Silver lining to Cambrian challenge

The team, comprised of eight members from Townsville’s 2nd Battalion, traversed the 50 kilometre course in 40 hours carrying 40 kilograms of gear each.

“It was tough” admits team leader Corporal Lee Newham who says the challenges they were given were complicated further by the Welsh weather and soggy, mountainous terrain.

“Especially moving by night, we didn’t have the benefit of night vision equipment that we usually have in Australia, so moving by night especially through fog where we can only see two metres in front of us if that, there was a lot of falls going on.”

Of the 90 teams that started the exercise about half did not finish the exercise due to injury, inability to compete quickly enough or because they became lost while on the course says CPL Newham.

“Of those 50% that did make it through to the end, about 50% of those made it through without any members of their team actually being withdrawn through injury, so to have our whole team to make it through to the end with everyone intact was a massive achievement in itself.”

Corporal Newham believes following the Australian Army’s standard operating procedures and his team’s professionalism helped them achieve success.

“A job would come up and I know that each of my soldiers have the intelligence and initiative to do what needs to be done.”

Only three teams received a gold medallion at the Cambrian Patrol this year which is awarded to groups who achieve between 95 and 100% of total points, silver medallions are awarded to teams who achieve between 85 and 95%.

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