In the role of electronics technician, Lance Corporal Neto Ikponmwosa Ogbonmwan has found his calling.
With significant industry experience as an electrical engineer before enlisting in the Army, and family roots entrenched in the field, the career Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan had longed for has finally become a reality.
"My passion for electronics started in high school after performing well in maths and physics. My uncle, who also studied electrical engineering, was a big inspiration growing up and I wanted to emulate his hands-on skills," Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan said.
Born in Uhunmwode, Nigeria, Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan became an Australian citizen in 2015, and enlisted a year later.
In his role, Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan is expected to know the operational functions and technical construction of deployed equipment, such as communication systems and power generators.
During his first international deployment for Operation Render Safe 2024-2, Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan supports the operation of communication systems vital to the explosive ordnance disposal tasking being conducted by multinational teams in Solomon Islands.
"Part of my role is to troubleshoot and identify technical faults that may occur with our radio communication systems, and other deployed electronics," Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan said.
"During Operation Render Safe, maintaining lines of radio communication across land, sea and air is vital, and without communications, the explosive ordnance disposal tasking cannot be conducted safely."
Operating in a remote location in the Solomon Islands' western province presents challenges for teams requiring constant lines of communication via portable radio systems.
For Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan, troubleshooting these technical issues is the driving force behind his job satisfaction.
"There are challenges with maintaining electronic equipment in our current environment, such as the unique geography and the tropical weather systems that roll through the area of operations," he said.
"Despite the challenges, being able to solve a technical problem with a piece of kit, such as a radio, and hand it back to an operator in working condition gives me great professional satisfaction. Not only that, but I can also coach operators through rectifying the issues themselves when they are in remote, hard-to-reach locations."
Posted to the 6th Engineer Support Regiment (6ESR) at RAAF Base Amberley, he is grateful to have daily access to the technical trades offered by Army.
Lance Corporal Ogbonmwan credits his time being surrounded by like-minded, technically driven engineering trades as a significantly impactful part of his role.
"Being at 6ESR where you're surrounded by other trades and engineering professions helps you upskill and learn outside of your core role," he said.
"It's made me a better electronics technician being surrounded by so many soldiers from other trade areas at the unit."
