Royal Australian Army Dental Corps
Unit News Regular Army Units Dental Platoon 1 CSSB and JHSA Robertson Barracks, Darwin, NT LCPL Conor Gray Hello from sunny, hot, humid and sticky Darwin and that’s just the dry season! This year has been another back-breaking challenge for us getting through all the pre- and post-deployment dental treatment, on top of our regular workload. We have also assisted RAAF and Navy when required. 1CSSB Dental has had a lot of staff changes since our last update. We said goodbye to MAJ Ray Heffer who has gone back to Perth. CAPT Amanda Leen was posted to 1HSB in Sydney. We can always count on CAPT Leen for cooking up our morning tea goodies. CAPT Michael Hall has since discharged from the Army and is now working in sunny Cairns. His dry sense of humour and witty remarks are sadly missed. SGT Mark Allen made the big move down to Brisbane to 2HSB. CPL Alaina Rodway went to Kapooka as a RI. CPL Alison Rolles was posted to Oakey. CPL Rolles was also awarded the Soldier’s Medallion for her excellent work while she was here. PTE Greg Willson finally passed his swim test and was accepted into the RAAC and is now posted to 2/14 LHR. Good luck Greg! There are many new faces here. MAJ Thien Pham, our new SDO and resident oral surgeon, moved up to Darwin from LTS in Perth. CAPT George Lathouras graced us with his presence straight out of university and was very wide-eyed and innocent in the beginning. After completing his SSO course, we can no longer salute him with our left hands! CPL Sonia Nicholls is a hard worker and a great team member. We were sad to lose Sonia after a short period. She is now posted to 2HSB and we wish her all the best (your family is in our prayers and thoughts). CPL Jo Parlour posted out at the start of 2008 but came back quick as a flash. She got married and has since had a baby boy, Damien. She is on maternity leave after having a busy year and will join us again in November. PTE Madeline Gurkin joined us from Randwick and went straight on her SDA course and then JLC. She is competing for a position on the technician course for 2010 and we wish her the best of luck. PTE Miranda Capstaff was posted in after coming off maternity leave and is hoping to do her SDA course this year. PTE Yasmin Hampton posted in last August but will be leaving at the end of the year for Oakey and taking her collection of exotic wild animals along with her. At the end of 2008, the clinical phase of the basic DA course was completed at 1CSSB by PTE Alastair Matthews and PTE Nicole Morrissey. Both successfully passed and were subsequently posted here as their reward. PTE Morrissey is looking forward to walking the Kokoda trail later this year. PTE Matthews is on leave and yet to return.
Those that stay on: CAPT Palfreyman is keeping busy ensuring we all know of his marvellous crown preparations and working hard to prevent our technicians from travelling to and from work in the daylight hours. WO2 Tammy Smith has been extremely busy as always with the administration, stores and equipment. Every now and then, she keeps the diggers in line as acting/acting CSM in the absence of the acting CSM. SGT Ken Locker has recently been promoted and was immediately sent out field with the CSST(-) as PL SGT. He keeps the dental team fighting fit as the Combat Fitness Leader for the Coy. CPL David Clark has been working nonstop in the laboratory keeping on top of the immense workload coming in from the 4 bases in the NT region and from CAPT Palfreyman. Despite the workload, he still managed to complete the work on his 1954 Holden hot rod and it looks awesome! PTE Michelle Williams successfully completed her SDA course and JLC. She is also trying out for the technician selection. We wish her all the best with her new posting down to Brisbane.
CAPT Palfreyman, SGT Locker and I travelled out to Mount Bundy Training Area with the CSST in late May, setting up our equipment and improving on our field dentistry skills. When the troops could not come to us, CAPT Palfreyman and SGT Locker took the dentistry (dental advice and supplies) out to them, which proved to be a real morale booster. Some DOs and DAs got involved with the forensic identification at the Royal Darwin Hospital mortuary on a rotational basis. This was a real eye-opening experience for the soldiers and we greatly appreciated the first-hand experience in the basic procedures involved in victim identification and forensic dentistry. As for me, I was promoted recently and am now W02 Smith’s little leprechaun helper. I am moving on to join 3HSB and am very excited and keen to start this new chapter. I will, however,
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CADMUS 2009