In the expansive and rugged terrain of the Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory, the early morning air was thick with anticipation as troops prepared for battle, deep in the outback.
The scenario was a coordinated activity for Battle Group Tiger, part of Exercise Predator's Run 2024, the 1st Brigade's multilateral combined arms littoral exercise.
The team, including Australian soldiers from the 1st Brigade and a platoon from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was engaged in rigorous training under the watchful eyes of Combat Training Centre adjudicators.
For the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the setting was starkly different from the thick forest and jungle of their home training areas. Here, the atmosphere is dry and dusty, with the rustle of eucalyptus leaves underfoot, and dangerous fauna to watch out for.
The mission was clear: after conducting a night river crossing, they needed to dismount and move through about 10km of wooded terrain to execute a coordinated assault on a strategic position in rugged bushland.
Of course, it's never that simple - enemy role-players waited in hides for the teams to arrive, opening fire with blank rounds as soon as they had eyes on.
The tranquility was shattered by the simulated chaos of the battle, with special-effect explosions, smoke grenades and endless blank ammunition fire.
Orders were barked out - concurrently translated into Tagalog - punctuated by the urgent thud of boots on the parched ground, as troops advanced and manoeuvred through the terrain.
They ran, they yelled, they sweated, and they cleared the objective.
Amidst the intensity, the team recalibrated. While their mission was complete, they now had simulated casualties from their enemy party and their own team to treat.
An exercise in resiliency and adaptability, troops must adjust to the unexpected and put their well-honed training into practice. The priority 1, 2 and 3 casualties they had to treat were more than the combat first aiders on the ground could manage alone. They had to scramble them back to the Role 1 for further medical treatment.
The Role 1 treatment team arrived promptly, pulling gloves on as they rushed to triage and provide assistance to the casualties, while the remaining soldiers provided all-round defence.
As the last of the casualties were evacuated, and with the main objective cleared, the scenario was deemed a success, but it didn't come without improvement points from the Combat Training Centre.
The adjudicators and coaches provided advice and guidance, and pushed the teams to continue to dig deep for the rest of the exercise.
This particular training scenario provided a crucial opportunity for soldiers to learn from successes and setbacks.
With determination in their faces, it was clear that fatigue wouldn't affect Battle Group Tiger - they'll see the rest of their mission through.
