Defence Team News | The explosive impact of Op RENDER SAFE
Video / February 13, 2025
Transcript
Capc Kevin Okihiro: Op RENDER SAFE is an episodic, Australian-led, multinational operation to reduce explosive remnants of war within a Pacific Island community that requests such an operation on an urgent basis. Representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have assisted the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to clear over 3000 munitions from the local community.
Sgt Brendan Hill: We make an impact on the lives of the locals everyday. This place is littered with remnants of war from World War 2. The unexploded ordinance are everywhere - in their streets, they're next to the houses, in the jungles, and the waters here. So, every day we make a huge impact by removing that explosive threat.
S1 Sam Phillips: I'm very satisfied with the work we've done here. It's been great to see the impact we've had on the local villages, and the kids especially [have] been giving us lots of praise for everything we've done and love seeing us out diving and collecting ordinance.
Maj Keith Loukes: A significant amount of planning went into preserving the safety of the divers and land EOD people. happy to report that there were no significant injuries or illnesses while we were here, which kept me not busy, which is always a good day.
LCdr Kevin Okihiro: This has been the largest land-based Op RENDER SAFE ever conducted in the 20-year history of the mission. Our personnel here assisted their partner nation members to clear over 3000 munitions from the public space and this is equivalent to approximately one year's work conducted by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.
So, it does truly have an impact on the lives and the safety of the people in this area, and it's something we're very grateful to have been a part of.
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