DEFGLIS memebr Rachel recalls her time on peace-keeping operations on board HMAS Tokbruk.
I was part of the ships force protection team.
I conducted wharf sentry duties, which included talking to the locals and helping them understand that we were there to help.
I also drove the Army troops ashore on our organise LCVP, small transport craft.
I remember seeing the happiness on the faces of the local kids when they knew we were there to help.
They would gather of an afternoon at the boundary fence to talk to us. They would follow the Army LAV's down the street clapping and waving at them.
You knew it was volatile, so you had to be on guard all the time, I recall gun fire and small explosions.By the end we had more friends then enemy's and the ARMY troops loved coming onboard to get some
By the end we had more friends then enemies in Dili.
The Army troops loved coming onboard to get some well-deserved feed and sleep, before heading back out for another security rotation.
The Govenor-General said that it was important to aspire to peace, humanity and compassion.
“It’s much harder to achieve peace and to actually protect the vulnerable and the dispossessed.
“It seems part of the human condition to want it with every fibre of our being, but never to attain perfect peace.
“Well, for 70 years Australian peacekeepers have served and sacrificed in the name of peace and this continues to this day.”
The Governor General said in missions right across the world, from the Middle East to Africa, from Asia to the Pacific, Australian peacekeepers were distinguished by their dedication and courage.
“Protecting children from abuse and exploitation, freeing others from a life as child soldiers, supporting democratic elections that are free and fair, stepping in in times of crisis and conflict,” he said.
“They do so to make the peace, to keep the peace, and honour those before them.
“In their blue berets, peacekeepers are a symbol of hope, they save lives, they change lives, they restore order, and bring security and stability.”
Image by Jay Cronan for Department of Defence
