HMAS Adelaide docks in Townsville, as soldiers return from Exercise Keris Woomera

HMAS Adelaide arrived in Townsville on Tuesday, as hundreds of soldiers eagerly prepare to reunite with their loved ones just in time for Christmas. See what milestones the exercise achieved.

An Australian Army soldier from the 3rd Brigade disembark from HMAS Adelaide during the conclusion of exercise Indo Pacific Endevour at the Townsville Port, Townsville, QLD. PHOTO: PTE Jessica Gray

Hundreds of troops have stepped back onto home soil just in time for Christmas after spending two months taking part in the largest bilateral exercise Australia to be conducted with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI).

On Tuesday morning the HMAS Adelaide docked at the Port of Townsville after two months on Exercise Keris Woomera which took troops to Indonesia and Singapore.

An exercise full of milestones, it witnessed the first and last time the M1A1 Abrams tanks were shot offshore by Australian soldiers, and the first time the M777 howitzers have fired overseas in 51 years.

The commander of the Australian Amphibious task group, Captain Christopher Doherty said after eight weeks away, the troops were very excited to be home.

“There are many challenges that come with deploying over 1400 people and bringing them so far from home so they’re super excited to be here in Townsville today and reunited with their loved ones and families here for Christmas,” he said.

Commander of the Amphibious Task Force Captain Christopher Doherty aboard the HMAS Adelaide in Darwin ahead of Exercise Keris Woomera on November 3. Picture: Zizi Averill

The commanding officer of the 1st battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) Lieutenant Colonel Brent Hughes said this exercise was an important chance for the 3rd Brigade to stretch their legs in the littoral space.

“The more we build up knowledge of how we do it as a brigade, the better,” he said.

“What we’re doing by doing these activities is we’re building up that amphibious literacy … but what were saying these is everybody in the brigade is starting to understand how we get out of the region, what it’s like to work with our partners and friends and to be more focused on our region more broadly moving forward.”

Australian Army soldiers from the 3rd Brigade disembark from HMAS Adelaide during the conclusion of exercise Indo Pacific Endevour at the Townsville Port, Townsville, QLD. PHOTO: TPR Dana Millington

“The 3rd brigade is a very important brigade, a very powerful brigade, so we have things like tanks, we have guns … we were able to demonstrate those capabilities (on this exercise) and that we can take them offshore to help our allies and partners.”

Originally published as HMAS Adelaide docks in Townsville, as soldiers return from Exercise Keris Woomera