Military bands perform during Exercise Talisman Sabre

Photo By OR-5 Mark Doran | (L-R) Cpl. Gary Linton is joined by Lance Cpl. Jenna Pacey from the British Army's Parachute Regiment, Warrant Officer 1st Class Gary Caira and Musician Angie Currington during the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Band's performance at the Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 Open Day in Rockhampton. Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 has formally kicked off with a public Open Day at the Rockhampton Showground. The Open Day saw the 1RAR Band and Australian Federation Guard perform alongside the US 7th Fleet Band, demonstrating the interoperability of the two military forces that Exercise Talisman Sabre aims to strengthen. The Open Day also showcased a wide array of static displays from Australian and U.S. participants as well as other Australian government agencies such as AusAID the Australian Federal Police, the Asia Pacific Civil-Military Centre of Excellence and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service. More than 22,000 Australian and U.S. personnel will participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011, which will see personnel and assets from the Australian and U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force as well as the U.S. Marines training in six defense training areas in Central and Northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, with maritime forces exercising in the Coral, Timor and Arafura Seas.  

ROCKHAMPTON, QL, AUSTRALIA

07.09.2011

Story by Mark Doran 

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command         

ROCKHAMPTON, Australia - The band of the U.S. 7th Fleet are based in Okinawa in Japan and arrived in Brisbane on the USS Blueridge July 8. The first of the concerts was at the TS11 open day at the Rockhampton Showgrounds which was attended by nearly 10, 000 locals July 9.

1RAR’s Band was also invited to perform with the band of the U.S. 7th Fleet at Rockhampton’s Lady Mayoress Ball that night.

Maj. Lindsay Mee, OC/music director 1RAR Band, said the band played their next performance at Bauhinia House for a Legacy Concert on June 10 with all proceeds going to Legacy Australia.

“June 11 was also a busy day as we had student workshops and played with the Central Queensland University Band on campus,” Maj. Mee said.

“In the afternoon we travelled to Mount Morgan with band of the U.S. 7th Fleet as a concert band for a joint performance.

One member of the 1RAR Band stood-out because of her uniform. Lance Cpl. Jenna Pacey is on a four-month posting to Australia from the British Army’s Parachute Regiment Band.

Lance Cpl. Pacey is from Leicestershire in the East Midlands and said she had travelled and spent time with the different Australian army bands to see how they were organised.

“My time in Australia has been an awesome, eye-opening experience and I have loved the weather,” Lance Cpl. Pacey said.

Cpl. Peta Lockhart was one of the 18 members with the 1RAR Band and said the TS11 Tour was very exciting.

“This is a massive exercise and it is a fantastic experience to be able to play alongside a U.S. Fleet Band,” Cpl. Lockhart said.

• Date Taken: 07.09.2011
• Date Posted: 07.12.2011 01:30
• Story ID: 73564
• Location: ROCKHAMPTON, QL, AU