AIR F RCE
The official newspaper of the
Th
he Royal Australian Air Force
Vol. 54, No. 6, April 12, 2012
CHARGING
AHEAD
Air Force one step
closer to advanced
Rhino technology
Full story
P3
SUPER SWAHILI
As the announcement was
made on March 29 that $19
million would be procured
for the potential conversion
of Air Force’s Super Hornets
to the E/A-18G Growler
variant, nine of the aircraft
were just about to return
home from Exercise Faru
Sumu (Swahili for Charging
Rhino). Pictured is one of
the jets on the flightline
at RAAF Base Darwin
during the exercise. Turn
to the centre pages for full
coverage. Main photo: LACW
Kylie Gibson
Tanker’s record flight
P2
Air Force’s 91st
P4-5
2 News
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Saying
goodbye
to aching
knees
Eamon Hamilton
travelled on the
tanker and gave it the
thumbs up
Tanker pax
them in
Eamon Hamilton
THE RECORD has been broken for
the most people carried on board a
RAAF aircraft.
On March 12, a KC-30A carried
234 passengers – known as pax –
for a two-hour flight from Defence
Establishment Fairbairn.
RAAF’s previous record holder
was a C-130, which held up to 180 pax
during a humanitarian flight in 1999
from East Timor.
The record-breaking KC-30A flight
carried 220 officer cadets and midshipmen from the Australian Defence
Force Academy, along with 14 crew
members from 33SQN – the purpose
being to give 33SQN the practice it
needs when carrying large numbers of
passengers on the 270-seat KC-30A.
33SQN crew attendant SGT Chris
Mayers said the KC-30A had not carried more than a 50 per cent pax load
before.
“Catering for 270 passengers on
the KC-30A is a major logistic exercise considering the nature of military
non-scheduled flying activities,” SGT
Mayers said.
While civilian airlines routinely use
the Airbus A330 to its capacity, Air
ONE FOR
THE BOOKS:
Passengers
line up on the
Tarmac at
Fairbairn.
Force faces new challenges when filling the KC-30A with passengers.
In-flight kitchens on RAAF bases
are accustomed to loads of up to
100 pax travelling by C-130. For the
March 12 flight, 33SQN turned to a
civilian catering services to meet its
requirements.
Civilian airlines typically allow
catering companies free access to
their aircraft when replenishing galleys – a practice Air Force cannot
support for obvious security reasons.
Despite this, 33SQN and the civilian catering company demonstrated a
sound concept for catering for such
a large number of passengers for the
flight and met their departure schedule.
As well as the food service, crew
attendants are responsible for passenger safety – including evacuation within 90 seconds of the full pax load.
“It’s a big difference from flying
on a Boeing Business Jet which only
holds 26 passengers,” SGT Mayers
said.
“After the flight I spoke to some of
the cabin crew and the vast majority of
us now realised on this flight the enormity of what we have been employed
to do.”
Big people mover to star at Pearce air show
AIR Force’s KC-30A tanker will go
on public show for the first time when
RAAF Base Pearce opens its gates on
May 19 and 21 for the 2012 Defence
Force Air Show.
Up to 30,000 people are expected
to attend the show each day.
Also on display will be the Super
Hornet, Wedgetail Air Early Warning
and Control aircraft, C-130, Classic
Hornet, Hawk 127, PC-9/A and
C-17A.
The Roulettes, Air Force Balloon,
Navy Seahawk helicopters and Army
Bushmaster vehicles will also be part
of the attractions, along with displays
by the Air Force Band, military working dogs, Army parachutists and
Australia’s Federation Guard.
Participating civilian and historic
LOTS TO
SEE: Up
to 30,000
people are
expected
each day.
aircraft might include Nanchang,
Winjeel, Stinson, Fournier RF4, T6
Texan (Harvard trainer) and Rebel 300
aircraft.
Up to 650 ADF personnel will be
deployed to support the assets on display as well as related activities.
The theme of the show is ‘Air
Force: Anywhere, Anytime’ to reflect
the speed with which the ADF can
deploy around the nation and the
Director
David Edlington: (02) 6265 4650
EDITORIAL TEAM
Editor/Deputy Director
Simone Liebelt: (02) 6265 2253
Deputy Editor/Sport
John Martin: (02) 6265 7219
Reporters
LAC Bill Solomou: (02) 6265 1355
Andrew Stackpool: (02) 6266 7611
SGT Andrew Hetherington: (02) 6266 7614
CPL Mark Doran: (02) 6265 1304
CPL Nick Wiseman: (02) 6265 4140
CPL Max Bree: (02) 6266 7608
LS Paul Berry: (02) 6266 7606
Michael Brooke: (02) 9359 2494
world, and its aim is to demonstrate
Air Force’s ability to project air power
in Western Australia.
Head of Special Events AIRCDRE
Phil Byrne said the ADF was an
important part of the Perth community,
so it would be great to put on an air
show to thank the community for their
support.
“Among the displays at the show
will be the PC-9/A and the Hawk 127,
so locals can get up close and see the
aircraft that regularly fly here [from
Pearce],” AIRCDRE Byrne said.
“We undertake vital training using
the PC-9/A and Hawk 127 aircraft
based here at Pearce. We are quite
literally preparing the fighter pilots of
the future.”
The air show will run from 8am to
5pm, with the last entries at 2pm.
Flying displays will be held from noon to
3pm. Discounted tickets are available at
www.airforce.gov.au for $20 for adults
and $5 for children ages 5 to 15; children
under 5 are free. Presales also offer a family
ticket of two adults and two children for
$45. Tickets will be available at the gate for
adults ($25) and children ($5, aged 5-15
years). Family tickets will not be available
at the gate.
CONTACT US
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ERVICE
personnel
should be
excited
about the prospect of flying on
the KC-30A.
I travelled to and from
Malaysia on board 33SQN’s
KC-30A in December – its first
overseas flight with the squadron.
With initial operational capability due to be declared later this
year, the KC-30A is expected to
fly many strategic transport tasks
like this.
For Defence members accustomed to travelling by C-130 and
C-17A, the KC-30A is a far more
comfortable experience.
Similar to the C-17A, the
KC-30A made Amberley to
Malaysia in a single eight-hour
hop.
But, unlike the C-17A, the
KC-30A has the same seating layout as a Qantas Airbus A330. As
someone who struggles to sleep
on a C-17A, I had little trouble
dozing on a KC-30A.
There is ample space between
the seats. Taller passengers such
as myself won’t suffer aching
knees from hitting the seat in
front.
The KC-30A presents Air
Force with challenges in supporting the catering and luggage
requirements of so many people.
While we took a modest load
of 30 passengers to Malaysia, the
local airport had no trouble applying their experience with A330s
to supporting our KC-30A.
The lack of in-flight entertainment has drawn some
comments, but should be of no
surprise.
In any case, my fellow passengers carried enough electronic
devices to open their own hifi
store, much less entertain themselves.
For the next generation of
Defence personnel deploying to
or returning from exercises and
deployments, the KC-30A will be
a welcome sight.
S
Eamon Hamilton (pictured above)
is the Air Lift Group Public Affairs
Officer and a former FLTLT.
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AIR F RCE
News 3
April 12, 2012
$19m Growler outlay
Michael Brooke
FUTURE GLIMPSE: A US
Navy E/A-18G Growler.
WHAT IF OFFERS
EVEN BETTER: A
laser-guided bomb on
a Super Hornet during
Exercise Faru Sumu
at RAAF Base Darwin
last month... the Rhino
fleet could soon be
better armed with
Growler technology.
Photo: LACW Kylie Gibson
air operations in Libya last year. If
Australia converted some of its Super
Hornets to Growler configuration
it would be the only country in the
world, other than the US, operating
such aircraft.
Mr Smith said the decision to buy
the equipment was made to ensure
Australia continued to have potential
access to Growler technology.
“A final decision on whether
Australia converts some of its Super
Hornets to Growler configuration will
be made after exhaustive assessment
by the Government this year,” he said.
“This purchase ensures Australia
will continue to have access to specific technologies needed to make
any such conversion.”
The equipment is being purchased
through the US foreign military sales
process. A letter of request formally requesting the purchase has been
delivered to the US.
Some of the advantages of the
E/A-18G Growler variant:
➤ Suppression of Enemy Air
Defences – ability to counter
enemy air defences using both
reactive and pre-emptive jamming techniques.
➤ Stand-off Jamming – highly
effective in traditional stand-off
jamming, but with the speed
and agility of a Super Hornet.
➤ Non-Traditional Electronic Attack – dramatically enhanced
situational awareness and
uninterrupted communications
to achieve a higher degree of
integration with ground operations.
➤ Self-protect and Time-Critical
Strike Support – self-protection capability with advanced
Electronically Scanned Array
radar, digital data links and
air-to-air missiles, and effective target identification and
prosecution.
Source: Boeing
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LONG-lead electronic equipment
worth more than $19 million will be
procured for the potential conversion
of Air Force’s Super Hornets to the
E/A-18G Growler variant.
The purchase of the Growler electronic equipment was announced by
Defence Minister Stephen Smith and
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare
on March 29.
The announcement follows the
Government’s decision in 2009 to wire
12 Super Hornets for potential conversion to the Growler configuration.
A final decision on whether the jets
will be converted will be made later
this year.
The long-lead items to be procured
include electronic systems, antennas and
high frequency modulation receivers.
Growler is an electronic warfare
system that gives the Super Hornet the
ability to jam the electronics systems
of aircraft and land-based radars and
communications systems.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown
welcomed the procurement announcement, saying Growler was a joint capability “force-multiplier” that would
lower risk in the battlespace.
“I am very passionate about the
support provided by electronic technologies that expand our capabilities,”
AIRMSHL Brown said.
He said the Growler electronic warfare aircraft was used very
effectively by the US Navy during
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4 Air Force birthday
Heritage art
rewarded
Well done, says CAF
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown has
congratulated the winners of
the 2011 Air Force Proficiency
and Leadership Awards, which
were announced on the Air
Force’s 91st anniversary on
March 30.
“As a values-based
organisation, I believe it is
very important to recognise
the efforts of our people,”
AIRMSHL Brown said.
“The Air Force Proficiency
and Leadership Awards exist
to acknowledge and recognise
the outstanding performance
and achievements of Air Force
personnel and units over the
previous year.
“The awards are primarily awarded to Air Force
personnel, Air Force units
or other Australian Defence
Organisation elements whose
primary purpose is to project
or support air operations.
“Well done to all the winners.”
TWO artists and an author are collectively
$15,000 better off after the results of the biennial RAAF Heritage Awards competition for
2012 were announced on March 30.
The first prize for art ($5000) went to Ben
Patynowski’s painting Heron Eyes, which
depicts a Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft over
Afghanistan.
