RAEME Association Queensland Inc

The RAEME Association Queensland warmly invites you to Women in RAEME 2026, celebrating the achievements and contributions of women across RAEME, Defence and industry.

Everyone is welcome, including veterans and their families, serving ADF members, Defence and industry representatives, members of the wider business community, friends and supporters.

Join us at The Ship Inn, South Brisbane, on Friday, 27 November 2026, from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm, for inspirational speakers, canapés and a lucky door prize in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

Tickets are $25 per person. Places are limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

Our latest guest speaker: Melanie Annand, President of Women Veterans Network Australia

 

We’re pleased to announce Melanie Annand as our latest guest speaker. A Royal Australian Navy veteran, mental health support worker and advocate, Melanie brings more than 16 years’ experience supporting veterans and their families across Australia.

As President of Women Veterans Network Australia, Melanie provides national leadership focused on recognition, connection and better outcomes for women who have served. Her work spans veteran wellbeing, welfare advocacy, crisis support and community connection, with a strong commitment to trauma-informed, person-centred support.

Melanie has also contributed to national discussions and submissions on veteran wellbeing, military sexual trauma and service system reform, including contributions to the Australian Human Rights Commission and parliamentary inquiry processes. She is an Associate Investigator with Phoenix Australia and an advisory partner with La Trobe University on research relating to military sexual trauma among serving and former Australian Defence Force members.

Melanie’s contribution to the veteran community has been recognised through several honours, including Life Membership with RSL Australia for more than 15 years of dedicated service to veterans and their families.

We look forward to hearing Melanie’s perspectives on supporting women veterans, strengthening community connections and advocating for meaningful, long-term change.

Also joining us: Julie Fedorniak, retired Warrant Officer Class Two

Julie’s 21-year Australian Army career encompassed vehicle maintenance, technical leadership and training. After initially serving in the Royal Australian Corps of Transport, she transferred to RAEME in 1988 and qualified as a vehicle mechanic.

Her postings included Townsville, Bandiana and Darwin. At the 5th Aviation Regiment, she became the regiment’s first female “black trades” Artificer Sergeant Major. Following her Army service, Julie moved into civilian fleet management as Fleet Manager at James Cook University.

Julie will share her experiences of life in RAEME and the transition from military service to civilian fleet management.

Lieutenant Colonel Alison Lee, CSM (Retd)

An aeronautical engineer and former senior Army officer, Alison’s distinguished career included operational service in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.

As Officer Commanding Technical Support Squadron at the 5th Aviation Regiment, she coordinated aviation maintenance, supported operational deployments and oversaw the introduction of the MRH-90 Taipan. She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal in recognition of her achievements and service.

After retiring from the Army in 2013, Alison held senior defence industry roles and is now Head of Logistics – Australia for PentenAmio. She brings valuable insights into military service, aviation engineering and defence industry leadership.

Event details

• Date: Friday, 27 November 2026
• Time: 6.00 pm–8.00 pm
• Venue: The Ship Inn, South Brisbane
• Cost: $25 per person
• Includes: Inspirational speakers, canapés and a lucky door prize

Everyone is welcome. RSVP is essential as places are limited. Register for Women in RAEME 2026.

Women in RAEME 2026 is proudly sponsored by the RAEME Association Queensland Inc.

---

RAEME Corps History - Operation Palate – A RAEME Officer in Afghanistan, 2003–2004

Above: LTCOL Chris Mead with 'The lads'!

Not every RAEME member deployed to Afghanistan enjoyed the comradeship and support of members of the Corps. One RAEME officer, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Mead, deployed to Afghanistan in April 2003 as the first, and at that time, the only Australian Military Advisor to the UN Assistance Mission Afghanistan (UNAMA). Operation PALATE was the name given the mission until May 2004 which was the duration of Mead’s deployment. After the return of ADF combat troops to Afghanistan during mid-2005, Operation PALATE II was raised as a two man mission; later further expanding to a four man mission. While UNAMA was a political mission, it came under control of the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and it was decided that a uniformed component of the Mission was required to assist the civilian component in interacting with and coordinating the heavy foreign military presence building in Afghanistan.

