Soldier helps keep UN mission moving

Before Vietnamese peacekeepers departed for South Sudan aboard a RAAF C-17A in September, Sgt Auburn Walden had already planned every leg of their journey.

Deployed to Vietnam with an ADF movements team, she put that plan into action for the contingent’s year-long deployment to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

As the lead movement liaison officer, Sgt Walden coordinated the personnel, cargo and support requirements.

Her work began in Australia after receiving the task order, liaising with HQJOC and movement staff to plan the mission.

“From there I worked with the headquarters desk officer to begin the planning and movement details,” Sgt Walden said.

The trip took the contingent from Vietnam through Seychelles and on to Juba, with movement requirements coordinated at each stop.

Sgt Walden said much of her role involved coordinating the passengers’ support throughout the journey.

“The main things like accommodation, transport and rationing,” she said.

Once in Vietnam, her focus shifted to ensuring cargo was correctly manifested and ready to move with the contingent.

Movement staff worked closely with a linguist while identifying dangerous goods and checking equipment being packed for the flight.

“For this trip, the movers working closely with the linguist was absolutely necessary,” Sgt Walden said.

She said the job also required movement staff to respond quickly when plans changed on the ground.

“The main challenge is just coordinating on-the-ground ad-hoc changes and being able to know the process in which we can problem-solve to find a solution,” she said.

Cargo documentation was reported after departure, giving headquarters and the UN visibility of equipment being moved into and out of South Sudan.

“It helps us to continue movement planning, but it also helps HQJOC and the UN know what they’re bringing into [South] Sudan and coming back out again,” Sgt Walden said.

After 14-and-a-half years in movements, Sgt Walden said the detailed preparation required for the trip made it different from previous overseas tasks.

Before leaving Australia, movement staff had rehearsed parts of the mission over the phone to ensure they could begin work as soon as they arrived.

“Teams have had to work quite close-knit together during the planning stage,” Sgt Walden said.

For Sgt Walden, the job meant making the journey easier for peacekeepers preparing to spend a year away from their families.

“It’s great being able to help facilitate that and streamline the process to make it as easy as possible for the contingent,” she said.

“It makes you proud and I think it makes it a humbling experience as well.”