Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Late last month I had the great privilege to spend time with our Australian Defence Force personnel as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. I visited the Middle East region, including Afghanistan, to learn about Operation Highroad and Okra. Australian troops are performing key roles in the NATO led Resolute Support Mission to train Afghan security forces, as well as Operation Okra, Australia's contribution to combat Daesh or ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The member for Lindsay and I were embedded to live and work with the Australian servicemen and women on their deployment, to experience the challenging aspects of service life and to understand Defence Force capabilities. Like any other ADF member being deployed, we completed reception, staging and onward movement training. This included being briefed on intelligence and operational matters, explosive and first-aid training, weapon handling and shooting on the range. The member for Lindsay outgunned me with the rifle, but I regained my honour with some proficient pistol shooting. We were both pretty good at driving the Australian Bushmaster, an asset that is the envy of other nations.

I was very grateful to learn more about the activities of the Force Support Element, the Expeditionary Airbase Operations Unit and the headquarters of Joint Task Force 633. Air Commodore Guy Wilson, deputy commander of JTF633, gave us a better understanding of operations in the region, and I thank him. Flying into Kabul in the cockpit of our RAAF Hercules, and within Kabul on board the United States Black Hawks, was an experience I will never forget. In Kabul we were hosted by Brigadier Michael Prictor, commander of Task Group Afghanistan, and we got a very good understanding of Australia's role of training Afghan security forces, and of our adviser trainers to the Kabul Garrison Command. We met with Australian Ambassador Richard Feakes and First Secretary Rohan Titus. It was very special to spend time with the troops at the Hamid Karzai base and the Australian base at Resolute Support headquarters, known as Anzac Cove. I thank Lieutenant Commander Frank Cahill, who gave great insight into ADF life in Afghanistan. We departed Kabul aboard a British C-17 Globemaster of Her Majesty's Royal Air Force, and I was so proud of the reputation of and respect for the ADF within the foreign militaries I encountered.

We also spent time at the Air Task Group, hosted by Group Captain Stephen Young, learning about our KC-30A mid-air refuelling tankers and the role the Hornets play in defeating Daesh. We witnessed briefings of the crew before their missions and got to check in on progress later in the day. We also helped to assemble bombs that would be used in the fight against Daesh. Our visit would not have been possible without Major Erica Abend, who escorted us. I thank Erica for her patience and dedication. I have never met anyone who loves coffee so much, and I thank her for her introduction to the 'Bean around the MEAO' coffee shop at Camp Baird.

In this place, Labor and Liberal members sit opposite each other in political combat, but as participants in this program, we represent our parliament, not our parties. This program gave me the opportunity to better understand my own colleagues. The member for Lindsay and I are very different people, but the eight days we spent together on this program means that we understand and respect each other better, because we got to learn about the things that motivate us, including our common shared values.

There is no doubt the program makes us better parliamentarians, but that's only half of the story. I have the pleasure of welcoming Craftsman Greg Hall into my office this week and into the chamber today. Members of the ADF are hosted by parliamentarians to observe parliament and the work of MPs. Craftsman Hall is currently posted to the Joint Proof and Experimental Unit at Port Wakefield as an electronics technician. He has previously served with the 10th Force Support Battalion in Townsville and the Middle East. Craftsman Hall, I hope you've gained a greater understanding of our parliamentary processes and, indeed, our democracy. The Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program absolutely improves parliamentarians' understanding of the ADF. It enables us, as elected representatives, to be informed in debates on national security and Defence expenditure. I thank the servicemen and women of the ADF in the Middle East. Thank you for your training and briefings, and I thank you for your service to Australia. It was an honour to be able to spend time with you. I am very proud of our Australian troops. I will always have their sacrifice in the front of my mind in my work as the member for Tangney.