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thedrifter
03-13-06, 06:24 AM
Monday March 13, 11:00 AM
US Marines train in north Qld
ABC via Yahoo! Australia & NZ News

Fifteen hundred US Marines have started arriving in north Queensland for eight days of training.

The troops from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been at sea for the past month aboard the USS Peleliu, USS Germantown and USS Ogden.

The Marine Corps liaison officer to the Australian Defence Force, Major Alec Bain, says the troops will be doing sustainment training at the Mount Stuart and Townsville Field training areas.

"From small arms training to practising coordinated training with helicopters and jets - we normally do this in the Darwin region but mother nature doesn't really cooperate during the monsoonal season up there, so for the first time we're actually doing this here in Townsville," he said.

Meanwhile, the next wave of Australian soldiers bound for Afghanistan leaves Townsville today.

A total of 110 troops from the Fifth Aviation C Squadron will be deployed for the international anti-terrorism effort, Operation Slipper.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson and the Chief of Army, Peter Leahy, will farewell the troops this afternoon.

The federal Member for Herbert, Peter Lindsay, says the Chinook helicopter squadron will be flying a support role to ground troops.

"They'll be wearing their disruptive patterned desert uniform which they don't normally wear in Australia as they're farewelled by the Minister for Defence and the Chief of Army on their mission to Operation Slipper in Afghanistan," he said.

Ellie