Our People in NSW
Joshua Warren - Celebrity highlight for Newcastle digger
When Newcastle soldier Joshua Warren Driving got posted to East Timor he didn’t expect to be driving celebrities around but it turned out to be a highlight of his tour.
Joshua, 19, has specialised as a mechanic and he’s now part of the International Stabilisation Force, assisting the East Timorese and UN maintain stability and security in the country.
But the forces entertainment tour was definitely a great break from routine soldiering.
“When we had visitors for the Forces Entertainment Tour, including ‘Dicko’ (Ian Dickson) and Ian Moss, it was my job to drive them around between our bases,” he said.
“When I’m not driving celebrities around, my normal job involves transporting supplies to troops based outside Dili on sustainment trips,” he said.
He has been struck how different life is in East Timor from that at home. “The air here is quite smokey and thick, and it’s really different from Newcastle.”
Soldiering is also very different from his previous job as a labourer in the concrete industry.
“I also used to referee rugby league, so it’s good to be able to do something different,” he said.
“I joined the Army because I wanted to set myself up in life, so that’s what influenced me.”
Joshua is one of 650 Australian Defence Force personnel now serving in East Timor with Operation Astute.
The operation is part of the Australian Government's response to a request from the Government of East Timor to assist in bringing stability, security and confidence to the East Timorese.