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6/11/2007
Fujitsu Racing's Jason Bright has made a special visit to Australian troops serving in Iraq. The visit came a day after the completion of the Desert 400 in Bahrain and was organised through the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the Australian Defence Force. Bright joined fellow Ford star Craig Lowndes, as well as Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy for the special visit. The Fujitsu Racing driver joined over 300 Australian troops at the Overwatch Battlegroup West III, based at the Tallil Air Base in the south of Iraq.
Along with the other drivers, Bright flew in and out of the airbase on the same day aboard a C-130 Hercules. As well as signing autographs and posing for photos, Bright and Lowndes also took the wheel of an Australian Light Armoured Vehicle, while Rick Kelly and Murphy boarded a Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicle. "This has been a very uplifting experience," said Bright. "I know that the soldiers were delighted to see us, but I have to say that I was more in awe of them and what they do. "When they return to Australia they have an open invitation to visit us at the workshop or at the races. "Driving a V8 Supercar is special, but taking the wheel of a full combat vehicle was quite amazing. Some of the hardware on-board could come in handy in some of our races! "We were given a full tour of the facility and briefing from the soldiers. It is an incredible operation. "I thought I had a tough weekend on the track, but visiting our troops and seeing the work they do certainly puts everything truly into perspective. "The humanitarian work that our soldiers are involved in is something that all Australians should be very proud of." The Overwatch Battlegroup is made up of 550 Australian soldiers, and in their time in Iraq one of their many duties has been to rebuild schools and orphanages. The majority of the soldiers present during Bright's visit have spent the last five months in Tallil and have about one month left of their deployment. |
