Defence Support to 2018 Commonwealth Games Concludes

The Commander of the Australian Defence Force (ADF)’s support to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games today thanked personnel for their efforts to ensure a safe and successful conclusion to the Games.

The ADF supported the Queensland Police Service and other state and federal agencies to search more than twenty-seven venues to ensure the public could experience a secure and enjoyable Games.  

Commander of the Joint Task Force, Major General Paul McLachlan, said he was immensely proud of the professionalism and dedication of ADF personnel who contributed to the security arrangement.

“Our highly trained personnel, including Army engineers,  Air Task Group, Navy clearance divers, and Army and Air Force Reserves,  trained and prepared to ensure athletes, spectators and the local community enjoyed a safe and secure Games,” Major General McLachlan said.

“It has been a complex and complicated security operation characterised by genuine teamwork from a wide range of other government agencies.”

“ADF personnel from all of the Joint Task Forces have done an excellent job, developed fantastic relationships and made important contributions to a highly successful whole-of-government security operation.”

1,700 Navy, Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns as part of Operation ATLAS, the ADF codename for Defence’s contribution; the largest whole-of-Australian-Government security operation in Australia since G20 in 2014.
 

Media Note:

Images of ADF support to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth games is available on the Defence Image Library at https://images.defence.gov.au/S20180100  

A highlight video of ADF support is available on the Defence Image Library at http://video.defence.gov.au/play/5636#