Newly minted Commander of the 9th Brigade Brigadier Tim Orders and his entourage held a community engagement night at the Mount Gambier Community RSL last week.
In attendance were local Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reserves’ employers, Mount Gambier Community RSL members and supporters and local dignitaries including Grant District Mayor Kylie Boston and Minister for Regional Development Clare Scriven.
Brigadier Tim Orders said the 9th Brigade has a footprint in Mount Gambier through the 10th/27th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment depot.
“We used the opportunity to come down and visit that unit as well as the opportunity to engage with the community and tell our story,” he said.
“It is about trying to explain some of the opportunities that exist inside defence, some of the different career pathways that you can take inside the army, what it is that someone in the army or the defence force does on a day to day basis and what we do in service of the community.
“I think it is important to tell our story because I think there can be a bit of a lack of understanding about what it is our armed services do as part of their service to the nation.
“It is also important to do it in the regions because I think the army and defence is less visible out in the regions.
“We are keen to be visible but I think the opportunity exists anywhere in Australia or for anyone that sees defence as an opportunity as a career or to want to serve.”
The 9th Brigade marched in the Mount Gambier Anzac Day parade earlier this year led by former Millicent resident and Senior Officer in Charge Captain Taylor Davies.
Commander Orders said it was a great opportunity for Captain Davies to lead the march in front of her family including her elderly grandmother who would not have had the chance to see her march in uniform otherwise.
“Anzac Day is one of those great examples where we have that opportunity to get out to the regions or into the communities to tell our story but also to commemorate our history as a defence force and an army,” he said.
“We had the opportunity to meet with the Mayor of Mount Gambier Lynette Martin OAM which was a great opportunity just to thank her for her hospitality having us down here and for hosting a depot here in Mount Gambier.
“We also engaged with the employers of our part time work force, thanked them for the sacrifices they make to give up their people’s time for them to serve and engaged with some of the school leaders and emergency services as well.
“As an army we come from the communities we serve and it is great to be back in the communities in the regions to be able to give back and continue to tell our story.”
Following the community engagement night at the RSL, the 9th Brigade visited the 10th/27th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment depot to host an open night and encourage anyone interested in a career in the ADF to ask questions.
