THE ARMED SERVICES
were also called upon to assist with United Nations operations, including those in Cambodia.
Vietnamese Migrants
In 1993, despite the small number of Vietnamese migrants arriving in Hong Kong, the garrison continued to provide logistical and technical support in dealing with the problem.
The temporary camp for Vietnamese migrants at the western end of RAF Sek Kong was closed in January this year. The Lo Wu training camp, previously used as a departure centre for migrants awaiting voluntary return to Vietnam, was also closed in May 1993.
During the year, the Army's maritime troop moved some 8 500 migrants between locations and the Royal Navy assisted in the transfer of hundreds of returnees under the Orderly Repatriation Programme.
The Garrison and the Community
The garrison contributes to the well-being of the wider community in many ways. Apart from the high-profile events which highlight the garrison's presence, there is much behind-the-scenes activity which largely goes unreported.
When a typhoon threatens, the garrison automatically moves to a higher state of alert. Emergency communications are set up and troops placed on standby for any tasks they might be given. The troops are backed up by a wide range of equipment and supplies held in disaster relief stores.
The Royal Navy operates the only decompression chamber in the region to treat divers who may have re-surfaced too quickly. There is also a clearance diving team ready to assist civilian authorities in underwater tasks.
Local people bring a wide variety of skills to the garrison, either in uniform as members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps or the Chinese Division of the Royal Navy, or as civilians in a wide range of jobs. Apart from supplying essential translation skills, they are to be found working as drivers, medical orderlies, teachers, secretaries, book-keepers, military police, guards, dog-handlers, signallers or mechanics.
Just as the community plays an important part in the life of the garrison, the garrison itself takes an active role in the lives of local communities. In addition to participation in displays, band performances and open days enjoyed by thousands of people, smaller groups of servicemen and women support a wide variety of charities and involve themselves in projects concerning the young, the elderly and the disabled.
Every year the Queen's Gurkha Signals provide logistic support for Trailwalker, when hundreds of enthusiasts walk the length of the MacLehose Trail to raise funds for charity. The popularity of this event increases year by year, both in terms of the number of teams taking part and in terms of money raised, presently amounting to over $7.5 million per annum.
Open days held by all the elements of the garrison continued to attract large attendances and raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity.
Garrison teams and individuals also played a leading role in the territory's sporting programme. Gurkha military engineers provided the design expertise and manpower for the construction of various youth projects, and several hundred youngsters attended camps run by the garrison to experience a variety of activities, including physical training and assault courses, shooting, map-reading, first aid, hill-walking, canoeing and sailing.
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