Pacific Partnership team helps restore Malaysian school

As part of Exercise Pacific Partnership, personnel from the Australian Army’s 6th Engineer Support Regiment (6ESR) and 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2CER) deployed to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, to assist with maintenance and restoration works at a local school.

Kota Kinabalu marked the final port stop for HMAS Choules as part of Pacific Partnership, a US-led humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness exercise.

Personnel took part in concreting, laying tiles, painting and updating the school’s facilities at SK Babagon Toki primary school.

CPL Trent Prestage, a construction foreman, found the work extremely rewarding.

“To be honest, this is a dream job for a person like myself because I joined the Army to do disaster relief missions, and working at this school ticks a lot of boxes for me,” CPL Prestage said.

Navy personnel from Choules assisted with painting the school.

Commander of the Australian contingent CMDR Eddie Piekusis was given a tour of the site by the Australian engineering component commander CAPT Nicholas Filla.

“Over the course of Pacific Partnership 26, I have had the opportunity to see our people in action in several locations throughout the deployment,” CMDR Piekusis said.

“Everyone involved across the ADF and our partner nations should be proud of the work we have done in the region. I hope we can be even more involved in future iterations.”