness Element recently
returned from Exercise Rim
of the Pacific or RIMPAC
aboard HMAS Canberra.
The theme of RIMPAC
2016 was “Capable,
Adaptive Partners”.
The participating nations
and forces exercised a wide
range of capabilities and
demonstrated the inherent
flexibility of maritime forces.
These capabilities range
from disaster relief
and maritime security
operations to sea control
and complex war fighting.
The relevant, realistic
training program included
joint live fire exercises
by troops ashore training
with uniformed personnel
of other nations.
NEW initiative that
we’re very excited
to announce is the Vasey
Resilience Centre.
A
C
8 | SEPTEMBER 2016
Again RSL Queensland
is playing a key role as a
generous supporter, for
which I commend them.
The Vasey Resilience
Centre will provide
whole-of-soldier
development training to
assist each member to
realise their personal and
professional potential.
The VRC will deliver
programs to enhance mental
and physical resilience,
nutrition, cognitive
ability, access to academic
education opportunities,
financial and welfare
planning, adventure training,
and select advanced
military skills training.
Through the VRC, we
recognise that enabling
soldiers to realise their full
potential builds resilience
and reduces their risk of
physical and mental injuries.
The objective of the Vasey
Resilience Centre, in
partnership with the other
key elements of 3Bde’s
Human Performance
Framework, is to develop a
team of physically healthy
and psychologically strong
soldiers, whose resilience
and fitness enables them
to thrive in the military,
succeed in battle, and
to meet a wide range of
operational demands.
S we enter the Readying
Phase of the Force
Generation Cycle, these
are exciting times to be a
soldier in North Queensland.
A
WO2 Adam Keys and CHAP Dan Cassidy co-ordinators
at the VRC
times when armed bodies
of men were challenged
before being permitted
to enter a city.
Today the Freedom of
Entry is a ceremonial event
and is the highest honour
a city can extend to a unit
of the Australian Defence
Force as a symbol of mutual
respect, trust and confidence.
T’S an exciting time for
2RAR and other 3Bde
members of the Amphibious
I
The Vasey Resilience
Centre (VRC) is one pillar of
3Bde’s Human Performance
Framework triad along with
Geckos Family Centre and
the Soldier Recovery Centre.
A pilot course is currently
underway at the VRC with
a Ready and Resilient Peak
Performance Program.
The team at 3CER, led
by LTCOL John Daunt
and CHAP Dan Cassidy,
is doing a superb job in
implementing this training.
-COMD 3Bde
BRIG Chris Field AM, CSC