Australian Army Reserve engineers who served in Operation Bushfire Assist during the Black Summer, returned to the community of Eden on the NSW Far South Coast for Anzac Day 2021 commemorations.
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Engineers from the 5th Engineer Regiment (5ER) formed the catafalque party for the Eden RSL sub branch Anzac Day services at Eden War Memorial.
They were supported by members of the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Supply, who formed an honour guard for the dawn and daytime services.
The 5ER task group lead the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) support to Eden and the south coast of NSW during Operation Bushfire Assist.
Guest speaker at the Eden service was former Commanding Officer of the 5ER task group, Lieutenant Colonel Renee Kidson CSM, who addressed two key themes for Anzac Day 2021 at Eden, remembrance and resilience.
"For Eden, this is personal. Eden knows what it is to fight. For your life. I stand here humble amongst giants - men and women of Eden who fought to defend this town against the massive Black Summer fires over a year ago.
Lt Col Kidson drew a link between military and bushfire veterans, saying we can do more than remember the fallen this Anzac Day.
"We can also honour the resilience of the survivors and through our expression of active care, we can demonstrate our humanity and give hope to those who have lost much, who have suffered much."
In January of 2020, Lt Col Kidson was responsible for coordinating road transport of heavy plant, such as bulldozers and excavators over the range and down Brown Mountain to the Far South Coast.
"We thought we were stepping into a warzone, there was that much smoke in the air," she said.
Making the same journey on Saturday with the catafalque party, Lt Col Kidson was struck by the contrast of the conditions, seeing the moist rainforest areas, giant trees and rolling green pastures.
"It was simply breathing life and vitality - this is what Australia knows Eden and the Far South Coast to be," she said.
"For us it [Operation Bushfire Assist] was never a transaction. Our protective instincts are very strong and we can't bear to stand by and watch people suffering.
"All we did was help out a mate, that mate being Eden.
"We were there with you, we saw how you were suffering, we know how hard it was - I was so delighted to have the opportunity to come back," Lt Col Kidson said.
The occasion provided an opportunity for those in service to achieve closure and Lt Col Kidson said she was blown away by the reception of the community and the large crowds who gathered at the cenotaph.
"People were really moved, this really matters to people," she said.
"People came up to me afterwards with tears in their eyes and I told them I said those things because I meant them. We struggled and strived alongside the community at a time of great need.
"I know the people of Eden are genuine and actually care. It's an absolute salt of the earth Australian community, sharing many of the values we aspire to in the ADF.
"I've been in the army for 25 years and have never been in a more breathtakingly stunning natural environment for Anzac day - this is probably the highest honour Eden could give. To me, that encapsulates what and who Eden is.
"Eden is so naturally resilient, we haven't forgotten what you have survived and bounced back from.
"It meant a lot to us to be there, the name Eden, is not misplaced. It was so pleasing to see life breathed back into the local economy and tourism picking up again."
Both the Army and Navy members took time to support a service for residents and staff of the BUPA Eden aged care facility.
Eden RSL sub branch secretary Tony Larkings, a former Army engineer himself, said the bond between 5ER and the Eden community was forged through the fires which ravaged the community
"It is a real privilege to welcome 5ER and the Navy back to Eden this year. Not to see the devastation they helped fight against, but to see how we Eden Aussies fight back. To see the green after the black," Mr Larkings said.
RFS members themselves, and having sadly lost their own home in Pericoe during the Black Summer fires, Mr Larkings and wife Vicki Redmond were clearly very affected by the bushfire disaster.
"Eden literally went through its own campaign, a war against fire," he said
"It's the people on the ground. We fought those fires for 40 days through Towamba, Burragate, Cobargo - when the fire came through on January 4 and 5, it actually destroyed all of Pericoe.
"Part of this was that notion of loss we had - I saw it among the RFS and I would compare them with returned veterans, the horror they have seen," Mr Larkings said,
Grateful for the return of the ADF despite their other commitments, Mr Larkings said there were many teary eyes at the Eden services.
"We have Afghan and Iraq veterans, right through to Vietnam, and the Navy as well. We have the greatest respect, they are an honour and a pride to Australia, they understand the sadness and it was a privilege to be there among the military," he said.
"We believe we have created a tradition, we have a link, a bonding with Supply, are so happy they are a part of RSL.
"For 5ER after the great work they did around the fires and the clean up, it was a chance for them to see Eden after its blackened past," Mr Larkings said.
Current serving soldiers and navy personnel and veterans stood together with the broader community.
"People came from everywhere, to show respect," Mr Larkings said,
"Its not about the individual, it's about your mates... when you stand on a parade, it's about honouring your mates that were standing beside you, both in peace and war.
"The work that a soldier or sailor do when they sign the dotted line, the point is that they are prepared to go, they are the family you stand in the parade with," he said.
The first wreath to be laid was for those fallen from suicide.
"They are the unforgotten, but for us they have fallen just as much as those in combat. They are our comrades," Mr Larkings said.
"I was a paratrooper, and the most important person was the person behind me who checked my gear and had my back. We make a chain, a wall, that wall is your courage and sacrifice.
"We have to be standing together and we have to support each other. Sacrifices are made by common people, we are protecting our way of life and our mates beside us.
"We have one of the most beautiful spots for a cenotaph, watching the sun rise up over ocean, all of that symbolism," Mr Larkings said.
Lt Col Kidson also spoke of the sun rising over the cenotaph.
"It reminds us every day why we can have a sense of gratitude and be hopeful about the future: every day offers new opportunities to grow, live, love, do good for others," Lt Col Kidson said.