The arrival of Army vehicles and equipment at Cairns’ Porton Barracks for Exercise Austral Shield 2024 was an opportunity for a group of future soldiers to take a closer look at the vehicles they will be using.
Indigenous pre-recruits of 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (51FNQR), got a close look at the Hawkei and Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles (PMV) and the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
Personnel from 11th Brigade’s Security Response Task Unit were more than happy to share their knowledge with the up-and-coming soldiers.
Recruiting supervisor at 51FNQR Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) John Buscher said the opportunity for the candidates to participate in a demonstration of the PMVs was an exciting learning experience for them.
“They were able to climb into the vehicles as they were talked through their capabilities, and were keen to understand how the PMV was employed within the broader Army,” WO2 Buscher said.
He said showcasing specialist equipment could boost potential recruits’ interest in joining 51FNQR and provided a memorable experience to share.
51FNQR’s Indigenous soldiers offer valuable knowledge of the unit’s area of operation, which spans Far North Queensland, Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands.
WO2 Buscher said Indigenous soldiers helped establish relationships between 51FNQR and the remote communities.
“Because the soldiers live and work in our area of operations, they are able to provide a continuous ‘eyes and ears’ capability to the unit, whether on duty or off,” he said.
“Additionally, the individual soldiers and their remote communities benefit from the training, skills and employment opportunities that Army is able to provide.”
The recruits will undertake training over four weeks, qualifying as regional force soldiers in the roles of patrolman or combat support operator.
