Brad Dunn - Enlistment and early service history
Transcript
Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales. Had always wanted to be in the Army, ran around the bush playing wars and guns. When I turned 17, I went to recruiting and spoke to them and then convinced Mum to sign the papers, as they had to back then, and I joined in August '79. Went to Kapooka. Back then, you didn't pre-select what corps you went to.
They gave you three options and then they said, well, they'll test you and you might get your first, or you might get you third or you might find something you are good at." For whatever reason, I chose the Armoured Corps, because I like tanks and armoured vehicles. I got it, which was terrific. Then I was off to Puckapunyal to start my M113 driver's course. I was a cavalryman. Didn't start off well as a cavalryman, I went to the tank regiment because they used cavalry vehicles as well. I spent the first three years of my service serving in 1 Armoured Regiment in Puckapunyal. After that I went to recruiting, funnily enough, my hometown, in Wollongong. Did two- and a-bit years there. Then after that went to 3 CAV or 3-4 CAV in Townsville where I was finally in a cavalry unit and I was a true cavalryman.
After three years there, I went down the school and served in our initial employment training wing, teaching. New recruits from Kapooka came to us and now I was teaching them how to be an Armoured Corps soldier. While there, when you progress to sergeant, you have to specialise in one of three skills, either driving and servicing, gunnery or radio.
I became a radio instructor because I like being indoors. Gunnery instructors are forever out in the range in the sun. Driving instructing is madness, sitting up in the turret with the new driver, that's for madmen. A nice set room out was for me. Then went back to Townsville, as a troop sergeant. I was there, I got selected to go to UNTAC, my first deployment to Cambodia.
I got that because I was radio trained and I'd done the contractor course for the new Siemens radio that was just being introduced, and that's how I actually got picked. Two other guys from my unit, came with me and we deployed to Brisbane initially, for some workup training. Then we were the last group of the first contingent to go in the country and serve from '92, '93 in Cambodia.