The second prize for art ($2500) went
to Drew Harrison’s painting Pressure Point,
depicting 457SQN Spitfires in action over
Darwin during the Japanese raid of June 20,
1943.
The first prize for literature ($7500) went to
Leigh Hindley’s The Joys and Dangers of an
Aviation Pilot, which is an autobiography of his
flying career with the RAAF and commercial
aviation.
No second prize for literature was awarded.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown judged the
awards with the assistance of a panel of assessors comprising representatives from the Office
of Air Force History, the RAAF Museum and
the Australian War Memorial.
Air Force deputy historian Dr Gregory
Gilbert said the 2012 Heritage Art awards were
again very competitive with a large number of
entries received.
“The artists demonstrated their artistic abilities and their detailed knowledge of the RAAF
by producing artworks which will have an
enduring heritage value,” Dr Gilbert said.
The entries will be displayed at the 2012
Air Power Conference, which is being held in
Canberra from May 10-11.
Look what’s new
TWO new categories have been
added to the Air Force Awards:
➤ The Air Force Improvement
Leadership Award recognises an Air Force member
up to the rank of SQNLDR
or APS level 6 working in an
Air Force program or supporting the Defence Materiel
Organisation (DMO) System
Program Office who has
achieved excellence in continuous improvement.
➤ The Air Force Improvement
Team of the Year Award
is awarded to an Air Force
unit and/or DMO System
Program Office for excellence in the delivery and
sustainment of continuous
improvement.
See who the inaugural winners
are in the awards list, right.
To view this year’s entrants and winners, visit the
Air Power Development Centre website at airpower.
airforce.gov.au
FIRST PRIZE: Ben Patynowski’s
painting Heron Eyes.
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AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Car leasing is
it
right for me?
What loan?
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Fixed or variab
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Redraw vs offs
Photo: FSGT John Carroll
Best of 2011
Air Force Proficiency and
Leadership Awards:
➤ The Air Force Australian Public
Service (APS) Team Member of
the Year Award: Mr Gary Dobe,
Headquarters Air Combat Group.
➤ The AVM B.A. Eaton Award: CPL
Matthew Brougham, 1 Combat
Communications Squadron.
➤ The AVM Tony Dietz Memorial
Quality and Achievement
Medallions: FSGT David Kadel,
Health Operational Conversion
Unit, and Mr Dean Bzadough,
Tactical Fighter Systems Program
Office.
➤ Her Majesty The Queen’s
Gold Medal: OFFCDT Maxwell
Watterson, 2 Flying Training
School.
➤ The J.R. Bartram and R.A. Kee
Sword of Honour: AC Matthew
Xuereb, 37SQN.
➤ The McCarthy, Rowbottom
and Jones Memorial Award:
SQNLDR Kimberley Davey, Health
Operational Conversion Unit.
➤ The Lipshut Family Bursary: CPL
Rhet Tainton, Directorate General
Technical Airworthiness – ADF.
➤ The Chief of Air Force Instructor
Air Force Safety Awards:
of the Year Award: SQNLDR
Peter Ferris, School of Air Traffic
Control.
➤ The SQNLDR W.T. Riggs Perpetual
Trophy: CPL Chris Dickson, 1 Joint
Public Affairs Unit.
➤ The Thales Australia Leadership
Sword: OFFCDT Maxwell
Watterson, 2 Flying Training
School.
➤ The Warrant Officer of the Air
Force Instructor of the Year Award:
CPL Lachlan Pegg, 1 Recruit
Training Unit.
➤ The Air Force Improvement
Leadership Award: FLTLT Amanda
Gosling, 37SQN.
➤ The Air Force Improvement Team
of the Year Award: 77SQN.
➤ The Duke of Gloucester Cup:
37SQN.
➤ The Hawker Siddeley Trophy:
RAAF Base Darwin.
➤ The Markowski Cup: Air
Movements Coordination Centre.
➤ The RAAF Maintenance Trophy:
37SQN.
➤ The Stonehaven Trophy: 278SQN.
➤ The Leadership Award for Injury
Prevention and Management:
Headquarters Ground Training
Wing, Physical Training Section.
➤ The Best Workplace Health and
Safety Management System:
Headquarters 81WG.
➤ The Best Solution to an Identified
Workplace Health and Safety
Issue: 292SQN.
➤ The Best Individual Contribution
to Health and Safety – Category
5A: Mr Scott Dawson, 382
Expeditionary Combat Support
Squadron; Category 5B: FSGT
Andrew McGough, 11SQN, and
SGT Sean Mohapp, 4SQN.
Royal Aeronautical Society
Aviation Safety Award:
➤ The Royal Aeronautical Society
(Australia Division) award: FLTLT
Bruce Preston, 24SQN.
Chief of Air Force Essay
Competition:
➤ The Air-Vice Marshal H.N.
Wrigley Prize: FLTLT Alexandra
McCubbin.
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The winners will be
recognised at the Air
Force Awards night on
May 31 at RAAF Base
Amberley. For more
information, contact
FLTLT Gina Kimmins on
(02) 6265 5461.
Air Force birthday 5
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Paying homage to past
BUILDING ON
WHAT’S GONE
BEFORE: Left,
CAF AIRMSHL
Geoff Brown
addresses the
guests at the
commemorative
service at the
RAAF Memorial
Grove in Canberra;
below, members at
the service salute.
Photos: FSGT John
Carroll
LAC Bill Solomou
MEMBERS throughout Australia and
overseas attended ceremonies on March
30 to commemorate the 91st anniversary
of the Air Force.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown
was joined by Defence Parliamentary
Secretary Dr Mike Kelly MP and more
than 100 personnel for a commemorative service at the RAAF Memorial
Grove in Canberra.
The moving service paid homage to
past and present members of the RAAF,
the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and
the Australian Air Force Cadets.
AIRMSHL Brown said all Air Force
members should celebrate the day by
renewing their individual commitment
to the qualities and values of the service.
“Sacrifice, selflessness, loyalty,
mateship and endurance have been the
qualities that have kept our people at
the very foundation of our Air Force,”
AIRMSHL Brown said.
“Celebrating the Air Force anniversary provides us with the opportunity to
pause in our busy lives in order to reflect
on the achievements of the Air Force,
not only in the past year but also over
our many years of service to Australia.”
AIRMSHL Brown said the present
Air Force owed a lot to its brave forebears.
“Our cultural identity has taken years
to grow into what it is today; a vision of
who we are and what we stand for is the
basis of our military ethos,” he said.
“We have a responsibility to foster
that ethos and pass it on to the next generation of Air Force members.”
In keeping with Air Force tradition, WOFF-AF Mark Pentreath led a
contingent of airmen from Australia’s
Federation Guard to raise a 7m x 3.5m
Air Force Ensign at Regatta Point in
Canberra.
Elsewhere at bases across Australia,
personnel held commemoration services
and functions to mark the special occasion.
FLYING THE FLAG: WOFF-AF
Mark Pentreath and members of
Australia’s Federation Guard raise
a 7m x 3.5m Ensign at Regatta
Point in Canberra, middle photo
and far right. Photos: FSGT John Carroll
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THE PIPES ARE CALLING: SGT Craig Dawson prepares
to march in the Colours at the 91st anniversary reception
at RAAF Base Edinburgh’s Officer’s Mess.
Photo: LACW Nicci Freeman
FEATURES
EVEN IN INDIA: Above,
GPCAPT Mick Brown,
who is the studying at the
Indian National Defence
College, and his wife, Pam
Brown, cut the birthday
cake with GPCAPT
Sandeep Rawat, left,
and AIRCDRE I.P. Vipin,
second left.
SYDNEY TRIBUTES:
Left, LACW Natalie
Summersgill holds post
as part of the catafalque
party in Sydney.
Photo: SGT Brett Sherriff
• Seal brown.
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6
perations
E
AIR F RCE
April
A
Ap
pri
r l 12
12,
2, 20
2012
012
2
Own satellite comms for
troops in the Middle East
ULTRA-HIGH frequency (UHF) communications support to ADF personnel in the MEAO was significantly
enhanced with the successful launch of
the IS-22 satellite from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March
26.
More than 30 per cent of the satellite’s payload comprises a new UHF
communications suite, which was purchased by the ADF.
Until the launch, Australia relied on
the shared use of US satellites in the
region. Now, for the first time, it has its
own dedicated satellite communications
network in the region.
UHF is widely used for military satellite communications because of its
adaptability to small, mobile terminals
used by ground, sea and air forces.
Defence Materiel Minister Jason
Clare said the satellite meant the ADF
would be able to transmit voice and
data anywhere between the west coast
of Africa and the east coast of Australia
and would allow more effective communication in all types of terrain
including desert and jungle environments.
“This new satellite will help our
ground troops and tactical forces communicate better with each other and
their headquarters,” Mr Clare said.
“We will continue to work in a
resource-sharing partnership with the
US to provide satellite network coverage worldwide, but this [acquisition]
means we are no longer reliant on US
satellites in the Middle East.”
The satellite will also be used for
commercial purposes, but Defence has
incorporated high-level security measures, including data encryption, to protect its communication links.
Photo: CPL
Raymond Vance
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Avoiding pile of
problems in TK
MAJ Al Green
Country Music artist Chris E Thomas performed at Multinational
Base Tarin Kot during a Forces Entertainment Tour to the MEAO last
month. Among the entertainers were comedian Mick Molloy, country
music artist Doug Weaver and AC/DC cover band Damnation. The
performers gave a series of shows at Tarin Kot, Kandahar and Kabul
in Afghanistan, and Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
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DEEP TROUBLE: WO2 Leeroy Wyness, left, and CPL Shane Watts work with a civilian contractor to
repair the sewerage pump at Multinational Base Tarin Kot.
Photo: SGT Mick Davis
wd
Discounts apply for ADF members
Ph 07 3871 3437
A FEW good men averted a potential disaster caused by extreme
weather conditions at Multinational
Base Tarin Kot on the day remembered by all as one that literally
went to poo.
Project engineer CAPT Angus
Johnson, works supervisor WO2
Leeroy Wyness and Air Force
plumber CPL Shane Watts were
called to stem the flow of raw sewage caused by rain and snow melt
that flooded into the camp sewerage pump pit and dislodged a container housing high-pressure pumps,
breaking both them and the inlet and
outlet pipes.
The men from Project
Management Team Alpha and the
Camp Maintenance Team immediately sprang into action.
WO2 Wyness conducted an
assessment and developed a workable solution, starting with a temporary fix that involved digging pits
to install two 30,000 litre sewerage
diversion tanks.
Inflow pipes to the crippled
pump pit were blocked to allow
work to proceed without workers
swimming in sewage.
