Umpiring On A Grand Scale
8 July 2009
Major Ed Jones is an umpire on one of the largest playing fields in modern conquest. But the field is not a sports oval, nor is it a court. Exercise Talisman Saber 09 is a biennial exercise designed to train Australian and United States Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations.
"I am one of seventy-seven umpires spread throughout six Defence training areas in Central and Northern Queensland, the Northern Territory, as well as with Maritime Forces exercising in the Coral, Timor and Arafura Seas," said Major Jones.
"We even have umpires located in Hawaii for air borne serials."
In an exercise conducted over such a wide area with up to 25,000 participants, the role of the umpire is pivotal in ensuring simulated engagements accurately reflect what might happen in actual circumstances.
For the umpires, that means providing realism and control to the exercise situations that are experienced by Australian and US forces over the two week active phase of the exercise. In a practical sense, umpires are attached to both sides and with all elements of the exercise scenario, whether they are land, sea or air based. Through a process of statistical analysis, combined with actual conditions, umpires calculate equipment attrition and personnel casualties.
"We can nominate who becomes a casualty and the extent of their incapacitation," Major Jones said.
"That could be anything from dust in their eyes which must be washed out, to the most serious casualties requiring urgent medical attention."
Once casualties have been identified, another aspect of the exercise kicks in, as first responders in the field administer initial aid, then the more seriously affected are evacuated to teams of medics who are on stand-by to receive casualties.
One of those teams is the thirty-five person contingent which staffs a Primary Casualty Reception Facility located in HMAS Kanimbla (CMDR Tim Byles). Onboard Kanimbla, specialist trauma surgeons, doctors, radiographer, theatre nurses and other medical staff are running their own set of work-ups to ensure they can cater for any number and type of simulated injury that may present.
According to umpire Major Jones, the best news for any simulated casualty is that they magically heal after the phase of the exercise in which they were deemed injured.
"In a situation where the umpire’s word is final, at least I can lay my hands on someone on this exercise and declare they are well again," he said.
