Amberley goes on show in style - Department of Defence

AIR 

FORCE 

Vol. 50, No. 19, October 16, 2008 The official newspaper of the Royal Australian Air Force 

LAIR IN THE 

<strong>Amberley</strong> <strong>goes</strong> 

AIR 

on show in style 

C-17 AMEs get the 

global green light 

Making Aero-medical Evacuation (AME) history for Air Force, 

a C-17 and medical crew has successfully conducted its first 

AME from the Middle East Area of Operations. Only one 

day after the C-17 achieved Initial Operating Capability, the 

aircraft brought home five wounded ADF members. Pictured 

above, medical officer FLTLT Alan Turner (right) helps transfer 

a wounded soldier to a waiting ambulance at RAAF Base 

Pearce after the long flight from the Middle East. Below, from 

left, LACW Ashley Coburn, LACW Lisamaree Wyer and FLTLT 

Carla Zampatti were part of the AME team that conducted the 

historic C-17 mission. See Page 3 for the full story. 

Photos: SGT Rob Mitchell (above) and CPL Melina Mancuso 

BRIGHT SPARKS: A C-130J 

from 37SQN lights up the 

sky over the Gold Coast as 

it jettisons flares to help 

promote the 2008 Defence 

Force Air Show at RAAF 

Base <strong>Amberley</strong>. See centre 

for full show coverage. 

Photo: CPL Melina Mancuso 

AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

LOADED 

BASE 

October 

4-5 

2008 Defence Force Air Show 

CROWDED HOUSE: Top, crowds swarm 

around the aircraft static displays on the 

flightline at RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> during 

the 2008 Defence Force Air Show. 

Photo: LAC Scott Woodward 

HAWK EYES: Above, 76SQN technician 

LAC Andrew Thomas shows Zachery Taft, 

12, the cockpit of a Hawk on display. 


THAT’S HOT STUFF: Left, a 6SQN F-111 

performs a popular ‘dump and burn’ 300 

feet over the crowd. 


IS IT A BIRD?: Left inset, all eyes are on 

the skies as an aerobatic display stops 

the crowd during the show. 

Photo: LACW Tricia Wiles 

Special four-page lift-out 

Defence Force Air Show lift-out inside

2 News AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

What an 

honour 

By Michael Brooke Base Commander/Commanding Officer 

LEADERSHIP, initiative, teamork 

and dedication to duty take many 

orms, and this was evident when five 

ir Force personnel received medls 

and decorations from Governor of 

NSW Professor Marie Bashir. 

The awards were announced on the 

ueen’s Birthday and were presentd 

at investiture ceremonies at NSW 

overnment House from September 18- 

20. 

GPCAPT Gavin Turnbull from 

RAAF Base Williamtown received a 

Commendation for Distinguished Service 

for distinguished performance of duties 

in warlike operations as the Chief of 

Staff at the headquarters of Joint Task 

Force 633 during Operations Catalyst 

and Slipper. 

“The job was personally challenging 

and in a turbulent period, and I am 

grateful that the effort I applied was 

recognised. 

“The award reminds me that recogni- 

of Combat Support Unit, RAAF Base 

Richmond. 

“While I was naturally deeply honoured 

to receive this award, I accepted 

it on behalf of the incredibly hardworking 

military and civilian RAAF Base 

Richmond team, all of whom work tirelessly 

in support of Air Lift operations 

within Australia and around the world,” 

WGCDR Timms said. 

WGCDR William Kourelakos was 

awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal 

(CSM) for meritorious achievement as 

Executive Officer of 36 and 37SQNs. 

“Receiving the CSM was an honour,” 

he said. “I’m grateful for the recognition 

of the long hours that went into the 

C-130H transfer to 37SQN.” 

FSGT Craig O’Malley from RAAF 

Base Williamtown received the CSC 

for outstanding achievement as a Senior 

NCO at No. 1 Combat Communications 

Squadron (1CCS). 

The award recognises FSGT 

O’Malley for his critical role in almost 

tion is a very important part of motivat- every major activity undertaken by 

ing and retaining our people,” he said. 1CCS since 2005, and his profound con- 

WGCDR Tracey Timms from tribution to the Air Force’s deployable 

RAAF Base Glenbrook received the communications capability. 

Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for “The award came as a complete sur- 

her outstanding achievement as the then prise to me,” FSGT O’Malley said. 

Air Mail 

Director 

Rod Horan: (02) 6265 4650 

rod.horan@defencenews.gov.au 

Editor 

Simone Liebelt: (02) 6265 2253 

simone.liebelt@defencenews.gov.au 

Deputy Editor/Sports Editor 

Barry Rollings: (02) 6265 7219 

barry.rollings@defencenews.gov.au 

Senior Reporter 

Andrew Stackpool: (02) 6266 7611 

andrew.stackpool@defencenews.gov.au 

Warrant Officer of the Air Force 

WOFF-AF Ray Woolnough, AM 

Symposiums, service and shows 

Greetings Airmen of the Air Force. 

What a wonderfully productive 

period since I last wrote my column. 

attended meetings in Wagga as part 

f the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) 

nitiative and a 60th anniversary commemoration 

service on Lord Howe 

Island, spoke at a WOFF promotion 

course dinner, then flew to RAAF Base 

<strong>Amberley</strong> to talk to the folk at Joint 

Logistics Unit (South Queensland) 

– JLU (SQ). I attended the SLT and 

ir Marshal Symposium, before being 

baked at the Defence Force Air Show at 

<strong>Amberley</strong>. Let us not forget the emails, 

phone calls and the odd paperwork that 

needed attention. As I said in the first 

entence – what a wonderfully producive 

period. 

My thanks to 92WG for their inviation 

to attend the 60th anniversary 

ommemoration service on Lord Howe 

sland. A joint service was held and this 

s where the islanders and Air Force 

members became one. Here is an extract 

from the program: “On the evening 

of 28 September 1948, a Catalina flying 

boat (Black Cat A24-381) operated 

by Number 11 Squadron of the 

Royal Australian Air Force was travelling 

from Rathmines to Lord Howe 

Island when it attempted to make an 

emergency landing at night in the Lord 

Howe Island lagoon, after detecting a 

serious fuel leak. The Catalina clipped 

the trees at the top of Malabar Hill, 

crashed and burst into flames near the 

Old Settlement on the northern end of 

the island. The crash resulted in the loss 

of seven of the nine crew members. The 

impact site is now marked by a memorial.” 

My visit to JLU (SQ) was my first, 

and on invitation from the CO, LTCOL 

Glenn Taylor. Air Force and Army 

members attended my Air Force presentation 

and by all accounts it was well 

received. SGT Gregory Dunn was my 

host, and what a fine host he was. 

To LTCOL Taylor – Sir, thank you 

for the invitation and the interest shown 

in my presentation of where the Air 

Force is now and where it is heading. 

To attend the Air Marshal 

Symposium and the Defence Force Air 

Show at <strong>Amberley</strong> were great highlights 

to end the week. To mix and interact 

with past chiefs and AVMs was a great 

experience, and to see their approval 

and confidence in the direction our Air 

Force is heading was ‘the icing on the 

cake’. 

Reporter/Photographer 

LAC Aaron Curran: (02) 6265 1355 

aaron.curran@defencenews.gov.au 

Website: http://www.defence.gov. 

au/news/raafnews 

Email: raafnews@defencenews.gov.au (Put 

[sec=unclassified] after title in subject line) 

Subscriptions 

Trish Dillon: (02) 6266 7607 

tdillon@defencenews.gov.au 

Fax: (02) 6265 6690 

FAMILY PRIDE: Above, WGCDR William Kourelakos with his wife Adrie, 

daughter Helena and son Yuri after receiving his CSC from Governor 

Professor Marie Bashir at an investiture ceremony at NSW Government 

House. Photo: WGCDR Kourelakos 

WELL DESERVED: Right, ACAUST AVM Mark Skidmore congratulates 

WGCDR Tracey Timms for her CSC at the ceremony. Photo: Michael Brooke 

“I was a bit shocked and very grateful 

that my superiors took the time to 

formally acknowledge my efforts, considering 

the terrific workloads they were 

under.” 

SGT Matthew Hanley from 

Brindabella Park was awarded the CSM 

for meritorious achievement as the 

Acting Senior NCO-in-Charge of No. 

2 Operational Conversion Unit Aircraft 

Life Support Section. 

The lead-up to the Defence Force 

Air Show had the Mayor of Ipswich, 

Councillor Paul Pisasale, inviting the 

SLT to a cocktail party to thank the 

Air Force as a whole, but more in particular, 

<strong>Amberley</strong>, for its contribution to 

Ipswich. 

To Councillor Pisasale – thank you 

for your hospitality and kind words. 

I left the reception area with the feeling 

that the Ipswich community was an 

expansion of the Air Force family. 

The air show was a huge event, and 

I take my hat off to those responsible 

for pulling it off. 

I attended the first day, Saturday, and 

the number of spectators who attended 

was unbelievable. Although a hot day, 

everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves: 

mums, dads and children. Thank 

goodness for digital cameras. 

Talking to our members left me in 

no doubt that they too were enjoying 

themselves, and to all those working 

members – a big thank you. 

I would like to congratulate the 

Air Force personnel listed at right for 

recently being presented their welldeserved 

commendations. 

’Till next time, please keep on smiling. 

AIR 

Advertising manager 

Geoff Howard: (02) 6266 7605 

0405 310 074 

advertising@defencenews.gov.au 

SGT Hanley said the award recognised 

a period of considerable personal 

stress when he was called upon to help 

his unit through a number of staffing 

challenges and even a personal tragedy. 

“I’m honoured that my then chain 

of command thought well of my 

efforts but I’m also a little embarrassed 

that I was the focus for a lot of hard 

work by other people,” SGT Hanley 

said. 

Commendation winners 

ACAUST Commendation – Silver 

� SQNLDR Wayne Greham – for his 

outstanding performance as the 

Operational Test and Evaluation 

Flight Commander at 92WG. 

� FLTLT Belinda Lister – for her outstanding 

performance as the Staff 

Offi cer Reserve Training Wing at 

RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong>. 

� FLGOFF Eamon Hamilton – for 

his outstanding performance as 

the Public Affairs Offi cer at 

Headquarters Air Lift Group. 

� FSGT Marc Schneider – for his 

outstanding performance as a facili- 

FORCE 

Advertising Representative 

Tim Asher: (07) 3332 7651 

0414 552 667 

timothy.asher@defence.gov.au 

tator while posted to the School 

of Postgraduate Studies at RAAF 

Base Wagga. 

� FSGT Kevin Wright – for his 

outstanding performance as an 

aircraft technician at 10SQN. 

� CPL Anthony McGauley – for his 

outstanding performance as a 

Military Working Dog instructor 

while posted to the RAAF Security 

Fire School. 

ACAUST Commendation – Silver 

(Group) 

� FSGT Paul Argus and CPL 

Graeme Copeland – for their valiant 

performance during a serious 

accident involving an employee of 

Rosebank Engineering on March 

13, 2007 at 37SQN. 

ACAUST Commendation – Bronze 

� FLTLT David Titheridge – for his 

outstanding performance as captain 

of Crew 5 at 10SQN. 

� WOFF Anthony Stys – for his outstanding 

performance as the Base 

Safety Adviser at Combat Support 

Unit, RAAF Base Edinburgh. 

� SGT David Salerman – for his 

outstanding performance as the 

Ground Training Offi cer at the 

School of Air Warfare, RAAF Base 

East Sale. 

� CPL Quoc Truong – for his 

oustanding professional competence, 

dedication and team 

contribution to No. 1 Combat 

Communication Squadron. 

� LACW Carly Ball – for her outstanding 

performance as the 

deployment clerk at 37SQN. 

Postal address: 

R8–LG–048, Russell Offices 

Canberra, ACT 2600 

Disclaimer 

AIR FORCE News is published fortnightly by 

the Directorate of Defence Newspapers. Printed 

by Capital Fine Print. The publisher reserves 

the right to refuse advertising if it is deemed 

inappropriate and to change the size of the ad, 

print type or other specifications if material is 

not compatible with our system. The fact an ad 

is accepted for publication does not mean that 

the product or service has the endorsement of 

Defence or AIR FORCE News.


News 

AME role confirmed 

C-17’s historic flight evacuates five 

wounded members in first of type 

By Barry Rollings 

WITH the ink barely dry on the 

imely certification of its Initial Operting 

Capability, an Air Force C-17 and 

medical crew came through with flying 

olours on September 5 in their first 

ero -medical Evacuation (AME) from 

he Middle East Area of Operations. 

Approval for Initial Operating 

Capability was achieved the day before. 

The 18-strong team led by WGCDR 

Sandra Riley played a crucial role in 

bringing home five wounded ADF members. 

“The AME team came from many 

parts of Australia – Adelaide, <strong>Amberley</strong>, 

Newcastle, Richmond, Melbourne and 

Toowoomba – and included an anaesthetist 

who was due to leave Tarin Kowt after 

completing a tour there with the Medical 

Task Force,” WGCDR Riley said. 

