It can’t have happened many times before but recently four Lithgow soldier brothers deployed simultaneously to Timor Leste.
The fourth brother has now returned home but the remaining three caught up for a day at the forward operating base in the south-west of the country.
Corporal Jeffrey Small, Private Andrew Small and Corporal Gary Small normally only meet at the family’s annual Christmas gathering, so this get together was much appreciated.
The operational situation allowed Andrew and Jeffrey to join their brother Gary on a day-patrol through the town of Same.
Jeffrey Small has specialised in transport while Andrew and Gary are both infantrymen.
All are members of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) and on six month deployments to Timor Leste.
The three brothers caught up over lunch before the afternoon patrol.
There’s a total of five Small brothers altogether, and they grew up in Lithgow where their parents still live.
All five went to Lithgow High School.
The fifth brother is not a member of the Australian Defence Force and has shown no interest in joining his ‘brothers in arms’.
Well, not yet anyway.
Jeffrey Small, 23, is a member of the Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) and has always been a ‘truckie’.
“I have done just about every job and got every licence to be had in Transport, so when I get home I am applying to change Corps to do something different.
“This has been my first overseas deployment — and I have really enjoyed it.
“I would like to come back, but in a different role.”
But Jeffrey’s fiancee will be taking priority for a while as Jeffrey is getting married in October.
After a honeymoon in Hawaii the couple will enjoy some time together before he returns to work in January 2009.
“I would love a deployment to the desert some time in the near future.”
“A highlight for this trip has been just seeing this beautiful country.
“I have driven just about everywhere as I am one of only a few drivers qualified to tow a 20-ton trailer behind my Mack.
“I also love my role as a driver testing officer and hope to be able to run a driving course soon,” Jeffrey said.
Cpl Gary Small, at 26 the oldest of the five brothers, joined the Army in 2000 and after initial training was posted to 3 Battalion the Royal Australia Regiment (3RAR).
He has now qualified in combat communications and trained as an assault pioneer (basic combat engineering).
The family has a close association with military history as the brothers’ grandfather left home at 15 and joined the Army, and was part of reinforcements on the Kokoda track in 1942.
An uncle also served during the Malayan emergency in the 1960s and an aunt was a member of the Women’s Air Force in the ’50s.
Cpl Gary Smalls’ job in Timor Leste is leading an infantry section on patrolling duties around the Same district (pronounced Sar-may).
“Being a ‘Seco’ [section commander] is great.
“I get a lot of freedom of action plus the responsibility that goes with it.
“We go out on 72-hour patrols and regularly spend a week guarding the signals retransmission site.”
Gary is no stranger to Timor Leste — this is his fourth deployment there since 2002.
“From my perspective Timor has improved a lot since my second deployment in 2006.
“There is no comparison in Dili between then and now.
“A lot more shops are open, people are always on the streets and the roads are always busy.
“The locals take us soldiers for granted now and are always happy to see us particularly in rural areas.
“We make a point of interacting with kids on patrol and find that winning over the kids also gets the parents on side.”
Gary is engaged to Sharna so is looking forward to spending time with her on return to Australia, as well as playing with his dog and having a few beers with his mates.
Pte Andrew Small aged 21 always wanted to join the army from the age of 10.
““I thought it was the right thing to do.
“I never considered anything else; I’m a lifer!”
Andrew first tried to be a tank crewman but couldn’t pass the swim test so he changed to Infantry.
He is now qualified as mortar man and armoured personnel carrier driver.
Now he’s a rifleman in Dili and patrols the streets on a daily basis.
“I was in Iraq on 2005-06 and enjoyed the job, but Timor is quite different.
“The climate is so much better — no sand storms and plenty of grass, and the children are happier.
“I would gladly come back to Timor as every little effort makes a small difference.”
Andrew is looking forward to a little time out with his girlfriend when he returns home and perhaps some bungee jumping.
The Small brothers are three of about 780 Australian Defence Force personnel currently serving in Timor-Leste as part of Operation Astute, the Australian Government response to the Timorese Government’s request for assistance in restoring stability to their country.
The Australians, like all members of the International Stabilisation Force, are assisting the Government of Timor-Leste and the United Nations Police to provide a secure and stable environment where the various groups can peacefully resolve their differences.