Exercise Austral Shield troops in safe hands

Corporal Timothy Rymill has been an Army Reserve treatment team medic with the 1st Health Battalion for three years, but his experience in Defence and in health reaches far beyond.

CAPTION: Corporal Timothy Rymill, right, and other Army medical personnel from 1st Health Battalion triage a simulated patient inside the Role 1 treatment facility at RAAF Base Curtin, WA, during Exercise Austral Shield. Story by Captain Diana Jennings. Photos by Corporal Lisa Sherman.

Corporal Rymill served as a full-time infantry soldier at 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) for seven years.

It was during this posting that he became combat first-aid qualified and worked alongside the Army medical team while deployed to Afghanistan and Timor.

From there he was hooked, and pursued a transfer to become an Army medic for another seven years.

“The highlight of my time in the infantry was deploying to Afghanistan with the best, most professional soldiers,” Corporal Rymill said.

“I worked with the medics at 2RAR and treated people on that deployment as well as in Timor.

“My experiences over there led me to become a medic. I was hooked.”

After 14 years of service, Corporal Rymill decided to continue his career in the Army Reserve and moved back to his home town of Perth.

CAPTION: Corporal Timothy Rymill, of 1st Health Battalion, prepares for a simulated patient at the Role 1 treatment facility at RAAF Base Curtin, WA, during Exercise Austral Shield.

He now works as a fly-in, fly-out community paramedic for Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service, servicing the remote town of Wiluna, with a population of just over 500 in central Western Australia, which he said was an amazing job.

“I cover night shifts where we go out into community and see patients in their homes, providing any level of treatment required,” Corporal Rymill said.

“I feel like I’m part of the community; I know everyone and hope I can provide the best healthcare for them … it’s a really awesome job.”

Corporal Rymill recently participated in Exercise Austral Shield 2024 at RAAF Base Curtin, near Derby in northern WA, within the joint Army and RAAF Role 1 treatment team.

The team, a mix of both full-time and part-time personnel, reacts to in-exercise scenarios, testing their skills in the field environment as well as supporting real-time patients presenting with anything from a cold to a serious injury.

“We provide the medical resuscitation capability, so any serious casualties that may occur will come through us,” Corporal Rymill said.

“We will stabilise and then evacuate them to a higher facility if required.

“It’s the best of all worlds working in these exercises and it’s a highlight to work within such a highly skilled multidisciplinary team – people at the top of their game with so much knowledge.

“I’m always learning from them and it’s inspiring to be included in the team.”

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