The longest time a patient was in the 

AME team’s care was 24 hours but that 

meant several AME teams were needed 

n board to provide around-the-clock 

are for the patients. The team also needd 

to ensure that it was self-sufficient for 

he duration of the flight. It comprised a 

mix of permanent and reservist specialist 

nd general duties doctors, and nurses, 

nd medical assistants. 

“The team was well prepared and this 

ME validated our policies, procedures 

nd training. We learn from our experinces 

and strive for continuous improvement, 

so we will continue to fine tunehings 

as we go,” WGCDR Riley said. 

“It’s a fabulous capability and I felt 

honoured to lead such a professional 

team on this important moment in AME 

history. The patients all commented on 

how appreciative they were of the excellent 

attention they had received.” 

“It’s a very functional and comfortable 

aircraft to conduct AME duties on,” 

SQNLDR Nadia Wilson said. 

“I was thrilled to see the beaming 

AME team on their arrival back at 

<strong>Amberley</strong>. They were full of praise for 

the aircraft, crew and AME capability,” 

OC Health Support Wing GPCAPT 

Karen Leshinskas said. “It was rewarding 

to see the hard efforts of the past few 

years put into action.” 

The ability of the C-17 to achieve 

this mission brought to fruition after 

about 12 months of dedicated effort and 

teamwork from the Defence Materiel 

Organisation’s (DMO’s) Heavy Air 

Lift Project Office and Health Systems 

Project Office, Health Services Wing and 

Air Lift Group in identifying, procuring 

and accrediting the equipment, support, 

training and operational procedures 

needed for the aircraft’s AME capability. 

The C-17 was designed with the 

AME role in mind, including purposebuilt 

litter stations, therapeutic oxygen 

and utility power. It can carry up to five 

high-dependency, critical-care patients 

supported by specialist bio-medical 

equipment, plus an additional 18 stretcher-borne 

low to medium dependency 

patients. It can be configured also to 

carry up to 36 stretcher-borne patients. 

Over the coming months, DMO will 

complete delivery of the full suite of 

AME equipment, which will be sufficient 

for the simultaneous deployment of 

up to three C-17 aircraft in an AME role. 

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3 

TENDER CARE: Above, CPL Ayse Anderson comforts a 

wounded soldier as the C-17 nears Australian territory. 

SAFE AT LAST: Left, an ADF patient is deplaned to a waiting 

ambulance from the C-17 at the end of the long flight. 

TEAMWORK: Below left, GPCAPT Jennifer Lumsden (right), 

SQNLDR Wallace Grimmett (centre), FSGT Francis Alcantara 

(left) and other AME members monitor and discuss the medical 

care of wounded ADF members during the flight. The aircraft 

only achieved approval for Intial Operating Capability the day 

before the flight was undertaken. Photos: SGT Rob Mitchell

4 International AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

Deployed 

pen pals 

Kids send heartfelt letters to troops 

By WGCDR Mark Larter 

ADF members serving in the 

iddle East now have new pen pals 

hanks to some enthusiastic kids back 

home in Australia. 

The troops recently received some 

welcome mail from the school children 

of Baldivis Primary School in Western 

Australia. 

More than 60 nine-year-old children 

from the school, located south 

of Perth, decided to write to the sailors, 

soldiers and airmen serving in 

the Joint Task Force Headquarters in 

Baghdad after being encouraged to by 

their teacher, Mrs Naomi Bell. 

The mail, which contained handwritten 

letters, drawings and pictures, 

helped to brighten up the day of the 

men and women who spend up to eight 

months on deployed service. 

The letters contained lots of questions 

directed to ADF members about 

life in the military and life in the 

Middle East, with each letter being 

personally answered by a host of 

NSW MILITARY HEALTH 

SYMPOSIUM 2008 >> 

Sponsored by 

enthusiastic volunteers who were keen 

to accept a letter and pass on their 

respective experiences about what they 

do and what it is like serving overseas. 

FSGT Linda Brown from RAAF 

Base <strong>Amberley</strong> was pleased to be able 

to write to two little girls called Em 

and Claire and said it made her appreciate 

life in Australia after learning 

about the childrens’ lives and school 

activities. 

Navy’s CMDR Craig Opie has 

completed two months of his sixmonth 

deployment. “Being a father 

of two children aged six and nine, it 

was fantastic to receive personal letters 

from the school children and it really 

tugged at my heartstrings,” he said. 

“It was a wonderful and much 

appreciated effort by the Baldivis 

Primary School to send us these original 

and very personable letters.” 

Many of the headquarters staff also 

sent the children deployment memorabilia 

such as badges, patches and pins, 

as well as other little souvenirs. Some 

Call 1800 803 485 or visit www.defence.gov.au/reserves 

LESSONS LEARNT: 

� Recent deployments 

� Cutting edge medicine 

� Challenges we are facing now 

� Challenges we may need to prepare for 

WHEN Saturday 1 November 2008 

WHERE HMAS Waterhen, Waverton 

WHO Tri-Service Health Personnel of all ranks 

are welcome 

REGISTRATION Registration is FREE 

Registration closes 24 October 2008 

ENQUIRIES Mr David Talakovski 

& REGISTRATIONS Telephone: 02 9339 3269 

Email: david.talakovski@defence.gov.au 

Many interesting subjects will be discussed at the symposium. 

Updates will appear as available on www.raamc.com 

THANKS FOR WRITING: ADF personnel from Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 hold up letters from the 

children of Baldivis Primary School in WA. More than 60 children sent handwritten letters, drawings and pictures 

to Baghdad, with each child receiving a personal reply from one of the troops. Photo: WGCDR Mark Larter 

deployed members said they wanted 

to keep the letters they received as a 

poignant memento of their tour. 

Acting Commander of the Joint 

Task Force, BRIG Damian Roche, 

said: “The letters were really appreciated 

by everyone here. There was no 

Australia’s Reserve Forces 

need to call for volunteers to reply to 

the kids – everyone wanted the chance 

to say thanks for the thoughts. 

“I would particularly like to thank 

their school teacher, Mrs Bell, for taking 

the time and trouble to initiate this 

well-received gesture,” he said. 

Most of the letters and drawings 

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The RSL Legal Aid Scheme is an initiative of the RSL 

in cooperation with National Legal Aid (NLA). It is a 

scheme designed to facilitate the provision of free legal 

information and preliminary legal advice to Australian 

Defence Force personnel wherever they may be serving. 

Information about civilian law is available from a 

number of sources, including legal aid commissions and 

law societies in each state and territory of Australia. 

Sometimes an understanding of the law relating to your 

problem will enable you to decide how best to handle 

it. Sometimes you may also need legal advice. The 

RSL Legal Aid Scheme is designed to help you obtain 

information about the law and preliminary advice about 

your problem. 

For information about how to access the scheme, visit the 

RSL website at: 

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have now been permanently placed 

around the headquarters so serving 

members and visitors can read them 

and smile when they read the interesting 

and humorous content of innocent 

children, asking innocent questions 

about the lives and roles of our 

Servicemen and women. 

Search for Hudson airmen 

AN AIR Force recovery team 

recently arrived in Papua New 

Guinea to search for the remains of 

four RAAF airmen whose Hudson 

bomber was lost during WWII. 

The team of nine, including two 

Air Force Reserve forensic specialists, 

travelled to an isolated moun- 

tain ridge inland from Gasmata, 

New Britain, where the wreck of 

Hudson A16-126 was located in 

thick jungle earlier this year. 

The team were undertaking the 

mission with support and assistance 

from the PNG Government and 

local villagers, and were planning to 

be in the area for about two weeks.


Night Hawk wk 

heats up 

Top End 

By SQNLDR Kate Fox 

RAAF Base Tindal became the fictitious 

island of Vasaya when more than 

140 Air Force personnel from around 

Australia honed their skills by participating 

in the vast range of activities that 

ncompassed Exercise Night Hawk 

008 recently. 

The exercise aimed to establish an 

evacuee handling centre (EHC) and 

an expeditionary health facility level 2 

(EHF2) within an air point of disembarkation 

(APOD). 

Several hundred ‘evacuees’ were 

processed through the EHC during the 

xercise. 

OIC Exercise Control (EXCON) 

GCDR Neville Donnelly and his staff 

ested the participants’ ability to achieve 

he air load, planning, administration, 

perations, intelligence, logistics support, 

orce protection, airfield engineering, 

atering and communications capabiliies 

of an Expeditionary Combat Support 

quadron (ECSS). 

322ECSS was supported by Health 

ervices Wing’s (HSW’s) emergency 

health facility level 2, fire section, force 

protection headquarters, welfare element, 

field kitchen, airfield and ground engineering, 

logistics sustainment, air load 

eams, intelligence and communications. 

Personnel from HSW, No. 1 Airfield 

perations Support Squadron, No. 1 

ombat Communications Squadron, 

21ECSS, 322ECSS, 323ECSS, and 

ombat Support Units from RAAF Bases 

dinburgh, Richmond and Pearce took 

part in preparation for Northern ECSS 

(NECSS) ‘online’ period early in 2009. 

“I have full confidence that when the 

NECSS is online, we will be in a position 

where we can repeat our efforts in 

a foreign country, if we are called upon 

to do so,” CO 322ECSS WGCDR Rohan 

Gaskill said. 

“This has been a fantastic opportunity 

to develop as a cohesive unit. We 

achieved our mission and all participated 

admirably.” 

The exercise began with limited hostilities 

towards the participants, such as 

sporadic protests from locals against 

an Australian military presence in their 

country. It ended with the extraction of 

all participants because of increasing hostilities. 

“Exercise Night Hawk demonstrated 

the NECSS ability to deploy anywhere 

in the world, at short notice and support 

air operations in an austere, threatening 

environment,” OC 396ECSW GPCAPT 

Peter Viggers said. “The exercise was 

supported by Tindal and Darwin staff 

and families who provided realism to 

the evacuation task – drunken footballers 

and very young children challenged the 

NECSS team. 

“The exercise was a clear success. 

NECSS personnel exercised hard, significantly 

improved their ability to deploy, 

and supported an expeditionary hospital 

facility; all in a hot, dusty and dry environment. 

NECSS coped with all this, did 

it without significant injury and had a 

good time along the way,” he said. 

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DEF1240_NSC 

5 

ALL SECURE: Above, ACW Ammy Nemeth 

scans civilians as they pass through an 

airfield evacuation point during the exercise 

at RAAF Base Tindal. Personnel from RAAF 

Bases Edinburgh, Richmond and Pearce 

also deployed for Night Hawk and were aided 

by family members playing the role of civilian 

evacuees. 

TAKING CHARGE: Left, 322ECSS personnel 

are given orders by SQNLDR Sean Hollings 

as they regroup during the exercise. 

Photos: FLTLT Zac Sherwood


Hornet savings gs 

arrel along 


WITH the second F/A-18 centre 

barrel replacement safely back on the 

tarmac at RAAF Base Williamtown 

and another two more to be flown to 

Canada in coming months, years of 

fatigue testing and analysis are finally 

paying dividends for the Air Force 

and the Defence Materiel Organisation 

(DMO). 

This is all thanks to the Directorate 

General Technical Airworthiness 

(DGTA) and the Defence Science and 

Technology Organisation (DSTO) for 

their successful centre barrel testing 

program. 

DGTA, DSTO and DMO joined 

forces to save the Commonwealth up 

to $400 million through a structural life 

extension and effective reduction in the 

number of F/A-18 aircraft required to 

undergo the Centre Barrel Replacement 

(CBR) program. 

Originally up to 49 aircraft were to 

undergo CBR during phase three of the 

Hornet Upgrade program. As a result of 

the work of DGTA, DSTO and Defence 

contractors QinetiQ and Fortburn, this 

number may now be reduced to just 10. 

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“A centre barrel testing program, 

known as FINAL, was conceived by 

DGTA and DSTO to reduce airworthiness 

risks arising from extension 

of the Hornet structural life of 

type,” the Director General Technical 

Airworthiness at RAAF Base Williams, 

AIRCDRE David Tindal, said. The 

program aimed to remove individual 

modifications, reduce overall associated 

costs and increase aircraft availability. 

From the outset, Aircraft Structural 

Integrity DGTA (ASI-DGTA) staff took 

on the responsibilities of project manager 

and co-technical leads with DSTO 

and held these positions for the duration 

of the project. Over the course of this 

project, about 1.2 man years of effort, 

both engineering and management were 

undertaken by ASI-DGTA staff. 

Undertaking fatigue analysis, structural 

certification and overall project 

management, ASI-DGTA staff, in collaboration 

with DSTO and industry 

partners, extended the life of the centre 

barrel structure by 10 per cent, or two 

years. 

On delivery of this project, Defence 

Minister Joel Fitzgibbon MP said that 

“this is a good news story for the ADF 

and the taxpayer, delivering considerable 

savings and ensuring Australia’s 

frontline fighter capability is maintained”. 

