Operation Rata - Supporting the Solomons
By SGT Mel Gill
Operation Rata is an on-going, New Zealand Defence Force mission that supports the Solomon Islands. Every year, the Defence Force sends a team to help maintain a stable environment so that development programmes can be implemented. Sergeant Mel Gill is a member of the current Defence Force contingent, and this is an account of her experience…
SGT Gill with children
I arrived in theatre on 18 November as part of the advance party—Operation Rata II (11) New Zealand Platoon. We’re here to assist the local police, as our presence is a deterrent to the local trouble makers. We work along side the Australian Army, the Pacific Island Army, and the Police Protection Force—comprising New Zealand and Australian Police—to implement projects. We were tasked to head over to Malaita for 10 days. Being the only non-Army person from the New Zealand contingent, I was lucky enough to tag along—my first taste of life as a soldier. Basically it was 10 days sleeping in a mozzie dome, underneath a house, eating ration packs. Not quite under the stars, but as close to it as I’d like to get!
During the day we conducted patrols and visited a few villages around Malaita. Each village is very different, but all of them have happy smiley faces of children to greet you. It doesn’t matter where you go in the world the children are always the same—very cute and very cheeky!
One patrol was around Auki with No 2 Section. These were done by foot, around the centre of town and vehicle patrols and focused on people drinking in public places. We confiscated Kwaso from people—a locally made brew which is really cheap, really high in alcohol content, and illegal.
Children from Malaita
The patrols were a really good chance to talk to locals and find out their thoughts and feelings about where they live and us being there. I had lots of feedback from the women in the community saying that they were happy to see us here and they thought it was good we took the alcohol off the young ones, as it makes them feel safer in the town and in the home. Domestic violence is quite an issue in the Solomon Islands and the women believe a lot of it is alcohol related.
When I’m not on patrol, my core role over here is administration. I’m responsible for contingent welfare, personnel movements, mail and payroll matters and general administration, so I support the contingent by paying out cash in theatre, sorting the bills and doing the mail run. Receiving mail from home makes everyone’s day, so that’s a special part of my job.
My tour of duty will see me back in New Zealand at the end of March 2010. I’m having a great experience, but looking forward to returning home. But as it turns out sleeping in a dome and not showering as much as you’d like isn’t so bad!