Aborigines sniff out gun runners

Jeffrey Norman, a member of the Yanulla tribe and a Norforce lance corporal, studies the bush for the first sign of the enemy.

With a hand signal from lead scout Jeffrey Norman, the six-man patrol drops silently to its knees.

Moments later automatic weapons fire crackles through the baked savannah woodland: an ambush.

Lance Corporal Norman, a member of the Yanulla tribe, barks urgent commands as the patrol returns fire, moving from tree to tree before melting into the bush.

"Jeffrey spotted the enemy way before anyone else," said Sergeant Darren Rashleigh, a regular soldier helping to train one of Australia's most unusual military units at Gunn Point, 100 kilometres east of Darwin.

"These guys are so attuned to the bush that they can see things that white soldiers don't notice."

The "enemy" may be one of their own and the ambush an exercise, but in time of war this is exactly what would be expected of Norforce, a largely Aboriginal regiment whose soldiers can live off the land for weeks at a time, surviving on "bush tucker" and an intimate knowledge of the land.

Aborigines are rarely seen in the ranks of Australia's regular defence force, but they make up 60 per cent of Norforce.

Driving stripped down Land Rovers or patrolling in inflatable boats, Norforce's 640 soldiers are expected to defend 1.8 million square kilometres of northern Australia's scrub, swamp and forest. They are part-time reservists, but unlike other "weekend warriors", can serve up to 150 days a year.

"It's a fair patch of dirt," said Norforce's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Dick Parker. "It extends from Western Australia to Queensland, and down to the desert around Alice Springs. We believe it's the second biggest military area of operations in the world."

Norforce's peacetime duties are to sniff out gun runners, drug smugglers, illegal immigrants and foreign fishing boats poaching in Australian waters.

In war they would remain behind enemy lines, acting as the eyes and ears of the regular army - "ghosts in the night", as one officer put it.

Patrols last up to two weeks and Aboriginal troopers supplement their ration packs with food they find in the bush.

"We hunt for kangaroo and goanna [a large lizard] and find witchetty grubs, oysters, wild yams," Corporal Tommy Munyarryun, 45, of the Wanguri tribe, said. "We teach the white blokes what they can eat, and they teach us army stuff."

One of the most prized types of bush tucker is a type of crustacean known as 'long bum' for its unusual shape.

The regiments most recent success was in February, when they came across nine Indonesian fishermen and their grounded boat on an isolated beach in the Northern Territory. The vessel was one of dozens intercepted in recent months suspected of fishing illegally for shark fins, which command high prices in many Asian countries.

The soldiers most challenging adversaries, however, are northern Australia's stifling heat and its abundant wildlife: from giant crocodiles and fearsome feral pigs to dingoes and poisonous snakes.

"The crocs can grow up to six metres, which is bigger than our Zodiac inflatable boats. In remote areas they are not even frightened of people," said Warrant Officer Chris Brannelly, his face smeared with camouflage cream and sweat streaming down his neck. "But the worst things out here are the dingoes and wild pigs. We've had to fire live rounds to scare them off at night."

Sharks are also a menace when patrolling the coast. "We had one chewing on the side of the boat the other day," one soldier recalled.

Despite such hardships, there is no lack of recruits - Aboriginal elders recognise the benefit of military service for young men who otherwise may find themselves sucked into a downward spiral of unemployment, alcoholism and welfare dependency. "I love the bush and I wanted to learn skills like navigation and leadership," said Lance Corporal Shaun Evans, 25, a member of the Yanulla tribe who works as a national park ranger in a remote part of the Northern Territory.

It is also hoped that the example of Norforce will help dispel some of the negative views of Aborigines still held by many white Australians.

"These guys are protecting our northern border, and that's something the rest of the country should know about," Major Chris Delaney said.

Norforce's area of operations encompasses more than 100 Aboriginal languages, and many of its soldiers speak English as their third or even fourth tongue.

There are vast cultural differences between the tribes of the central desert and the clans of the coast.

"We have to be a little bit more flexible than a regular unit," said Lieutenant Colonel Parker. "Taking a sergeant-major approach and bawling orders on the parade ground doesn't quite fit the mould here."

For all the familiarity between Aborigines and white soldiers, there are some things that Norforce's officers will probably never understand about their men.

"Sometimes they just go walkabout and disappear for months," Lieutenant Colonel Parker said. "We had one soldier from Western Australia who we hadn't seen for 18 months and then one day he turned up on parade. He'd been out bush."

Ghosts in the night

Aboriginals make up 60 per cent of Norforce.

The group of 640 soldiers are responsible for 1.8 million sq kms of northern Australia.

Although part-time reservists, many members will serve for 150 days a year.

Soldiers are highly trained to live off the land and can survive in the bush for weeks without resupply.

Norforce's patrol area takes in more than 100 Aboriginal languages, and many soldiers speak English as their third or even fourth tongue.

Peacetime activities include catching gun runners, drug smugglers, illegal immigrants and illegal fishing boats.

In war they would act as a 'ghost' reconnaissance force behind enemy lines.