A Ukranian Antonov transport aircraft 

delivered the second Hornet centre 

barrel replacement to Williamtown 

– where it will be re-assembled – on 

September 18. 

The Antonov was used for the task 

as it can carry a payload almost double 

that of a C-17, including two Hornets at 

once. Fitting a Hornet into a C-17 has 

not been proven yet and may require 

removal of the fins, a complex process 

not yet attempted on RAAF Hornets. 

An Antonov will return to Australia 

in November to pick up the next two 

Hornets due for centre barrel replacement 

in Canada. 

BACK HOME: Above, a 20CU Hornet is offloaded from an Antonov at 

RAAF Base Williamtown after being transported from Canada. 

Photo: AC Mark Friend 

ALL ABROAD: Above inset, the same Hornet awaiting centre barrel 

replacement in Canada. Photo: DMO 

Bersama Lima exercising skills 

POWER PLAY: Our F/A-18s and F-111s are currently 

participating in the major international Bersama Lima exercise 

in Malaysia, along with C-130s, C-17s and an AP-3C. 

Photo: CPL Andrew Eddie 

THE Air Force has a strong 

presence in the Five Power Defence 

Arrangement exercise Bersama 

Lima, now being staged in 

Malaysia and the South China 

Sea. 

The annual exercise, which 

ends on October 24, involves fighter, 

strike, transport and maritime 

patrol aircraft, as well as Australian 

warships and soldiers. 

Air Force C-130s and C-17s are 

providing strategic lift and logistics 

support to the deployed forces. 

Three F-111 aircraft from 

RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> and about 

80 personnel are based at the Royal 

Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base 

Butterworth, along with an AP-3C 

from 92WG. 

Up to six F/A-18s and 100 

personnel from RAAF Base 

Williamtown’s 77SQN are also 

participating and are based at 

Singapore’s Paya Lebar Air Base 

(PLAB). 

92WG Detachment Commander 

SQNLDR Lee Read said it was a 

fantastic opportunity for his team. 

“Exercises such as Bersama 

Lima provide essential training 

opportunities for AP-3C crews and 

other Air Force crews to enhance 

key skills in an international environment,” 

he said. 

“It allows the Air Force to test 

and practise deployment capabilities 

that enable us to operate away 

from our home base.” 

Air, ground and naval forces 

from Singapore, Malaysia, New 

Zealand and Britain are using the 

exercise to practise interoperability 

between the nations. 

Full coverage of the exercise will 

feature in an upcoming edition.


News 

‘Nichi Gou’ goodwill 

Japanese crews visit Edinburgh to say 

‘Konichiwa’ to 10SQN counterparts 

By FLTLT Jaimie Abbott 

IT’S BECOME tit-for-tat between 

he Australian and Japanese Orion 

rews, and this year it was the ‘away 

eam’s’ turn to visit Adelaide. 

The crew of two Japanese P-3C 

Orions were officially welcomed at 

RAAF Base Edinburgh recently, underlining 

an important maritime co-operation 

event between Australia and Japan. 

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense 

Force (JMSDF) aircraft were here 

to conduct a bilateral goodwill visit 

called ‘Nichi Gou Trident 08’ with the 

Australian AP-3C crews. ‘Nichi Gou’ is 

Japanese for Australia Japan. 

It was the second Japanese P-3C visit 

to Australia and builds on previous bilateral 

exchanges in Australia in May 2006 

and in Japan in October 2007. 

It was no small fanfare – 40 members 

of the JMSDF arrived in Adelaide for a 

jam-packed week of flying activities off 

he coast of South Australia. 

10SQN had the hosting honours, 

nd coordinating officer SQNLDR John 

rime said there were many benefits to 

he bilateral P-3C flying. 

“The week focused on improving 

nteroperability in the area of maritime 

urveillance and communications,” 

QNLDR Grime said. 

“It was an opportunity to deepen 

he links and working relationship with 

apan.” 

Commander Surveillance and 

Response Group AIRCDRE Warren 

Ludwig said Australia had a developing 

bilateral relationship with Japan, particularly 

for maritime cooperation. 

“We share an interest in working with 

Japan to maintain stability and security, 

particularly in the Asia Pacific region,” 

AIRCDRE Ludwig said. 

The ‘exchange’ continued on the 

ground, as the aircraft were compared 

side-by-side in a joint static display. 

Crews were given tours to learn the features 

of each other’s Orion aircraft. 

The Japanese aircraft then headed 

to New Zealand for the Proliferation 

Security Initiative (PSI) Exercise – 

MARU. 

On the way back to Japan, the crews 

stopped over at Darwin for a wreath laying 

ceremony at the Cenotaph, to pay 

tribute to those killed in the World War II 

bombings in 1942. 

G’DAY MATE: CO 10SQN WGCDR Kevin Murray welcomes VP-1 operations 

officer CMDR Kouichi Kitahara after he arrived at RAAF Base Edinburgh as 

part of the visiting Japanese contingent. Photo: LAC Glen McCarthy 

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THANKS FOR COMING: 10SQN’s Crew 2 wave ‘Sayonara’ to their P-3C counterparts from the Japan 

Maritime Self-Defense Force as the visitors depart RAAF Base Edinburgh after a goodwill visit. The bilateral 

activity called ‘Nichi Gou Trident 2008’ focused on strengthening working relationships between the two 

countries and involved a week of flying activities off the coast of SA. Photo: AC Brenton Kwaterski 

LOCAL HELP: Above inset, 1AOSS member CPL Keith Watson gives 10SQN a hand to unload the Japanese 

P-3Cs after they arrived on base. Photo: LAC Glen McCarthy

8 In Memoriam AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

High flyer is 

farewelled 

AIR Force’s FLTLT Randall Robert 

Green (ret’d), who played a pivotal 

role in the establishment of the 

Singaporean Air Force, died on September 

16, aged 81. 

In an eventful career, he served 

in the Korean War where he flew 

120 missions. He also attended the 

Empire Test Pilots’ Course at RAF 

Station, Farnborough, from February 

– December 1956, which was to lead 

to his association with the Singaporean 

Air Force. 

Born on April 17, 1927, FLTLT 

Green began his career with the Air 

Force on February 23, 1948 when he 

enlisted at RAAF Base Point Cook. 

He was posted to 1 Flying Training 

School for his initial flying training. 

After initially flying Mosquitoes, he 

graduated to Mustangs and then to 

Meteors. 

From there, he was posted in 

September, 1949 to 87SQN in 

Canberra for photographic survey flying 

duties. Further postings followed to 

Officers’ Training School at Rathmines 

and 23SQN at RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong>. 

In March 1952, he joined 78 Fighter 

Wing at RAAF Base Williamtown. 

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Posted to 2 (Fighter) Operational 

Conversion Unit in April, he arrived 

in Korea in June and flew with 77SQN 

until late December. 

In February 1953, FLTLT Green 

was posted to 23SQN at RAAF Base 

<strong>Amberley</strong>. 

The next month he joined Central 

Flying School at RAAF Base East Sale 

for instructional duties until January, 

1956 when he was posted to RAAF 

Overseas Headquarters in London and 

then to Farnborough. 

In February 1957, he joined the 

Aircraft Research and Development 

Unit and tested Sabre and Vampire 

fighter jets, Winjeel trainers and the 

British Avro 707A, an experimental 

delta-wing jet. 

Later, he flew Iroquois, Sioux and 

Scout helicopters, as well as all the 

initial flying as the chief test pilot for 

Victa Ltd. Aviation Division for the 

development and production of the 

Victa Airtourer, which was to become 

the CT-4A basic training aircraft. 

Between October 1958 and August 

1960, he posted to 1 Aircraft Depot, 

2 Stores Depot and 2 Aircraft Depot 

respectively for test-flying duties. 

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IN BRIEF: Former Air Force 

JAG, AIRCDRE Philip Opas. 

Photo: The Victorian Bar 

Cairns Monday 10 November, 6.00pm 

Melbourne Wednesday 12 November, 6.30pm 

Canberra Monday 17 November, 6.00pm 

Sydney Wednesday 19 November, 6.30pm 

Perth Monday 1 December, 6.00pm 

North Sydney Wednesday 3 December, 6.30pm 

FLTLT Green resigned on 

September 29, 1961 and became 

Hawker de Havilland’s (HdH’s) chief 

test pilot. He test-flew more than 100 

civil and military aircraft. 

After the RAF withdrew from 

Singapore in the late 1960s, HdH won 

the contract to establish the Singapore 

Air Defence Command (later the 

Republic of Singapore Air Force). 

FLTLT Green headed the 100-person 

task force from 1969-1972. His 

team was involved in determining the 

aircraft types to be used and setting up 

a workable structure. 

Later, he became HdH’s director of 

flight operations, general manager of 

HdH Pty Ltd Asia Region and finally 

chairman of HdH Asia Pty Ltd. 

A former managing director of the 

Singapore General Aviation Service 

Pty Ltd, he was the founding president 

of the Fighter Squadrons’ branch of the 

RAAF Association (1985) and president 

of the of the RAAF Association, 

Victoria Division (1992). 

He sat on the board of directors 

of the RAAF Association (1993- 

1994) and was a Fellow of the Royal 

Aeronautical Society. 

THE LATE AIRCDRE Philip 

Opas, whose distinguished Air 

Force career spanned 30 years, 

had his interest in aviation 

kindled during his childhood, 

watching planes land at Flemington 

Racecourse as they took 

part in the Macrobertson Trophy 

London to Melbourne air race. 

Born on February 24, 1917, 

he was educated at Melbourne 

Grammar School and the 

University of Melbourne. He 

died on August 25, aged 91. 

“ C a m p b e l l B l a c k a n d 

[C.W.A.] Scott [the winners] 

wrote their story of the 

flight out. I corresponded with 

each of the first 10 placegetters 

in that race and got letters 

back from all of them,” 

he said. 

“I also wrote to [aviation pio- 

He was instrumental in the founding 

of Hoxton Park flying school 

jointly with Illawarra flying school 

to undertake Australian Army flying 

training. 

Following his retirement, he was 

a volunteer at the RAAF Museum at 

Point Cook. 

Opas was law reformer 

neer] Bert Hinkler when he broke 

the record and I got a letter back 

from him. 

“I gave the book and the letters 

to the RAAF academy at 

Point Cook.” 

When war broke out, he 

enlisted in December 1939. 

“The only thing they’d take 

me in as was a clerk general,” 

he said. 

Anxious to enter the operational 

area as quickly as possible, 

he trained as a catering clerk. 

Promoted to CPL, he was posted 

to New Guinea and 11SQN. 

AIRCDRE Opas became 

a FLGOFF and was posted to 

Garbutt as adjutant. In 1942, 

he was appointed CO of 53 

Operational Base near Darwin. In 

1943, as a FLTLT, he posted to 

the First Tactical Fighter Group 

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DECORATED: FLTLT 

Randall Green (ret’d) 

in his 77SQN Meteor 

in Korea. Photo: RAAF 

Museum 

His Air Force honours and 

awards include: the Australian Active 

Service Medal 1945-75 with clasp 

‘Korea’; the Korea Medal; the United 

Nations Service Medal (Korea); the 

Australian Defence Medal; Mention in 

Despatches; and the United States of 

America Air Medal. 

at Morotai and took part in the 

invasions of Tarakan, Balikpapan 

and Lauban. His last job, in 

Singapore, involved the repatriation 

of POWs from Changi, 

Rangoon and Manila. 

He demobilised in January 

1946 and recommenced his 

legal career while he remained 

in the RAAF Reserve. In 1959, 

he returned to uniform as the 

RAAF’s Judge Advocate General 

(JAG). 

During his tenure as JAG, he 

pushed for reform and uniformity 

in the laws governing Australia’s 

armed forces. 

He also introduced the concept 

of a joint conference annually 

of military lawyers from 

Army, Navy and Air Force. After 

11 years as JAG, AIRCDRE Opas 

retired in 1969. 

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Bruce leaves 

lasting legacy 

By Greg Millen 

WOFF Robert “Bruce” Mills, who 

died on September 24 after a brief battle 

with cancer, made his mark in both 

the Air Force and ADF logistics. 

He was one of the ‘old school boys’ 

– unrelentingly professional and passionate 

in his approach to work. His 

funeral service with full military honours 

was held at St Peter’s Catholic Church in 

Hoppers Crossing on September 29. 

He joined the Air Force as a clerk 

supply on January 23, 1979, and served 

for 29 years and eight months. 

In the early days of the No. 126 

Clerk Supply Course at RAAF Base 

Wagga, Bruce did not immediately 

display a genuine enthusiasm for the 

Supply Branch (as it was then known), 

or possess the determination to eventually 

become a ‘guru’ of all matters logistics 

within Air Force. 

His long and varied career included 

postings to a large number of bases 

and locations throughout Australia and 

overseas. His favourite posting was to 

RMAF Butterworth in 1983 and again 

in 1989. 

