{"id":44998,"date":"2026-05-01T13:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/?post_type=article&p=44998"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:57:10","slug":"deputy-chief-of-army-adventure-training-award","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/article\/deputy-chief-of-army-adventure-training-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Deputy Chief of Army Adventure Training Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the holidays, I completed the Deputy Chief of Army Adventure Training Award (DCA ATA) in Tasmania alongside other cadets from all over Australia. The DCA ATA was one of the most challenging yet memorable experience. Although the weather was unforgiving with single digits throughout the whole 72 hours, it pushed us physically and mentally, giving that extra 10% or that extra 20% of effort. Although the DCA ATA is an individual achievement, all cadets that participated would agree that teamwork was the key skill that made us all individually stronger and pushed ourselves to be the best.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first challenge was kayaking up Lake Barrington multiple times with six challenges and three bonus challenges all completed in nine hours. Each station was different whether it was setting up a tent blindfolded and constantly running into poles or fences, capsizing on purpose, or kayaking blindfolded. It showcased how with each activity completed, the mental and physical toll it took really showed. One thing that helped was just singing a bunch of songs whilst kayaking keeping the morale up and just trying to block out the thoughts of us being cold and stressed. One lesson that kayaking taught me was to just be patient and that there will always be challenges where you just don\u2019t want to do it but aiming to push that extra 20-30% would pay off in the end and it\u2019s a rewarding feeling. After the kayak, we walked from Billiards Creek up to the road where we would later \u2018miss the bus\u2019. Watching the bus drive off was gut wrenching but building that morale back up was much needed and just walking up the road until we got picked up by the bus. That night was a rough night with picketing happening every hour with a constant wake up every hour. It was quite hard to find the strength to not sleep through picketing especially at 3am. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second challenge was canyoning and rafting. We abseiled down six rock faces and walked over to rafting. Abseiling was quite the challenge with free hanging rocks and loose rocks being the ultimate enemy. Rafting was the best time for a little bit of team bonding. With the NATCUO (Peta Gibsson) on our raft, we learnt many things about the role of being a NATCUO and the activities she needed to attend and the amount of work that goes into it. Capsizing the raft was also a challenge flipping the raft over twice and trying to get everyone back on. We eventually found a way to get everyone back on and paddle back to the watchtower. Rafting and Abseiling were one of the\u00a0favourable\u00a0activities with a\u00a0break in\u00a0between abseiling and rafting with a nice warm fire and music. ACS boosted our morale whilst we waited for the other group\u00a0for rafting. The Nutbush was playing in the background as well as\u00a0YMCA\u00a0and the Macarena.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally\u00a0the last day, climbing up Mount Roland and over to Mount Van Dyke. This activity was the most intense day out of the\u00a072 hour\u00a0challenge. Out of all the years of ATA being held out in Tasmania, it was the first time that it\u00a0snowed up\u00a0on Mount Roland. Putting in the effort to trek up Mount Roland was tough, but the view was completely worth it even if it was just a blur of land\u00a0covered up\u00a0by clouds. The snow was amazing and to see people\u00a0witness\u00a0snow for the very first time was heartwarming. Although the snow was lovely to see, it\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0necessarily in\u00a0favour\u00a0of us climbing up rocks. Slipping in mud and into bushes\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0planned\u00a0but it made the hike a lot more enjoyable and memorable. It was a rewarding experience especially doing it with the friends you made over the three days and just constantly pushing that extra 10% or 20% knowing that\u00a0the end result\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0to what extent you completed every task but how much you pushed yourself.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall\u00a0ATA was the best experience I could ask for, creating many friendships not just from the NSW 2<\/span>nd<\/span>\u00a0Brigade but from all states and territories. A big thank you to\u00a0<\/span>CAPT (AAC) Maling<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>LT (AAC) Rudd<\/span><\/b>\u00a0for\u00a0providing\u00a0this wonderful opportunity and I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0wait to see cadets from the following years to\u00a0attempt\u00a0ATA and share their experiences.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

– SGT Ophelia Li<\/em> <\/strong>(Year 11)<\/p>\n

Over the recent holidays, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the\u00a0<\/span>Deputy Chief of Army Adventure Training Award (DCA ATA<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0trip in Tasmania, an experience that proved both highly rewarding and personally challenging. Throughout the course, I was pushed outside of my comfort zone – from summiting Mount Roland to kayaking up and down Lake Barrington – developing resilience, teamwork skills, and confidence in unfamiliar environments.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most valuable aspects of the trip was the chance to work alongside cadets from units across Australia, which gave me a broader understanding of how different units\u00a0operate\u00a0and train. It was fascinating to share experiences and learn from others, while also forming strong friendships that made the experience even more memorable. Overall, the trip was an unforgettable highlight, combining challenge, growth, and connection in a way that I will carry forward in my cadet journey.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

– SGT Jemima Blake <\/strong><\/em>(Year\u00a011)<\/p>\n

Click on gallery to view full images<\/em><\/p>\n