AASAM in Australia 2005 - Good God, the Canadians are coming!

[1feral1]

Well, to my suprise, a Canadian team is supposed to be coming with this new breaking yesterday here. Kevin, did you work fast or what????? If this aint your doing, see if you can get on it if they have yet to choose some members. Be quick!

So, AASAM this year will be the biggest one conducted by Australians in many years with the following Countries sending teams, and attending this world class international MOUT/FIBUA based shooting competition:


Australia
British Army
Brunei
Canada
East Timor
Fiji
France
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Philippine Islands
Singapore
Thailand
US Army
USMC

Where? Singleton, New South Wales
When? November
The weather? Expect hot and cold (45C to 10C)
The beasts? Many, yes all those nasty bities, plus the cute cudly ones too
The beer? We won't go there YET :blotto:
The Sheilas? Women out number men here, so the odds are in your favour and they just love us Canucks
Singleton Military Area? Home of The School of Infantry, and the Spl Forces Trg Centre, and a country town by the same name which hosts about 10,000 people, and full of Army haters ;D There has been some good fights in the past, adn I am sure the SoI keeps up the tradition.

Wait though, its one of the best wine regions in the country (do a search for Hunter Valley Wineries), and lots of non-local females from Sydney etc, swarm on the weekends to a local haunt called Harrigans (do a search for this place too), a country Irish pub and eatery out in the middle of nowhere. A good place on a Friday night, cook your own T-bone, swill yourself to whatever degree you want to, and dance your face off should you so desire.

However, be ready for the next mornings shooting!

There will be a wet mess, offering cheap grog, chips and mars bars, plus Tshirts, hats and beer holders. TVs and an area for news papers, etc. Good food, good eating mess, and good huts, all Viet Nam vintage (clean and cumfy), and we'll all be housed in a recently modifed for real fairdinkum concentration camp destined for unruly mobs of illegal aliens, called Centre Ridge. We called it Stalag 13 last year. All the razor wire and 14ft high chain link one can phathom, doube fenced, etc. Mobs of roos keep the grass short, while bird eating spiders keep the swallows and sparrows at bay.

Anyway, I am stoked that the CF is sending a team (its been 3yrs), and I look forward to catching up with a few other Canucks on whats new back in the Land of the Maple Leaf! For anyone that reads this thats going, be prepared for the most fun time of your lives. With over 15 countries in attendance, the competition will be fierce, your mil-skilss will be put to the test, and the socialising will be better than you can EVERimagine.

Regards from a humid 33C spring day here at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera!

Wes

 

[KevinB]

I rocked the boat -- we will see if it gets us there though...

If we end up there it will be an army.ca inspired event - your info, to me, to others on the forum in more senior positions...

PM inbound


Cheers

 

[Jungle]

So, AASAM this year will be the biggest one conducted by Australians in many years with the following Countries sending teams, and attending this world class international MOUT/FIBUA based shooting competition:

Australia
British Army
Brunei
Canada
East Timor
Fiji
France
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Philippine Islands
Singapore
Thailand
US Army
USMC

The competition should prove interesting... Be careful that it doesn't turn into a 2-way range...   ;D

 

[1feral1]

;D

Don't we know! There is a lot of political egg shell walking to be done by us. Gee, we can't billet the Indo's with the ET's can we, plus there is friction between Malaysia and Thailand too, lots of tension and some not so good feelings between some of these countries.

Now this news just in here.... Its just after 0600 on a Sunday (why can I not sleep in - perhaps its the many parrots outside my window having a chin wag at 150 decebels) and we are hearing that there has been several explosions again in Bali (Indonesia), at the lovely Jimbaran Beach. Another touristy spot loved and known by  many Aussies. Sadly the body count is rising. Western tourists are known to have been killed. Again agents of that 'peaceful' religion at work.

WNG O-

It looks like there will might be a Army.ca 'gathering' at Harrigans Irish pub sometime in the month of November!

:blotto:

Wes

 

[1feral1]

A few more bits of info..... (for those who might be coming out for AASAM 2005)

No need for traveller's cheques. ATMs are everywhere accepting PLUS and CIRRUS, VISA, MC, and the rest.

Money, humm, you'll do good as we are only 75c US for an Aussie buck with the Canuck buck about 10% US stronger at about 85c US. No pennies here either, with the smallest currency a nickel. Our bank notes are different colours, adn different sizes, so a $5 note is shorter than say a $10 one, with $100 the largest note. No $1 and $2 notes either, all coins like in Canada. No quarters either, as ours are 20c pieces, so you got 5c, 10c, 20c, and 50c pieces. Dimes are the size of Cdn quarters, and the rest are heavy, thick, and big, and can make a hole in your pocket faster than anything!

What are things worth? Going by the international Big Mac scale of things, a Mic Mac is worth $3.40. A large Pizza Hut pizza is worth anywhere from $5.95-$8.95 per large pizza. personally I think thats cheap!