Through the opportunity of various 

postings both within and outside 

Australia, Bruce gradually began to 

develop his skills and experience, and at 

the same time, started to demonstrate his 

genuine interest and desire to become 

authoritative in the area of supply gov- 

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He was known to ask 

the hard questions, and if he 

didn’t like the answers, he had 

the courage to elevate them 

’ 

ernance. Bruce completed nearly 90 

training courses, covering a wide variety 

of subjects during his career. His 

specialty areas were in repairable item 

management and requirements determination, 

two of the most demanding areas 

of Defence’s logistics systems. He was 

one of a select group within Defence 

whose knowledge of the supply chain 

could be considered outstanding. 

Many of us will recall those occasions 

when Bruce would be stirred to 

rise to the floor at logistics conferences, 

and give a spiel on a particular aspect 

that would be of interest to all. Bruce 

genuinely felt it was his responsibility 

to educate and pass on his expertise in 

as many forums as possible. If Bruce 

had a problem that he needed fixed, and 

you were involved, then you also had a 

problem. 

Passionate about doing things right, 

he would go out of his way to make sure 

other Air Force members knew why specific 

processes and procedures detailed 

within the Defence Supply Chain 

Manual had to be followed, even in a 

deployed environment. This was quite 

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evident during Bruce’s recent deployment 

to the Middle East as a member 

of the Corporate Governance Advisory 

Team. 

MAJ Mike Hill had this to say of that 

time as Bruce’s OIC: “He was one of the 

most knowledgeable and professional 

men it has been my privilege to serve 

with. He made my job a lot easier by 

providing the guidance and assistance 

that I needed and, sometimes, also when 

I thought I didn’t need it (but he would 

prove to me that I did). His concern for 

the members of the FLLA (Force Level 

Logistics Asset), irrespective of Service, 

showed a softer side to the outward 

brash front that Bruce liked to present.” 

Bruce had the courage to call a spade 

a spade. This was not always popular, 

but for the people who had to use new 

systems, he was just the sort of champion 

they needed looking after their interests. 

He was known to ask the hard questions 

and, if he didn’t like the answers, 

he had the courage to elevate them. 

Bruce was highly-trained and 

ensured high standards. He loved the 

Air Force and was passionate about his 

work, had the courage to make a stand 

when needed and served Australia well 

on operations he was involved with. 

WOFF Robert “Bruce” Mills will 

always be highly regarded by his Air 

Force colleagues and will be sadly 

missed. 

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LOGGIE GURU: WOFF Bruce Mills was a highly respected identity within 

the logistics branch who was a proud Air Force member committed to 

its values and people. He would have wished to be remembered for his 

wealth of experience and keen willingness to impart his knowledge for the 

betterment of logistics. Photo: LAC Al Bencke


My week in 

parliament 


AS AN EXTERNAL student in 

olitics and International Relations 

t the Curtin University of Technolgy, 

SGT Colin Hull had a more 

han special interest in taking part 

n the recent ADF Parliamentary 

xchange Program. 

SGT Hull was one of six Air 

Force participants in the scheme, 

which aims to raise awareness of 

the Australian parliamentary processes 

and environment. The others 

were SQNLDRs Jeff Howard, John 

Cotterell and Dave Jackson, FLTLT 

Toby Peach and FLGOFF Belinda 

Johnson. 

Because of his studies, SGT Hull 

found that his perception of politics 

and the processes did not change 

measurably but he did experience 

some eye-openers during his fiveday 

stay with Bob Baldwin MP, 

the Member for Paterson and the 

Opposition spokesman for Defence 

Science and Personnel. 

“My biggest eye-opener was the 

long hours with my host, generally 

12-15 hours a day,” SGT Hull said. 

“Also, the diversity of issues cov- 

ered by politicians, from legislation 

being introduced into Parliament 

right through to the concerns of constituents 

and interest groups.” 

Mr Baldwin’s electorate takes 

in Williamtown, Raymond Terrace, 

Medowie and the Nelson Bay/Port 

Stephens region “where a large 

number of RAAFies live”. 

“Mr Baldwin has a keen interest 

in Defence issues and the Air Force 

in particular,” SGT Hull said. 

He accompanied Mr Baldwin to 

several activities. 

“I sat in on lots of meetings and 

parliamentary committees, and met 

with interest groups and constituents, 

[as well as] with industry groups and 

foreign dignitaries,” he said. “Being 

in parliament for debates and divisions 

was a great experience.” 

His highlight was being in the 

Senate for the swearing-in of the new 

Governor-General, Quentin Bryce. 

“To be in the Chamber and see 

history in the making is something 

that I will be telling the grandkids 

about,” SGT Hull said. 

“I highly recommend the program. 

It was an incredible experience.” 

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SQNLDR Howard spent his 

week with Greg Combet MP, 

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence 

Procurement. 

“I attended various meetings and 

functions,” SQNLDR Howard said. 

“They covered Defence topics and 

electorate issues.” 

The most significant aspect of his 

experience was the ability of MPs 

and their staff to assimilate a vast 

array of information on complex topics 

in very short time-frames. 

“They needed to research an issue 

within a few hours, meet with stakeholders 

to discuss their concerns and 

then make a decision on it. 

“I also had the opportunity to 

meet the families of MPs. It was 

fascinating to hear the similarities 

between family life in the ADF and 

parliamentarians. 

“It was reassuring to know that 

parliamentarians are acutely aware 

of Serving members’ concerns about 

being away from their families as 

they have experienced it first-hand. 

“The ADFPP is a fantastic opportunity 

to work within an MP’s office 

and gain an appreciation for government 

process,” he said. 

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HOUSE GUESTS: Above, SGT Colin Hull learned much about parliamentary 

life from his host Bob Baldwin MP, while below, SQNLDR Jeff Howard found 

similarities between life in politics and the ADF during his time with Greg 

Combet MP. Photos: CPL Bernard Pearson


History dawns ns 

By LAC Aaron Curran 

THE Air Force’s written history 

has added a new chapter with the reent 

publication of a book describing 

62SQN’s World War II experiences. 

To See the Dawn Again, written 

by AIRCDRE Mark Lax (ret’d) and 

rofessor Leon Kane-Maguire, is about 

62SQN and its role within the RAF’s 

omber Command from September 

942 to the end of the war. 

A final chapter briefly covers recent 

evelopments. 

The squadron operated Halifax 

bombers in that period and while theoretically 

Australian, members came from 

cross the Commonwealth to make up 

ts complement. 

Flying with 205, 4 and 100 (Special 

perations) Groups, 462SQN gained an 

nviable reputation for competence and 

perseverance – the squadron’s wartime 

motto. 

Although notionally a bomber unit, 

462SQN spent 1945 in an electronic warfare 

role conducting spoof raids, radar 

and communications jamming and dropping 

chaff, known then as ‘window’. 

Reformed in 2001 as the Information 

Operations Squadron and renamed 

462SQN in 2005, the unit is based in 

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Canberra and operates in an information 

warfare role. 

ACAUST AVM Mark Skidmore 

launched the book in front of guests and 

squadron personnel. 

“I am sure readers will appreciate 

what 462SQN went through and why it 

is important to remember what they did,” 

AVM Skidmore said. 

“I look forward to reading a copy 

myself.” 

AIRCDRE Lax told the squadron’s 

members that it was their history that 

was before them in this book. 

“To know where you are going in 

the future you have to understand where 

you are at, and to do that you have got to 

know where you have been,” he said. 

“It is so important to remember 

our proud RAAF history. Much of that 

squadron history from the Second World 

War and before unfortunately has been 

lost.” 

Putting his ideas together with 

Professor Maguire, they decided to capture 

some of the stories of the squadron 

from veterans who are still alive. 

Three of them were present at the 

launch of To See the Dawn Again on 

September 5. 

“Everyone knows about Kokoda, 

Tobruk, Gallipoli and the Western Front 

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and other land battles,” AIRCDRE Lax 

said. 

“They can physically go and visit 

those places whereas the sky was these 

veterans’ battlefield, so there is no place 

to visit.” 

AIRCDRE Lax says he writes for a 

hobby and not for profit. 

“Some people go fly fishing or race 

sports cars, but for me in a way, this is 

my relaxation,” he said. 

Professor Maguire had a more personal 

interest in the book’s publication. 

He was one year old when his father was 

shot down and killed on operations over 

the English Channel in 1943 while flying 

with sister RAAF unit, 464SQN. 

With three books behind them, To 

See the Dawn Again came to the authors 

because 462SQN had been reformed and 

its previous CO had asked them to take a 

look at its history. 

AIRCDRE Lax mentioned that a lot 

had been written about Australians who 

fought with Bomber Command but not 

about specific RAAF units involved and 

their histories. 

“To See the Dawn Again is written for 

the veterans and their families,” he said. 

“For some families, it can be the first 

time that they find out what their grandfathers 

actually did in the war.” 

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DOING A lick or two on the skins in 

his garage recently, CPL Murray York’s 

thoughts drifted idly to having a bash at 

the Guinness Book of Records for marathon 

drumming. 

Slightly taken aback at the 54 hours 

and more needed to better that record, 

CPL York, from RAAF Base Richmond, 

turned his thoughts to drumming up 

support for the National Breast Cancer 

Foundation and Pink Ribbon Day by aiming 

at a less ambitious 24 hours. 

A great fan of Tray Cool from Green 

Day and Ginger Fish, CPL York practises 

every week and has been drumming for 

about 10 years. A member of the band 

Kill The DJ, his drum marathon will take 

place in Sydney’s Wynyard Park from 

7am on October 27 to 7am the following 

day. 

October 27 is Pink Ribbon Day, when 

volunteers raise funds by selling ribbons 

and other merchandise. CPL York will 

have his own team in action in Wynyard 

Park. 

“I will have a support team of my 

own from Richmond,” CPL York said. “I 

intend to have a break every hour. 

“So far, this is the biggest thing I have 

taken on with my charity work and I’ve 

been practising every weekend.” 

He has been helping the National 

Breast Cancer Foundation for the past 

three years and became involved after his 

wife Cathy had surgery to remove some 

lumps. 

“Thankfully, it wasn’t serious and it 

was caught in time,” CPL York said. “So 

News 

11 

WAR MEMORIES: From left, AIRCDRE Mark Lax (ret’d) with Keith 

Campbell and John McManus from 466SQN and Paul Wilson from 

462SQN at the book launch in Canberra. Photo: LAC Aaron Curran 

Drumming up aid 

to fight cancer 

RHYTHM: CPL Murray York prepares 

for his marathon. Photo: CPL York 

this is pretty close to me I guess and that’s 

why I am doing it. 

“My band and I held a ladies night 

function at the RAAF Base Wagga 

Airmen’s Club last year. I’ve also done 

work for the leukaemia ‘Shave for a Cure 

Day’. 

“The response from businesses and 

other people has been overwhelming. They 

have kindly donated the use of equipment 

and other materials. 

“I have to thank Billy Hyde Music at 

Surry Hills, Kennard’s Hire at Penrith, 

Woolworths at Glenmore Park, the 

Phonographic Performance Company 

of Australia, Australian Commercial 

Catering, and the National Breast Cancer 

Foundation for allowing my to be part of 

their Pink Ribbon Day.” 

To assist CPL York in his fundraising 

efforts, contact him on (02) 4587 

3446, 0430 309 744 or email: murray. 

york@defence.gov.au 

INTELLIGENCE ON BOARD 

www.thalesgroup.com.au 

Aerospace. Defence. Security.

12 Feature AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

Fun on two 

wheels 

AFDS get up to speed with bikes 


WORK just <strong>goes</strong> in cycles – or 

perhaps that should be on cycles – for 

members of the No. 2 Airfield Defence 

Squadron (2AFDS) counter-reconnaissance 

section and snipers at RAAF Base 

<strong>Amberley</strong>. 

2AFDS personnel use Suzuki DRZ 

400s, which have replaced the XR250s 

and are regarded as highly suitable to 2 

AFDS’s requirements, according to OPS 

SNCO SGT Andrew Perry. 

“The XR 250s were introduced into 

2AFDS in mid-2001 and were used by 

sniper and counter-reconnaissance teams 

as an insertion and quick reaction platform,” 

SGT Perry said. “The DRZ400 

replaced the XR250 in 2006. 

“The concept was developed over a 

number of years with most of the development 

done by Headquarters Airfield 

Defence Wing in 2000-2001.” 

The motorbikes are used in the counter-reconnaissance 

role, providing flexibility 

to the commander in covering more 

ground as searches are made for signs of 

the enemy’s location/insertion route. As 

well as a quick reaction platform to cut 

off a detected enemy’s escape route, they 

are also used as a method of inserting 

snipers into an area of operations. 

The motorbikes are used in conjunction 

with surveillance reconnaissance 

vehicles, which give riders support. The 

bikes have been deployed on a number of 

Join the Long Ride 

Motorcyclists are encouraged to 

take part in the Long Ride charity 

event to raise money for Prostate 

Cancer. 

