Our People in VIC
Scott Wellings - Geelong soldier keeps Afghanistan Diggers well fed
Geelong soldier Scott Wellings is playing a key role in keeping Australia’s fighting troops in top condition. He is providing healthy meals deep in the valleys and high mountains of Afghanistan.
This is Scott’s first overseas deployment since he joined the Army in 2006. He has been in Afghanistan for around 3 months.
Scott’s parents Lorraine Erikson and Collin Wellings were both in the Navy but Scott preferred to keep his feet dry.
Scott spent his schooling days at Western Heights both Barton and Quamby Campus(V.C.E).
Now he is part of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF) deployed in Oruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan. The MRTF is part of Operation Slipper, the Australian Defence Force’s contribution to coalition efforts against global terrorism.
Apart from his soldier training, Scott also specialised in catering and has a Certificate 3 in Commercial Cookery.
He is working in a Forward Operating Base in the Chora Valley in Oruzgan Province, southern Afghanistan, where he is responsible for fresh rations and providing meals to the rest of his team.
“I feed a big number of people and provide them with a fresh meal each day. I try to cook them a variety of meals but I’m sometimes limited to what I can cook,” said Scott.
“The work is good and challenging, and very rewarding. It’s great when the guys thank me for the meals,” he said.
“It’s great to be able to put my trade skills into practice and make a positive contribution to the effort,” he said
Although he’s making the most of his deployment, Scott still misses his home and fiancé, Monique, and is looking forward to a holiday when he gets home.
“I’ll just spend time with Monique, catch up on everything I’ve missed and just relax most of all.”