- 116 – I received an invitation from the Forces Advisory Committee on Entertainment (in mid November) to send an element of the band to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) during Christmas and the New Year to support Australian and Coalition forces deployed in the Gulf. I had the privilege to take sixteen very good people and talented musicians on a deployment that demonstrated the calibre of our people and the flexibility and effectiveness of our organisation. We joined with an Australian Legend of Rock n Roll, Angry Anderson, and a Canberra based rock group called ‘Kintama’ to form Tour De Force MEAO 1. Articles in this edition from some of the members give more detail; however, there can be no doubt about how our people and our organisation were received. This was an outstanding result and a testament to the quality of our people and our strength as an organisation. Eighteen months ago I inherited an organisation that was respected and had a strong history. It was in good shape but in need of some reform; particularly, as its budget had diminished significantly over 12 consecutive years (and it was clear that this trend would continue). Vacancy and exit rates were high, sea deployments had all but ceased, PR material did not exist nor did a branch newsletter. Only one CD had been released since 1992. Almost none of our people had the prerequisite training for sea and our reserves received little funding support from the band’s financial allocation. From a starting point of one, we now have 21 people entitled to wear the Australian Active Service Medal. We have supported six Major Fleet Units with thirty nine musicians and most of our people are now fully qualified for sea. Including the recent deployment to the MEAO, 56 musicians have deployed overseas. All of our permanent positions are full and significant progress has been made in meeting shortfalls in our reserve detachments. The reserves are now receiving a greater share of the financial allocation and are travelling outside of their metropolitan areas. We have produced and released four CDs and PR material. We have also conducted numerous benchmark activities; that is, tasks of national importance funded and resourced to achieve nation best standards. Other opportunities are planned including embarking eight musicians for a deployment to North East Asia in April (yet to be agreed) and 15 musicians will be visiting Anzac Cove this coming ANZAC day. Also, a Review of our training needs (a key recommendation in the July 2002 Category Plan) has commenced along with an external review on our future funding needs. These are significant achievements. Thank you for your contribution towards ensuring we remain ‘one of Australia’s premier military ensembles’.
TOUR DE FORCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Article by Able Seaman Shannon Rankine After a week of intense rehearsals, sorting out our program and having many a BBQ (I can tell you now if we have to have one more BBQ!), we packed our bags, said goodbye to our loved ones and began a journey like none other. As a group we were about to embark on the journey of a lifetime and it is this journey that will bond us together with some of the most incredible memories. We met at Kingsford Smith International Airport on Saturday 20 December 2003; I don’t think it actually hit home for many of us as to where we were about to go as we had been so incredibly busy with work. We had 17 hours to relax and enjoy the creature comforts of our flight, but first we began with some food and drink in the New Zealand Air Lounge whilst we waited for our friends from Kintama (a civilian rock group), Angry Anderson, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Reynolds and our mover Perryn Smidt to arrive. Once in the air we settled into the flight, the televisions came out and Grant promptly checked the heads to see if Gulf Air compare to the standards of Singapore Airlines—they didn’t with the deciding factor being no cologne or flowers! Over the next 17 hours we ate like we had never eaten before with meal after meal—three breakfast meals during the flight was a little too much. Most of the group caught up on much needed sleep, so the trip over was relatively quite. Just before arriving in Singapore we received the first breakfast meal.
Royal Australian Navy Band: A Musical Voyage
