Army nurse proud to show PM through facilities

It was a proud moment for one Army nursing officer when she was tasked to give some VIP visitors a guided tour of her unit’s medical set-up.

CAPTION: Australian Army nursing officer Lieutenant Alison Stock and medic Corporal Leigh Smith from 1st Combat Health Battalion conduct daily medication checks at Batemans Bay evacuation centre during Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20. Photo by Sergeant Bill Solomou. Story by Sergeant Dave Morley.

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Lieutenant Alison Stock is a nursing officer with the Brisbane-based 1st Close Health Battalion and was deployed to Tumbarumba in the NSW Snowy Mountains on 14 January as part of the Australian Defence Force’s Operation Bushfire Assist 2019-20.

When Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian visited Tumbarumba briefly on 22 January, Lieutenant Stock was tasked with showing them through her unit’s tented primary-health-care capability established at the town’s cricket oval.

She said she got the job because she had already conducted several other tours through the medical set-up to members of various government agencies.

“Every tour is important, but there’s something special about having the Prime Minister visit,” Lieutenant Stock said.

“The primary-health-care team had already treated more than 90 patients from the local community, as well as a number of soldiers working on the bushfire recovery effort.

“We’ve treated two heart attacks, a motorcycle injury, a cut that needed suturing and many other complaints.

“I’m so proud to be here helping the community in their time of need.

“We’ve had people coming up to us in the street thanking us for being here.”

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