There was a very healthy level of scepticism within the UNAMA leadership over the usefulness of five military officers in what they saw was essentially a civilian political mission (forget about the militarised Afghan environment).

Above: Field repair Afghan style

Soon after arriving in Kabul I was deployed north to the city of Mazar-i-Sharif to assist resolve severe factional fighting between local warlords. After a bumpy flight over the Hindu Kush, I arrived at the old Soviet airfield outside Mazar. The UNAMA Office in Mazar was responsible for the five northern provinces, Balkh, Samangan, Sar-i Pul, Jawzjan and Faryab. The Head of Office (HOO) gave me my ‘marching orders’ to take a two-vehicle convoy to the western town of Maymana in Faryab province, approximately 280 km away and assist in the establishment of a cease-fire. A quick lesson on Afghan geography; a road on a map does not necessarily mean a road on the ground and six hours later we arrived. I spent a month in and around Maymana negotiating with factional leaders and local commanders to get the two warring parties separated, their heavy weapons contained and to return to the negotiating table. At the end of the month, I returned to Kabul, before returning to Mazar at the request of the UNAMA (civilian) Chief of Staff who now saw the utility of having a uniform in a regional location.

Above: Chris Mead with General Rashid Dostum (left) and deputy VIII Corps Commander Juma Khan Hamdard.

Back in Mazar I quickly established relationships with the commanders of the two warring factions (VII and VIII Afghan Army Corps). Both Corps could field combat-ready and proven troops equipped with numerous heavy weapons. The control of the military forces in the Northern region while nominally under the MOD in Kabul resided in reality with both General Rashid Dostum (an Uzbek) and Mohammad Ustad Atta (a Tajik). Both hated each other intensely and used their troops frequently in attempts to seize each other’s territory.

As the concept of a military advisor (MA) in regional offices had commenced with my deployment to Mazar, there was no ‘duty statement’ guiding what I was supposed to do, and it quickly became apparent that the scope of my duties was mine to establish. Having established good relationships with the various militias, I turned my attention to the police. UNAMA had no Police Advisors in the Northern Region so applying the Afghan rule that a uniform will open doors I started a career as Police Advisor. Both RAEME training and my experience as a Workshop OC were useful as I negotiated and cajoled my way around a range of issues concerning security sector reform in the lead up to the elections.

Above: Russian jeeps mounted with MI-8 rocket pods (left) and BM-12 rocket launcher (right)

At the end of May 2004 I flew out of Afghanistan after 13 months’ service. Frequently those I was dealing with would be astonished to discover that I was a Logistics officer rather than a member of an Arms’ Corps. On reflection, my time in Afghanistan was one of the most demanding but rewarding jobs I had in 27 years of service. It always brought a smile to my face when asked: ‘But how come you know so much about (topic)?’ My response, with a smile of course, was: ‘I’m RAEME, it’s part of our job to know’.

Source: With Skill and Fighting – Craftsmen of the Australian Army 1942–2014. Photographs provided by Chris Mead.

Copies of the Corps History Book are available to order through the RAQ Online Shop.

---

RAEME Annual Get Together 24 - 26 Feb 2027 - BP Dam

The RAEME Annual Get Together returns in February 2027 and will celebrate its 10th Anniversary, with another great weekend of mateship, food and Corps camaraderie planned.

Bookings are now open, with a range of meal options available, including the special $50 Value Pack PLUS, which includes Friday and Saturday meals together with 10th Anniversary commemorative items. A special anniversary port and a major raffle featuring a $5,000 Flight Centre voucher will also form part of the weekend.

Accommodation at BP Dam is filling quickly, with cabins, villas and powered sites already booked out, although unpowered camping and some alternative accommodation remain available.

Book online:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1614051