MEDIA RELEASE
8 August 2006
For immediate release
PRAISE FOR PROJECT TO RENOVATE KIUNGA ARMY BASE
The head of the Australian Defence Staff in PNG, Colonel Dougall McMillan, today praised the project to renovate a Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) army Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Kiunga, Western Province.
Colonel McMillan said the project showed the strong links between the PNGDF and the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Provincial Administrator of Western Province, Mr Nelson Hungrabos, hosted an official ceremony in Kiunga last week to mark the start of refurbishment work at the platoon sized FOB in Kiunga.
The renovation work, which is being carried out by engineers from the PNGDF and the ADF, will allow for the re-establishment of a PNGDF presence along the southern PNG-Indonesian border.
Colonel McMillan said: “This renovation project is part of Exercise Puk Puk, which comes under the Defence Cooperation Program between PNG and Australia.
“Exercise Puk Puk is helping to develop engineering skills within the PNGDF and at the same time provide improvements to PNGDF infrastructure.
“It has been extremely successful to date. The two forces have been working well together and it is good to see understanding of culture and customs continuing to develop between members of the ADF and the PNGDF.”
The refurbishment of the FOB in Kiunga took place at the request of the Commander PNGDF, Commodore Peter Ilau, DMS, CBE. Regular patrols from the base in Kiunga ceased in 1995 due to the Bougainville crisis.
Once the renovation is complete a PNGDF platoon from the First Battalion, Royal Pacific Islands Regiment at Taurama Barracks, will occupy the base and begin border surveillance. Successive platoons will be rotated through on a three monthly basis.
Previous Puk Puk exercises have refurbished PNGDF facilities in Igam Barracks, Lae, Goldie River Training Depot, Port Moresby, Moem Barracks, Wewak and Taurama Barracks, Port Moresby.
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