Weekly Dispatch 9th February 2024

Written by AHQ

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6 February 2024

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Happy Tuesday Friends!

Wow, first week of Feb already.

Hope you enjoy this weeks wonderful letter of thanks!!!

Grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy some well deserved gratitude!

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Good Evening Pennie T,

I would like to thank you for the quilt and laundry bag I received whilst deployed on Operation Kudu. I really like the design and think they look great, my sons were very excited when they saw them once I was home and have been giving the quilt a work out ever since.

I can report that the I think the German beer is better then what is served in England but can’t beat the taste of home.

Much appreciated,

Regards

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Hi Wendy B,

Thanks so much for the amazing laundry bag!
I received it a few days ago. The level of detail is incredible, I’m very happy with it.

I’m very jealous that you got to see Jordan play, especially in 87! I’ve only been to a few Lakers games but I have managed to see Kobe Bryant play.

I’m currently on Choules, been in the Navy for 24 years. I’ve received a laundry bag from AHQ before, but to be honest, your laundry bag has been the best!

Thanks so much again Wendy. Have great 2024 🙂

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Dear Bridget R and Jan-Maree,

I am writing to thank you from the very bottom of my heart for the amazing laundry bag you sent to my parents’ house. I opened it upon my return from deployment and immediately started crying (mainly happy tears!). I just couldn’t believe such an effort and thoughtful present was made for me.

I have now been home three weeks and I’m not going to lie, it has been pretty hard adjusting after 12 months away. I hit the ground running and in the space of the first 7 days back in Aus I moved interstate and started my new job. The last three months of my deployment was incredibly challenging but rewarding. When the war first started we were locked into the Observation Post indefinitely (ended up getting out after 23 days). During that time we faced missile attacks, bushfires with landmines going off, logistical challenges like running out of water and broken generators etc as well as a lot of fatigue. Thankfully I had two very amazing mates from NZ and Fiji alongside me and we go through it with lots of banter, homemade baking and cat cuddles (from our OP pets). Now that I’m back I’m making sure to take care of myself and getting lots of dog cuddles from my own fur babies. I was very disappointed my dad couldn’t visit for my Promotion Ceremony nor could I promote with any Australians present but the ceremony they conducted for me was still very special! And now this bag – so touched!

The amazing work that AHQ do did not go unnoticed overseas and many of our team mates often were jealous of our quilts and bags. They definitely helped us with the morale.

I will actually be framing this bag alongside some other UN Memorabilia and my Promotion Certificate. It means so much to me.

Thank you and see you at the dinner later this year!

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Dear Beverley F,

I hope this email finds you well.

Earlier this week, I was presented with the amazing quilt that you so brilliantly sewed and personalized for me. Not only did this perfectly capture my time serving in Defence, but also personal interests

(particularly the American sports) that make this such a unique keepsake that I am very proud to display alongside my most valued memories from my time in Defence. I am incredibly grateful and wanted to thank you personally for such an amazing gesture and

of course extend my thanks to the wider volunteers at Aussie Hero Quilts.

Your enclosed letter was equally impressive, and I very much enjoyed learning about you and your family history. It is evident

that you share a strong bond with Defence and the service life that comes with it and I sense a great amount of pride when you describe your family and experiences. It’s not often that a family extends across all three Services! As you know, I have served

with both the Army and Air Force and who knows, maybe there is still time for Navy…

I wanted to share with you a few things about me and my family and our experiences since joining Defence as like yourself, I have

been lucky to have had opportunities to travel to all corners of Australia and various countries. I joined the Army at the age of 18 and served for 5 years in sunny Townsville, where I met my beautiful wife. We have great memories of our time in Townsville, where we got married on the beach (wearing no shoes) and where both of our two sons were born. Since transferring to Air Force, we have continued to travel south and spent 6 years closer to our extended family. It is during this time that I spent a significant period of time away from home and really learnt the importance of family and the sacrifices that are made back home.

When I returned from deployment in 2015, we moved to northern NSW which was an incredibly rewarding 4 years spent at the flying training school, where I have great memories like being handed the controls and flying in formation over Sydney Harbour. We have now moved to much cooler weather here in Canberra, where both of our boys will finish up at school and where I have the opportunity to reflect on my own experiences and influence positive change for the

next generation.

Thank you again for gifting me such an impressive quilt. Your generosity in volunteering your time and skill is so greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

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Transcript of above letter

Ms Jan-Maree Ball, OAM

I’m writing to pass on my thanks for the Laundry Bags that Aussie Hero Quilts donated to the Ship’s Company of HMAS Brisbane prior to our departure on Regional Presence Deployment (RPD) in September 2023.

We arrived back in Fleet Base East on Friday 15 December, having completed RPD 23-4, a mission that took us off the Australian station in support of Government directed operations where we worked closely with friends and allies in exercises designed to strengthen alliances and signal our support for maritime security on our own borders and in our near region. In doing so, we conducted several integrated exercises with the armed forces of Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and Canada. This provided great exposure and opportunities for further professional development amongst the crew.

Fortunately, it wasn’t all work with the crew having the opportunity for some much needed respite in the ports of Kuantan, Malaysia; Singapore; Sasebo, Japan and Guam, USA.

Proving that life at sea is ever changeable, our ability to contribute to the civil community was once again required when we were called upon to evacuate four Bureau of Meteorology personnel on 09 December from Willis Island, as they were stranded in the path of Cyclone Jasper. Turning back into the path of the cyclone, Brisbane was able to safely evacuate the personnel via our embarked helicopter in ever worsening conditions, and is a great testament to the courage and skill of our aviators and crew.

The support we receive from back home is vital to allowing us to go away and contribute to Government directed operations. The ‘home touches’, such as the Laundry Bags, help our crew remember the creature comforts of home, and make the time away a little bit easier. On behalf of the crew, my sincere thanks to you and the many volunteers from Aussie Hero Quilts that make your vital work possible.

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Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.