Boots on the Ground

GREYSHIRTS from Team Rubicon, an organisation of ex-military and first-responders, began working in the Scone and Muswellbrook area last week to help local farmers during the drought.

There have been two waves of volunteers deployed delivering 50 people on the ground for the rest of the month who are ready willing and able to help on the farm with clearing timber, doing fences or having a cup of tea.

Rubicon volunteers in town to help with the jobs on the farm during the drought.

Team members have come from as close as Tamworth and as far as two hours out of Seattle and they said they chose the Scone area because while there is some green about, they understand it is now a green drought and how protracted the drought has been in this area.

Thomas De Tessier, who spent 10 years in the navy and lives in Canberra said he doesn’t like being part of team Rubicon, he loves it.

“We have people who just have a real heart for their community and it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a military background or if your just community minded who want to help their own community and your neighbours, it’s awesome,” said Mr De Tessier.

“About 70 percent of our organisation is from a military, veteran, first-responder background but we have people volunteering with us, like the young lady who came from the US she is not a military background but has done an immense amount of work with us over the years,” he said.

“We’re not able to fix the drought, but we are able to fix a few things around the farm, fencing, doing some work on

“Greyshirt” volunteers working together to clear timber for a farmer near Scone.

the chainsaw, painting a door they just haven’t had time to do, whatever it is we are here to lighten the load as much as we can,” he said.

The volunteers are camping in the recreation centre in Muswellbrook, they bring their own swags, cook their own meals and work where the community ask them to.

They are funded from the community, industry and government and have deployed throughout Australia and overseas for bush fires, floods and all types of natural disasters.

Mr De Tessier said many of the volunteers with an ex-military background enjoy the comradery of working as a team again for communities.

“Working with team Rubicon is like the military because you are with hard working people who are altruistic and want to be out their helping my own community and neighbouring communities in times of need,

“It’s about defending a community and whether I’m defending against drought, or flood, famine or fire team Rubicon gives me the opportunity to do that,”

If you would like the greyshirts from Rubicon to give you a hand with some work around the farm phone: 0488 278 384 email: info@teamrubiconaus.org