Soldiers dive deep into resilience training

Soldiers and officers of the 1st Armoured Regiment travelled to Tulamben, Bali, in April on Exercise Lions Dive for resilience training.

CAPTION: Australian Army soldiers explore the waters of Tulamben, Bali, during Exercise Lions Dive. Story by Captain Peter March. Photos by Captain Matthew Eden.

Eleven participants of various ranks conducted wreck and deep specialty diving courses, focusing on enhancing qualifications and experience.

The courses challenged the participants, enhancing the development of attributes common to soldiering, such as planning, battle preparation, equipment husbandry, communication, teamwork and resilience.

Lance Corporal Josh Whitford said it was a career highlight.

“Doing something I love was rewarding and challenging,” Lance Corporal Whitford said.

“It created resilience among us and fostered a sense of teamwork and mateship, regardless of rank.”

1st Armoured Regiment has been using adventure sports to build resilience in its people while enhancing the lived experience of soldiers and officers since 2022.

The program includes various endeavours, including SCUBA diving and sky diving, which are often conducted during work hours where tempo permits.

Commanding Officer 1st Armoured Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Jake Penley said the program developed individual and team resilience.

“It’s great to be able to offer this type of experience to our people, giving them the opportunity to hone individual skills, while building teams and strengthening relationships,” Lieutenant Colonel Penley said.

“The regiment uses SCUBA diving, in parallel to a very successful sky-diving program, to offer our people additional leadership and resilience development opportunities alongside their mates from the regiment.

“Our ability to support such initiatives really highlights the value proposition and benefits of a career in the Army.”

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