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Charlie Company is the largest indigenous Company in the Army. The sparse population of the Cape and the Torres Strait combined with its easy access means that we have real time tasking and the only active international border in the country. As the only part of Australia where the neighbouring country is visible from the shoreline, the Company has inherited a strategic focus in which we often work with agencies from the State and Commonwealth Governments.
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| The bottom half of the picture above is our boundary with PNG. |
Charlie Company soldiers work in one of the most culturally diverse and challenging areas in Australia. Geographically, the Torres Strait is divided into the Top Western (Boigu,Dauan and Saibai Islands), the Western (Badu,Mabuiag and Moa Islands), the Central (Yam, Sue, Coconut and Yorke Islands) the Eastern (Murray, Darnley and Stephen Islands) and the Muralug Group
(Waibene, Ngurupai, Hammond, Muralug, Gealug, Mawai and Palilug Islands), which is inclusive of the 5 aboriginal and islander communities (Bamaga,Seisia,Injinoo,Alow and New Mapoon), on the Northern Peninsula Area of Cape York.
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| Life in the Far North can be tough, but it is also very rewarding. |
The Torres Strait is the body of water between Australia and Papua New Guinea where the Pacific and Indian Oceans meet and where there are 133 islands, sandy cays and rocky outcrops of which 20 are permanently inhabited. The population of the area at the last census totalled 9,698 people.
On the social side, many would argue that we don't have access to great cafes and so on, but then again, not many people can go to Cape York for the weekend. The Torres Strait is also renowned for its fishing and crayfishing.
Membership of Charlie Company will provide you with an experience you will remember for the rest of your life. Life in the Far North can be tough, but it is also very rewarding.
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| Steyer Dance |
The Company relies on drawing soldiers and civil support from the area in which it operates and on using the knowledge of the local population. The Torres Strait is culturally unique and service within C Company is unequalled throughout the rest of the Army. All soldiers speak up to 4 different languages and have a proud history of service.
The Company is served by 90 GRes and ARA soldiers who have an inherent interest in the security of their homes. The culture of the Torres Strait Islanders plays a large part in Company life. The Sarpeye Dancers (seen left) are based on the senior soldiers of the Company and participated in the Army 100th birthday celebrations.
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| Refuelling |
We employ soldiers from a variety of backgrounds including marine supervisors, signallers, mechanics, and clerks. All soldiers regardless of Corps are skilled in communications, first aid and small craft handling. The unit is unique in that it conducts its own recruit and induction courses and runs all the courses required to qualify our soldiers. Some of the courses that Charlie Company soldiers have completed include patrol commanders,patrol 2IC's, patrol signallers, combat medics and small craft handlers courses.
Soldiering with Charlie Company has its unique challenges and benefits. We are a well equipped unit with state of the art technology that allows us to provide ground reconnaissance and surveillance in the Far North of Australia.
If you want to live in a unique part of Australia, work closely with Aboriginals and Torres Straits Islanders and be involved in real time, operational taskings, you should consider soldiering as a Sarpeye.
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