Putting training into practice

Nine months into his job, AC Joshua Moore put his training into action overseas.

In September, the 20-year-old 13SQN aviation logistics specialist helped move Vietnamese peacekeepers deploying on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The task was his first time overseas and his first opportunity to support an international mission.

AC Moore helped prepare cargo, check dangerous goods and load the C-17A Globemaster carrying the Vietnamese contingent.

Despite being early in his career, AC Moore felt ready to put his training into practice.

“We’ve been trained to do this, so it’s just putting our job into real life,” AC Moore said.

The experience also gave him insight into how Australia worked alongside international partners.

“It opened my eyes up a bit about what it’s actually like outside of Australia, helping other countries,” he said.

“You see how much countries, like partners, actually rely on each other to help each other out.”

The experience taught him to adapt to different ways of communicating and completing paperwork.

“With the language barrier, you have to be patient and make sure you understand each other, especially when working through the paperwork,” he said.

AC Moore helped transport the incoming Vietnamese contingent to South Sudan before bringing home the outgoing contingent after its 12-month UNMISS deployment.

Helping bring the outgoing contingent home after a year away added a personal element to the task.

“Bringing people home from a pretty dangerous place, back to where their families are, made me feel good,” he said.

“You feel proud to get them home after 12 months.”

After getting his first taste of an international task, AC Moore said the experience had left him eager to take on more opportunities abroad.

“I enjoy meeting new people and getting to know the people you work with and I definitely see myself going overseas more in the future,” he said.