ARMY FLOOD OPERATION HERO JUST ‘DOING HIS JOB’
A HUMBLE soldier who was just “doing his job” helping the Townsville community after it went underwater during the devastating 2019 flood, has been honoured with an award.
Captain Sam Holloway-roden has been awarded a bronze commendation for his role in supporting Operation Flood Assist in Townsville.
Originally from Victoria, he began a career in IT, but was soon looking for a more meaningful job in the army at the age of 26.
After completing his basic training and corps courses, his first posting was to 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment in Townsville as a platoon commander and was deployed to Operation Flood Assist in Townsville.
During the operation his platoon was positioned in the flood area to conduct the evacuation.
“We were tasked to evacuate over 100 people from Oonoonba to Lavarack Barracks after the Ross River Dam spillway gates were fully opened,” Captain Holloway-roden said.
“We started at night as the water level kept on increasing.
“It turned out to be 48 hours of non-stop support to ensure all the locals around the area were able to evacuate safely.”
He described it as a “rewarding experience”.