Exercise Tandem Thrust [now there’s a Freudian slip] is on in the Rockhampton
area, with US and Australian air, land and sea forces.
In the various briefings for the visitors there is a segment on flora and fauna
and what to be careful of.
In some of the briefings for US land forces they are warned about the feral
koalas which lurk up in trees and drop on people before inflicting serious damage
with their long claws [and these were illustrated].
The wounds so caused need lots of Vitamin E to cure, but luckily the Aussies
have such stuff, this black paste which is plastered on your skin, mostly on
your face to be working in case of drop bear attack.
So the hulking USMC and US Airborne are moving out on patrol and operations
with Vegemite smeared on their faces.