The sewage was transferred to
the temporary storage tanks by a
pump system installed by CPL
Watts, who monitored and nursed
the system alongside WO2 Wyness
for 72 solid hours. During this time
the pumping system needed to be
cleaned and adjusted because debris
and paper was still coming down the
sewerage line.
Both WO2 Wyness and CPL
Watts showed no fear in preventing
many spills and overflows from the
temporary pump system at all hours
over four tense days while all held
their breath.
While most would have wilted,
CPL Watts said he revelled in the
challenge.
“How did it feel working in all
that poo? It was a pretty good feeling to be honest,” he said.
“It’s about doing your job out
there with everybody relying on you,
so you don’t have a second thought
about it – you just get straight into it
and do it with no hesitation.”
While the overflow system and
its dramas continued, the task of fixing and strengthening the damaged
sewerage pump pit was the next priority.
CAPT Johnson designed and
coordinated the fix with help from
WO2 Wyness.
The container that had housed
the broken pumps was removed
and the team had the unenviable
job of digging out the pit by plant
and hand. This was a dirty job given
the raw sewage that had flowed in
before the temporary system was
set up.
Environmental health technicians
came to the rescue, chlorinating the
affected areas.
A new reinforced concrete slab
was supplied by an Afghan contractor and, despite a fresh snowfall,
the slab was able to cure and the
repaired container was repositioned,
connected, tested and then allowed
to run overnight to confirm pump
and generator operation.
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Wear a t-shirt
this Anzac Day
THE Returned and
Services League of
Australia (RSL) and
Canberra City Pipes
and Drums wants
people to show their
support for Australia’s
service veterans and
serving members by
buying and wearing a
special t-shirt on Anzac
Day. The t-shirt is black
with the words “THANK
YOU remember them –
25 April” in white. The
t-shirts cost $20 plus
posting and packaging,
with profits going to
the RSL’s Australian
Forces Overseas Fund.
The t-shirts can be
ordered online from
www.rememberthem.
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News 7
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
What a
ride for
Skidmore
Andrew Stackpool
AFTER more than 30 years in blue
and brass, former Air Commander
Australia (ACAUST) AVM Mark
Skidmore has said goodbye to Air
Force.
Well, the permanent Air Force at
least.
AVM Skidmore was sent off with
a dining-out night at RAAF Base
Glenbrook on March 22, attended by
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown.
He has now transferred to the Air
Force Reserves.
AVM Skidmore joined the RAAF
in 1977 and was appointed ACAUST
in June 2008.
In the intervening years, he flew
F-111s in Australia with 1SQN and in
the US.
He was then posted to the Aircraft
Research and Development Unit
(ARDU), RAAF Base Edinburgh,
where he flew F-111, Mirage,
MB-326H, CT-4A and Dakota aircraft.
Other postings included back to
1SQN and 82WG and Headquarters
Air Command before he resigned in
1988.
He re-enlisted in 2000.
From 2003 he was Director of
Operational Requirements for the New
Air Combat Capability project.
In 2005, he was appointed Joint
Force Air Component Commander,
and deployed to the MEAO as the
Director Combined Air Operations
Centre.
AIRMSHL Geoff Brown thanked
AVM Skidmore for his contribution.
“During his time as ACAUST,
AVM Skidmore oversaw planning and
implementation for the withdrawal
of the F-111 and introduction of the
Super Hornet, Wedgetail, Vigilare and
Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft,”
AIRMSHL Brown said.
“During his tenure as ACAUST,
our Force Element Groups (FEGs)
have been very busy contributing to
operations, disaster relief, and a num-
PARTING GESTURE:
Above, CAF
AIRMSHL Geoff
Brown presents
AVM Mark Skidmore
with a farewell gift
at his dining-out
night at RAAF Base
Glenbrook.
Photo: LAC Chris Hall
FLASHBACK: Right,
AVM Skimore in a
Super Hornet cockpit
in the US in 2009.
Photo: LACW Casey Gaul
operations. “We have certainly learned
a lot,” he said.
He includes himself in that.
“When I first started as ACAUST
I felt I was ‘flying on the buffet and
about to stall’.
“However, I can now say that the
3½ years has flown by at the speed of
sound.”
One of his primary duties had been
to ensure Air Force had a trained force
ber of VIP visits. I thank him for
his leadership of Headquarters Air
Command and our FEGs, and also
acknowledge his 30-year contribution
to Air Force.”
AVM Skidmore said that Air
Command had undergone significant
development but that every single
member of the 14,000-strong organisation had played a central role in ensuring Air Force had the capability for air
ready to deliver on operational commitments.
“Such diversity of operations has
demanded a strong cross-section of
skills and experience, and at any one
time, there are about 1000 personnel
deployed around the world,” he said.
“If I could have a ‘buzzword’ term
relevant to my tour I would like it to
be, ‘look after your mates – in the
office, on the flightline and socially’.”
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8 News
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Plaudits for
security
CPL Nick Wiseman
AVIONICS engineer FLTLT Peter
Simpfendorfer was delighted to be
a finalist in the inaugural Defence
Excellence in Security Awards.
Twelve Defence people and
teams were recognised for their
contribution to security at the
awards at the Australian War
Memorial on March 27.
FLTLT Simpfendorfer, of
Aerospace Systems Engineering
Squadron, was a finalist in the outstanding contribution to security
by an individual category for his
involvement in security and overseeing the change from swipe to
proximity card access at RAAF
Base Edinburgh.
FLTLT Simpfendorfer said it
was an honour to find out he was
nominated and then to find out he
was a finalist was an even greater
surprise.
“I think the category I was a
finalist in is important as it deals
with people who are not security
specialists such as myself,” he said.
“The awards are a great idea to
raise the awareness of security in
people’s minds as it is something
that can sometimes be easy to forget.”
The awards featured four categories focusing on security specialists, leaders, teams and individuals, which were open to everyone
working for Defence and recognised excellence and outstanding
performance in security.
Deputy Secretary Intelligence
and Security Steve Meekin said
by acknowledging the efforts of
the finalists and winners, security
awareness within Defence would
strengthen.
“Security can be a tough job,
it’s hard work and needs constant
attention,” Mr Meekin said.
“ T h e s e awa r d s c e l e b r a t e
achievements in security and will
play an integral role in embedding
security as a natural part of everyday work.”
With more than 50 nominations across the categories, this
highlighted the amount of effort
and achievement within security
across Defence and also posed a
challenge for the judging panel to
identify finalists and winners from
within these nominations.
Mr Meekin said while only a
small amount of security professionals were recognised in the
awards, there were many within
Defence who were doing outstanding work every day.
“It’s important to acknowledge
the efforts of all people doing great
work in security,” he said.
Abo e Scott
SHARING THE JOY
JOY: Above,
Minchin with some of his Air Force
security police colleagues at the
awards ceremony. Mr Minchin, who
is the Executive Director Information
Assurance Branch, Chief Information
Officer Group, was a finalist for the
category of outstanding leadership
in security.
HONOUR BOARD
➤ Outstanding performance by a
security specialist – Winner: WO2
Peter Henrichs. Finalists: Steven
McLeod (DSD), Jennean Whilesmith
(DMO).
➤ DepSec I&S award for outstanding leadership in security – Winner:
Vivienne Dawes (DSA). Finalists: Ray
Andersson (Army) and Scott Minchin
(CIOG).
➤ Outstanding contribution to security by a team – Winners: DMO
Munitions Branch Relocation Team,
HQJOC Security Directorate. Finalist: Navy Guided Weapons Systems
Program Office – West.
➤ Outstanding contribution to security by an individual – Winner:
LCDR Joshua Wilkinson. Finalists:
MAJ Keith Lawton and FLTLT Peter
Simpfendorfer.
GREAT SURPRISE: FLTLT
Peter Simpfendorfer.
Photos: David McClenaghan
IN BRIEF
Celebrating the RNZAF’s 75th
Supporting Australia’s veterans, peacekeepers
and their families
VVCS provides counselling and support services to Australian veterans, peacekeepers, eligible members
of the Defence Force community and their families, and F-111 Fuel Tank Maintenance workers and their
partners and immediate family members. VVCS is a specialised, free and confidential Australia-wide
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VVCS can provide you with:
• Individual, couple and family counselling including case management services
• After-hours crisis telephone counselling via Veterans Line
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If you need support or would like more information
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WWII pilot to be reinterred
SGT William James Smith will be reinterred at a ceremony with full military honours at the Cassel Cemetery
in France on April 19. SGT Smith, of 457SQN, went
down in his Spitfire aircraft on operations on May 9,
1942 while escorting a bombing mission over enemy
occupied territory to Bruges, Belgium. SGT Smith
was last seen near the coast of France engaged in a
dogfight with an enemy aircraft at 20,000ft over the
English Channel. He and his Spitfire were discovered
buried underground in northern France in 2011.
DSD approves iPads, iPhones
THE Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) has certified
the use of government-owned iPhones and iPads for
classified Australian government communications.
DSD has been working closely with industry to develop
practical instructions for government to securely
use the latest technologies, including smart phones
and tablet PCs. DSD has led the way to safely enable
devices running the latest Apple operating system (iOS
version 5) to communicate and store classified information up to protected level.
Defence Health satisfaction
www.dva.gov.au/vvcs
* Free local call. Calls from mobile
and pay phones may incur charges.
A RAAF contingent helped the Royal New Zealand
Air Force (RNZAF) celebrate its 75th anniversary
at an air show at RNZAF Base Ohakea on March
31. The contingent included CAF AIRMSHL Geoff
Brown, more than 80 RAAF personnel and a C-130J,
C-17A, Wedgetail and six F/A-18 aircraft. The Hornets
provided aerial displays, the C-130 transported RNZAF
personnel, and RAAF security police provided force
protection. Full coverage next edition.
Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service
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STAFF members of Defence Health received an
unexpected bonus on March 2 when the organisation received the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction
Award. The award recognised Defence Health as the
Private Health Insurer of the Year 2011. The Roy
Morgan Customer Satisfaction Award is based on survey data collected from more than 50,000 consumers
and 20,000 business decision makers annually.
News 9
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Sydney in JSF spotlight
Peter Purcell
MORE than 60 officials from the nine
nations partnered on the US F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter (JSF) program gathered
in Sydney from March 13 to 15 to discuss progress.
The officials comprised the JSF
Executive Steering Board (JESB) which
meets every six months.
This was the first time Australia had
played host to the JESB.
Defence Materiel Organisation’s
Chief Executive Officer Warren King is
co-chair of the board.
The meeting included in-depth discussions about F-35 development, production, engineering and sustainment
operations.
“Private meetings were also held
between the US delegation and each of
the individual nation partners to discuss
sovereign issues,” Mr King said.
The key message from the US principals was that while there is still risk in
the program, it is on track.
