Operation Anode - Helpem Fren
In 2003, after several years of civil unrest in the Solomon Islands, Australia was invited to help a friend. During the Second World War, the battles of Guadacanal had been vital for the freedom of Australia. In 2003, it was our turn to help. The Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands, RAMSI, was formed. We are still there, with a large contingent from the Australian Federal Police and over ninety defence personnel, ten of whom are women, from the Army Reserve.
Operation Boss Lift is an initiative of the Defence Reserves Support Council (DRSC) to take the bosses of these men and women to visit their employee in their field of operations where they are serving for several months. A mixed bag of thirty senior police, public servants, local government officials, builders and businessmen and women visited the Solomon Islands from the 8-11 November this year.
Boroondara resident, Leonie Christopherson AM of Glen Iris was part of that group. ‘We were shown demonstrations of riot control, vehicle retrieval, range practice, and jungle patrols. Employers ate with their staff, saw where they lived and worked and experienced the daily demands of their extremely active ‘double life' as both soldiers and civilians, all in a torrid tropical climate. Thanks to a generous Employer Support Program, employers are financially compensated for the temporary loss of their staff's skills and were impressed with all the expertise and leadership gained. ‘My boy's grown up,' said one. At an International Children's Day event, with over one thousand exuberant youngsters in attendance, the queue to enter the ‘How to join RAMSI tent' was the longest in the playing field.
Leonie's role, as a member of DRSC is to focus on the women there and the welfare of partners and families of the reservists back home during the deployment there. ‘I married the army in 1960' she said ‘and a huge buzz for me was to witness first-hand, the change in attitude to families since then. Free postage, internet access, farewell and homecoming functions, and helpful information available to families on who to contact if problems arise while Dad or Mum are overseas – were a great contrast to when my husband served in Vietnam in 1968.'
‘I was also given the opportunity to meet four senior female police there, two Australians and two Islanders. As this is primarily a policing action – their partnership is helping to restore and maintain law and order at all levels, and particularly effective in the move condemning Violence Against Women. So rest easy, the country is in the very best of hands.
‘A fitting finale to the visit was a most moving Remembrance Day ceremony under the palm trees of the base camp on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day to pay tribute to all those who have died in the defence of our country. I was so proud to be Australian.'
