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Stuart Munro - Geelong man is engineering change in East Timor
Geelong’s Stuart Munro has already been to the Middle East with the Australian Defence Force, and now his experience in planning long term infrastructure projects has taken him to East Timor.
Stuart (31) is a reservist Flight Lieutenant with the RAAF and he’s now working in East Timor for six months as a force engineer with the International Stabilisation Force, whose job is to assist the East Timorese and UN maintain stability and security in the country.
“I look at long term projects, and the RAAF provided great experience in remote area engineering,” he said.
Stuart had been in the Air Force full-time for 10 years, and only transferred to the Reserve a year ago. In his civilian job, he is a project manager with the Queensland Government’s Department of Public Works but they have given him the time off.
“I will be in East Timor for six months, and the job here allows me to get out and do more site work than in my normal job. My reserve position is as an airfield engineer, and this role here is a deployable version of what I do at home, so it’s all a really good fit,” he said.
Stuart is excited about the projects he is working on in East Timor. “The projects are in a challenging environment. There’s a huge diversity of work, and I’m enjoying working on airfields again,” he said.
It’s Stuart’s first time in the country, and he has really enjoyed meeting the local people and seeing some of the countryside.
“I feel very comfortable, and there is so much potential. The people are so friendly and tolerant,” he said. “There’s a great chance here for success.”
“I was lucky enough to be here while the Tour de Timor bike-race was on, and that’s something I would consider coming back to do myself,” he said.
Stuart is a keen marathon runner and coach, and one thing he does miss is training with his squad and competing in events.
“However, I’m used to the military environment, so life here feels familiar. I’m getting a chance to train, the food is great, there are lots of people to talk to, and communications back home are really good,” he said.
Stuart is one 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 Timorese.