Outgoing US Air Force (USAF)
acquisition chief David Van Buren said
that US observations and assessments
over the past year provided confidence
that the basic aircraft designs were
sound and would deliver.
Mr Van Buren was invited to RAAF
Base Williamtown for a familiarisation visit to Air Combat Group and
Surveillance and Response Group, and
to discuss planning for the F-35’s anticipated arrival in 2017.
As this article goes to print,
Australia’s first F-35A aircraft is set to
FAMILIARISATION VISIT:
Above, ADF members with the
Joint Strike Fighter Steering
Board delegates, headed by
David Van Buren, during a visit
to RAAF Base Williamtown.
Photo: CPL Mark McConnell
PROGRAM ON TRACK: Left,
JSF in full flight in the US.
Photo: Darin Russell,
Lockheed Martin
start down the Lockheed Martin production line, while delivery of Australia’s
first two aircraft in the US for training
at the international F-35 pilot training
centre remains on track.
The meeting heard the Australian
F-35A variant is meeting all key performance parameters, including range,
stealth, speed, sensors, radar and
weight, and that 80 per cent of its full
software capability is flying today.
USAF MAJGEN John F. Thompson,
of the US JSF program office, told the
meeting the F-35 flight test program
across the three variants exceeded overall test point and flight goals last year.
He said that software development
and flight test execution remained the
program’s primary focus over the next
12 months.
“While F-35 flight testing is proceeding slightly ahead of the revised
schedule, only 20 per cent of flight testing is currently completed,” MAJGEN
Thompson said.
“Many of the more challenging elements of flight testing are ahead of us.
“Our flight test program will inform
us of what the issues are in the design
that we need to work on.”
Australia’s head of the F-35 project,
AVM Kym Osley, said the discussions
provided useful indicators on F-35 progress.
“This will help inform everyone’s
decision-making on the F-35,” he said.
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10 News
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
High flyers
rewarded
LAC Bill Solomou
MUCH TO LEARN:
CPL Timothy Taylor
who is swapping
flying with KC-30As
of 33SQN for the
RAF Tristars at
216SQN.
Photo: LAC Benjamin
Evans
Long look at Tristar
Eamon Hamilton
TWO crew attendants will see life
from the perspective of the Royal Air
Force (RAF) under the exchange program Long Look.
CPL Timothy Taylor, of 33SQN,
has already left to fly with Tristar
tanker transports at 216SQN RAF,
while CPL Skye Cooper, of 34SQN,
will exchange with 32SQN RAF,
which is responsible for transport of
the royal family and other VIPs.
Under the Long Look program,
RAAF exchanges four junior officers
(FLGOFF to FLTLT) and 16 NCOs
with the RAF for 16 weeks.
RAAF crew attendants have
worked previously with the Royal
New Zealand Air Force under the
Anzac Exchange program.
CPL Taylor expects some familiarities when he swaps 33SQN’s KC-30As
for the RAF’s Tristars, as they achieve
the same mission with different platforms.
While the KC-30A has only recently begun RAAF service, the fleet of
nine RAF Tristars are in the twilight of
their career.
CPL Taylor said he expected the
size and tempo of 216SQN to be quite
different from 33SQN.
“The squadron numbers about 450
members, of which 107 are in Cabin
Crew section – nearly double the total
number of crew attendant flying positions in the whole RAAF,” he said.
“I am looking forward to working on a different aircraft type, learning from a squadron with well-established and practised procedures, and of
course spending some time travelling
the UK.”
The RAF’s Tristars were instru-
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mental in refuelling NATO aircraft
in Operation Unified Protector over
Libya, and also carry service personnel between Britain and the Middle
East.
Finding out how the RAF effectively uses the Tristar on these operations
will be one of CPL Taylor’s aims.
“My goal is to learn as much as
possible about how their aircraft integrates with their support network
both on military bases and civil airports, as that appears to be one of
our challenges at the moment,” CPL
Taylor said.
A HANDFUL of lucky junior Air
Force members received a boost
recently as recognition for their
good work.
They were treated to a ride
in the Air Force Balloon during
the annual Balloon Spectacular
in Canberra, held from March 10
to 18.
ACAUST AVM Mel Hupfeld
and Air Command WOFF Brett
Holland were keen to use the balloon as a way of rewarding some
of Air Force’s quiet achievers.
“I contacted representatives
from Air Command units in the
Canberra region and obtained
names of airmen and officers
that the command chain wished
to acknowledge,” WOFF Holland
said.
FLTLT Timothy Clark, SGT
Michelle Forbes and LAC
Bhupinder Singh went up over
Canberra, while FSGT Geoff
Kempster and LACW Ciara
Nuttycombe received a tethered
flight due to weather on the day.
That didn’t ruin the experience
for LACW Nuttycombe, though.
“We may not have lifted off, but it
was still great fun,” she said.
THUMBS UP: FSGT Geoff
Kempster and LACW Ciara
Nuttycombe with the balloon.
Photo: LAC Bill Solomou
After top dog crown
CPL Nick Wiseman
ONE military working dog handler
is determined to take first place in
Air Force’s top dog competition
this year – and be the first female
to do it.
LACW Cheryl Chaffey, of
13SQN, and her dog Pax have
a busy year in front of them
training for both the Bill Perrett
Competition – for best Air Force
working dog and handler – and a
deployment to East Timor.
She said her focus was on
improving her dog’s tactical skills
before deploying to East Timor,
however doing well in this year’s
top dog competition would also be
nice.
“The Bill Perrett competition
rewards the best dog handler team
in the Air Force each year,” she
said.
“A female hasn’t taken it out
yet – it would be good to see that
change.”
LACW Chaffey has undertaken
more than 18 months of training
to get where she is today, including single and tri-service policing
courses and her military working dog course. She said she was
always learning about dog training.
Becoming a handler was a natural choice because she has a history
of animal training in her family.
BUSY TIME:
LACW Cheryl
Chaffey and
Pax ... eying
the Bill Perrett
competition. “A
female hasn’t
taken it out
yet – it would
be good to see
that change.”
Photo: CPL Nick
Wiseman
“I’ve always had a love of dogs
and have trained German shepherds
previously,” LACW Chaffey said.
Doing shift work at RAAF Base
Darwin can be exhaustive but she
enjoys spending the time with Pax,
particularly when patrolling and
training.
On a typical shift she spends a
couple of hours maintaining and
improving Pax’s skills as well as
learning new ones herself.
Her primary motivation is to
produce a reliable dog that will perform the job he is trained to do in
“real time”, not just in training.
LACW Chaffey said Pax had
learnt some very handy skills such
as opening doors himself.
“That can be very useful when
there is a danger to us entering the
room,” she said.
“Obedience is also a very critical skill we need to maintain as it is
our means of controlling our dog.”
Being her first deployment
with Pax, LACW Chaffey is looking forward to using their skills
operationally as part of a security
team.
She said Pax was a bold and
confident dog.
“He is a very intelligent dog
with loads of character and loves
his work.
“For a dog, Pax has a great
work ethic and really enjoys doing
his job.”
Air Force Improvement 11
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Cutting out
duplication
AEROSPACE Operational
Support Group (AOSG) has
launched its Foundation
Element Centre (FEC) to deliver more effective and efficient
administrative support services
across the group.
The Acting Director
Capability Reform, AOSG,
WGCDR Stephen Kerr, said the
Administrative Services Review
of late 2011 showed that personnel in some units were
spending time on administrative
support that was shared across
the group, such as human
resources, logistics, IT and
project management. This took
time away from their primary
duties.
“The FEC has been implemented to address this, with the
aim of reducing duplication,
increasing efficiency and creating consistency in delivery of
administrative services,” he
said.
“In designing the FEC,
and responding to the AOSG
Administrative Services
Review, we focused on the
main areas of: accuracy and
timeliness in all administrative
processing; customer satisfac-
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY
Director General AFI
AIRCDRE Adam Brown
DO YOU have a role in Air Force Improvement
(AFI) and strategic reform? Absolutely.
We are a very different Air Force today
than we were at our beginning in 1921.
We have changed to meet the demands
placed upon us by war, peace, technology,
society; and we have done this through
the ingenuity and innovation of our people.
Today, AFI is of fundamental importance to
Air Force and provides a great opportunity for
every unit to challenge the status quo, think
differently, and create the future.
You know the work and the problems
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Part of the AOSG Administrative
Services team, from left, David Collison, LAC Phillip Coutts,
CPL Kirsty Evans and SGT Michael Fuller.
Photo: LACW Nicci Freeman
tion; and focus on continuous
improvement.”
He said staff across AOSG
had been involved and their
commitment to improving the
group had been fantastic.
“The FEC has only been
operating for a couple of
months now, but already we are
seeing more consistent service
delivery across AOSG.”
WGCDR Kerr said feedback
had been mixed. Some of this
was because some units were
being over-serviced before and
this had now reduced. However,
in a few cases, processes didn’t
work as anticipated and some
things fell through the cracks.
“The really positive thing
has been that our continuous
improvement approach has
meant we’ve been able to identify these shortfalls and we’re
now looking at how to address
them,” he said.
Innovation and improvement are CAF
priorities.
We have serious challenges ahead of us:
conducting operations, introducing and supporting our new aircraft and systems, evolving our organisation and processes to get the
most from our capabilities, and doing all this
in a financially constrained environment.
We can’t be successful in this unless
every member of the Air Force team is
engaged.
You know the work and what adds value,
you also know where the waste is.
We need your experience to look innovatively at what you do, to find ways to permanently do it better.
We control our destiny
Running the Air Force is complex and
costly.
As you all know, we are in a very tight
financial environment. It is not going to get
any easier.
If we don’t take the lead and improve we
run the risk of having changes made for us.
Every work decision we make costs someone time or money; we need to value everyone’s time, we can’t afford waste.
Ask yourself, are you doing the right
things? Are you doing those things right? We
must all play our part in improving Air Force.
The Chief often talks about how we need
to control our own destiny and change before
we are forced to. AFI and SRP give us the
chance to do this.
Less frustration
We all have frustrations at work – a part
that’s not available when you need it, a job
that takes twice as long as it should.
AFI challenges you to look at processes
large and small; improving them, ensuring
they add value, stop doing them if they don’t,
removing frustration, and then using the
freed-up time more productively.
That means more time for our friends
and families, more time to commit to those
key tasks we never get around to, and more
capacity to surge when needed.
There is no more useless weapon of war
than a broken jet.
By removing waste AFI aims
to help make sure this doesn’t
happen.
In 91 years, we have
come a long way. We have
never stood still.
Today, under AFI, we have
the opportunity and duty
to continue that legacy of
innovation and reform to
create the Air Force of
the future. Improvement
is part of who we are.
