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The cadets from the Royal Military College - Duntroon (RMC-D) are on the streets in Whyalla today (Wednesday November 8).
It is the first active day of the exercises that will be conducted until November 22.
The army will keep residents updated with the following bulletins during the exercises.
Wednesday, 8 November: Between the hours of 06:00am-11:30am, expect to see a number of patrols between McDouall Stuart Avenue moving East to Lincoln Highway. From 11:30am onwards, all personnel will be conducting lessons at Jubilee Park.
Thursday, 9 November: Trainees will be conducting lessons in Jubilee Park between 06:00am-07:00pm, including a Vehicle Check Point on Jenkins Avenue (just outside Jubliee Park entrance). Expect to see some personnel with weapons near the rifle club along Broadbent Terrace.
Friday, 10 November: This will be a repeat of Thursday, 9 November. Trainees will be conducting lessons in Jubilee Park between 06:00am-07:00pm, including a Vehicle Check Point on Jenkins Avenue (just outside Jubilee Park entrance). Expect to see some personnel with weapons near the rifle club along Broadbent Terrace.
Following on from previous successful exercises in the Eyre Peninsula city, military personnel from the RMC-D will be conducting more training manouvres in Whyalla from November 7 until Wednesday, November 22.
The headquarters at Jubilee Park will support the exercises. Cadets will conduct armed (using blank ammunition) uniformed foot patrols through Whyalla as part of the large peacekeeping exercise among the civilian population of Whyalla.
Exercises will include vehicle check points (on minor roads), cordon and strikes (clearing buildings sourced from the local community), vital asset protection, patrolling, cache searches in buildings and parks and key leadership engagement including meetings and school assemblies.
The exercise will involve about 60 role players acting as local militia and key leaders within the civil community with all carrying defence identification. There will be about 20 to 30 medium ridge support vehicles involved in the exercises.
There will be “skirmishes” between the cadets and role players daily. These skirmishes will involve the firing of blank ammunition.
Members of the community will be invited, in some scenarios such as vehicle checkpoints, to be involved in the exercises but are under no obligation to take part and will be waved through as such if they are not prepared to be involved.
Captain James Roberts from the RMC-D said people may hear loud noises late into the evening and early in the morning. He said due to increased traffic and traffic control tasks, Whyalla could also expect minor delays in traffic along smaller roadways; but they would be attempting to keep the disruption to the community to a minimum.
He stressed there was, however, no danger to residents and residents were invited to observe.
Any questions can be made direct to Captain James Roberts on 0429 390 137 or email james.roberts9@defence.gov.au