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WINTER 2014 INSIDE My Pilbara Adventure winners report back after the North West trip of a lifetime. P10-11 PLUS Eastern Goldfi elds High School marks 100 years. P20–21 Film fanatics Cinefest OZ goes from strength to strength and provides a unique drawcard for visitors to the South West Advertising feature Joining forces You don’t have to give up your day job to make a diff erence — or improve your life. Three West Australians share their passion for the Army Reserve. TIMES HAVE CERTAINLY CHANGED in the Army your part-time job, which really isn’t a part-time back to their civilian job for a little while and then Reserve since Steve Coggin joined up three decades job: it’s a part-time position but it’s actually a full- they come back and do their Army job. But the ago but his enthusiasm for the job has not waned. time job.” competency-based training that the Defence Force As the Commander of the 13th Brigade, the Steve describes himself as a career Reservist. puts people through is the same as the regular major Army Reserve formation in WA, Steve takes “Having said that, I’ve done periods of full-time Army. pride in giving something back to his country. service. I deployed overseas, I commanded Steve says his soldiers participate in a three-year “I love the challenge that every day something Australian, New Zealand, Papua New Guinean training cycle, with the third year known as a “ready new happens. I get up and I go to work, and then and Tongan soldiers in the Solomon Islands, and year”, during which his 13th Brigade supports the something will happen Army-wise and I’m thrown we had the biggest deployment of West Australian 3rd Brigade in Townsville. “So if they (the 3rd into that world,” he says. “It’s absolutely rewarding Reservists since World War II,” he says. Brigade) deploy, my soldiers may go with them,” he because I know that I am doing something that’s The 50-year-old, who is in his final year of a says. worthwhile. I know this sounds like ‘put your three-year posting (after which he will move to “And that’s the difference between the Reserves I hand on your heart and sing the national anthem’ “standby Reserve”), says the Reserves have come joined 31 years ago, and where it is now. Every three but I’m actually doing something for my country, a long way since he started 31 years ago. “When years soldiers from this Brigade have to be ready which is really important to me.” I first joined it was ‘Come along on a Tuesday to drop everything and go and do whatever their His brigade has 1300 soldiers — 150 full-time night and one weekend a month and a two-week regular Army counterparts have been asked to do. soldiers of various ranks, about another 100 public exercise’,” he says. “I’ve seen that change so that We’re part of that total force and that’s exciting.” servants, and the rest are Reservists. “We’ve had now the Reserves I command in WA are part of the Coaching, mentoring and encouragement are soldiers in the Solomon Islands, in Afghanistan . total Army. important in the Army, Steve says, as a way of basically all over the world. We’ve also got soldiers “The Army’s been deployed for the last 15 years explaining why people need not fear joining the on Operation Sovereign Borders, so we’ve always in East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Solomon Reserves. got soldiers somewhere, doing something,” says Islands and probably 80 per cent of the soldiers in “People think you join the Army and someone Steve, who works as a school administrator in his my Brigade have deployed overseas on one of those tells you to jump and you say how high. That’s civilian job. operations.” not true. It’s all about people, it’s all about leading As a senior Army Reserve Officer in WA, Steve Steve says all training for officers and soldiers people, it’s all about showing them the vision and is on call 24/7. When the government calls on is centralised, so a Reserve soldier does the same where the endpoint is and encouraging them to get the Army Reserve to help in difficult times, such competency-based training as a full-time soldier. there,” he says. “That sense of achievement is worth as natural disasters including bushfires and “The difference is in experience, so the soldier its weight in gold.” floods, Steve may be the person called on to set in, say, the 3rd Brigade in Townsville, goes off and Steve says balance in life is important, up “local headquarters” in WA. “(Similarly) if the does their recruit training and does their initial particularly in the Reserves. It’s like a three-legged West Australian Government asks for Defence employment training, then they go back and they stool: “One leg being you and your part-time career, assistance,” he says. “It’s a pretty full-on role and do that job seven days a week,” he explains. “My the other leg being your full-time career (your it’s pretty hard to explain to people what you do in soldiers do those courses, and then they might go civilian job) and the third leg being your family.” WORDS GRACE MILLIMACI » PICTURES THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE 2 REGIONAL LIFESTYLE WINTER 2014 James Canning FOR PRIVATE JAMES CANNING, one of the best aspects of life in the Army Reserve comes down Advertising feature to the people he meets. “For me (the best thing) is probably the mateship I get out of it,” he said. “When we get out on the exercises you get to meet other guys in other squadrons.” James has been part of the Army Reserve for The Army Reserve is about five years. made up of everyday Living in Newman and working at a nearby people who help local mine site, he is part of the Pilbara Regiment and communities around said his defence force life worked well with his Australia and abroad. civilian life. Reservists, who are the James said his employer was very additional offi cers and accommodating when it came to time off to go on soldiers needed by the exercises with the Regiment and understood his Army, have provided commitment to the Army. support for tsunami and For those thinking about joining the Army earthquake victims and Reserve, James said a highlight was the activities helped with overseas reservists took part in. peacekeeping efforts. Field exercises and training on the water with the West Australian Police are among the highlights of life in the regiment, as is an increased understanding of the varied terrain of the Pilbara region. Deployments are voluntary, so if you choose to stay in your community, there are many ways to make a difference close to home. Physical training is a big part of Army life but people have different levels of fi tness, so each course is designed to help increase core strength and endurance at an achievable pace. You will undergo physical training Elsa Alston and basic weapons LANCE CORPORAL ELSA combat training. ALSTON’S path to life in the Army Reserve was clear from a young age, as many of her family members had a background in the military. “It’s something I grew up with and Keep your day job while I always wanted to do it,” she said. serving your nation. First joining the Reserve in 1997, As civilians, Reservists Elsa said she had spent the better continue their career part of 18 years with the Army. or education while training Based in Carnarvon, Elsa parades with the Army. with E-Troop and said she had always been able to manage defence and civilian life well. Working with the Department of Health when she first joined, Reservists are required Elsa is now self-employed and said to work a minimum of 20 the Army had support schemes in days a year in the Army, place that helped made it easier for so employers are eligible employers to cope when reservists to be subsidised by the were called away. Army to compensate for However, Elsa said she was always workers’ absence. happy to take time off for the Army. “I tend to do it because I enjoy the work,” she said. Elsa described work in the Reserve as “rewarding” and encourage those Reservists receive thinking about joining to go ahead. tax-free pay. For “I think the skills you learn you can more information, see defencejobs.com.au/ apply in civilian life as well,” she said. army/reserve Whether you’re looking to expand your business or build a new home, we have hundreds of lots available across regional WA with a range of sizes and towns to choose from. It’s just one way we’re working hard to provide quality developments in the region, through the State Government’s Regional Development Assistance Program (RDAP). Residential land for sale Town No. of lots Size Price WA’s Signature Dish is Green Head 18 from 586sqm from $139,650 crowned in Perth P8-9 Morawa 9 from 675sqm from $40,000 Williams 11 from 675sqm from $83,000 Light industrial land for sale A boab tree by the Gibb River Road. Town No. of lots Size Price Picture: Stephen Scourfield Kalbarri 5 from 2,023sqm from $147,000 Hyden 6 from 4,000sqm from $46,500 Wagin 2 from 2,023sqm from $20,000 Regions play For a full list of available lots call 1300 730 435 or visit landcorp.com.au Pilbara adventurers tell their travel tale P10-11 important role REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BUILDING REGIONAL COMMUNITIES egional WA has so much to offer, whether you are there for work or LAND4357SS for play.