Australian High Commission
Honiara
Solomon Islands

Australia working with RSIPF to Watch the Coast

17 November 2016

                                                                         Australia working with RSIPF to Watch the Coast

Last week, the Australian Defence Force and Australian High Commission joined the Royal Solomons Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in the Shortland Islands in a reconnaissance visit to prepare for Exercise Coastwatchers in 2017.

“Four Australian Army personnel, three RSIPF officers and three members of the Australian High Commission have engaged the local communities and explored the region,” said Warrant Officer Gary Fuss, the Australian Defence Administrative Assistant.

“In this exercise we work with the RSIPF on community engagement, jungle patrolling, navigation and rapid response to Humanitarian Emergency,” explained Captain Alex Davidson of the Australian Army.

The activity also highlighted some other work to do. Sergeant Ali Morris, the Officer in Command of the RSIPF Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, said the team “also looked at some unexploded world war two ammunition and are now working out a way to remove these items and render them safe.”

Captain White, a planning officer with the Australian Army’s 7th Brigade based in Brisbane, said, “The opportunity to travel to such a remote part of Solomon Islands to see the environment first hand is invaluable. The country is so beautiful and the people were always so friendly and supportive of our visit.”

“The RSIPF were excellent and worked really well with the local communities,” he added.

“The RSIPF and Australian members worked well as a team,” Staff Sergeant Frances Ramoni said.