The Singleton Army Barracks threw open its doors on November 9, with more than 3,500 people getting a rare glimpse into what happens behind the Barracks gate.
The Open Day was an opportunity to showcase military vehicles and weapons, soldiers’ skills on the obstacle course, military working dogs, the Australian Army Band, physical training, an attack display including snipers and an infantry section attack.
Lieutenant Colonel Jarrod Brook, Commanding Officer of the School of Infantry and senior ADF Officer for the Singleton Military Area said they believe it’s the first Open Day since 1996.
“There is a lot of interest in what the School of Infantry does and it’s very hard to bring people onto the camp without doing a set activity like this. We’re very conscious that we are part of the community so it’s great to invite people here and give them a small snapshot of the training we deliver.
“We are an Army for the Nation, it doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to everybody. I think everyone in the community has some level of connection to the Australian Defence Force, so everyone has an investment in what we do.
“We’ve been able to show people our fitness training, the obstacle course that breeds teamwork in a fatiguing environment, the combative program, the close combat skills as well that we train here with our infantry soldiers, snipers, our heavy weapons and our reconnaissance capabilities,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Brook.
“What we really emphasise in our training is the capacity to be resilient, the capacity to demonstrate grit and determination.”
The entire day was free for anyone who attended, with local Legacy representatives serving a sausage sizzle and plenty of refreshments.
“I think we are very fortunate to have this base here in the Hunter Valley. There is huge interest and investment in what we do and I think this is a great opportunity to pay that back to the local community and allow them to engage with us.”
