ADF praises volunteer soldiers
Updated
The Australian Defence Force says volunteer soldiers are playing a crucial role in overseas peace-keeping missions.
A group of 40 Army Reservists will arrive in the northern city of Brisbane on Thursday after finishing up in Solomon Islands.
The volunteer soldiers, whose civilian jobs range from fashion designers to accountants, have been deployed in Solomons for four months.
They've been patrolling the Solomons capital Honiara and outlying villages to maintain peace.
An Army spokesman, Lieutenant Tom Hinds, says volunteers are playing a key role in some operations because Australia is committed to campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor.
"[The] majority of the soldiers in the Solomon Islands now are reservists," he said.
"That is a great way of taking some of the operational pressure off the regular army."
The 40 men and women have all been awarded the Australian Service Medal for their work in the Solomons.
