Australian Navy Communications Sailors Excel on Operations
Being used to the challenges of ship-borne communications has been an asset to delivering flexible and capable communications networks ashore as Australian Navy sailors are finding in the Middle East.
On her first deployment to the region Able Seaman Communication and Information Systems Bree-ann Garner, worked as part of team developing and enhancing local area network infrastructure.
Lieutenant Colonel David Jenkins, was in charge of the team and and said they had spent most of their deployment laying the foundation for updating the Australian Defence Force's communications and information systems.
"We spent a great deal of time laying the ground work for the new enhanced Deployable Local Area Network Systems that will be introduced shortly," Lieutenant Colonel Jenkins said.
"We also rolled out new communications equipment for key embedded staff in Iraq and Kuwait."
Lieutenant Colonel Jenkins said another key project was communications and information systems refresh.
"This will bring our deployed systems into the 21st century and really make them state of the art," he said.
"We were able to deliver the communications people needed, when they needed it, at the place they needed."
He said he was proud of team's professionalism, dedication to tasks and teamwork, providing services across a broad spectrum.
Able Seaman Garner worked on the help desk providing assistance on communications enquiries.
"I developed a better understanding of deployable communication procedures and experienced working with other services," Able Seaman Garner said.
Communication and Information Systems sailors work across the communications spectrum. Ashore and at sea their role includes working with telecommunications networks, radio, satellite and electronic mail, local area networks and visual methods such as lights and flags.
The majority of personnel undertaking this kind of work in the Middle East are from the Army and Air Force but Navy specialists can also deploy. Chief of Navy dropped in on Leading Seaman Communication and Information Systems Lisa Brookman when he was in the Middle East in December, recognising the important work done by land-based Navy members of the branch.
