Celine Wood from Cubic Defence Australia

Cubic Defence Australia Audio Visual Analyst, Celine Wood, compares setting up and filming a military exercise for the Australian Defence Force to being part of a production crew on a film set.

During the exercise, which can last up to two weeks, she and her colleagues fit each active soldier, the weapons they fire and the military vehicles they drive with special equipment and sensors, recording their every move via signals which feed into a large on-site control room.

From this room, the analysts produce animations which are fed back into a software platform employed to control and simulate battlefield effects on exercises.

‘We are guided by Cubic’s technical analysts who advise us what to film and the footage to edit so that this can be supplied to the Department of Defence for what is called an After Action Review,’ Celine said.

‘Defence uses these reviews to consider what worked, what didn’t work and what may work better next time.’

Each year, Celine and her colleagues travel to many military exercises, where they set up self-sufficient facilities in more rural and remote locations.

‘The Cubic team deploys with our own sleeping quarters, a kitchen and washing facilities, everything you need for the duration of the exercise,’ she said.

‘During the exercise, our team covers 24/7 operations.’

Celine, who has formal qualifications in Information Technology and Digital Media, joined Cubic Defence Australia more than two years ago.

She says the best parts of her job are the travel, her workmates and the unique experiences they have enjoyed together.

‘You get to see places which you normally wouldn’t see and to experience things which are really out of the ordinary,’ she said.

‘For example, I spent five days on HMAS Adelaide and was transported to and from there on a Chinook helicopter.

‘It is not your average day’s work.’