Tango Foxtrot in the Sollies

With one month to go in the Solomon Islands Territorial Force soldiers Pte Andrews and Pte Carswell reflect on their time there to date.

5 July 2007

Before now the Territorial Force has not made a major deployment since WWII. 

The majority of this deployment has been made up of Territorial Force soldiers from all walks of life who bring their individual civilian skills into theatre, something you would not find on your typical tour since the 1940s.

With one month to go in our four month deployment, we have taken the opportunity to consider whether our time here is worthwhile. Is the challenge and risk of stepping away from our lives and careers back home to deploy with the New Zealand Army worth it?

The skills we bring to the Platoon derive from our different employment backgrounds such as construction workers, IT specialists, lawyers, policemen, university students, and ex RF soldiers. Our age differences and backgrounds combine to form a unique Platoon that has handled all aspects of the deployment - such as patrolling the streets of Honiara, assisting in aid relief after the 2 April tsunami and contributing to local projects within the Honiara district.

The skills that Pte Hansen (mechanical fitter) and LCpl McMillian (fitter welder) could offer to the Solomon Islanders in the Western Province in the aftermath of the Tsunami proved invaluable. 

Many villages’ water supplies had been damaged. Both Pte Hansen and LCpl McMillian were airlifted by helicopter to affected areas and assessed the damage caused by the tsunami.  “Once we had assessed the situation, we replaced gate valves and sections of the pipes to improve water to the village and advised the locals on how to make repairs”, said Pte Hansen.

Construction skills have also been used in Honiara when qualified builders Pte Carswell and Pte Campbell and a few hammer hands from our Platoon helped build a playground for children at the Tenaru Women’s Refuge Centre, opened by a former Governor General, Dame Silvia Cartwright.  “It’s been a worthwhile project for the Platoon to give the pikininis (children) some enjoyment in life”, explained Pte Campbell.

The Platoon has brought many civilian skills to the tour, and naturally we have learned many army skills in return. For most of our Platoon this is our first deployment and changing from a TF to RF lifestyle has meant we’ve had more time to improve the infantry skills we will be able to take back to our units at home.

We have also been able to experience a different type of lifestyle. Visiting the local villages in Guadacanal and the Western Province after the tsunami was a great way to learn the culture of the Solomon Islanders and we were impressed by the positive attitude of many even after their villages had been destroyed.

 “We live in a world back home where we take things for granted, here day to day living is much more difficult with the resources they do not have”, noted Pte Radovanovich. 

We believe that TF are capable of successfully utilizing our military and civilian skills to improve the well-being of the Solomon Islands and building a better future for the people there.

As we reflect back on our experiences here in the Solomon Islands, we whole-heartedly recommend that all TF soldiers embrace an opportunity to deploy with the NZ Army. In our eyes, being a TF soldier really does allow you to get the best of both worlds. And in the end, it is all about attitude.

Ends

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