Happy Tuesday Friends!
Good afternoon Anne H,
Good news! My Dobbie Bag has arrived and I absolutely love it! Thanks again for putting in the time and effort to make it for me. I definitely think I have the best looking Dobbie Bag on the ship by a long shot. A few people have said that it is too green, but then again, those people aren’t greenies* so they wouldn’t understand! I think it’s great and that’s all that matters!
Thanks again
*A greenie is the Navy nick name for Electrical Technician/Engineer
I really love the quote. I showed it to all the other sappers and got to rub it into the infantrymen’s faces. It makes it even better that you know what a sapper actually is. As you can probably imagine there is a healthy amount of banter between the different corps. All corps should have a basic level of soldiering skills, however, infantry soldiers are the soldiers that every other corps supports. Sappers or Combat Engineers are attached to an infantry section and do specialty tasks. These tasks can include a variety of things like minesweeping, disarming booby traps, building obstacles, destroying obstacles, specialising in chemical warfare (only to combat it, Australia doesn’t use chemicals) amongst many other tasks. Combat engineers actually have one of the highest death rates in the army as we are sent into scene before infantry and cavalry to clear the way for them. I guess this is why we say “Follow the Sapper”. Also, a special thank you for the ginger treats. Engineers are often called Gingerbeers, as hence often enjoy consuming ginger.
My main motivation to join the Australian Reserves was to help the nation particularly with bushfires and floods. This year and next I am serving full time and taking a break from my engineering job. This particular operation we are on is for border protection and is a joint effort with Navy. We go out on patrol boats over the next few months still and help prevent illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug and weapon smuggling.
The place you live sounds super lovely! It sounds like you get the best of both worlds, beach and mountains. Your dog would love the walks I bet! I am originally from Europe and living in Perth I miss the forests and mountains a lot. I did a road trip in 2019 from Sydney to Melbourne and fell in love with how green NSW is. I didn’t realise how arid WA is in comparison. I think maybe one day I’ll move over that side. Having family so far away is hard particularly with Covid. I still haven’t been back to Europe to see my extended family and friends there (actually because I decided to come up here I decided to wait with travels). I guess it means you have places to stay when you go visit them and get to see other places. Particularly in Australia the distances make it very difficult.
Librarian is so cool! I have the fondest memory of going to the library as a kid. I was never very good at reading cause I was too active. But I remember I used to always borrow one book over and over again. I was so embarrassed because it was called “Adventure stories for boys”. Obviously being a girl that made it embarrassing (kind of funny thinking about that now). I only ever read one of the stories in that book, which was Treasure Island. I loved it so much and it really stirred the adventure in me. Eventually I also read Secret Garden and Harry Potter and really loved them too. Now I am even in a book club (although on a break from in now of course).
Goodness, I have written so much... I hope I haven’t bombarded you. I am just really excited 
I took a photo of both sides cause I love them both! As you can see I am cleverly using the quilt to hide the bags I packed ready to go on the boats!
Thank you so much for the laundry bag!
All the best,
Good Morning Bridget R,I am writing to you to express my sincere gratitude for the wonderful laundry bag you created. It arrived safely in the post and I was amazed at how much your work captured service in all three arms of the ADF.I have been a member of the ADF for over 20 years and currently serve as a pilot in the Air Force. I have flown helicopters for both the Army and Navy previously. It has been a challenging career and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunities I've had. I feel my time in the service is nearing the end in order to be able to spend more time with my boys (8 and 10).Thank you for taking the time to create this wonderful gift.Kind regards,
Good morning Bridget R,
I hope this finds you well.
Thank you so much for the Quilt you sent, it looks amazing and you have really nailed both teams logos!
I apologise that this has taken so long, I actually left HMAS Hobart a few ports before they returned to Sydney as I was promoted and needed to start work at my new unit. I checked the mail this morning and was delighted to find the quilt and laundry bag! This is my second Aussie Hero Quilt with the first one I received still very much used to this day.
Thank you so much for everything that you and your organisation have done for so many of us who have deployed overseas, it is nice to know that it is appreciated.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful year and thank you so much for making my day today!
Kind Regards,
Hello Toni F,
Just a short note to say that I have recently received a laundry Bag that was made by you. I must say how much I was impressed by your work and very pleased to receive such a gift. The Air Force theme that was on my Laundry Bag was very fitting to my Air Force Career. I was also impressed with your very informative accompanying letter.
I joined the Air Force in 1977 and completed over 38 years of full time service. Employed within the Logistic field I have served all over the country with postings to Williamtown, Point Cook, Butterworth (Malaysia), Wagga, Sydney, Townsville and the Blue Mountains. I have also been involved in numerous Military
Exercises, one could say I have seen most of our Country.
My Operational Deployments include Timor, The Middle East, Iraq, North West Cape, and the Sinai. Whilst these operational locations may sound inviting they are in reality areas of hardship and difficulty for the people who live there. One could say they are not the type of places you would go on your holidays.
In 2015 I discharged from full time service and transitioned into the Air Force Active Reserves where I still serve at Air Combat Group RAAF Williamtown working 3 days per week. I am planning on hanging up my boots and retire at the end of 2023.
In my spare time I enjoy gardening and fishing and I like chooks. These interests come from my parents who in turn followed their parents with these interests. My Father used to say to me about talking about his garden “ when you are sleeping they are growing”. I can also still remember my Grandmother who sold eggs to make a little money to support the family from her 300 plus chooks from a suburban backyard. No work rules back in those days.
Being a person of few words I hope you find my letter of some interest and provide some insight to the person whom you made the laundry bag for. Thank you for your wonderful support and all the very best to you and your family.
No comments:
Post a Comment