Taking skills across the Pacific
From the quiet streets of the NSW country town of Yass to the coastal regions of the Solomon Islands, the 4th Health Battalion’s Captain Celie Bright-Perry’s career has taken her on an international journey.
CAPTION: Australian Army Captain Celie Bright-Perry speaks with an AFP health planner during their deployment to Solomon Islands. Story by Corporal Brodie Cross. Photo by Corporal Brandon Grey.
While studying a Bachelor of Nursing Science at Sunshine Coast University, Captain Bright-Perry joined the Australian Army nursing undergraduate sponsorship program.
“The program was a fantastic opportunity to have support in continuing my education,” Captain Bright-Perry said.
“The decision to join the Army was based on the education and interagency working opportunities that Defence provides.”
Captain Bright-Perry rapidly deployed to the Solomon Islands as part of the whole-of-government effort handling the sensitivities of COVID-19 management, ensuring the force has a consistent Role 1 health facility ready to support the ADF contribution in the Solomon Islands comes with its own set of challenges.
However, Captain Bright-Perry and her team are ready to put all of their training into practice.
“The team is amazing – the medics, doctors and support assets all coming together to be able to support Australia and its allies are what our training has prepared us for,” she said.
“Working in austere environments, providing everything from primary health care to advanced trauma care is something that we can only do because of the confidence and trust in everyone’s ability to work together in a team.”
As part of the Australian Government response to a request from the Solomon Islands Government under the 2017 bilateral security treaty, about 100 ADF personnel deployed to support the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to stabilise the situation in Honiara.
Drawn from the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, Army’s 3rd Brigade, 6th Brigade and 17th Brigade and Air Force No. 4 Squadron, the contingent is supporting the DFAT coordinated mission alongside its AFP colleagues.
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