Exercise Rausim Binatang DPR/TV/1507

Far from the cold of an Australian winter a group of regular and citizen soldiers from Sydney, NSW and Melbourne, Vic based units, are working in the tropical heat of the north coast of Papua New Guinea. They are taking part in exercise Rausim Binatang, which means get rid of the flies, at Bogia, on the coast between Madang and Wewak. Soldiers from the regular army's 1st Field Hygiene Unit, based in the Sydney area, were the first in on May 8th and they will spend the whole of the six weeks exercise period in the Bogia area. Towards the end of the exercise (June 4-18) the Citizen Military Force soldiers from 3rd Field Hygiene Company at Melbourne, Vic, joined the regulars. The exercise has been planned to test the field skills of the soldiers but also to give valuable support to the public health programme of the Papua New Guinea Administration. All sections of the field hygiene units have been actively involved. In addition to carrying out health surveys on the people and their surrounds in the Josephstaal area, inland from Bogia, the soldiers have carried out malarial surveys, built a toilet block at the Josephstaal hospital, taken blood samples, carried out a malarial survey and done an assortment of civic action tasks. These include sinking wells, upgrading existing wells, giving technical advice to the villagers, and helping with a local library scheme. In Papua New Guinea, Australian soldiers...regular and citizen soldiers...sharpen their skills and give valuable assistance to village health schemes. Also identified: Captain Bill Crossman of Toowoomba, Qld, Adm Offr; Sergeant Craig Ramsden of Cabramatta, NSW, Ord Room Sgt 1 Fd Hygiene Coy; Corporal Ainui Fiunakot of New Ireland; Lieutenant Howard Wilkins of Forest Hill, Vic.