Air Force participants are meeting 

in Canberra on October 18 to take 

part in the Sydney to Narrandera 

leg of the event. 

Visit: www.the longride.org for 

more information. 

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exercises throughout Australia but have 

not been deployed on operations. 

Air Force driving testing officers 

provide training and testing, which is 

designed to qualify all members in the 

counter-reconnaissance section, as well 

as snipers and some selected signals personnel. 

Riders undertake a three-week course 

to learn how to ride on and off-road with 

exposure to high traffic/highway conditions 

as well as rough off-road conditions, 

similar to what they might face under 

operational conditions. 

“The course is designed to ensure that 

our riders receive safe and appropriate 

training,” SGT Perry said. “The training 

takes place at <strong>Amberley</strong>, though it can be 

conducted almost anywhere.” 

SGT Perry said that although the 

motorbike had made it faster to arrive at 

a desired location, personnel still had to 

remain tactical and plan their approaches 

accordingly. 

“The last thing we want to do is ride 

straight into the enemy’s location. We 

stop short and move on foot to achieve 

surprise. The motorbikes have been used 

FREE-WHEELIN’: Above, ADG LAC 

Cassidy Te Maro rides through witches 

hats at the 2AFDS training area. 

IN HIDING: Below, LACs Jeremy 

Bainbridge (left) and Mark Mathers 

camouflage a motorbike. 

Photos: AC Dan Pinhorn 

on a number of exercises and have been 

quite useful. They have enabled the guys 

to get out and explore the ground outside 

the normal 2AFDS patrol screen.” 

The role of the motorbike in 2AFDS 

allows commanders to have flexibility 

in planning. It gives the airfield defence 

guard on the ground the ability to quickly 

and quietly move around his area of operations, 

thus dominating the terrain. 

www.darcyssolicitors.com.au 

NEW SOUTH WALES • QUEENSLAND • VICTORIA • SOUTH AUSTRALIA • WESTERN AUSTRALIA • AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY 

Take the safe road 

FSGT Brad Kirkels and safety instructors Lyndon Blake and 

Tye Thies at an off-road motorcycle safety awareness course 

in Darwin. Air Force motorbike riders are encouraged to 

attend a course. For more information, contact SGT Kirkels 

on (08) 8973 6668 or email: brad.kirkels@defence.gov.au 

(This image has been digitally altered). Photo: CPL Steve Duncan 

TS HAWKESBURY 

40th ANNIVERSARY REUNION 

Attention all ex-cadets, staff and supporters 

40th year reunion 

10th anniversary of new building 

Annual awards day 

13 December 2008 

13:00 at TS Hawkesbury, Point Clare 

18:30 at Gosford RSL Club 

(for bistro meal and refreshments at own cost) 

Please notify expressions of interest with fi nal RSVP 

by 01 December 2008 to: 

Gosford POC; Simon McEvoy, 02 4325 1056, 

Hawkesbury40threunion@hotmail.com 

Canberra POC; LTCOL Kerry Clifford, 0402 355 750, 

kerry.clifford@defence.gov.au 

BBQ running all day 

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How to get 

published 

AIR FORCE 

News encourages 

its readers to help 

ensure the paper 

remains up-to-date 

with news around 

Australia. 

News stories 

should be no more 

than 400 words 

and feature articles 

no more than 800 

words. 

Photos should be 

high resolution digital 

JPEGs (300DPI) 

and contain full 

details in the file 

information. 

Send your 

contributions to 

raafnews@defence 

news.gov.au


LOADED 

BASE October 

4-5 


CROWDED HOUSE: Top, crowds swarm 

around the aircraft static displays on the 

flightline at RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> during 

the 2008 Defence Force Air Show. 


HAWK EYES: Above, 76SQN technician 

LAC Andrew Thomas shows Zachery Taft, 

12, the cockpit of a Hawk on display. 


THAT’S HOT STUFF: Left, a 6SQN F-111 

performs a popular ‘dump and burn’ 300 

feet over the crowd. 


IS IT A BIRD?: Left inset, all eyes are on 

the skies as an aerobatic display stops 

the crowd during the show. 


Special four-page lift-out


THROUGH HOOPS: Above, 

MWD handler LAC Denham 

Milovankic and his dog ‘Lex’ 

put on a show of their own. 


ALL THAT JAZZ: Right, 2WG 

cadet FSGT (AAFC) Ashleigh 

Ward blows a tune on her 

trumpet during the show. 


SOUVENIRS: Left (from left) 

CPL Andrew Outhwaite, LAC 

Bryan Hudson and FLGOFF 

Erin Rinaldi sell 36SQN 

merchandise at their stall. 



AMAZING AMBERLEY 

ROGER THAT: Security Police member 

SGT Matt Lee watches over the show 

from the RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> control 

tower. Photo: CPL Melina Mancuso 

GROUP FUN: Left, 

(from left) 76SQN’s 

CPLs Philip Moore, 

Duane Harvey and Kris 

Georgiadis with SGT 

Chris Wild in front of a 

squadron Hawk at the 

show. 

Photo: AC Benjamin Evans 

YOWSERS: Right, 

Jayden Brady, 7, with 

LAC Leigh Forrest in 

his ‘yowie suit’ at the 

2AFDS display. 


It was tipped to be the most comprehensive 

Defence Force Air 

Show staged in a decade, and 

RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> didn’t 

disappoint, with more than 

90,000 visitors flooding through the 

gates on October 4-5. 

Right from the start the signs were 

that it was going to be big, with a 

record number of pre-show tickets 

sold. An hour before the gates opened 

on day one, hundreds of people began 

queuing to get into the base, with 

thousands more streaming in from all 

directions. 

By noon, the line-up at the ticket 

booth still stretched for 200m, while 

traffic banked all the way back to the 

Cunningham Highway, which had to 

be closed in one direction to facilitate 

flow. 

CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin 

said if those who attended didn’t know 

much about the Air Force before they 

came, they sure do now. 

“We had a great display right 

There’s no business like air show 

business, writes LAC Aaron Curran 

across the board,” he said. “This came 

not only from the flying side, but 

from the public talking to so many 

of our people, from the maintainers 

around the aircraft, to operators of 

the Bushmasters and the dog handlers. 

They’ve had a chance to look at 

the Air Force from the ground up.” 

On display was a large selection 

of assets, from the latest C-17 to the 

soon-to-be-retired F-111. Other aircraft 

and personnel from around 

Australia attended, with Hawks, 

Hornets, Orions and Hercules all having 

static and flying displays. 

Brisbane visitor Adrienne 

Montague saw the C-17 for the first 

time and waited in the 100m-long 

queue to walk through it and see the 

TRUCKIES: Left, LAC Marius 

Niculescu from 382ECSS shows 

Kyrra Wilks, 6, Georgia Kool, 

7, and Jaimee Rogers, 9, a fire 

truck. Photo: CPL Andrew Eddie 

FAMILY DAY: Below, SQNLDR 

Nicole Dos Santos enjoys the 

air show with her family. 


aero-medical evacuation set-up inside. 

“The C-17 was unbelievable,” she 

said. 

“You can’t comprehend the size 

and the capacity and that something 

like that could ever get into the air. 

Inside it was so neat and organised. It 

is fantastic how they can cope with so 

many things at once.” 

Other Air Force and ADF units 

were represented as well. From the 

Army’s ARH Tiger helicopter, Navy’s 

air assets, Air Force Cadets, Defence 

associations and other Defence-related 

exhibitions in halls. 

Defence Force Recruiting was also 

prominent and put in a big effort to 

show the public what the ADF had to 

offer. 

A display that proved very popular 

was <strong>Amberley</strong>-based No. 2 

Airfield Defence Squadron (2AFDS). 

The squadron had on show snipers, 

Bushmasters, weapons, bikes, 4WDs 

and equipment. 

LAC Cassidy Te Maro, a sniper 

from 2AFDS, was busy with people 

wanting to photograph him in his 

‘yowie’ suit with his rifle. 

“It was my first air show and I 

really enjoyed it,” LAC Te Maro said. 

“It was good fun and good to get 

the kids involved. A lot of people said 

they had never seen anything like it. 

“I guess they were all around me 

because they only saw the [yowie] 

‘get-up’ in the movies.” 

The US Air Force joined in with 

two F-15s and a C-130, and the 

Singaporean Air Force also contributed 

an F-16 and Super Puma helicopter 

to the line-up. 

USAF Staff Sergeant Ramone 

Hayes from 44SQN came along with 

the F-15s and was delighted with the 

crowd’s response to their attendance. 

“It was my first time in Australia 

and I loved it,” he said. “A great country 

and everybody was very friendly 

to us. Everyone knew that these [aircraft] 

were F-15s. I had never seen an 

F-111, and the ‘dump and burn’ was 

just awesome.” 

The air show team, led by Head of 

Special Events (HSE) AIRCDRE Phil 

Byrne, took on the responsibility of 

putting it all together. 

AIRCDRE Byrne said they run air 

shows for two reasons: firstly to showcase 

the ADF, and in particular the 

Air Force, to the community; and secondly 

to highlight the range of careers 

in the ADF. 

“On both counts we were very successful,” 

AIRCDRE Byrne said. 

“We put an enormous amount of 

work into planning this event over the 

past 12 months and also considerably 

more effort into public relations for 

the <strong>Amberley</strong> show, and the results 

speak for themselves.” 

AIRMSHL Binskin said he was 

“extremely proud” to see the Air 

Force team at work during the show. 

“It was a huge team effort and I 

want to say a personal thank you to 

Want to see 

more air show 

photos? 

Go to www.defence.gov.au and click on the ‘2008 

Defence Force Air Show’ link on the homepage. Or 

just check out the next edition of AIR FORCE News, 

which will feature a wrap-up of the show. 

LAND OF THE GIANTS: The 

RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> display 

area was flooded with people 

during the 2008 Defence Air 

Show, as this bird’s eye view 

shows. Photo: AC Dan Pinhorn 

everyone who was involved,” he said. 

“Pulling this one together was a great 

success and echoed publicly in the 

media with very positive reporting. I 

also received many compliments from 

the public and from our own people, 

so well done to all who contributed to 

the effort.” 

But it was the sheer volume of 

attendees that proved this was one of 

the best air shows yet. In the words of 

visitor Adrienne Montague: “I don’t 

know how anything can top this show; 

it was just superb.” 

NICE AND TIGHT: Four 

77SQN Hornets stick 

together for a high speed 

pass over the crowd. 


IN THE SWING: Australia’s 

Federation Guard’s Precision 

Drill Team thrill the crowds 

with their weapon handling 

skills. Photo: AC Dan Pinhorn 

October 4-5 

COMPARING NOTES: USAF 

pilot CAPT Kevin Heath (left) 

talks with 6SQN’s FLGOFF 

Jasper McCaldin about the 

F-15 aircraft. 

Photo: LAC Scott Woodward

2008 Defence Force Air Show AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

‘Sim’sational show 

Time flies when you’re having fun 

on the Super Hornet simulator 

By LAC Aaron Curran 

AN IMPORTANT part of Air 

Force’s future capability was on 

display at the Defence Air Show at 

RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> on October 

4-5. 

The simulator for the F/A-18E/F 

Super Hornet was brought out for 

Air Force personnel and the public 

by Boeing and put into their hangar 

in time for the show. A critical 

training tool for all aircrew and 

maintenance personnel, it was the 

focus of great interest during the 

two days of the show. 

CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin 

called in the day before the show to 

put it through its paces and came 

away impressed. 

“It was excellent and it all 

came back to me pretty quickly,” 

AIRMSHL Binskin said. 

“It <strong>goes</strong> to show how close 

the Super Hornet is to the classic 

Hornet with its human/machine 

interface. There are a couple of 

differences from a pilot’s point of 

view but it’s basically an upgraded 

Hornet on steroids.” 

Having the simulator at the air 

show gave Air Force the chance to 

show the Australian public what it 

would be getting. Loaded by Boeing 

with unclassified software, it enabled 

the public to get up close for 

a look. 

One of those lucky enough to get 

UP AND AWAY: A spectator 

looks above the C-17 to 

watch four F/A-18s from 

77SQN perform a low 

high speed pass over the 

crowd. 


some time in the seat was 18-yearold 

Jack McTaggart from St Lucia 

in Brisbane. 

“Yeah, it was excellent,” he said. 

“It felt like I was actually flying and 

the sensation was great. It was not 

what I expected because I didn’t 

realise that it is what they use to 

train pilots. I thought it would be 

something simple and that in turn 

made it a lot better than I anticipated.” 

The interest that the simulator 

generated was evident by the long 

queue of people willing to wait more 

than an hour for just a few minutes 

of ‘flying’ time in the pilot’s or navigator’s 

seat. 

Helping the public and Air Force 

personnel with the simulator was 

LT Scott Koch, a US instructor pilot 

on the Super Hornet. 

