Army Reservist bolsters amphibious force

Australian Army Reserve Infantry Soldier Private Jack Green is testing out his sea legs as he sails on HMAS Canberra to partake in the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.

CAPTION: Australian Army soldier Private Jack Green from the 16th Royal Western Australian Regiment during Zodiac familiarisation training on Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Story by Lieutenant Jordan Chee. Photo by Corporal John Solomon.

RIMPAC, led by the United States Navy’s Indo-Pacific Fleet, hosts military forces from the Pacific Rim and beyond to participate in their major biennial combined exercise based out of Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

This year, RIMPAC involves 25,000 personnel from 26 nations participating in a variety of naval and amphibious training events that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security of the world’s oceans.

Usually based at Perth’s 16th Battalion, Royal Western Australian Regiment, Private Green’s involvement in RIMPAC is the product of the Australian Army’s expanding amphibious capability, seeing the amalgamation of the Australian Regular Army and the Australian Army Reserve force in Amphibious Operations.

“When I signed up to join the Infantry as an Army Reservist in Perth, I never thought I would find myself in Hawaii instructing other nations,” Private Green said.

“I recently trained as an advanced small craft operator of the F470 Zodiac as part of the amphibious small boat platoon, which is the amphibious capability that is currently being generated in Western Australia.

“It is a privilege to be here. This opportunity will enable me to bring back new skills, knowledge and attributes to the Australian Defence Force to help in further enhancing Defences amphibious capability.”

Private Green has signed up as an Army Reservist under a continuous full-time working arrangement. This allows him to put his civilian career on hold while he serves under a fixed term, full-time contract embedded with the amphibious capable 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (Amphibious) infantry unit, based out of Townsville’s Lavarack Barracks.

The 2nd Battalion have been the custodians of the Australian Regular Army’s amphibious capability for just under a decade, specialising in infantry based littoral reconnaissance and amphibious insertion and extraction techniques in both warlike and non-warlike humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be attached to the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (Amphibious), particularly as a reservist. These opportunities don’t come around particularly often,” Private Green said.

“It is a good way to embed with a full-time unit, learn how things are done and the best way to do things and gain knowledge and skills in amphibious operations.”

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