Anzac Day has been an opportunity for people to think about the increasing demands being asked of our army reserve.
Captain San-Joe Tan who is in charge of Charlie Company 25/49th Battalion, says the Loganlea-based unit has recently been involved with bushfires, Covid border control, and other emergency requests.
Captain Tan has been in the army reserve 13 years.
Barrister by day, he says he enjoys the comradery of being with like-minded people.
But a walk through the mess shows that some from the unit have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and that’s something Captain Tan says all army reserve personnel are aware of.
“We’ve always been required to support the regular army at the drop of a hat and that requires cooperation from families and workplaces,” he said.
“It’s a testament to the community that we can be ready.”
Captain Tan was guest speaker at a ceremony at Logan Diggers at the weekend, where he spoke about Anzac history.
He said modern-day army reserve was diverse and multicultural, but that’s always been the case with the Australian involvement.
A first-generation Australian himself, he says people like sniper Billy Sing in World War I have historically been proud to fight for our country’s freedom.
“Now, we commemorate our predecessors’ involvement, and this group at Charlie Company are remarkably committed.”
There are about 80 army reservists in the Loganlea Company.