“I’m here [in Australia] to help 

the crew transition from the F-111 

to the Super Hornet,” he said. 

“I transitioned from the F-14 

Tomcat, so I know what it’s like for 

your aircrew. I’m here to offer the 

crew some advice and show them 

how the cockpit works and how it 

integrates.” 

Also on base for the show was 

Carolyn Nichols, Program Manager 

Australia for the F/A-18E/F Super 

Hornet Program. 

She mentioned that starting 

on November 9 this year will be 

IN CONTROL: CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin tests out the Boeing Super Hornet simulator, which he 

referred to as an “updated Hornet on steroids” at the Defence Force Air Show. Photo: AC Benjamin Evans 

maintenance training, with aircrew 

training slated for March 10, 2009. 

“In its present state, the simulator 

is unclassified, but as of October 

6-7 that all changed with the briefing 

of Australian aircrew on it by 

US pilots,” Ms Nichols said. 

AIRMSHL Binskin said the Air 

Force has had a very close relation- 

SKY SLIDE: Paul Bennett in his Pitts 

Special aircraft makes a stylish low 

level run to cut a piece of ribbon. 


SUPER SIX: The Roulettes fly 

within metres of each other 

during an aerobatic display. 

Photo: AC Dan Pinhorn 

ship over the years with the US on 

the Hornet, involving both the US 

Navy and Boeing. 

“They have always been very 

good to work with,” AIRMSHL 

Binskin said. 

“With the short time-line we 

have been working with to bring the 

Hornet online and on cost, I would 

like to acknowledge the Hornet 

team [who were at the show].” 

The last word on the F/A- 

18E/F simulator has to go to Jack 

McTaggart, who said with a wide 

grin: “I bought a brand new 

Playstation the other day, but after 

flying the simulator, well, it has just 

made it obsolete.” 

WELCOME ABOARD: 36SQN life 

support fitter LAC Andrew Mason 

hands out leaflets inside a C-17 on 

display at the air show. 

Photo: LAC Scott Woodward


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TECHNICAL EXPERTISE: Right, aircraft technician CPL 

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AIR FORCE DIPLOMACY: Below left, FSGT Nicky Broomhall 

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RAY’S A CHEER: Above, DP-AF GPCAPT Bob Rodgers thanks DP-AF finance clerk Ray Hemsworth for 

his hard work in uniform and as a civilian employee with the Personnel Branch over the past decade. Ray 

has now commenced a new line of duty with the Air Force Cadets. Photo: LAC Aaron Curran 

PLANTING OUR HERITAGE: Left, SGT Jack Kruljac from 11SQN with pine tree saplings which are 

descendants of the original Lone Pine of Gallipoli. He intends to plant the saplings at the Orion Task Group 

headquarters in the Middle East Area of Operations to continue the legacy of the Aussie digger. The pine 

trees will stand as a monument to the task group personnel who are following in the footsteps of their 

Gallipoli forebears. Photo: AC Glen McCarthy 

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ACTIVE SERVICE: Above, movements clerk 

LACW Michelle Erbacher from 1AOSS is presented 

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Mayor Les Tyrell in recognition of her selection as 

the most outstanding Active Reserve member at 

RAAF Base Townsville. She was nominated for her 

professional, reliable, timely advice and assistance 

to all members. Photo: Townsville Bulletin 

ALL SYSTEMS GO: Left, LAC David Sarre, a 

communications electronics technician with the 

44WG detachment at RAAF Base Edinburgh, runs 

tests on the equipment in the base transmitter 

building. Photo: LAC Leigh Cameron 

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Global turmoil 

affects MSBS 

MILITARYSUPER has not been 

immune from the volatility experienced 

in financial markets around 

the world. 

During financial year 07/08, most 

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negative returns for the year; with 

the average balanced fund returning 

-6.4 per cent and the average growth 

fund returning -8-9 per cent. 

MilitarySuper also declared negative 

returns for three of its five investment 

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xposure to growth assets) returning 

LONG TERM RETURNS 

Average Returns (Compounded Average Annual Returns)* 

Option 1 Year 3 years 5 years 10 Years Since Inception 

Cash 6.0% 5.6% (5.7%) 5.1% (5.1%) N/A 5.1% (5.1%) 

Conservative 2.7% 7.2% (7.1%) 7.5% (7.5%) N/A 7.5% (7.5%) 

Balanced -0.5% 9.0% (8.8%) 10.7% (10.6%) N/A 10.7% (10.6%) 

Growth -2.6% 9.8% (9.3%) 11.4% (11.1%) 7.1% (6.7%) 8.1% (7.7%) 

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(*Average returns represent a simple arithmetic average of a series of returns generated over a 

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR 

I READ with interest the 

article in AIR FORCE News 

on page 4 of September 18 (pictured 

right) regarding the support 

that RAAF Base Edinburgh 

ffered to the medical team 

retrieving a heart for a transplant 

in Sydney. 

It is great to see the base 

swing into action when the need 

arises. 

However, I believe that 

while 92WG are the “Quiet 

Achievers”, the efforts of the 

duty watchkeeper at the 92WG 

Tactical Support Centre, FSGT 

Col Muller, need to be acknowledged. 

FSGT Muller was the first 

-0.5 per cent and the growth option 

(which has an 88 per cent exposure to 

growth assets) returning -2.6 per cent. 

MSBS CEO John McCullagh 

said although members might “gain 

some comfort from knowing that 

MilitarySuper performed better than 

most of its peers, it was still disappointing 

that the fund produced negative 

returns in three of its investment 

options”. 

However, he noted the scheme had 

embarked on a major restructure of 

its investment strategy four years ago, 

which had softened the impact on the 

point of contact by the Angel 

Flight organisation, and contacted 

the duty member to arrange 

access to the airfield and then, 

on his own initiative, arranged 

refuelling, on-base accommodation 

for the crew, rations and a 

SECPOL escort for the taxi carrying 

the heart to the aircraft. 

While the ground handling 

of civilan aircraft is not within 

the normal duties of the 92WG 

watchkeeper, I believe that 

FSGT Muller’s actions reflect 

credit on himself as well as 

RAAF Base Edinburgh and the 

Air Force as a whole. 

SQNLDR George Zidlicky 

RAAF Base Edinburgh 

4 News AIR FORCE September 18, 2008 

Quick dash ash 

saves lifee 

Edinburgh helps deliver heart 

WHEN it comes to organ transplants, 

it’s the minutes that matter 

most, as RAAF Base Edinburgh personnel 

discovered recently in what 

could be a first for the ADF. 

CO Combat Support Unit, 

Edinburgh, WGCDR Rod Smallwood, 

sonal thanks to you and your team,” 

senior air traffic control officer 

the letter said. “Without the assistance 

of such people, 

SQNLDR Carlton Sargeant and OIC 

the mission of the hospital 

would not be possible.” 

Air Movements Section John Perry 

WGCDR Smallwood said that time 

recently “opened shop” early one 

had been of the essence because, in 

morning to assist in the emergency 

most cases, four hours was the timetransplant 

pick-up from an Adelaide 

frame for successful retrieval of an 

hospital for a swift delivery to a wait- 

organ and its transplant to the recipiing 

patient in Sydney. 

ent. 

The call for assistance came in It was another example of how the 

from the Sydney hospital at 11.30pm ADF helps the community. 

and an air movements crew met the “RAAF Base Edinburgh was proud 

private jet and its team of doctors at to be able to react quickly and facilitate SAMARITANS: From left, John Perry, WGCDR Rod Smallwood and duty officer Jason Cameron, who led 

4.45am. 

a successful mission for the transplant Edinburgh’s efforts to assist the delivery of an urgently-needed heart to Sydney. The base’s efforts played a 

While other personnel escorted the team,” he said. 

major role in ensuring a successful transplant operation. Photo: WGCDR Smallwood 

medical team to the hospital to retrieve “The prompt professional response 

the donated heart, Support Services to this unique emergency situation was 

staff provided food and rest facilities outstanding and reflected highly on the applauded the way organisations such very best reasons and often beyond the Force stands ready to assist promptly 

for the crew, and readied the aircraft Edinburgh units involved, and the Air as the Air Force, Angel Flight and the call of duty,” he said. 

and professionally. 

for a 7.50am return to Sydney. Using Force.” 

Royal Flying Doctor Service all pulled It is reported the transplant patient 

the private jet helped speed up the safe Transplant Australia’s South together in an emergency. 

is on the road to recovery. When it 

delivery of the heart. 

Australian spokesman Bernie Morellini “Everybody involved does it for the comes to the heart of the matter, the Air 

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Later, the acting executive director 

of the Sydney hospital wrote to 

WGCDR Smallwood, expressing its 

warmest thanks and sincere appreciation 

of the Air Force efforts. 

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Phone today 

1800 000 916 

Leave something so that they can rebuild their lives 

Without you, the next best thing you can leave your loved ones is security for the future. 

At Defence Health, we have a life insurance policy specifically for Defence Force members and families. 

It covers you even if you are deployed to warlike operations, and it’s available at premiums that civilians can only dream about. 

But don’t wait too long before you act. Waiting until you are told you are to be deployed is too late. You must take up the 

insurance before you know you are being deployed to ensure you are covered. 

For a quotation or to request a brochure and an application form, call Defence Health on 1800 335 425 

or visit www.defencehealth.com.au 

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This information is of a general nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider your personal 

circumstances and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement in deciding whether to acquire this product. You may wish to seek independent advice.This product is 

underwritten by Asteron Life Limited (ABN 64 001 698 228, AFSL 237903). The Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement may be obtained by 

calling the Defence Health Member Service Centre on 1800 335 425 or downloaded from www.defencehealth.com.au 

*conditions apply 

30WeeksRentBackPaidInAdvance 30 Weeks Rent Back Paid In Advance to to 

Service Service Personnel Personnel ONLY ONLY ** 

please call us for further information or check out our web site at 

www.wacalhousing.com.au 

fund’s investment performance in FY 

07/08. 

“That restructure involved a significant 

shift away from listed equity markets 

and replacing that exposure with 

alternative assets such as private equity 

and infrastructure,” he said. 

“This was supported by a strategic 

decision taken in September 2007 to 

increase the fund’s exposure to cash 

due to growing concerns about listed 

markets. These in combination allowed 

the fund to weather the storm better 

than most of its peers. 

“The decision to restructure meant 

that when listed markets perform 

extraordinarily well, as they did for 

the five years prior to June 2008, we 

wouldn’t necessarily benefit as much 

as other funds,” Mr McCullagh said. 

“But on the other side, when listed 

markets perform poorly, the alternative 

investments act to soften the blows for 

us.” 

The extreme volatility experienced 

in investment markets around the 

world has been fuelled by concerns 

about recession in the US, the subprime 

credit crisis, rising oil prices and 

inflation fears. 

“Investment and superannuation are 

Col’s a credit to new heart 

AIR Force medical personnel were 

at the forefront of the response to the 

Taliban attack in which nine ADF members 

were injured on September 2. 

Military 

Compensation 

All states, all services. 

Protect your position now! 

The choice of Service Personnel. 

Links with the ADF for more than 25 years. 

Freecall 1800 773 880 

Wyatt Attorneys 

For information on becoming an organ 

donor, contact the Australian Organ 

Donor Registry on 1800 777 203. 

Air Force aids diggers 

Twist from RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong>, 

FLTLT Kelli Mitchener, and CPL 

Sara O’Rourke from RAAF Base 

Williamtown. 

The Australian medical team at the The wounded were medivaced to the 

field hospital at Tarin Kowt is led by hospital. There, SQNLDR Cooper and a 

WGCDR Annette Holian. Her team Dutch officer evaluated their condition 

includes SQNLDR Sharon Cooper from and passed them through for appropriate 

RAAF Base Townsville, FLTLT Leigh levels of treatment. 

903/276 Pitt Street 

Sydney NSW 2000 

02 9262 7338 

info@wyatts.com.au 

very much about the long term,” Mr 

McCullagh said. 

“Markets run in cycles and it is not 

unusual for sustained periods of high 

investment returns to be followed by 

a downturn such as that we have experienced. 

He said on average this occured 

Personnel 

19 

FUTURE IN CHECK: Superannuation is about the long term, so it is not 

unusual for funds to be affected by downturns in the investment market. 

During the last financial year, MilitarySuper has declared negative returns 

for three of its investment options thanks to financial turmoil around the 

world. Photo: LAC Aaron Curran 

every six or seven years. “Our investment 

objective is to provide positive 

returns in pretty much all market 

conditions, but in the last six to 

nine months we’ve seen the worst 

economic conditions throughout the 

world that any of us can remember,” 

Mr McCullagh said.

20 Cadets Corner AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

BULLETIN BOARD 

Air Force Band 

October 24: Air Force Band chamber 

groups will give a lunchtime concert at 

St John’s, South Gate, from 12.30pm. 

October 24: Force 10 will provide 

musical support for the RAAF Base 

Williamtown spring ball at the 

Sergeants’ Mess. 

