Tandem Thrust: why it should be stopped

June 6, 2001
Issue 

BY SHANE HOPKINSON Picture

Tandem Thrust 2001 is the name of the joint US/Australia military exercise conducted during May in Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area, north of Rockhampton. Some 28,000 US, Australian and Canadian troops were involved and it is the largest regularly scheduled military exercise in the western Pacific.

First held in the summer of 1992 in the waters off southern California, in 1997 it was moved "down under". Although exact figures are not available for this year's exercise, involved some 200 aircraft and 32 ships including a US aircraft carrier, two nuclear-powered submarines and hundreds of military vehicles, including tanks, armoured cars, "humvees" and assorted buses and four-wheel drives.

An old 8000-tonne warship was also towed over from the US to be sunk off-shore with bombs and missiles for target practice. Tandem Thrust is the centrepiece of US Seventh Fleet's training as the Task Force commander in combination with the Australian Defence force (ADF).

Military-speak for this exercise is "interoperability". This means that the Australian military trains with the US military, learning to take orders from the US command and do things the way the US military does. Of course it is claimed by the ADF that this "exercise" is about defending Australia from invasion by a foreign power.

In reality, the "exercise" is designed to test the Australian military's capability to assist US forces in invading another country. Australian troops go ashore at Sabina Point, and move south to meet the US troops who go ashore at Freshwater Beach. This pincer movement traps the "enemy" in the middle.

In addition to covering the war games, the local media, including the ABC, have been waging a relentless media campaign about the alleged benefits of these military exercises to the region. During the Tandem Thrust exercise, the local paper displayed photos of US marines everyday. On the day a woman was reported to have been gang-raped, there was a front-page story about the number of pizzas the military had consumed.

Military personnel also toured local schools, apologising to young kids for "accidentally" killing an emu and giving talks on "leadership" and the important role of the army.

Heath threat

The noise generated by take-off of military aircraft from Rockhampton has been measured at 97 decibels inside houses two kilometres from the airport. Noise levels of 30 decibels interfere with sleep, 50 decibels will interrupt conversations, and prolonged exposure to 85 decibels can cause hearing damage. Obviously, these annual month-long exercises are extremely destructive to people's lives and indeed their health. Any doctor will confirm the need for the human body to get a certain amount of rest for people to be able to fight off illness and function well both physically and mentally. Another potential health problem, which is difficult to measure, is that associated with the exhaust fumes of jets and other aircraft.

The military has also claimed that the exercises pose no threat to the local natural environment. Shoalwater Bay is well documented as the most important conservation area of the Australian east coast, south of Cooktown. Its significant environmental value has been determined by virtue of its size (larger than the ACT), largely undisturbed area, and its location on a tropical/temperate climate zone.

The area's environmental richness stems from the fact that many animals and plants reach their northern or southern limits in the Shoalwater Bay area. This overlap of species (and respective habitats) provides a diversity and richness that is unique in Australia and extends to the adjacent marine ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

The surrounding bay is visited by dolphins and migrating whales. It includes sanctuaries for endangered sea turtles and dugongs who graze on some of the few remaining unspoilt sea grass beds and is home to almost 50% of Australia's bird species. There are large numbers of bats and rare gliders. The idea that the military should train in such an environmentally sensitive area is a travesty.

Military greenwashing

Pat O'Brien, a long-time local peace and environmental activist, drafted a set of questions to which the military gave its response. The responses are a classic case of "greenwashing".

O'Brien asked: "Will the US Navy or the ADF be using or testing in Australian waters experimental low frequency sonar technology... We understand that this program involves the use of technology similar to a type that has previously been linked to the stranding of sperm whales, sea turtles, and other endangered marine species." In response the military at first said that low-frequency sonar would not be used but in a later reply admitted it will be "limiting the use of low-frequency sonar to water depths greater than 40m".

The military claimed that five environmental groups were independently monitoring the exercise, O'Brien asked for a list of these groups. They turned out to be four military organisations and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

The ADF assures us that there are "quite specific and very stringent conditions" in place to avoid environmental damage resulting from Tandem Thrust. However, on the previous occasion they staged the exercises there were a number of accidents in which grenades were dumped, bombs lost over the side of a vessel, and many vehicles hopelessly bogged on Freshwater beach in the world heritage area. The number of soldiers and associated vehicles is far too high for such an important conservation area. The result cannot be anything other than severely degrading to the beauty and diversity of the region.

In response to O'Brien's asking, "What procedures are in place for wildlife protection? What procedures are in place re: Dugong, other birds, etc?", the military replied: "Range Standing Orders also require that users of the range do not harm wildlife." Indeed, the statement goes on to say that "Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will provide resources to monitor all water activity to ensure animals are deterred from the area, and if animals are detected, the activity will be stopped until the animals depart or it is assessed they are no longer at risk." This conjures up the absurd view of a huge aircraft carrier halting war-games for a dugong grazing on the seagrass bed in the middle of the firing zone.

To date, reported incidents during this year's Tandem Thrust include an emu being shot, other animals have been found skinned, plus an oil and a chemical spill.

O'Brien asked: "Will any vessel or aircraft involved in Tandem Thrust be armed with nuclear weapons in Australian air space or Australian waters?" The military replied that no nuclear weapons would be "deployed". What residents were concerned about was whether nuclear weapons would be carried by the US warships involved in the exercises and the possibility of an accidental discharge of radioactive material. Given that in the last year the US military managed to surface one of its nuclear subs underneath a Japanese trawler killing nine people, statements from the military that any such accident is "unlikely" are not very reassuring.

While the local papers promoted the alleged benefits of increased doughnut consumption during Tandem Thrust, the increase in sexual violence, including rape, during the exercises went virtually unreported. Two reported sexual assaults have not been pursued by the victims for reasons commonly experienced by women in these circumstances. The police regard these matters as "resolved". The local press, still keen to present the exercises as positively as possible, reported these attacks as "baseless", when in fact the charges have only been withdrawn. Once again, the media and the police reinforce the view that the military are beyond criticism.

Five years ago, $15 million was spent to upgrade the north-south road to facilitate this exercise and suggests plans are afoot for a permanent base. The total cost for this year's exercise was $70 million. This is enough to fund three community hospitals with 100 beds and 300 staff each. It would be enough for another 6000 extra university places, or more than 10,000 extra TAFE places.

The last Tandem Thrust met with protest both here and across the country. On May 31 a campaign against the holding of these exercises was launched by a coalition of local citizens at a press conference covered by local and state media. Anyone who wishes to get involved should call Shane on (07) 49306175 or Pat on (07) 49397997.

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