128 The Gunline postured within 5 RAR’s compound during the lead up to the deployment date, which made for a very uneventful start to a complex and ever evolving exercise. Multiple units made their way to the island whilst 103 Battery waited for their scheduled date to move out on the barge, but it never came to be – as disaster struck when a USMC Osprey crashed onto Melville Island. The aircraft was carrying 23 US Marines, of which three were killed at the crash scene. Another five were flown to hospital in critical condition. This postponed the exercise and plans were once again changed as the safety aspect was urgently reassessed. It was quickly decided to retrieve the units that were deployed on the island in order to achieve training outcomes in a more controlled environment. As a part of this reassessment the 103rd Battery boarded the Cooma Cooma with the guns for a local circuit before redeploying in the Darwin Area and continuing on to the Mount Bundey Training Area. Once firm on the ground in Bundey, the battery could finally shine and do what they did best – gunnery. Advanced practices occurred, culminating in the opportunity for the gunline to experience the effects of danger close in the pits. The gunline made the most of a low round allocation.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE4NTMz