October 25: Force 10 will give a public 

performance at ‘Jazz in the Vines’ at 

Tyrrell’s Vineyard, Pokolbin, in the 

Hunter Valley. 

Looking for a lost friend 

Anyone who knows the whereabouts 

of WGCDR Peter J.C. Wagner (ret’d) 

is requested to contact Skel Wilkinson 

on (07) 5547 7805. Mr Wilkinson is a 

former friend and colleague of WGCDR 

Wagner, who was last known to have 

been posted to Hobart in 1982. 

3CSH transition ball 

No. 3 Combat Support Hospital will 

hold a ball to commemorate its upcoming 

transition to No. 3 Expeditionary 

Health Squadron. All current and previous 

members and their partners are 

RE SETTLEMENT TRAINING FOR THE ARMED FORCES 

Military 

Compensation 

All states, all services. 

Protect your position now! 

The choice of Service Personnel. 

Links with the ADF for more than 25 years. 

Freecall 1800 773 880 

Wyatt Attorneys 

invited to attend the ball at the RAAF 

Base Richmond Sergeants’ Mess on 

November 7. 

� For more information, contact WOFF 

Pete Matthey on (02) 458 71870 

or WOFF Kylie Willmot on (02) 458 

71828. 

Photographic reunion 

Planning is in progress for a reunion of 

all photographic-related musterings next 

year to celebrate more than 50 years of 

service in the Air Force. The reunion is 

planned for October 14 to 21, 2009, at 

Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. To 

assist in the planning, interest is being 

sought from photographers, air photo 

plotters, cartographic tracers, photo 

interpreters and geospatial imagery analysts, 

etc. Partners are also invited. 

� Contact Barry Ditchburn at email: 

phots@live.com.au or SQNLDR 

Bruce Graham at email: bruce. 

graham1@defence.gov.au 

Want to add a notice to our 

bulletin board? 

If you have an Air Force-related message 

or upcoming event to advertise, 

then email the full details to: 

raafnews@defencenews.gov.au 

Learn to operate a 

Dump Truck 

IMOT can train you on: 

Dump Trucks Excavators Front End 

Loaders Graders & Skid Steer Loaders 

Construction Safety Awareness (Blue Card) 

Qualifi ed Workplace Trainers & Assessors 

Registered Training Organisation 

Issuance of Nationally Recognised Certifi cation 

Tel: 1300 883 230 — Fax: (08) 9405 8175 

Email: Enquiries@ImmersiveOT.com 

www.ImmersiveOT.com 

903/276 Pitt Street 

Sydney NSW 2000 

02 9262 7338 

info@wyatts.com.au 

www.wyatts.com.au 

KNOWING THEIR DRILL: Above, Air Force Cadets from 335 (Williamtown) and 312 (Kempsey) Squadrons 

AAFC gather in front of the Temora Aviation Museum’s two Spitfires and the Roulettes while a museum 

Wirraway and two other warbirds fly in formation overhead on one of the museum’s flying weekends. 

During their visit, the 335SQN precision drill team, only formed in 2007, performed a special display for 

visitors to the museum. The routine was devised by the cadets and comprised more than 70 individual 

drill movements. Some drill movements were specially prepared for the weekend. 

Photo: LAC (AAFC) Anthony Palmer 

CHILVARY: Above, WGCDR (AAFC) David Robson 

inspects the colour guard at 402 (Melbourne) 

Squadron AAFC’s recent banner consecration 

parade. WGCDR Robson is escorted by host officer 

WOFF (AAFC) Shaun Young and parade commander 

A/CSGT (AAFC) Vyasa O’Neil. 

Right, WGCDR David Robson presents Banner 

Warrant Officer, A/CCPL (AAFC) Matthew Bennie, 

with the squadron’s banner watched by WOFF 

Young and A/CSGT O’Neil. Photos: WOFF Don Kenny 

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Forty years 

of the Pig 

By Andrew Stackpool 

IN THE history of aviation, cerain 

military aircraft have gained a 

public reputation that stands them 

bove their peers. 

Perhaps the lead types are the 

Spitfire and Lancaster; arguably 

others include the WWI Sopwith 

Camel and Fokker Triplane, the 

WWII Hurricane, Me-109, Mustang, 

Mitsubishi Zero and later the F-4 

Phantom and F-14 Tomcat. 

In Australia’s aviation history, the 

F-111 has also attained such status. 

It was not always so; possibly no 

aircraft’s acceptance into Australian 

service to date has been as controversial 

or subject to as much criticism 

in the open media. 

On September 4, 1968, Defence 

Minister Allen Fairhall led a highpowered 

Australian contingent to 

the General Dynamics construction 

facility at Fort Worth, Texas, for the 

handover of Australia’s first F-111C 

ircraft. 

In his acceptance speech, the 

minister said that Australia had 

atched the F-111 grow from mockup 

to production. 

“We have seen problems met 

and overcome until today when the 

defence of our country … will be 

vastly enhanced by the F-111C,” he 

said. 

Minister Fairhall was a trifle 

premature; more problems were 

encountered with the type, the worst 

being serious cracks in the wing 

arry-through box. 

On September 5, a RAAF airrew 

conducted its first test flight of 

n F-111C but it was grounded later 

hat day. The F-111 would not enter 

AAF service until the early 1970s. 

The F-111 was conceived in the 

POPULAR: An F-111 performs a 

‘dump and burn’ display. 

Photo: LAC David Gibbs 

early 1960s as a high-performance, 

long-range strike aircraft. Originally 

designated the Tactical Fighter 

Experimental (TFX), it incorporated 

the then highly technological 

advances of a variable-wing and terrain-following 

radar. 

In Australia, the question of a 

replacement for the Canberra bomber 

was being examined. In 1963, the 

government ordered 24 of the TFX, 

which was still in little more than 

the design phase. 

The first American F-111 (designated 

the Aadvark) flew for the 

first time on December 21, 1964. 

More than 560 followed, including 

the RAAF’s 24, with serial numbers 

A8-125 to A8-148. They were designated 

the F-111C and comprised 

a mix of the standard A model but 

with the longer wings and heavier 

undercarriage of the FB-111A. 

The future looked promising, 

STILL ROLLING: Eight 1SQN 

F-111s in the early camouflage 

paint scheme prepare to take off 

at RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> in 1997. 

Photo: Mal Lancaster LETTER TO THE EDITOR 

however, early in October 1964, 

the Australian government decided 

to delay delivery of the aircraft 

for modifications following the 

11th crash of the type in the US. 

This delay stretched for another 10 

years as problems continued with 

the wings. For a time it seemed the 

entire program would be scrapped. 

Meanwhile, increasing concern 

was raised about the Canberras as 

they were at the end of their useful 

lives. The USAF agreed to lease 24 

McDonnell F-4E Phantom fighters. 

They arrived in October 1970, and 

proved popular with RAAF personnel. 

In December 1971, the 

Australian Government decided the 

F-111 was acceptable and asked 

the Americans to prepare them for 

delivery to Australia. The 24 arrived 

in Australia by December 4, 1973. 

Four were later modified as the 

reconnaissance RF-111 and operated 

by 6SQN. 

A further four to replace lost aircraft 

were acquired in early 1982 

and in 1992, Air Force acquired 15 

F-111Gs to extend the type’s time 

of life in service. 

Despite its shaky beginnings the 

‘Pig’ has proved a sound investment 

with its long-range, ground-hugging 

abilities, weapons fit and avionics. 

It has also become a favourite 

with the Australian public with its 

famous ‘dump and burns’, and good 

looks. 

When it retires in 2010, it 

will have been in front-line service 

for almost 40 years. That is a 

rare record for a military aircraft, 

surpassed only by the Caribou in 

RAAF service, and is a tribute to the 

generations of airmen and women 

who have flown and maintained it. 

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I HAVE just seen your October 2 edition 

of AIR FORCE News and I enjoyed 

reading the centre page article on the 40th 

anniversary of the first acceptance flight of 

an F-111C by an RAAF crew. The article 

brings into focus the fact that this fabulous 

strike aircraft which has served our country 

so well was originally designed with 1960’s 

technology. 

I was interested to read your ‘Did you 

know?’ note about how the F-111 gained 

the nickname ‘Pig’. While the reasons you 

quote seem credible, I had always understood, 

from reading F-111 – Success in 

Action by Anthony Thornborough and Peter 

Davies, that the name originated during 

the early days of F-111 flight crew training 

at the USAF’s Nellis Air Force base in the 

late 1960s. At that time, uniquely, the F-111 

had not yet been given an official name by 

the USAF. Apparently, a USAF instructor 

pilot named Al Mateczun noted that the 

long slim nose of the F-111 reminded him 

History 

21 

F-111 an aardvark? 

of the aardvark; the name stuck, but the 

Afrikaans name of this animal translates as 

‘earth pig’. Ultimately, ‘earth pig’ seems 

to have been shortened to just ‘Pig’ in 

Australia, while, as a variation on a theme, 

the EF-111A electronic jammer version was 

variously called the Raven, Electric Fox and 

Spark Vark in USAF service. Interestingly, 

while some folk in Australia refer to its 

designation as the ‘F-triple-one’, in the US 

it seems to have universally been known as 

the ‘F-one-eleven’. 

Much as I admire the aircraft, I’ve never 

been a member of the F-111 community in 

the RAAF; I’m sure some better informed 

folk could shed more light on this aspect of 

the ‘Pig’. 

GPCAPT Dave Richardson 

Brindabella Park 

Do you know the answer? 

What is the true origin of the Aussie 

F-111’s nickname? Did it come from the 

aardvark ‘earth pig’ translation, the F- 

111’s ability to ‘hunt among the weeds’, 

or the “pigs might fly” saying. Email your 

thoughts to: raafnews@defencenews.gov.au

Don’t forget... 

another important date in your diary. 

Complete your AFR paperwork online today 

and save time – leaving you to enjoy the 

important things in life, like Suzie’s birthday! 

DHA’s online services are convenient and easy to use. On HomeFind, DHA’s online search facility, you can search for your next 

home as often as you like – the more often you log in, the greater the opportunity to find a home that suits your family’s needs. 

How to do it 

Don’t forget completing your AFR and inventory early also means a greater housing choice for all ADF members. 

Log on to DHA’s online services (www.dha.gov.au) 

and access the ‘online AFR’ (you will need your email 

address and employee number on hand). 

Now is also the time to complete your Toll Transitions 

inventory online at www.tolltransitions.com.au or 

return your inventory together with your AFR. 

Toll Transitions will plan your removal once they 

receive your inventory - the earlier you submit your 

inventory the more chance you have of moving on 

the dates you have requested. 

Searching for a home and fitting it into your busy schedule has never been simpler. 

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Need more information? 

Visit DHA’s website (www.dha.gov.au) 

or contact our Customer Service line on 

1800 249 711. 

Visit Toll Transition’s website 

(www.tolltransitions.com.au) or 

phone 1800 819 167. 

I&D 12838


GAMES 

RAW POWER: The apprentice has an arsenal of Force powers at his disposal. Pictured is the PS3 version. 

Turn to the Dark Side 

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 

Lucas Arts 

XBox 360/PS3/PS2/Wii M 

★★★★✩ 

By CPL Mike McSweeney 

GETTING an X-Wing fighter out of 

a swamp is one thing, but crashing an 

Imperial Star Destroyer by dragging it 

from orbit is something else altogether. 

This is the scale of Star Wars: The Force 

Unleashed. 

Set between Episodes III and IV, you 

play Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, 

scouring the galaxy for remnants of the 

Jedi Order but you must remain hidden 

from the Empire, so everyone is fair game. 

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Unleash devastating Force lightning 

strikes, throw your enemies around like 

rag dolls or try the classic “Force Choke”. 

The secret apprentice is handy with a light 

sabre and the more enemies you kill, the 

more “Force Points” you collect. 

The points can then be used to upgrade 

your powers. 

The control system takes a bit of getting 

used to – the targeting system is a bit 

hit and miss – but once you get used to 

the nuances of the game it becomes more 

enjoyable. 

When fighting difficult enemies, such 

as the Jedi, the only way to defeat them is 

with a finishing move. 

Rather than just mash the attack button 

or using a combo, the game <strong>goes</strong> into a 

semi-story mode and tells you which buttons 

to push and when. 

The visuals on the PS2 version go from 

average to pretty good. To really appreciate 

Force Unleashed, though, you would 

want to play it on PS3 or Xbox 360, where 

the highly-lauded euphoria engine, physics 

and visuals are at their best. 

Star Wars: The Force Unleased has a 

decent storyline, some excellent effects 

and will show players a side to Star Wars 

not previously seen. 

A few annoying quirks don’t detract 

from an excellent game. 

If you’re a Star Wars nut, you 

will already have this game but if you 

haven’t turned to the Dark Side yet, Force 

Unleashed is worth your time. 

