Federal Agent on International Deployment - Delia Quigley
Genesis of a new Adventure - May 2008
Approximately 2 years ago I met a number of Sudanese community members at the A.C.T Multicultural Centre in a meeting to discuss some concerns they had regarding relations with police. Through work between the Multicultural Liaison Officer and the Sudanese community leaders the issues were resolved.
At that meeting my curiosity was raised about their culture, background and the journeys they must have experienced to end up on our shores in Australia. I also knew that the AFP had started to select officers to work with the United Nations Mission in Sudan. At that time however, the idea of going on a mission was not at the top of my agenda because I had not long finished doing a number of rotations in the Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
I shelved my curiosity about Sudan but my own path was to take me back to working for the AFP International Deployment Group at the Law Enforcement Cooperation Program. LECP is responsible for projects designed to assist in capacity building, training, and sustainable enhancements for other law enforcement agencies. The program has provided opportunities in a variety of countries, which would ultimately improve the recipients abilities in the fight against Transnational Crimes.
Being back in the fold at IDG exposed me to seeing once again many people that I had known from previous missions. At IDG there is a series of ‘desks’ set up with the specific purpose of running the A-based (Australian) end of overseas missions. Every day there would be news in the briefings about the current on-ground situations of each mission. Every day I would walk through the hallways of IDG and see the pictures on the walls of some places that I had been to, of some faces that I knew and amongst them was the photos of Sudan.
The photos depicted Sudanese people, particularly outstanding were the women in beautiful, bright and colorful robes, which were in amazing contrast against the red sand, similar to our outback. Then there were the photos of AFP members on Camels, or standing at the Pyramids of Miroe having received their UNMIS service medals.
I watched people that I knew come and go from IDG to Sudan. Some were visiting whilst on leave, some had finished mission and had returned home and they were sharing their stories and information for those that would follow. My better judgment was saying to me, ‘Stop being so curious’ but the adventurer in me was asking; .What is it really like?
I have no doubts that I always have been an adventurer. I grew up in Port Fairy in Victoria. I remember a childhood in the 60’s and 70’s where the beach was a summertime ‘baby-sitter’ whilst both mum and dad worked. I would spend all day with my friends at the beaches, swimming, snorkeling or body surfing. If we weren’t at the beach we were exploring Battery hill, Griffiths Island and the light house or riding our bicycles to places like Yambuk just for something to do!
As I was growing up my grandmother, Beatrice Wythe would tell me stories about when she was a girl. I loved to hear her stories and share a cup of tea. What I loved the most was to hear the pride in her voice when she spoke to me of her brother Stanley. Stan was her favorite and he was a Policeman for many years in Melbourne. My grandmothers’ pride in Stan made me curious about the Police as a career, and my friend Anne was also the daughter of the local Sergeant.
The idea of being a Police officer, helping and protecting people appealed to be me but at that time the age for joining was 21. That was just far too long for me to wait, so I applied for the Air Force. I did have some ‘discussion’ with Dad because I needed a signature as I was only 17, eventually we agreed that Communications would be a good field, so he signed the dotted line.
I then went off to Laverton for Recruit Training and Comsop training at the School of Radio. I ended up in Canberra at 77 Comms centre at Russell Officers (building ‘E’ is no longer there). After completing my sign-up period I stayed in Canberra and joined the public service, it was ok but they were just too inefficient for me!
As I was in Canberra, I decided to look at joining the AFP, they were reasonably new and the idea of being able to work in any state in the country appealed to me, so I applied. Before I knew it, I was back in a Recruit Training environment, doing lots of study, running, drill, and spit polishing shoes once more!
It is incredible to think that 25 years ago I was just commencing a career that has taken me to a number of places within Australia, gave me the opportunity to put myself through University, and to live in some of the most amazing countries and extraordinary cultures. When I first joined my thoughts were just on mobility within Australia!
My first Adventure took place in 1994 when Sharon MacTavish, Trish Reynolds and I were selected to go with 27 men to a ‘harsh’ mission, Haiti. We were a media curiosity – 3 women going off to the ‘wilds’ of Haiti. Many peoples image of Haiti were limited to the news or ‘voodoo’ scenes from the movie ‘The Deep’ which stared Nick Nolte and one of the original Charlie’s Angels, Jacquelyn Smith
Prior to this, women had only been permitted to go to Cyprus and had only been able to be selected to go there after an EEO battle was won by Melita Zielonko. (Melita will get mentioned again later in my tale)
Following having been to Haiti it was only natural that a girl who likes adventure, travel, and can put up with the occasional travelers belly, and roughing it, would apply for, and end up in other missions. Over the subsequent years I have been very fortunate to have also worked in East Timor (1999) Cyprus (2000), Jordan (2004) and the Solomon Islands (04-05)
So there I was, in the halls of IDG, a big kid in a candy shop of adventure, faced with the temptation of an AFP broadcast message which was an invitation for suitably qualified Trainers to submit an ‘Expression of Interest’. I went home and talked to my family and finally submitted my application on the deadline date of the 19th of Sept 2007
A number of weeks later, I received advice that I had been selected. That’s when the fun started! Medicals, inoculations, chest x-rays, e.c.g’s, hearing tests, dental examinations, more inoculations a visit to the optometrist to check on my prescriptions for glasses, more inoculations, uniform fittings and refresher training.
All of those selected in the 6th Australian Police contingent to the UN Mission in Sudan had undertaken previous missions, so we only had to do a small segment of training in November, rather than being required to undertake the rigors of the full IDG pre-deployment training programs.
I had most of December utilising my leave before we all gathered together in January for County specific training. During the training we received some additional equipment and our already bulging bags began to strain further! On January 10th 2008, I hugged my family and boarded our flight from Canberra to Melbourne. At Melbourne airport my sister and brother-in-law shared some coffee with me and before long it was time to board our night flight to Dubai via Singapore.
Thankfully after a very long and disrupted night we arrived at Dubai in the early hours of the morning. Unfortunately our luggage had decided to take a detour somewhere inside the terminal and we were left tired, grumpy and trying not to think too hard about the prospects of not having clean clothes whilst we completed lost property reports. A couple of hours after arriving, the majority of us were grateful to see our baggage. A couple of bags did end up exploring locations that only they will know! Eventually, however they were all reunited with their worried owners
We then had a restful 24hrs break, our last break until we earn what the UN calls CTO’s (Cumulative Time Off). On the Saturday afternoon we boarded our flight from Dubai to Khartoum where our adventure will truly begin.