Dr Richard Trembath

Recorded Tuesday 7 March 2017

Established in the 1980s, the Regional Force Surveillance Units (RFSUs) differ in many ways from the rest of the Army Reserve.  First, their area of operation is vast: NORFORCE, the most famous regiment, covers all of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley.  Second, their activities include military surveillance, border protection and detection of environmental threats. Third, they have a high level of Indigenous membership with Indigenous servicemen accounting for over 30 per cent of NORFORCE. Richard discusses the value placed by Indigenous soldiers on their participation in the RFSUs, what this means for Australian defence policies and its influence on the reconciliation process in Australia.

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