Timor uglies greatest danger for NZ soldiers

By Greg Ansley

DARWIN - Not all the dangers facing New Zealand soldiers in East Timor are man-made.

Other threats lie in crocodiles and rockfish lurking in rivers and streams, snakes, spiders and scorpions, and plagues carried by mosquitoes. And the unrelenting heat.

"The environment is the major factor we have to combat in terms of casualties," said Victor Company medical officer Captain Brendan O'Neill, as soldiers made last-minute preparations for their deployment with the United Nations peacemaking force.

Each soldier will march off Hercules transport into temperatures in the mid-30s and humidity of up to 95 per cent, carrying 80kg of body armour, weapons and packs.

So far, the troops have listened to what they have been told. In two days of hard training outside Darwin none was struck down by dehydration or heat exhaustion - surprising Australian medics.

"I think the message has got through," said Captain O'Neill. "They've been running about in the middle of the day during weapons training with all their kit and no one went down. But the talk about animals scared them a bit, and that's a good thing."

The list of uglies waiting for Victor Company in East Timor is daunting.

Endemic diseases include diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis, meningitis, tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever and malaria.

One of the disturbing failings of the UN mission sent in for the August 30 referendum was the large number of UN staff who caught malaria despite their pills.

Victor Company has told its sections to take their tablets each day at the same time to both make sure no one forgets.

But there is a catch 22.

Troops have been told to take extreme care over personal hygiene to avoid a range of potentially serious conditions - but showering or bathing can expose unprotected parts of the body to mosquitoes.

The water itself has to be treated before drinking, washing - even cleaning teeth. Soldiers must not only watch for signs of trouble in themselves - darkening urine or kidney pain - but also keep an eye on their mates for such warnings as stumbling, listlessness and inability to comprehend.