Setting up cattle yards has taken a back seat for Yass hobby farmer Jay Rasmussen who has swapped the auger for binoculars and an Army uniform on his deployment to the Sinai.
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Jay, a Major in the Australian Army is deployed on Operation Mazurka in the Middle East region with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai, Egypt.
He moved to the Yass region more than five years ago; since then, he and his family have established a life for themselves, living and working off the land.
His partner, Taran is a keen equestrian, competing locally and interstate and they harbour plans for farming beef cattle on their 200 acre property.
Established in 1981, the MFO is a non–United Nations organisation established to oversee the 1979 treaty of peace between Israel and Egypt.
Major Jay Rasmussen said his role was in the plans branch and relished the opportunity to deploy again.
“I am one of a small team of multinational officers, I have a New Zealand boss, and the rest of the team is made up of a Norwegian, a British and an American officer,” Major Rasmussen said.
“We are trying to better synchronise the many and varied tasks the MFO do.”
Major Rasmussen said he enjoyed working in a small but mature and experienced team.
“I enjoy searching for ways to plan structure into areas that remain completely unstructured.”
He joined the Australian Army in 1990 as a soldier and commissioned as an officer in 2004.
He has deployed to most ADF operations and exercises over the last two decades, including several to the Middle East region.
On this deployment. he is one 27 ADF personnel deployed under Operation Mazurka. They provide invaluable experience and skills in vital areas with the MFO.
