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ADF MOBILISES RELIEF EFFORT FOR SUMATRAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS |
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Friday, 02 October 2009 |
The Australian Defence Force will launch its Indonesian earthquake relief effort today following the acceptance by the Indonesian Government of an offer of emergency assistance from Australia yesterday.
The ADF has established a Joint Task Force of military and government agencies to provide the best possible assistance to the Australian Government response effort in Indonesia.
The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston says the Joint Task Force will deploy to Indonesia from today on C-130 and C-17 aircraft.
“The C-130 Hercules is planning to depart RAAF Base Darwin late this morning with a Joint Task Force headquarters as well as a ten-man Army engineer reconnaissance team and a RAAF health assessment team,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
“Later this afternoon, a C-17 Globemaster will depart from RAAF Base Amberley with an ADF medical team and a 36-man civilian urban search and rescue team from Brisbane.
They will commence work providing emergency assistance after establishing direction from the Government of Indonesia,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
Planning has also commenced for HMAS Kanimbla to sail from Sydney to Padang in the coming days with its embarked medical facility and a Sea King helicopter capable of delivering aid into more inaccessible areas.
Air Chief Marshal Houston says this latest operation is able to be managed alongside the support currently being provided to the Samoan relief effort which began yesterday.
“We are well placed to support both operations; I consider the ADF’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel and equipment to aid disaster-struck nations as one of our defining features.
Our neighbours in the South West Pacific, Samoa and Tonga, and Indonesia have suffered greatly and as we move to provide assistance, our condolences go to those who have lost family members and their homes. We trust that our efforts will help those communities re-establish normalcy as quickly as possible”, Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
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