Logistics teams fuel the fight
Private Charlie Wright, of the United Kingdom’s Royal Marine Commandos Logistic Regiment, and Lance Corporal Adrian Cluning, of the 1st Combat Service Support Battalion, were part of a multinational team of petroleum operators (PETOPs), fuelling the fight on Exercise Predator’s Run.
CAPTION: Australian Army fuel specialists from the 1st Combat Service Support Battalion work alongside petroleum operators from UK’s Commando Logistics Regiment to refuel Battle Group Tiger vehicles at Timber Creek, NT, during Exercise Predator’s Run. Story by Captain Annie Richardson. Photos by Corporal Madhur Chitnis.
Supporting Battle Group Tiger in the Bradshaw Field Training Area, the two pushed the boundaries of their trade amidst the scorching heat of the Northern Territory.
Lance Corporal Cluning, a dual specialist in trucks and PETOP from Ballarat, Victoria, said they basically provided a portable service station.
“We drive our petrol in a truck and come to refuel the team’s vehicles as we go,” Lance Corporal Cluning said.
“In a place as big and remote as this, you become an essential worker within the team – Army doesn’t go without fuel.”
Private Charlie Wright, a full-time PETOP from Warrington in north-west England, concurred.
“We just literally essentially build a petrol station in the middle of anywhere and get everyone to come round and fuel up around us,” Private Wright said.
“We have a big responsibility to the team; it’s pressure, but it’s nice.”
The logistical challenges kept them busy, refuelling from tanker to tanker and ensuring continuous supply to various call signs.
CAPTION: An Australian Army fuel specialist attached to Battle Group Tiger conducts refuelling at dawn near Dundee Beach, NT, during Exercise Predator’s Run.
Private Wright said there was a collaborative spirit with their Australian counterparts.
“Working with the Aussies has been really good, really different,” he said.
“Some of the kit is very similar but the way we lay it out is slightly different.
“The banter, however, has been great; we’re similar in our humour.”
Lance Corporal Cluning also appreciated the camaraderie and ease of integration.
“You can’t really tell that they’re international lads ’cause they work the same,” Lance Corporal Cluning said.
“It’s just normal, talking into the night – classic, just the way it is, no international exercise is complete without it.”
Adapting to the NT heat was a unique experience for the UK contingent.
“I think next time it’d be nice if we hosted it in the UK, and have the Aussies come to us,” Private Wright said.
“It’d be a nice change for them as well, give a bit of a taste of how you guys soldier in the cold.”
Post exercise, Private Wright planned to “spend time with the missus and the family” and explore Sydney, before wrapping up their stint in Australia.
CAPTION: Soldiers from 1st Combat Service Support Battalion and the Royal Marine Commandos Logistic Regiment refuel an HMT from Battle Group Tiger at Timber Creek before deploying into the Bradshaw Training Area, NT, as part of Exercise Predator’s Run 2024.
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