Chief of Army Major General Tim Keating chats with Kiwi personnel serving in the Solomon Islands.
01 August 2011
So, what are our guys and gals up to in Honiara? Chief of Army, Major General Tim Keating and Sergeant Major of the Army, WO1 Danny Broughton recently went to see for themselves.
Getting a handle on the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) is not easy. Eight years old this month, the mission is complex. The military component of RAMSI - the Combined Task Force -is run by Australia and works to support the police-led security element of the mission. In turn, the police and military provide a secure environment so that capacity building can take place in policing as well as in government as a whole.
The NZ Defence Force is represented by a Senior National Officer (SNO) who works closely with fellow ANZAC, Tongan and Papua New Guinea military colleagues, as well as the New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island Police and the raft of other personnel that make up RAMSI.
What does this mean day to day? For the SNO, it means working across the different organisations and bridging the civ-mil divide. "It's something best learned on the job," says Major Al Mitchell. "My posting to Vanuatu as Officer Commanding of the Vanuatu Mobile Force Engineers was fantastic preparation for this role. The experience gained in Vanuatu working with local nation and overseas Police, Australian and NZ diplomats, and a range of other agencies, has been directly transferable to the Solomon Islands. Two years learning the Melanesian culture and language - particularly being able to converse in pidgin - has been a real advantage."
MAJGEN Keating’s programme in Honiara reflected the complex array of characters working to make RAMSI a success. During a whirlwind day and a half, he met with the Australian Commander of the Combined Task Force, Commander of the Participating Police Force (all of the Police contributing to RAMSI), the SNOs from Tonga and PNG, the Australian Special Coordinator of RAMSI and his kiwi Deputy. He also met political and development representatives from the NZ High Commission and the Australia Federal Police Operational Response Group.
In practice, for the Platoon in theatre, the mandate means they need to be able to operate alongside other soldiers as well as police on short notice if a situation escalates beyond the ability of the local police force to handle it. This requires building and refining their skills to work alongside police in ‘Public Order Management’ (the contemporary term for crowd control, civil disturbance and riot response).
Sounds easy? The Solomon Islands is undoubtedly more secure than some of our other missions. But as Sergeant Major of the Army Danny Broughton pointed out, our soldiers need to work through long periods where nothing is happening, but then be able to respond at a moment's notice with a high level of skill and professionalism. "This demands a very special type of training and focus," says the SMA. "I see our soldiers on Op RATA II developing that ability and doing it well."
This police-led mission follows a global trend of increasing demand for policing on peace and stability operations, and as part of RAMSI, Kiwi soldiers are honing their skills on the leading edge of this trend. The platoon demonstrated their skills on the training range to MAJGEN Keating, complete with role playing 'agitators' and the live-firing of less-lethal ammunition.
While the security situation has improved dramatically since 2003, military and police together act as a deterrent, ready to back up the RSIPF when needed. This means they have to train in-country to maintain their high readiness and ability to work alongside police.
"If we're going to be focused on operating in the Pacific region, as the White Paper directs us to, these are the types of scenarios we'll likely encounter," says MAJ Mitchell. "And the soldiers here are developing this capability."
On the final day of his visit, MAJGEN Keating presented the members of Op RATA II with their General Service Medal for the deployment. “In presenting this medal, we acknowledge the sacrifice and commitment that our people make by choosing to serve overseas. They have represented themselves with dignity and humility, and should be justifiably proud of their efforts to date,” he said. This Rotation returns home in August.