Our People in NSW
Dylan Tippett - Pearce soldier looking forward to seeing family on return from Middle East
FOR Private Dylan Tippett who grew up in Pearce, Canberra, his six month deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations with the Force Support Unit rotation one (FSU 1) is almost over.
The 27 year-old Army operational supplier, who just had his birthday, was with FSU 1 working in the Quartermaster store warehouse, packaging and forwarding vital equipment and stores to Australian troops deployed in Afghanistan.
"It was good to see all the soldiers going and coming back through here at FSU 1," Dylan said.
Dylan said he and his mates had performed well during their six months in the MEAO working in the stores warehouse.
"I've taken away a lot of different experiences away from this job and learnt how to keep my morale up when I'm away for home," Dylan said.
Dylan said he joined the Army in early 2006 after travelling around Europe with a friend.
"We lived and worked on a golf course in Surrey England, managing a bar and restaurant called the Drift," he said.
So coming home he decided on a career which would give him a trade as well as a chance to travel while also doing something for his country.
"It's great to have a trade where you have the chance to deploy overseas to do your job instead of just working in Australia," he said.
Working at FSU 1 Dylan enjoyed having the responsibility of working independently.
"A lot of the time in our job I worked by myself and you had to make sure things were done correctly and on time," Dylan said.
When he returns home he will visit his parents Debra and Gerald and girl friend in Canberra, who is also in the Army.
"I’m really happy to be going home. While this deployment was a good experience it will be good to have a break," Dylan said.
"My girl friend name is Jasmin and she is currently an officer cadet at Royal Military College Duntroon .
"We met in 2006 when I met her though one of my mates when she visited Darwin. At the time she was in the same job as me as an operator supply," Dylan said
One highlight for him during his deployment was being a member of a unit soccer team, which played in a competition against teams from the United States military.
"We took out the six-week competition and our second team came runner up. I also played in a unit volley ball competition, where our warehouse team won the competition also," he said.