Transcript
I got into trouble a number of times because when you're, in particular in the bush, you're supposed to have your signal operator, your radio operator with you all the time, so that you can communicate. But I felt that this guy was following me around all the time. And that kind of felt like the staff following me around at Duntroon. And so I'd often tell him to sit over there under the tree while I went and did my business.
And twice, I got busted by the commanding officer for it. And he told me in no uncertain terms, "Richard you have to bring your signaller with you". But there was one great moment that I've shared with junior officers over the years and it was a few months into my time as a platoon commander. And we were moving through the bush in Townsville on an exercise. And I called for a five-minute halt. And I checked my map and had a drink and maybe a quick bite to eat. And so we might have taken 10 minutes.
But then as I was packing up my map, and putting all my equipment back away to, to recommence the patrol, I’d done that and then I stood up. And by the time I stood up and looked around, the platoon was already up and already moving. And it was a great realization that a platoon kind of feels and thinks together and they'd seen me starting to move and without any signal or word, that was the signal for them to start to move and quietly and without any orders we just got up and kept on doing our business. And I distinctly remember it at the time of going, "Wow, this is what it's like, this is what they've been talking about", you know, the joys of a command where you’re operating sort of almost as one.
