Our People in QLD
Tom Ferrill - Helensvale School Boy now fighting Taliban in Afghanistan
Oxenford’s Tom Ferrill, 22, is now earning his living in the high mountains and dangerous valleys of Afghanistan. He’s a signaller in the Army’s Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force.
Tom grew up in Oxenford and attended Helensvale High School. The keen soccer player was also a member of the Coomera Colts Soccer Club in his junior days.
Tom’s sister Amy is also an Army signaller. She was returning from her own deployment when Tom started his.
Tom enlisted in March 2004 at the age of 17, and decided straightaway to specialise as a signaller. He’s since been promoted to Lance Corporal, and he’s normally based in Townsville as a Detachment Commander in 3rd Combat Signals Regiment.
But these days Tom is located at the Forward Operating Base in Chora valley in southern Afghanistan where he commands a signal detachment.
“I’m a signalman with a radio on my back,” said Tom. “I am responsible for providing and maintaining 24-hour communications between patrol bases around the area of operations, and providing situational awareness to my commander.
“The work is very high tempo but very rewarding. It’s great to finally see a result after all my training over the past five years and to be able to put my skills and knowledge to use.”
This is Tom’s second overseas deployment. He served in East Timor in 2006 as part of the Timor Leste Battle Group and now he has been in Afghanistan for several months.
Tom said the highlight of his deployment so far was being out on patrol through the Chora valley.
Although he is making the most of his deployment, Tom misses his long time girlfriend Katanya. He keeps in regular contact with her by calling her when he can.
A holiday in the Greek Islands is now in the plan for Tom’s mid-tour leave. “We’ll just go and have a relaxing time, sight-seeing and enjoying the change in scenery,” he said.
At the completion of his deployment Tom can’t wait to get home to see his mates, go for a holiday to the Gold Coast to catch up with family and ,most of all, he is just looking to unwind with Katanya after a busy tour.
Tom is part of Australia's military contribution Afghanistan, which in turn is part of Australia’s broader commitment to Coalition efforts against international terrorism, countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and maritime security. The Australian deployment, comprising around 1550 personnel in Afghanistan and a further 850 across the Middle East, is know as Operations SLIPPER.
Under Operation SLIPPER, Australian forces contribute to both the efforts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) - led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan which is aimed at preventing Afghanistan again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists, and the United States-led International Coalition Against Terrorism.