117 The battery would then relax with the fresh food and soft beds in Port Wakefield’s experimental and proof range via the arrangements made by BHQ. The exercise ended in a warm hearty environment with good laughs, a few well-earned drinks and a hot meal. Through good relations the battery was able to store their equipment on site until they returned in August for a subsequent exercise. Following Thunder Run, BSM WO2 Mark Nipperess was subsequently deployed to Egypt on Operation Mazurka, handing over the role to WO2 Scott Fitzgibbon. The next round of lead up training occurred with specific focus on IMT’s, leadership training and blowing off steam with teamwork and initiative days on Fridays. These consisted of viewings of HBO’s Band of Brothers with subsequent reviews into ethical decision making, battlefield analysis, historical dives and research as lead by BC Major Joel Oates. The battery could enjoy a good routine for the time to come. Strength training made a return in PT with fun additives like combative training, obstacle course runs and combat PT. Sport continued to come and go as the Brigade committed members to Aged Care Assist and other domestic operations of which limited members deployed to in the Perth and Sydney areas. As the Battery enjoyed their limited time of normalcy they were now able to have time to plan and predict tasks, where domestic operations continued to snatch people up at the last second, when it came to Battery exercises they were able to finally nail down fine point details and ensure the rest of the year would be smooth sailing and incorporate as much rest as possible.
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