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Centrepiece
12
AIR F RCE
April 12, 2012
13
Come rain,
shine or
cyclone
A tropical storm added to the drama during Ex Faru Sumu, reports FLTLT Cath Friend.
N
INE Super Hornets and 140
personnel from 6SQN and a
4SQN combat control team
arrived in Darwin on March
11 to find themselves confronted by a tropical cyclone.
The aircraft and personnel had
deployed for Exercise Faru Sumu
(Swahili for Charging Rhino), which
commenced on March 13.
A 37SQN C-130J provided air lift
and logistics support.
The exercise is an air-to-ground
bombing exercise and involves a series
of scenarios that tests instructors and
ground crews to the highest level.
Throughout the exercise, a range of
high explosive ordnance was dropped
on the Delamere Range facility.
It was the first opportunity for
6SQN to deploy away from RAAF
Base Amberley as a Super Hornet
squadron to conduct bombing activities.
With the possibility of the cyclone
damaging the Darwin area, the Hornets
and essential ground crew were evacuated to RAAF Base Tindal.
Personnel remaining in Darwin
secured other squadron assets and prepared bunkers. Fortunately the cyclone
weakened and turned into a tropical
low, which produced heavy rain and
some wind.
The aircraft remained at Tindal
until it was clear that the low was not
going to redevelop into a cyclone.
CO 6SQN WGCDR Terence Deeth
said he was proud of the way squadron
members were able to quickly assemble a safe plan, including the right
personnel and equipment to support the
evacuated aircraft in Tindal.
“I was also very impressed with
the excellent support provided at short
notice by 13SQN, 322 Expeditionary
Combat Support Squadron and 75SQN
who were our hosts at Tindal,” he said.
With the danger passed, the jets
returned to Darwin and the exercise got
under way.
“Exercise Faru Sumu provided
essential training for both air and
ground crews, and invaluable training
for our logistics, support and maintenance personnel,” WGCDR Deeth said.
“This is the first time that 6SQN
has participated in the exercise.”
The exercise was also intended
to let the instructional staff test and
evaluate the structure and format of the
exercise to ensure the required learning
outcomes are achieved by students on
future exercises.
WGCDR Deeth was proud of how
his personnel conducted themselves
over the two-and-a-half weeks in
Darwin.
“For many of them it was their first
bombing camp, which is challenging
enough,” he said.
“Throw in a tropical cyclone and
subsequent evacuation; you now have
people who in some cases were forced
to work a little outside their normal
comfort zones.
“The troops did an outstanding job
in ensuring all jets were serviceable to
evacuate and when they got back have
been able to deliver aircraft for a very
busy flying program on a daily basis.
“The exercise was an excellent
opportunity for the squadron to learn
valuable lessons about deployed HE
operations and to hone the skills of
6SQN aircrew, instructional staff and
support personnel.”
CO 4SQN WGCDR Stuart
Bellingham said the exercise was the
perfect opportunity for the combat
control team to conduct essential training before deploying on operations
overseas.
Exercise Faru Sumu finished on
March 28.
The next exercise is expected to be
conducted in November or December
this year.
Photos: LACW Kylie Gibson
WILD WEATHER: Above, a 6SQN Super Hornet taxis out of RAAF Base Darwin in a
tropical shower before taking off for an Exercise Faru Sumu mission, top inset. Above
left, military working dog handler LACW Joanne Booth, of 13SQN, and her dog Iri run for
cover across the flightline during the downpour.
COCKPIT COUNSELLING: Above, avionics
technicians conduct maintenance on a Super
Hornet following an exercise mission.
DIFFERENT VIEWS: Left, a 4SQN combat
control team member briefs Super Hornet
aircrew for a close air support mission as
part of Exercise Faru Sumu. Above, a 6SQN
technician watches as a Super Hornet takes off
from RAAF Base Darwin. Right, Administrator
of the Northern Territory Sally Thomas talks to
6SQN members SQNLDR Garry McKee and
LAC Reece Dennis during a visit to the base
with her husband, Ted Rowe.
PREPARING AND PROTECTING: Above, 6SQN armament
technicians CPL Christopher Gould (left) and LAC Shavneet
Prasad prepare a laser-guided bomb for fitting on to a Super
Hornet for a Faru Sumu mission. Right, LACW Jo Booth from the
RAAF Base Darwin Security Police section patrols the flightline
during the exercise.
WORK NEVER STOPS: Above, LAC Shaun Williams,
a cook with 13SQN, prepares midnight meals to feed
the late shift during Faru Sumu. Top, 6SQN weapon
systems officer FLTLT Justin Baldry checks his jet
before a mission. Right, 6SQN aircraft life support fitter
SGT Peter Boakes (left) inspects a torso harness with
the assistance of an aircrew member.
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In Memoriam 15
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
LAC
Douglas
Bell
WOFF Michael Wilson
T
HERE was standing room only
when a highly respected and
well-liked WOFF who had spent
his entire adult life in the military was
farewelled on February 10.
36SQN loadmaster WOFF Michael
Wilson died on February 3.
WOFF Wilson was born in
Brisbane in June 1963 and joined the
Air Force as a 16-year-old apprentice
in 1979.
In 1982, WOFF Wilson remustered from engine fitter to flight
engineer and spent most of his career
with 36 and 37SQNs at RAAF Base
Richmond.
His time included a deployment
to Sinai as part of a multinational
observer force.
In 1995 he was promoted to WOFF
and worked with 386 Expeditionary
Combat Support Squadron and 37SQN
before transferring to the RAF in 2000.
He completed operational deployments to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan
before returning to Australia in 2005
and re-enlisting in the RAAF.
In 2007 he remustered to loadmaster and returned to 36SQN to assist in
the introduction of the C-17A.
That would be his final posting.
More than 50 members of 36SQN
formed a bearer party, guard of honour
and firing party, and joined relatives,
friends and colleagues for the funeral.
Members from Richmond travelled
to RAAF Base Amberley on a C-130
for the funeral. This was an aircraft
which WOFF Wilson had served on in
a variety of roles.
A large number of relatives, friends
and colleagues attended the funeral
service.
BEYOND
THE
CALL: LAC
Douglas
Bell ...
noted for his
willingness
to go that
extra mile,
both within
and outside
the service.
R
PROUD MOMENT: 36SQN loadmaster WOFF Mick Wilson, of
RAAF Base Amberley, on the occasion of the first scheduled
C-17A flight into Afghanistan in 2009.
Photo: LAC Scott Woodward
AAF Base Williamtown lost
a promising young member
when 20-year-old LAC Douglas
Graeme Bell was killed on March 14
in a car accident near the base.
LAC Bell, better known as Dougy,
enlisted as a cook on January 13,
2009, and quickly proved to be an
extremely capable member in the
kitchen.
He was a member of 381
Expeditionary Combat Support
Squadron (381ECSS).
LAC Bell became noted for his
willingness to go that extra mile, both
within and outside the service.
He was always willing to volunteer
for exercises or to help out in any way
he could, while his jovial, larrikin attitude lifted those around him.
His contribution to the local com-
munity went beyond his Air Force
service as he was also a volunteer
firefighter.
He initially served with the Rural
Fire Services and then was retained
with the NSW Fire Services.
He was buried with full military
honours on March 23 after squadron
CO WGCDR Lee de Winton and
members from 381CSS joined his
parents, family and friends at a service to celebrate his life at the base
chapel.
After the service, an honour guard
led the hearse and escort vehicles
to the Beresfield Crematorium for a
private ceremony while other members lined the route and saluted as he
passed.
A wake was held at the Sergeants’
Mess after the service.
Congratulations to ADCU Member Chloe
rn
Esposito for winning the Bronze Medal in Modern
Pentathlon World Cup #2 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil!
Follow Chloe’s Progress:
Support Chloe
Visit chloe2012.adcu.com.au,
donate, buy merchandise or follow her
journey to the London Olympics!
Follow her journey at
chloe2012.adcu.com.au
Australian Defence Credit Union Limited ABN 48 087 649 741 AFSL No. 237 988 Australian credit licence number 237 988.
Brought to you by
16 Flightline
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
CHEVY’S MILESTONE: Above, FLTLT Chris
“Chevy” Badman, of DP-AF, is presented with his
fourth clasp to the Long Service Medal for more
than 35 years service by DGPERS-AF AIRCDRE
Bob Rodgers.
Photo courtesy WGCDR Deb Greig
SPECIAL VISITOR: Below, Roulette ground
crew member CPL Karen Nott with patient Eva
Wheatley, 4, at the Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.
The Roulettes team visited the hospital while in
town for the Clipsal 500 V8 race recently.
Photo: LACW Nicci Freeman
FORCE SUPPORT
UNIT ROTATES:
Above, LAC Caine
Hodder, of FSU 5,
stacks the shelves
at Camp Baker
in Afghanistan,
while below, CPL
Elvin Prasad does
the same at Al
Minhad Air Base
in the United Arab
Emirates. Left, SGT
Sandra Baldry (right),
is seen off by CPL
Anne Wilkins and
her son Cody at the
FSU 6 deployment
farewell ceremony in
Townsville. Photos: SGT
Mick Davis and CPL Mark
Doran
0LOLWDU\8WLOLW\7RRO
CULTURAL FEAST: Above, the RAAF Base East Sale Health Centre had a taste of harmony for lunch on March 20 when
personnel shared their culture and food with dishes from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Italy, Germany, and Australia. It was part of A
Taste of Harmony, an annual initiative held at workplaces to celebrate cultural diversity. The health unit has a blend of permanent
and reserve staff, APS members, and contract health professionals.
Photo courtesy SQNLDR Sarah Wheal
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Cadets 17
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Air Force events
Air Force
Roulettes
April 12: Richmond
3WG cadets.
April 15: Wings, Wheels and Wine,
Mudgee, NSW.
April 25: Various Anzac Day marches and services.
Air Force
Balloon
April 21-27: WA
Tour.
May 19-20: RAAF Base Pearce air
show.
Air Force
Band
WALKING TALL: 1WG
cadets on parade at
RAAF Base Townsville.
Photos courtesy Northern
Services Courier
April 19: 2FTS graduation parade,
RAAF Base Pearce.
April 19: Re-interment ceremony
for SGT William (Bill) James Smith,
Commonwealth War Cemetery,
Arneke, France.
April 20: Tri-service “At Home”
concert, the Defence Force School
of Music, Simpson Barracks.
April 25: Anzac Day activities in
Melbourne.
April 25: Anzac Day commemorative services in Belgium.
Air Force
Museum
April 15: Maltese
Australian Association, Melbourne
Shrine.
April 19: Legacy Anzac Day flypast,
Melbourne Shrine.
April 25: Anzac Day, Melbourne
Shrine.
