4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - September 2014 Edition

3  RAA Museum update  Conduct RAA farewells Supporting instructions will include contact details and administrative arrangements for those who wish to attend. Kind regards. MAJ John Batayola . 2IC School of Artillery/SO2 Head of Regiment, RAA Tel: (03) 5735 6135 Mob: 0400854323 Fax: (03) 5735 6349 email: john.batayola@defence.gov.au The above won’t mean much to many but for those interested I suggest you contact John for more information. Another item from John Batayola: I would like to ask our Gunner community to support the plight of CAPT Mick Grey, a Gunner officer who served with then 4 Fd Regt some years ago. His family is facing a tremendous challenge with their daughter having an accident a few weeks ago resulting in serious spinal injuries. From CAPT Grey's account the injuries his daughter sustained has now rendered her a paraplegic. The family has set up a Trust Fund with intent to fund raise and a facebook page for support. CAPT Grey asked us if we could circulate his situation to the Gunner community and to those who he has served with. The facebook page is "Courage for Cody" and a website that should go live in the next 7 to 10 days is www.courageforcody.com for information and details. Syd Farrow sent me this article recently. The MXT135 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System has a range of roughly 7,800 feet - and is to be deployed in Afghanistan soon. I would call it the "Equalizer. "Some call it the "Punisher." The rifle's gun sight uses a laser range finder to determine the exact distance to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 10 meters from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above or beside the target. Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden in trenches rather than calling in expensive air strikes. The 35-millimeter round contains a chip that receives a radio signal from the gun sight as to the precise distance to the target. Lt. Col. Christopher Lehner, project manager for the system, described the weapon as a 'game-changer' that other nations will try and copy. The Army plans to buy 42,500 of the MXT135 rifles this year, enough for every member of the infantry and special forces, at a cost of $11,900.00 each. Lehner told Fox News: "With this weapon system, we take away cover from [enemy targets] forever. Tactics are going to have to be rewritten. The only thing we can see [enemies] being able to do is run away." PJ Smith ran into Ian McNaughton at the Vietnam Veterans March in Melbourne in August. I now have Ians email address and will include him on the distribution. It will be good to hear from you Ian. From Brian Swift via email on 18 August. I spent a couple of hours with Terry (Curley) this arvo. True he is not well but seems to be hanging in. Had a good yarn about old times and was able to update him on lots of people and events. His spirits lifted as we talked and I will go see him again next week. He asked me to pass on his regards to all from old times. Will update all as things progress. From Jack Lunney via email on 26 July. Thanks for the advice (re our change of address) – just a quick update. Rona has retired and we are now well and truly into travel mode – will be off to china – great wall, terracotta warriors, then cruise from Shanghai to Singapore via Vietnam – 3 days in Singapore – gonna check out the old haunts etc. Curtis, our 2 nd Son got married last March, he still lives in Canberra doing well, John lives in Sydney project manager with NSW Rail doing well also. Just to let you know Joan and Col Parkin are fit and well. Maybe we can catch up during our travels – you know me have occasional urge to keep in touch –