New friendships will be forged over the next three weeks as young Indigenous men and women participate in adventure training with the soldiers of Adelaide's 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (7 RAR).
Following a successful pilot program at Port Lincoln in 2018, this year's Exercise Thura Yura is being held between 4-23 November and will involve kayaking, abseiling and a 'story walk' themed navigation challenge.
Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the activities aim to build enduring relationships.
"A key deliverable under the 2019-2022 Defence Reconciliation Action Plan is to establish strong collaborative partnerships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities," Minister Reynolds said.
"The Army has conducted essential training for decades and I am pleased this year's exercise includes 30 youths from Ceduna and Whyalla.
The activities will see participants learn from one another and are led by experienced Army instructors, as well as community elders who will teach Aboriginal customs and traditions.
The exercise is divided into three blocks with a different company of 7 RAR soldiers partnering with a local indigenous youth group each week.