Reunion notice
A REUNION for past
members of the
No. 2 Stores Depot
at Regents Park,
2SDGEMS at Villawood
and 2SDD Detachment
at Dubbo will be held
on November 10 at the
Rosnay Golf Club in
Auburn, Sydney. It has
been 17 years since
the closure of these
units and all former
members or those
involved with the units
are invited to attend.
For more information,
contact Samantha
Faragher on (02) 4034
6810 or 04235 85051
or email samantha.faragher@defence.gov.au
1WG wins
trophy
yet again
THE 537 Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) and 76
staff members of the North Queensland-based 1WG
(AAFC) were delighted when they were told that the
wing had won the Air Force Trophy for the fourth
time.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown, a former Air Force
cadet, presented the trophy and the AAFC National
Banner to the wing during a special parade at RAAF
Base Townsville on February 26.
CAF congratulated the cadets for their high standard of dress and bearing on parade.
“You are a credit to the Australian Air Force
Cadets and to the Air Force uniform you wear with
such pride,” he said.
He thanked the parents for their support and said
he was “always impressed with the dedication and
hard work of the cadet staff and the volunteer instructors, the perseverance of the parents and the achievements of the cadets”.
The trophy is the most prestigious award for the
AAFC. It is awarded annually to the most proficient
AAFC wing.
It recognises outstanding performance in administration, communication, training and community
participation.
OC WGCDR (AAFC) Danny Pieri said he was
delighted when he was told they had won the trophy.
“This award is shared by all, with each and every
staff member and cadet playing a direct role in the
success of the wing,” WGCDR (AAFC) Pieri said.
“It’s not often we receive recognition for the commitment our staff and cadets show routinely, and I
trust each of them will find some time to celebrate
this outstanding achievement in their own way.”
He said last year was a tough year by anyone’s
standards, made more difficult by Cyclone Yasi and
the floods.
“The wing covers an area from Mackay to
Mareeba and out to Mount Isa,” WGCDR (AAFC)
Pieri said.
“There wasn’t a single squadron anywhere that
was not affected by Yasi, floods, or both.
“Considering this adversity, the staff and cadets
not only maintained their community support and
engagements but delivered one of the most exciting
and activity-packed training programs for years.
“I draw great inspiration and pride in the work our
staff and cadets do and feel both humbled and privileged to work alongside some of the most dedicated
and highly professional people you could ever want to
meet in life.”
WELL DONE:
CAF presents the
Air Force Trophy
to 1WG OC
WGCDR (AAFC)
Danny Pieri on the
parade ground at
Townsville.
Civil Skills Data – Keeping you updated!
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CIVIL
SKILLS
DATA
Skills in Reserve
18 Personnel
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
New-look holiday
site ready to take
your bookings
AIR Force members who want to book
holidays at the three Air Force holiday
facilities will see a new look to the
RAAF Welfare Recreation Company
(RWRC) website following its recent
refresh.
Director General Personnel
Air Force and Chair of the RWRC,
AIRCDRE Bob Rodgers, officially
launched the upgraded website on
March 26.
It was the culmination of several
months work by the RWRC Board of
Directors, with support from website
developers Cornerstone Design and
photographer LACW Jessica Smith, of
RAAF Base Amberley.
The website provides members
with information on the three facilities – Ambassador Apartments on the
Gold Coast, Tuscany Apartments at
Merimbula in NSW, and Marrakai
Apartments in Darwin.
It also provides additional links to
the Navy, Army and Overseas Holiday
facility websites.
AIRCDRE Rodgers said the
refresh was one component of a
review of Air Force holiday facilities, which also includes revised tariff seasons, tariff prices, and current
and proposed renovations to the three
facilities.
“These initiatives support the
overall aim of the company to provide access to discounted recreational
CHECK IT OUT: The new RWRC
website homepage.
accommodation and to manage and
promote RWRC-owned recreational
facilities for Air Force members, their
families and other eligible people,”
AIRCDRE Rodgers said.
Those eligible are serving ADF
members, including reservists;
Australian Public Servants working in Defence; staff of the Defence
Housing Authority, Defence Bank
and Australian Defence Force Credit
Union; Defence contractors; and former members of the ADF.
Eligible members are encouraged to check
out the website for information on RWRC
holiday facilities, including booking their
next holiday online, at www.raafholidays.
com.au
TAKE A BREAK ONLINE: From left, RWRC Secretary Bruce Perry,
RWRC Chairman AIRCDRE Bob Rodgers and RWRC Director FSGT
Julie Higgs launch the new RAAF Holidays website in Canberra.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: From left, Director Military Law Centre GPCAPT Ian Henderson, Head of
Defence Legal Mark Cunliffe, Defence Parliamentary Secretary Dr Mike Kelly MP and Director General
ADF Legal Services AIRCDRE Paul Cronan at the official opening of the Military Law Centre at Victoria
Barracks, Sydney.
Photos: AB Dove Smithett
Legal centre
opened
LEGAL officers throughout the AsiaPacific region have access to a stateof-the-art, dedicated training facility with the official opening of the
ADF Military Law Centre at Victoria
Barracks in Sydney on March 29.
Defence Parliamentary Secretary
Dr Mike Kelly MP opened the new
centre, which has been in development since 2008 as a facility for both
the ADF Military Law Centre and the
Asia-Pacific Centre for Military Law.
“I recall my time as the inaugural Director of the Military Law
Centre some 10 years ago and sharing my vision with Professor Tim
McCormack of the University of
Melbourne Law School to expand
legal training into the Asia-Pacific
region through the creation of the
Asia-Pacific Centre for Military
Law,” Dr Kelly said.
“We hoped that through courses,
seminars and ongoing research, we
could facilitate cooperation among
military forces of the Asia-Pacific
region in the research, training and
implementation of the laws governing military operations.”
Defence established the Military
Law Centre in 2001 to provide professional in-service training for ADF
legal officers and form the ADF
component of the Asia-Pacific Centre
for Military Law.
Since 2001, about 400 trainees
from 25 different countries have
attended courses at the centre, with
most international trainees coming
from Indonesia, the Philippines and
Malaysia.
Dr Kelly said both centres would
continue to build on the good work
already achieved since 2001.
“Courses that have existed since
the 1990s continue to be improved.
Innovative training methods have
been incorporated and new challenges are being addressed,” he said.
“The completion of the building
NEW HOME: The sign at the
front of the Military Law Centre.
will be instrumental in the centres
maintaining their existing reputation
as two of the leading military academic centres of their kind in the
Asia-Pacific region.
“It will give the centres a permanent and purpose-built home to continue to provide for and develop the
finest teaching and training of our
own Defence Force members as well
as officers from around our AsiaPacific region.”
Masters for
adminos
MILNE BAY MILITaRY MUSEUM
Preserving the military history of the Darling
Downs and South-East Queensland.
Open every day from 10:00a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Talk to us about your special requirements.
(07) 4631 4482 or
museum25battalion@westnet.com.au
ADMINISTRATION officers now have
the opportunity to undertake a full-time
Masters of Business course at UNSW@
ADFA.
Senior flight lieutenants and junior
squadron leaders can apply.
The first participant in the program
is SQNLDR Tania Jones, who on completion of her studies can be posted to
one of a number of identified positions
requiring advanced pre-employment
training.
“I see this as a great opportunity for
adminos to improve their skills so that
they can provide the best possible contribution to the strategic management
of the organisation through areas such
as workforce planning and personnel
capability management,” SQNLDR Jones
said.
“I am already looking forward to
FIRST PARTICIPANT: SQNLDR
Tania Jones, of AFHQ.
using the theory and concepts that I am
learning in areas such as change management and strategic management to
develop and recommend strategies to
enhance organisational performance, in
line with the strategic intent of Air Force.”
For information on the initiative, contact
SQNLDR Mike Edwards on (02) 6265 2076 or
at micheal.edwards11@defence.gov.au
Personnel 19
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Sharing new
warfare
technology
Michael Brooke
EIGHT Air Force officers were given the opportunity to learn about one of the game-changing defence
technologies to be procured under Force 2030 when
they participated in a course recently.
The Air Force members were among 50 ADF
officers and NCOs who signed up for the Aegis
Combat System Overview course at HMAS Watson
in Sydney from March 19-23.
Named after the shield of Zeus from Greek
mythology, Aegis will be fitted to the Navy’s Hobartclass Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD), which comes
online in 2015.
Defence recently rolled out an overview course
to raise awareness of the new naval weapons system,
which uses powerful computers and radars to track
and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets.
Participant FLTLT Maurice Hall, of 3 Control
and Reporting Unit at RAAF Base Williamtown,
said the course provided an important insight into
the new capabilities to be delivered by the Aegisequipped AWD.
“It’s important Air Force understands the technologies being employed by the other services, so
we can begin to look at potential integration and
interoperability,” he said.
“It will be very challenging to integrate not only
Aegis but other new capabilities to meet our ambition with Force 2030.”
FLTLT Hall said the Air Force representatives
gained a greater understanding of the challenges
involved in managing the complexities of the Aegis
Combat System, especially in regard to the way the
ADF needs to train to operate together.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown said recently that
the Air Force’s full range of air denial capabilities
including the Super Hornet and the F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter would be networked with the AWDs and the
Landing Helicopter Docks.
“The Air Force has long supported Australia’s
maritime strategy through air power, in the form of
maritime strike, anti-submarine warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance,” AIRMSHL
Brown said.
SYSTEM LINK: Navy’s WO Justin Stone, of
the School of Maritime Warfare, shows FLTLT
Maurice Hall, of 3CRU, how to operate one of
the Aegis training consoles at HMAS Watson.
Photo: LS Brenton Freind
Departure Lounge
Who’s leaving after 20+ years’ service
Name
FLTLT Alan Thomson
SGT Jeffery Lloyd
AVM Mark Skidmore
AIRCDRE Ian Meyn
WOFF Peter Wallace
GPCAPT Nick Bricknell
WGCDR Stephen Edwards
WOFF James Grigg
SQNLDR Glen Schroeder
WOFF Andrew Alford
WOFF Clive Bunn
FLTLT Susan Withers
WOFF Edward Hassell
CPL Gregory Allen
WOFF Philip Gardham
WOFF David Sampson
FSGT Robert Avery
SGT Samantha Richards
SQNLDR Isabelle Main
SGT Tony Parsons
SQNLDR Paul Laing
CPL Douglas Pedler
FSGT Adam Robinson
WOFF Trevor Amos
SQNLDR Rodney Whannell
Must/Spec
LOG
AVTECH
PLT
ACO
FLTENG
ADMINO
ADMINO
CETECH
LOG
AEA
CETECH
NURSO
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MOVING FORWARD: Air Force women are being encouraged to attend the inaugural Women’s Development Forum, which will
address some of the opportunities and challenges faced by women in non-traditional roles, such as aircrew and technical trades.
