The countdown is on! In the last few weeks, we’ve been fortunate to participate in four events sharing the purpose of the expedition - two with the Navy Clearance Diver Trust (NCDT), one at JPMorgan for RUOK? Day, and last Thursday at Headquarters Joint Operations Command for ‘JOCTalks.’ We’ll cover the NCDT talks here and next week will cover our other activities.

A big thank you to Denise and the NCDT volunteers who organised these events, we’re very grateful for the opportunity to share our journey.

Perth - NCDT and University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute

‘Antarctica: Defence and human performance in an extreme environment’

Held at the UWA Club, the keynote address was by the insightful Claire Young and included a static display of equipment from Australian Clearance Diving Teams - Four (AUSCDT FOUR). Emily, Jack, and Vinnie attended to conduct a panel on human performance in Antarctica. The panel was chaired by RADM Allan du Toit AM who covered questions on leadership, teamwork, and communications. Some of the questions we were asked and how we responded are shared here:

1. How does leadership differ in extreme environments?

Leaders need to create an environment where people can speak about challenging issues that need hard conversation including risks seen, and low morale or fatigue. Strong teams are ones able to communicate on good and bad days - where teammates can tell each other they are having a good or bad day. On bad days, this mean sharing sled weight or having a rest day.

2. How does teamwork differ in extreme environments?

Teams in extreme environments require very high levels of trust and benefit from diversity. Diversity brings cognitive advantage and different perspectives that protect team dynamics.

3. How can knowledge and experience gained through the expedition be applied in

future Defence settings? (applicability of the expedition to Defence or small teams; mixed gender teams)

Defence personnel work every day in small and diverse teams and the expedition

contributes to building knowledge of teams working in extreme and mundane

environments, including resilience and wellbeing. See previous article on Human Performance: What the ADF can learn from operating in Extreme Environments.

4. What type of communication is needed to support team awareness and morale?

Daily touchpoints that provide insight into morale and fatigue - I asked an ex-policeman who conducted search and rescues what the greatest risk in high-risk environments was and he said “trust” - trust leads to communication and communication saves lives.

5. How is risk understood and calculated?

Using known tools like Military Risk Management and Risk Registers, and also knowledge from previous expeditions of this nature including UK Army expeditions SPEAR17 and Ice Maidens. Rehearsals (as we call them in the military) about when and how to adapt behaviour based on the risk faced.

The panel faced some interesting questions about nutrition and mental health. When asked a question about “who is likely to have a mental health problem” Jack noted “I am ok now, but I haven’t been in the past” which finished the evening off with an opportunity for people to reflect on how their mental health changes.

The event was attended by The Hon Kim Beazley, AC and The Hon Paul Papalia, CSC, MLA and the team is grateful for the opportunity and support. Thanks to AUSCDT FOUR, CPOIS Yuri Ramsey for the photos, and our event sponsors JFD, L3Harris, BlueOcean and UWA Defence & Security. We’ve promised to head back to Perth in new year to share how the trip went.

Sydney - RUOK? Day Event

Emily, Sean (“Squizz”), and Vinnie attended the NCDT’s RUOK? event to share the origins of the expedition and their lived experience with mental health. Tim couldn’t join us because he had COVID so Vinnie shared Tim’s story and some of it is below - Tim lives and breathes the purpose of our Expedition:

“This day is particularly important to me. It takes courage to ask someone if they are ok. It can sometimes take more courage to admit that you are not ok.

In my own experience I wish more people had asked me, but I am lucky that the right people asked at the right time and I was called out. My story isn’t a heroic feat where I overcame a huge experience and lived to share as if I am victorious - it’s a journey for which I am still travelling.

I am a medic in the Royal Australian Navy. I have had excellent experiences in my job but I have also had awful ones. I have had the challenging life changing experience of resuscitating a friend. When you sign up for a job like this you aren’t prepared for how these sorts of incidents will impact you, and while I didn’t realise it at the time, but the stress of this situation was slowly eating away at me. My workplace provided inadequate post care for this level of stressful event, and I provided myself inadequate self-care.

In 2021, my brother was in a bad place. I always thought he was so strong and capable but in reality he had struggled for years within a strained marriage and in the end he took his own life. I wish he could have reached out before the end. He was asked if he was ok. He wasn’t able to admit he was NOT OK and that weights on me everyday.

The expedition is 1700km … the adventure seems well beyond my capabilities but will provide an amazing adventure. It is difficult to describe how being totally down and out has given me the opportunity to rebuild so I can be a better partner and father.

I wish I had my brother but I am thankful for every lesson learned since and thank that Psychologist every time I see them. I am happy to discuss my struggles if it offers someone the opportunity to discuss theirs. Several people have bravely share their stories with me and thankfully they had a different eventual outcome to my brother. I check in on them every month. I respect their courage to be open with me and will continue to advocate for seeking treatment.”

The event connected people over a hard topic that opened conversations. Thanks to attendees for sharing their own experiences, and our event sponsors Thales and AVEC Australian Veterans Employers Coalition.

Weekly Update: 19th September 2022

Sydney - RUOK? Day Event