Serving and ex-serving personnel help with flood relief

Members of the veteran commu­nity – both serving and ex-serving – played a huge role in supporting communities in New South Wales and Queensland during the recent floods.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) deployed thousands of personnel during the floods and for the clean-up afterwards as part of Operation Flood Assist 2022. Among other things, they conducted evacuations, search and rescue work, clean-up and recovery tasks, aerial recon­naissance, food, water and supply drops and distribution, and helped to restore communica­tions and repair infrastructure.

Ex-service organisations such as Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) also pitched in. DRA worked alongside locals, removing rubbish and debris, treating mould, clearing key access points and gen­erally cleaning up.

And of course individual mem­bers of the veteran community did what so many Australians did: offered a helping hand to their neighbours and their communities during this challenging time.

Army helicopter flying over flooded bushland
An MRH-90 Taipan flies over Lismore.

About 20 soldiers and some civilians working in flooded area with plastic, rocks and a digger
Sappers from 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment assist Gympie Roads & Infrastructure rebuild a culvert and open up roads.

Soldier carrying wet box surrounded by civilians doing similar work
A rifleman assists the local community to move flood-damaged belongings in St Lucia.

Soldier holding girl, both strapped into winch being raised into helicopter
A young child is winched aboard an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter near Lismore