Pictured is the first all-female C-17A crew flanked by their female passengers after a flight to mark the rare milestone in 2008.
Photo: CPL Melina Mancuso
Get in line for
women’s forum
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown is
encouraging Air Force personnel
from all levels of the organisation
to attend the inaugural Air Force
Women’s Development Forum.
The forum will be held at the
Pavilion Hotel in Canberra on
June 20 and 21.
With the theme of ‘Women in
Non-traditional Employment’, the
forum will address some of the
opportunities, challenges and barriers that face women who work
in those fields, such as aircrew
and technical trades where they
comprise a small component of
the workforce.
The aim of the forum is to provide a place where women can
meet, build networks, discuss
their career, hear from subject
matter experts and contribute to
the direction of future gender initiatives for Air Force.
CAF said the forum was an
important step towards helping
Air Force to better understand the
unique challenges and opportunities experienced by women working in non-traditional employment
fields.
“There has already been some
excellent work done by Air Force,
but there is much more that can
be done,” AIRMSHL Brown said.
Through the forum, Air Force
will be able to better understand
the opportunities to address the
challenges in attracting, recruiting
and retaining women in operational roles.
“I am committed to ensuring
that Air Force continues to develop innovative strategies to confirm our place as an employer of
choice for all Australians,” CAF
said.
“Not only because I believe
in a fair and equitable workplace,
but also because our future success as an Air Force depends on
it.
“Women comprise 50 per cent
of the population but only 18 per
cent of the Air Force’s workforce.
“They are a largely untapped
group of potential talent, especially in those fields considered
‘non-traditional’ for women. In
some fields, such as firefighters,
women comprise only 2 per cent
of personnel.”
AIRMSHL Brown said it
was important to look at ways to
“future proof” Air Force.
“As the Australian population ages, we are going to have
to work harder to retain the right
people with the right skills,
because the competition for talent
will be fierce,” he said.
“We need targeted programs to
attract, recruit and retain the very
best, regardless of their gender.
Our ability to deliver capability in
the future will depend on our ability to do this.”
For information on the Women’s
Development Forum, including the
full schedule and how to register,
visit www.airforce.gov.au/Aboutus/
WomensForum.aspx
Nominations open
for Telstra awards
THE 2012 Telstra Business Women’s Awards
are seeking nominations from women working in demanding leadership roles.
Air Force COs are being encouraged to
consider nominating their high performing
female leaders.
Although there are five categories of
awards, the most appropriate category for
Air Force nominations is the Community and
Government Award.
Finalists will be selected by a judging
panel, and announced at the awards dinners
held in each state and territory. The overall
winner will be announced in November.
Nominations can be entered online at
www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com/
nominate and there is no cost involved.
SQNLDR Llani Kennealy, of Air Force
Workforce Diversity, is keeping track of
all Air Force nominations and needs to be
advised once a member has been nominated. Email her at llani.kennealy2@defence.
gov.au
Andrea Evans, Director, is an Accredited
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Canberra’s most experienced, well
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20 History
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
FLTLT Cath Friend
THE courage, stamina and determination to beat the odds of four WWII airmen were remembered at two services
on March 24.
The services were united by one
theme and were attended by people
from the same organisations – but
were thousands of kilometres apart in
Australia and the Czech Republic.
On the night of March 24, 1944,
RAAF officers SQNLDR John
Williams and FLTLT Reginald
Kierath, of 450SQN, were two of the
76 prisoners who escaped from the
German Stalag Luft III POW camp in
what has become known as The Great
Escape.
They teamed up with RAF officers
FLTLT Leslie Bull and FLGOFF Jerzy
Mondschein (a Polish officer) and set
out on foot through thick snow for
Switzerland via Czechoslovakia.
Near the Czech border they were
arrested by a German mountain patrol
and taken to a nearby prison for interrogation.
After hearing of the escape, Adolf
Hitler ordered that 50 of the 73 escapees who had been captured were to be
executed “while trying to escape”.
The four officers were shot on
March 28 and cremated in the Czech
village of Most the next day.
On March 24 this year, family
members of the four men joined the
president of the 450SQN Association,
representatives of the ADF, Britain and
Poland, and members of the public for
the dedication of a marble memorial in
the Most cemetery.
At the same time, at RAAF Base
Williamtown, the association and
3SQN held a memorial service at the
450SQN memorial, which was attended by more members of SQNLDR
Williams’ and FLTLT Kierath’s families, members of the association and
representatives from 3SQN and Air
Combat Group.
CO 3SQN WGCDR Timothy Alsop
said that 3 and 450SQNs shared a long
and rich history built on the shared
experiences of achievement, service
and sacrifice.
“That connection is alive and well
today and 3SQN takes great pride in
its connection with 450SQN,” he said.
“The sacrifice made by the four
Remembering the
Great Escape
men plays a central role in the ethos
of the 3SQN of today. Their example
set a standard which we hope and can
only strive to achieve in our service –
both in the air and on the ground.”
ONE OF TWO CEREMONIES: 450SQN veteran Maurie Douglas, right, sits with Chief of Staff ACG GPCAPT
Michael Kitcher, centre left, and OC 81WG GPCAPT Joe Iervasi at a Great Escape memorial service at
RAAF Base Williamtown. Left inset, families and veterans of 450SQN remember those who lost their lives
during the war.
Photos: LAC Mark Friend
Australians’ story retold
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The two Australian airmen had key tasks in the building of the
tunnels, writes FLTLT Cath Friend.
7.50% Return
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FLTLT Cath Friend
nels, forging documents and changing uniforms into civilian clothing.
HE story of the Great Escape
FLTLT Kierath was tasked to
by 76 Allied prisoners of war build fake walls in order to hide the
from the German camp Stalag forged documents and other mateLuft III is well known.
rial while SQNLDR Williams was
What is less known is the vital
in charge of ‘scrounging’ the 4000
role two members of the RAAF
bed boards used to shore up the tunplayed in the execution of the
nels and a myriad of other materials;
escape.
all without the guards realising that
Australians SQNLDR John
anything was missing.
Williams and FLTLT Reginald
The escapees had a major setKierath, of 450SQN, were among
back when guards eventually disthe escapees on the ill-fated evening covered and destroyed Tom and all
of March 24, 1944.
tunnelling had to be suspended for a
SQNLDR Williams and FLTLT
time to avoid further detection.
Kierath were shot down on October
Due to building construction
31, 1942 and April 23, 1943, respec- above Dick, the decision was made
tively and became POWs at Stalag
to use that tunnel for storage only.
Luft III.
All work then focused on Harry,
The camp, 160km south-east of
which was to become a 10-metre
Berlin, was run by the German Air
deep, 111-metre long tunnel that
Force and housed captured allied
was intended to surface behind trees
airmen. Eventually it housed almost in a wood outside the camp.
11,000 inmates.
The escape went to plan, but
The site for the camp was select- when the outer end was opened
ed as the sandy subsoil would make it was discovered that the tunnel
tunnelling difficult.
ended about 10 feet short of the
That did not deter the prisoners
woods – on the path of the perimwho decided to get 200 men out. To eter guard.
do so they would dig three tunnels,
The escape continued and 76
Tom, Dick and Harry.
men got out before a shot was heard
The two Australians joined 600
at the tunnel exit about 4.45am.
men who spent a year digging tunHarry had been discovered.
T
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The Germans began a countrywide search, which included the
three services and the police.
Adolf Hitler instructed the
Gestapo heads in eight German cities that 50 of the escapees – more
than half of those captured – were
to be shot after their interrogation; a
violation of the Geneva Convention.
As the prisoners were recaptured, they were interrogated and
taken out two at a time, on the
pretext that they would be returned
to the camp. Instead, the Gestapo
escorts stopped in the country and
invited them to relieve themselves.
The prisoners were then shot at
close range from behind. The bodies were left for retrieval and their
death certificates read, “Shot whilst
trying to escape”.
Of the 76 who escaped, only
three made it home safely. The survivors remained in German custody
until the end of the war.
Apart from the two 450SQN
members, three other Australians
were executed after being recaptured. They were SQNLDR James
Catanach, DFC, of 455SQN; WOFF
Albert Hake, of 72SQN (RAF); and
FLTLT Thomas Leigh, of 76SQN
(RAF).
Rent Allowance Review
commencing soon
Defence Housing Australia
Your housing update
The Rent Allowance Review will begin on 19 April.
4HElNEPRINT
If you receive Rent Allowance (RA) you may be
included in this year’s Review.
The Review is a requirement of the
Department of Defence, as detailed in
PACMAN, volume 2, chapter 7, part 6,
paragraph 7.6.4, division 5, 7.6.35.
What is the RA Review?
The Review looks at your domestic circumstances
ANDCONlRMSANONGOINGENTITLEMENTTO2!
If you are selected for this year’s Review you will be
NOTIlEDBYEMAILORLETTER
If you don’t respond to the Review
by the due date your RA may be
suspended, as detailed in PACMAN,
volume 2, chapter 7, part 6,
paragraph 7.6.4, division 5, 7.6.36.
Here’s what to do – now it’s online and easier than
ever.
)FYOURECEIVEANOTIlCATIONYOUCANLOGONTO/NLINE
Services at www.dha.gov.au and complete the
Review online.
If you haven’t used this service before, contact
USONANDASKTOREGISTERFOROUR/NLINE
Services.
You can follow the prompts online if you’ve
forgotten your login details.
info@dha.gov.au
CONTACT
139 DHA (139 342)
www.dha.gov.au
>
Did you know you can
update your personal details
online via DHA’s Online
Services
(www.dha.gov.au)?
Call us to register.
22 Health
AIR F RCE April 12, 2012
Choosing the right shoes
Having done the hard yards, PTI CPL Aaron
Rawnsley is well placed to offer advice about
sports shoes. CPL Mark Doran reports.
C
BEST FOOT FORWARD: There are many types of shoes available but you should take the time to find
the one ones that suit you best for the job at foot.
Photo: LAC Bill Solomou
The natural choice for health cover
PL Aaron Rawnsley says a good
pair of shoes offers protection
from injury – and he should know.
The PTI from RMC-Duntroon
has completed a running biomechanics
course and is completing his diploma in
fitness.
For the past 18 months, he has
focused on the research and application
of the minimalist footwear transition and
put his knowledge to the test in May last
year by competing in the 100km North
Face 100 in the Blue Mountains.
He completed the run injury free –
coming 78th out of the 800 competitors
in 13hr 41min.
He says a good pair of shoes reduces
muscle or joint aches caused by poor
footwear.
Running shoes are more comfortable,
protective and durable than ever before
and CPL Rawnsley says there is a very
diverse range available – which can
make it difficult to choose the right pair.
