Page 39 - QARANC Vol 14 No 6 2013

THE GAZETTE QARANC 37
problems were heat related injuries due to the temperature and manual work required of the soldiers, minor injuries and minor illnesses. Most of these were dealt with on site although other more serious or complex problems were returned to the medical centre for further care and if required, transported to the nearest hospital in King City. There were two civilian helicopters available for emergency transportation to hospital. We were lucky enough to get a ride in this prior to commencing medical cover and shown the various sites and helicopter landing pads at each engineering area. Luckily the helicopters were not required for an emergency during our stay and there were no major illness or injury incurred.
During our stay at FHL we encountered much of the wild life we were told would be there; we saw coyote, racoons, deer and a bob cat. Unfortunately we saw neither brown bears nor mountain lions that apparently live around the area. The days’ work settled into a pattern of getting up at 0500 to provide medical cover rotating to the various engineering sites and finish around 2000. Everyone was extremely friendly and interested in the British Military system and in particular the Territorial Army and our role within it. It had to be down to the 2 Brits to provide the ‘climbing’ expertise when siting the wind vane for the HLS at one site and also instruction on how to put up a makeshift ‘basher’ to provide shade at a couple of the other sites. Maj Price had her birthday during the stay and was taken to the San Antonio de Padua Mission for Sunday Mass and after work was presented with a birthday cake, card and signed tee shirt by our host unit.
We were allowed two cultural days at the end of our stay. The first day being the breath-taking scenic route of Highway One to Monterey, where we frequented the many craft shops on Fisherman’s Wharf. We watched the sea lions and otters playing and sunbathing whilst enjoying a lunch of clam chowder and a Budweiser.
The final morning in camp we each received mementos from our visit
and both presented with The Army Achievement Medal; including a citation: ‘For outstanding professional contribution to the Castle IRC mission’. We in return presented our mementoes and gave our gift from 306 HSR of a bronze statue of Florence Nightingale. After many goodbyes and photographs between everyone we left for our second cultural day travelling three and half hours to San Francisco.
We travelled on a San Francisco trolley through the district to the Wharf where we took a boat ride to view the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. A viewing of this was not possible unfortunately as there was a two week booking queue! The following morning we visited Muir Woods; a National Park famous for its Redwood trees located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge; which we drove over to get to our destination. We climbed 1,000ft to the top of the woods where we were rewarded with a stunning view of our surroundings. The view of San
Francisco however was unfortunately still clouded with smog. We were returned to San Jose Airport for our return journey back via Los Angeles and Dulles Washington. With a 12 and a half hour stopover in Dulles, Maj Price visited the nation’s Capital which was a 50 minute bus ride from the airport.
We feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to participate in this cultural experience which allowed us to establish personal and professional relationships with the US Army Reserve and our hosts. We would strongly recommend this exchange programme to all personnel. It has enhanced our understanding of each other’s Reserve components and will enable us to work alongside the US Army in the future with greater ease and understanding.
* USO: a private, non-profit, non- partisan organization who in part support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services.