Shopping and taxes. There is no value added taxes, the prcie marked is what you pay, as all taxes are factored into the price.

Cutting a long story short, many things are cheaper here, and you will see this, but also stuff imported from the US for example can be a bit expensive, but at the end of the day, it all ballances out. Thats what I believe anyways.

Gasoline in Singleton should be around $122c/L, as up here in Queensland (Australia's Alberta), its cheaper than compared to New South Wales. I would/will NEVER move back to New South Wales.

BTW, prostitution is TOTALLY legal in NSW (not that I am condoning such activity - I am just telling you like it is...), and the small town of Singleton does have a licenced brothel called Marilyn's (open 1600 - late   ;D and NO I have not been there, but everyone knows where it is   ). The SMA does keep it busy, but so do the local coal mines too.

Cheers,


Wes

 

[KevinB]

Good to know,  thanks for the Int.

Hopefully tomorrow morning shall bring good news...

 

[1feral1]

I do hope so!

Cheers and beers,

Wes

 

[Jason38]

Hi Wes.

I know that AASAM stands for Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting, but other than drinking beer, just what does it comprise?

Jason 

 

[Jungle]

What are things worth? Going by the international Big Mac scale of things, a Mic Mac is worth $3.40. A large Pizza Hut pizza is worth anywhere from $5.95-$8.95 per large pizza. personally I think thats cheap!

Not that I have any chance of going... but is there a Hog's Breath café in the area ? It offers one of the best steaks I ever had !!! 

 

[1feral1]

To answer these questions....... Firstly AASAM is both a domestic and international shooting competition conducted by Army, with MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) taking priority, otherwords, the competiition is based on modern combat scenerios in cities and towns with obsticals etc which would be encountered. In many cases the emphisis is on teamwork and CQB. However, its not all up close and personal. There is still some matches that are from the traditional distances. Either way, some pretty serious stuff with our Defence Force committed in both Iraq and A-Stan as you read this, and in harms way at that.

AASAM (kinda like a twisted CFSAC) is an annual event which used to be held less than an hours drive south west of Brisbane, at Greenbank, and now reclaimed by the School of Infantry in Singleton, north west of Sydney a few hours.

Now about the Hog's Breath. The nearest one from AASAM is in Newcastle, about an hours drive away, and yes I have 'sharked' down a few steaks at a Hogs Breath! They dot the country, and are in Sydney, the Central coast of NSW, and of course up here in Queensland, as I have seen one and ate at the one at Surfers paradise on the Gold Coast. True Jungle, they do make a ripper of a steak!

Its 0330 on a Tuesday morning, and why am I not in bed. I gotta be up in 2 hours! I better get my head down for a while.

Going to ground - Out,

Wes

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

A few more bits of info..... (for those who might be coming out for AASAM 2005)
BTW, prostitution is TOTALLY legal in NSW (not that I am condoning such activity - I am just telling you like it is...), and the small town of Singleton does have a licenced brothel called Marilyn's (open 1600 - late   ;D and NO I have not been there, but everyone knows where it is   ).

Yeah, I'm sure most guys who have never been there know the hours of operation.



Matthew.  ;D

 

[1feral1]

Hours are advertised in the paper (along with details and specials), and on the window out front. Its accross the street from a theatre, and next to two pubs, all this in a small town, so its in your face.

As wierd as it sounds prostitution is openly accepted and taxed here, and the 'sex workers' (as they call themselves) even have a union (Sex workers of New South Wales). For tax purposes, they are refered to as entertainers ;D.
Cheers,

Wes

 

[KevinB]

Hmm more sites to see  ;D

Actually only been to one brothel before (in Nevada when down in the US training) - their beer was cheaper than the local bars...

 

[1feral1]

I take this to be good news. ;D

Cheers,

Wes

PS - AASAM dates 07-27 Nov 05. I am stuck there from 01-30 Nov.

 

[Blakey]

If anyone knows what Canadian unit('s) will be heading down for the comp please PM me. The reason that I just cant ask my CoC is that I'm currently on course away from my unit (which are in Wainwright on BTE).

Thanks

 

[Blakey]

Further to my last:
Any info as to if the CF has been down under before for this particular comp, if so when was the last time? or would this be the first time?
I also need some background info on the comp, but if I can recall, Wes had already posted a web link for this, so ill search for the link.

Thanks.

 

[1feral1]

The last time the Canucks were at AASAM was in 2002, when the competition was held here in Brisbane at the GBTA. A combination of Reg and Militia units were here. LSSR, RCR, Navy and Rangers.


Cheers,

Wes

 

[Blakey]

Thanks Wes

 

[paracowboy]

The last time the Canucks were at AASAM was in 2002, when the competition was held here in Brisbane at the GBTA. A combination of Reg and Militia units were here. LSSR, RCR, Navy and Rangers.

good friend of mine was there. He loved it.