Our People in TAS
Brad Mills - Brad in Sumatra Rescue Operation
A sound education at Kingsmeadows High School gave Brad Mills the academic credentials he needed to excel in the Royal Australian Navy, but this week he is seeing the worst side of life.
Brad and his Nowra 817 Squadron mates are currently aboard HMAS Kanimbla as part of the Sumatra earthquake rescue operation.
They are now in Pariaman, north of Padang, where the ship is also disembarking a team of 100 Australian military engineers and their equipment. The team will be working with Indonesia to repair several essential infrastructure sites and develop a temporary medical facility.
Australian Army engineers already on site have been producing up to 100,000 litres of fresh water per day as the local water treatment plant had been damaged in the earthquake.
Brad is now a Leading Seaman Aircrewman and has received a number of academic prizes in his 12-year naval career, including Dux of Aviation Trade Training, the Nirimba Prize (best on course during aviation training), and Dux of his Aircrewman Course. His career is still on the up – he will be promoted to Petty Officer next January.
“Aboard my Sea King helicopter I am the Sensor Operator which means I have a number of tasks onboard the aircraft,” he said. “This includes navigating the aircraft in bad weather and undertaking utility operations such as winching personnel and load-lifting equipment.”
The former member of the South Launceston Football Club is also the aircraft’s surface swimmer – which means he may literally have to ‘jump in’ during search and rescue operations.
Since joining the Navy, he has travelled to a number of overseas countries including Vietnam, Hawaii, Samoa, Hong Kong and Singapore.