“There are specialist shoes for just
about every different application you
can think of,” he says, “like high-top
shoes which provide ankle stability for
court sports such as basketball; crosstraining shoes for general fitness and
walking; lightweight running specific
shoes which suit different foot types;
and tennis shoes with flexible soles
suitable for the quick side-to-side movement and agility experienced when
playing court sports.”
To decide which types of shoes are
best for you, you need to work out how
you run.
There are three types of running
style: fore-foot strikers, mid-foot strikers and rear-foot strikers. Most runners
tend to rear-foot strike, landing on the
outside of the heel and rolling their foot
inwards. This is called pronation.
Some runners over pronate as their
feet roll too far inwards which can lead
to lower leg and knee injuries, while
some runners under pronate as their feet
roll inwards only slightly and do not
absorb the shock as well, which can also
lead to injury over time.
Sprinters tend to run on the balls of
their feet and endurance runners tend
to have a flat/mid foot shuffle. The current fashion is barefoot running, which
forces people to run on the balls or soles
of their feet.
To work out what your foot type is
you need to check your arch height and
one way is to use the “wet test”.
Wet the bottom of your foot and then
make a footprint on a flat, dry surface
such as a white piece of paper on a hard
floor.
If your wet footprint is very full and
wide you have a low arch and flat foot
and most likely over pronate (25 per
cent of runners).
If the print is of heel and toes mostly
you will have a
high arch and
probably under
pronate (25 per
cent of runners).
A print of
your full foot
with moderate
curve for arch
is normal arch
which means
CPL Aaron
you probably
Rawnsley
pronate to correct degree (50 per cent of runners).
You must then consider the shape of
the bottom of the shoe as this is related
to your foot type.
CPL Rawnsley says there are three
main shapes: straight shape for over
pronators, curved shape for under pronators and semi curved shape for normal
pronators.
“For flatter feet that over pronate, you
will need a shoe to control motion otherwise known as a motion-control shoe.
“With a straight shape, normally the
shoe gives maximum support to the foot.
“Look for a firm rather than soft
midsole with denser material along the
inner edge of the shoes and a firm heel
counter to reduce rear foot motion.
“If you have a high arch, your feet
are not as good at absorbing the shock
so you need to look for a cushioned
sole.”
For more information on footwear, 3 Bde PTI
WO2 Simon O’Regan has prepared a video
presentation which is at http://iarmymedialibrary/videos/73/footwear-advice
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AIR F RCE
Sp rt 23
April 12, 2012
Our bunch of five
RISING STAR: LACW
Grace MacPherson winning
the 20-24 female category
in the 70.3 half ironman
Championships in Phuket,
Thailand in December.
Race that
stops the
bridge
NINE RAAF triathletes will be
among the 1500 competitors in
the Sydney Olympic Triathlon on
April 14 and 15.
The triathlon follows the 2000
Olympic course. It will include
a 1.5km swim, 40km cycle
and 10km run and the Sydney
Harbour Bridge will be closed for
the duration of the race.
The RAAFies are part of
the Australian Defence Sports
Triathlon Association (ADSTA)
and will compete along with 28
Army triathletes, nine RAAF representatives, 10 Navy competitors and five Defence civilians.
ADSTA treasurer CAPT Peter
Howden said the course held its
own unique challenges.
“The most exciting part is we
get to swim with the sharks in
Sydney Harbour,” he said.
“So there will be some fast
swim times with that in mind.”
As part of the weekend
ADSTA will be holding its AGM at
Randwick Barracks.
For more information on the
sport of triathlon, contact adsta.
admin@defence.gov.au or go to
www.adsta.asn.au/main
FIVE Air Force players were named
in NSW state-of-origin squads after
the National Touch League (NTL) in
Port Macquarie, NSW, from March 8
to 11.
They are FLGOFF Danny
Bretherton (men’s 35s) SGT Michelle
Cronin (women’s 35s), SQNLDR Brad
Squires (men’s 40s), WOFF Mick
Lennon (men’s 40s) and SQNLDR
Shane Cooper (men’s 40s).
They were among 116 ADF personnel (including 45 RAAFies) who
contested the titles against players
and teams from throughout Australia.
There were 123 teams competing in
14 divisions.
The Australian Defence Touch
Association fielded six teams in
women’s open, men’s open, men’s
30s, men’s 40s, men’s 45s and senior
mixed divisions.
The best returns came in the men’s
30s, the men’s 40s and the senior mixed
teams, with all three finishing fifth.
FLTLT Derrick Cant was named
players’ player in the men’s 30s team
and FLTLT Jason Woodcoe won the
players’ player in the men’s 40s team.
The players in the women’s open
went into their games lacking experience, with only three players having
experienced touch footy at the elite
level before. They did not win a game
in a division of 15 teams but improved
every time they played.
LACW Aby Murray, who never
Footy nears its
first bounce
State of surprise after origin call-up
From Back Page
“By that time the
Murrumbidgee River had peaked
and the immediate threat of the
levee breaking had passed, and the
water began to subside,” FLGOFF
Bretherton said.
“On arrival at RAAF Base
Wagga there was a plan to send in
Air Force members from the RAAF
School of Technician Training
to assist with the clean-up so I
completed a risk assessment on the
task as a starting point; but it was
then decided that 5 Brigade would
come in and assist.
“I gave a safety brief about base
safety to the 5 Brigade members
once they arrived on base. As this
was the second year in a row Wagga
Wagga was affected by floods the
main priority to was gain an overview of the emergency response
stopped running and never gave up,
was named the players’ player.
The men’s 45s team finished sixth
of eight teams.
The men’s open team – with players from as far afield as Perth, Darwin,
Hobart, Brisbane, Adelaide, Townsville,
Sydney and Brisbane – finished 13th
TO THE
RESCUE:
FLGOFF Danny
Bretherton,
centre, at the
World Cup.
Photo: Glen Eaton ,
Aisle 5 Photography
process. With no specific tasks I
was there to offer any assistance
where I could.”
His attention turned back
to what was happening at Port
Macquarie and he was in daily
contact with his team’s coach,
SGT Brendan Sargent, to see how
his teammates were going. They
finished fifth.
Thirteen divisions will contest
the state-of-origin series against
Queensland at Port Macquarie
in September, at a date yet to be
announced.
nection but it couldn’t find anything,”
he assured us.
He added: “Our team did not win
a lot of games but we definitely held
our own and I could not have played
with a better bunch of guys. The players worked hard for each other.”
LACW Murray has been playing
touch football for a while – at university and for local teams – but Defence
has given her a taste of playing at the
NTL level.
“Defence will be sending a
Women’s 27 team next year which is
anticipated to be an extremely competitive side. I am hoping to make the
team but it will be tough,” she said
Most of the ADF players arrived
at Port Macquarie ahead of the actual
tournament and spent some days honing their skills in a training camp.
Three cooks – CPL Mick
Johnston, LAC James Johnson and
LAC Ben Roberts, all from Amberley
– provided an estimated 4000 meals
for them over 11 days.
Four Army players and one civilian were also selected in the NSW
state-of-origin squad, and three
Army players were selected in the
Queensland squad.
The state-of-origin will be held
in September and the squads will be
culled at lead-up training camps.
from 14 teams and CPL David Murray
won the players’ players trophy.
CPL Murray is based at RAAF
Base Amberley as is LACW Murray,
who won the women’s award – but
they are not related.
“We did have a discussion at some For more information on touch football,
stage to see if there was a distant con- email jeremy.armstrong@defence.gov.au
INSIDE: VC recipient Ben Roberts-Smith
SGT Mick Rush’s debut as coach of the
Air Force Hawks is nearly here.
This year’s Australian Services
A u s t r a l i a n Fo o t b a l l A s s o c i a t i o n
(ASAFA) National Championship
will be held against Navy and Army in
Melbourne from April 17 to 21.
The Air Force men’s and women’s
sides were more than competitive last
year, however just fell short.
Army and Navy’s men’s and women’s teams will kick off proceedings on
April 17, followed by Air Force versus
Navy on April 19 and Air Force tackling
Army on April 21.
A championship dinner and awards
ceremony will be held on April 21,
where the respective men’s and women’s
All-Stars teams will also be named.
For more information on the men’s team, contact SGT Rush at michael.rush1@defence.gov.
au or or on (07) 5361 4942 or 0430 961940.
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SP RT
Defence
triathletes
heading
for Sydney
again
Page
23
A
April 12, 2012
STATE OF
SURPRISE
Despite answering an 11th-hour call
to help with Wagga’s floods, FLGOFF
Danny Bretherton has been called up
to the NSW touch squad
John Martin
drove to Port Macquarie with fellow
RAAF Base Wagga players, husFLGOFF Danny Bretherton was
band and wife FSGT Ivan and CPL
pleasantly surprised when he opened Nicole Petrovic, with whom he had
an email that told him he had been
been training at lunchtimes since
selected in the NSW men’s 35s
January, in a bid to be in tip-top
squad for the touch state-of-origin
condition for what he thought was a
against Queensland in September.
realistic shot at winning the senior
He was selected despite missing mixed division against players from
the National Touch League in Port
throughout Australia.
Macquarie in March because he was
They arrived five days before the
called back to base to help cope with tournament – in time to participate
rising floodwaters in Wagga.
in a training camp. This was the first
FLGOFF Bretherton, who plays
time the team was able to train with
in the middles, has been playing
all members.
touch footy for about 20 years and
But on day four he got the call.
has twice represented Australia
“We had just had a training sesoverseas (World Cup in Edinburgh,
sion and were cooling down,” he
Scotland, last year and the World
said. “I checked my phone messages
Cup in Stellenbosch, South Africa,
and there was one asking me to conin 2007).
tact my CO regarding being recalled
But he has never played in a
back to Wagga.
state-of-origin. Although he’s been
“The rising floodwater was
picked in squads before, the venues
threatening to break the levee bank
and timing of training camps have
that was protecting the Wagga
never been convenient.
Wagga CBD. If it broke, it was
This time though he said he’s
very keen. The competition is sched- predicted that the CBD would be
uled to be played at Port Macquarie. flooded within 30 minutes.”
FLGOFF Bretherton flew out on
He’s checked his work diary and,
Port Macquarie early the next mornfingers crossed, nothing clashes.
He said he had been looking for- ing, and after five hours of flying
ward to competing in the National
and transiting in Sydney was back in
Touch League this year.
Wagga about 10.30am.
FLGOFF Bretherton, who is the
RAAFSafe safety adviser at 31SQN,
To Page 23
COMING
THROUGH:
FLGOFF Danny
Bretherton at
the World Cup
in Scotland last
year.
Photo: Glen Eaton,
Aisle 5 Photography
FLGOFF Bretherton is one of five RAAFies picked in touch
state-of-origin squads. For a report on that and on how the
ADF players went at the National Touch League, see Page 23
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