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BOOKS 

Lifestyle 

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23 

Terrorists and 

wild animals 

Silent Predator 

Tony Park 

Macmillan. $33 

★★★★✩ 

By SGT Dave Morley 

WATCH out Wilbur Smith and 

Gerald Seymour – this is only Tony 

Park’s fifth novel and he is catching 

up fast. 

Park’s latest effort has everything 

you look for in a good book. 

There are London Special Branch 

police hunting terrorists, terrorists 

hunting terrorists, seedy Soho nightclubs, 

a dodgy cop going missing 

– and that’s before we even get to 

the wide open spaces of the African 

veldt. 

When the location moves to 

Africa there are more terrorists, 

luxurious safari lodges, wide open 

spaces, wild animals and wilder 

women. 

Detective Sergeant Tom Furey 

wakes up to a protection officer’s 

worst nightmare. His charge, British 

MP Robert Greeves, has been 

abducted. 

Risking her job to help Furey 

find Greeves, South African Police 

Inspector Sannie van Rensburg 

takes him into Mozambique in their 

quest. 

The author Tony Park divides his 

time between Sydney and southern 

Africa – nice work if you can get it 

– and his wealth of knowledge and 

experience of Africa’s turbulence 

shows in his writing. 

You can almost hear the thick 

Afrikaans accents in the dialogue 

with the author’s subtle addition of 

Afrikaans slang throughout. 

Tony Park is an Army Reserve 

major. He spent six months in 

Afghanistan as a public affairs 

officer in 2002. 

This is one of those books that 

you will find hard to put down. 

Book Giveaway 

We have five copies of Silent 

Predator to give away. To 

be in the running email: 

competitions@defencenews. 

gov.au with your name, rank and 

unit. Entries close October 27. 

Winners published November 13.

24 Lifestyle AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

FINANCE 

Trust is 

the key 

It’s important to ensure that your financial 

affairs are in order when you deploy, ASIC 

chairman Tony D’Aloisio writes. 

AS A member of the ADF, you 

will often be under a lot of pressure 

whether you’re deployed overseas, in 

training or working on base. 

Thinking about money isn’t always 

oremost in your mind. 

Unfortunately, spending a lot 

f time away from home means that 

unless you plan carefully, your financial 

situation back home can get shaky. 

This will be intensified if you have 

shared expenses to cover, such as family 

obligations that need to be met. 

So when duty calls and you need 

to be away from home, a bit of planning 

about using joint accounts, online 

banking and direct debits will go a long 

way to keep your financial affairs in 

order. 

If you do set up a joint account for 

savings, mortgage, credit cards, mobile 

phones or other expenses, you should 

have ‘financial safety’ in mind to protect 

both yourself and your family 

when setting it up and operating the 

joint account. 

LAC Smith’s bad news story 

Take the example of LAC Smith. 

He is young and when in Australia 

lives off-base, away from his family. 

When organising some of his personal 

affairs before deployment, LAC Smith 

decided it would be best to give his 

online banking details and password to 

his girlfriend of three months. 

LAC Smith asked his new partner 

to pay his rent and mobile phone bills 

in his absence. 

When he was checking his emails 

during time-off overseas, he also 

checked his savings account balance 

to make sure his deployment allowance 

was there. LAC Smith was shocked 

when the balance was close to zero. 

The rent and mobile phone bills weren’t 

usually that much. So, he immediately 

tried to contact his girlfriend to see 

Our new 

eLearning 

module can 

help you get 

Financial 

Advice. 

HAND OVER: Ensure you choose the right person to look after your 

financial affairs before you leave home. Photo: CPL Andrew Hetherington 

what was happening – but there was no 

answer to any of his emails and phone 

calls. 

On returning to Australia he discovered 

that his girlfriend had been skimming 

money from his account, including 

his deployment allowance, and not 

even paying all the bills. Needless to 

say, the relationship was over and he 

was left out of pocket and regretting his 

decision. 

After that, LAC Smith decided to 

set up direct debit payments for all his 

bills so he wouldn’t have to share his 

account details with anyone. 

CPL Jones’ good news story 

CPL Jones has a young family and 

shares the responsibility of managing 

the family’s finances with his wife. 

They set up a joint bank account so it 

would be easy for them to pay the bills 

when he was deployed. 

However, they both agreed that 

their pay would first go into individual 

Do you need 

a Financial 

Adviser? 

How does 

an Adviser 

get paid? 

accounts, with a set amount of money 

going into the joint account each pay 

cycle. This money would be used for 

general living expenses. 

When overseas on deployment, CPL 

Jones’ extra allowances sat in his individual 

account. Once back in Australia, 

he and his wife sat down and decided 

how to make use of the extra money. 

The key to opening a joint account is 

to trust the other person. Joint accounts 

can be very useful as long as you and 

the other account holder have clear 

ground rules and communicate often. 

Finally, like anything to do with your 

personal finances, investigate all the 

options, ask lots of questions and make 

sure you feel completely comfortable 

before agreeing to anything. 

For more information, visit ASIC’s consumer 

website, FIDO at: www.fido.gov.au or 

call 1300 300 630. Email ASIC with topics 

that interest you at: ADFcolumn@asic. 

gov.au 

www.adfconsumer.gov.au 

ADF Financial Services Consumer Council 

ADF Financial Services Consumer Council 

For more information contact us at: adf.consumercouncil@defence.gov.au 

FIVE TIPS FOR 

SAFELY USING 

JOINT ACCOUNTS 

1. Only open a joint account with 

someone you trust completely, 

such as your spouse or a parent. 

A joint account doesn’t 

just mean you are handing 

over your money – it may also 

mean that if the other person 

racks up a big debt, you could 

be left to fit the bill. If you can’t 

pay it off, you could also end 

up with a bad credit history, 

which will make it harder, and 

more expensive, for you to 

borrow money down the track. 

2. If it’s a joint account for everyday 

use, make sure that you 

and the other person share the 

same savings goals. Set up 

clear ‘rules of engagement’ as 

to what the account is for, and 

what you both agree to deposit 

and withdraw. 

3. Treat it as a warning if someone 

is bullying you into opening 

a joint account. It is a sad 

fact of life that personal problems 

(like gambling for example) 

can cause even close 

family and friends to steal 

money from their loved ones. 

4. Consider the option of setting 

up automatic transfers (i.e. 

direct debits) instead of opening 

a joint account. 

5. When you have a joint 

account, you need to communicate 

with each other about 

your spending. Otherwise, it 

can be hard to keep track of 

who is spending what. 

How do 

you fi nd an 

Adviser? 

What should 

you ask the 

Adviser?


DFA’s New 

Website 

www.dfa.org.au 

DFA’s website provides you with a family focused 

portal on ADF information. It also provides DFA 

with the opportunity to inform and update you 

on our advocacy role in family related policy 

and entitlements. 

For more information phone 1800 100 509 

FREE Shopping Bag 

DFA together with the ADF 

Financial Services Consumer 

Council are pleased to offer a 

free recyclable shopping bag to 

families who register on our new 

look website. 

This Free Bag will be 

forwarded to you once your 

membership has been 

processed (please allow 

up to four weeks). 

Lifestyle 

HEALTH 

Lower your back pain 

One of the most common and painful complaints 

is back pain. Matt Freke takes a look at common 

ense approaches to preventing and reducing injuries. 

LOWER back pain is a muscuoskeletal 

disorder causing pain in the 

umbar vertebrae. 

Most lower back pain is caused by a 

combination of overuse, muscle strain, 

and injury to the muscles, ligaments and 

discs that support the spine. 

Pain can occur when someone lifts 

something too heavy or overstretches. 

Pain is a potent motivator, but people 

who have never suffered lower back pain 

mostly assume they won’t ever have a 

umbar injury. 

Some quoted statistics suggest 80 per 

ent of the population will suffer from 

ower back pain at some stage in their 

ives. 

The one in five chance they will be 

pared is enough for most people to 

witch off during back care lectures or 

top reading these articles. 

You know what? They could be right. 

here are not many proven ways to avoid 

ower back pain except picking your parnts 

wisely. 

Genetics and everything you inherit 

– behavioural patterns, mental outlook 

nd physical characteristics – shape each 

ndividual’s likelihood of suffering and 

recovering from debilitating lower back 

pain. 

That said, for those who want to 

reduce the likelihood of lower back pain, 

here are my tips. 

Good posture 

Attempt “good” sitting and standing 

by maintaining your lumbar curve. It is 

a skill which can be acquired with practice. 

A worksite assessment can determine 

if your workplace allows you to 

adopt good posture. 

Stay fit 

Remain physically fit and active. 

Exercising regularly keeps the muscles 

of the back strong and flexible. 

Although exercise has not been 

shown to directly prevent lower back 

pain, regular physical activity has other 

proven health benefits, including prevention 

of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, 

Type 2 diabetes, obesity and 

osteoporosis. 

Lift carefully 

Plan your lifting activities. If you 

are unaccustomed to that style of physical 

loading, you may tire more quickly, 

becoming more vulnerable to injury. 

Practise techniques 

Take heed and practise the principles 

TIPS FOR LIVING LONGER 

� Obey the speed limit and wear 

a seatbelt 

� Drink alcohol in moderation 

� Eat fresh vegetables and fruit 

� Exercise for 2.5 hours per week 

� Have regular medical check-ups 

� Avoid fatty or sugary food 

� Laugh more 

� Don’t smoke 

� Don’t have unprotected sex 

� Clean your teeth regularly 

in the next lifting techniques lecture you 

receive. 

Maintain a healthy weight 

Maintain a proper body weight; being 

overweight puts a strain on some structures 

in the lumbar spine. 

Stay healthy 

Don’t smoke, and drink alcohol in 

moderation. 

Have you noticed that some of these 

lower back pain tips will also help you 

live longer? 

So you might as well include the others 

in your life as well. 

Who wants to grow old if they have a 

sore back all the time? 

Matt Freke is the manager of rehabilitation 

services at 2 Health Support 

Battalion. 

supporting 

defence 

families... 

25 

PAIN IN THE BACK: About 80 per cent of the population will suffer 

from lower back pain. Photo: CPL Corinne Boer

26 Sport AIR FORCE October 16, 2008 

Cycling trek in WA 

By John Martin 

NAVY’S CPO Trevor Syme has 

thrown down the gauntlet to Army 

and Air Force to “catch us if you 

can” in next year’s Gibb River 

Road Mountain Bike Challenge in 

Western Australia. 

This year’s challenge from 

May 12 to 16 began at Derby and 

ended at Kununurra, tracing the 

Kimberley’s iconic stock route, 

most of which is dusty, rutted and 

corrugated dirt road. 

Navy has entered teams of three 

in the event over the past two years, 

finishing third both times. 

Army entered last year but 

missed this year because of a conflicting 

schedule. 

But CPO Syme hopes Army 

will be back for the 2009 challenge 

from May 18 to 22, and he hopes 

Air Force can field entries to fire up 

some tri-Service rivalry. 

Be warned though, CPO Syme 

believes the Navy can field a team 

to win the event next time around. 

“We’re entering mountain bike 

events here in WA,” CPO Syme 

said. 

“We’ve got five of them between 

now and Christmas. 

“Every fortnight we’re going up 

to our mountain bike training area 

and practising. 

“We’ll be after five or six exceptionally 

good riders, with the view 

that we want to take the challenge 

out in 2009.” 

For further information, contact 

CPO Syme at the Navy Gym West 

Adventure Training Unit on (08) 9553 

2993 or email: trevor.syme@defence. 

gov.au 

BAJA-BOUND: FLTLT Warren Lovelace throws up the mud during his training near Seattle. Inset, a 

cleaner FLTLT Lovelace contemplates the challenges waiting for him on the Baja 1000. 

Photos: FLTLT Lovelace 

Baja battle 


FLTLT Warren Lovelace will be 

retracing the wheeltracks of movie 

stars and motor aces when he 

contests the legendary Baja 1000 

from November 20 to 23 in North 

America. 

Attached to the Airborne Early 

Warning and Control Unit in Seattle, 

he and his brother Adrian will follow 

the lead of film stars Steve 

McQueen and James Garner and 

noted motor racing driver Parnelli 

Jones in contesting the 1000-mile 

event down the Baja peninsula. 

The race includes racing professionals, 

celebrities and the average 

person with a thrill for adventure. 

FLTLT Lovelace joined the 

Air Force at the end of Year 11 as 

a motor transport fitter/GSE technician 

and remained in service 

until 1994. He rejoined in 1999 

and towards the end of 2005 was 

posted to the Wedgetail project in 

Washington State. 

On a return visit to Australia by 

his wife Lisa, Adrian suggested that 

they look at competing in the Baja 

event. Lisa raised the suggestion 

with FLTLT Lovelace on her return 

to the US. 

It is not one of the easiest of 

races but careful planning and budgeting 

are paying off as it draws nearer. 

The route is not released until 

close to the race for safety reasons 

and to help maintain a “level playing 

field” for competitors. 

In 2007, 16 countries participated, 

and Australians have also competed 

in previous years. 

There will be no mistaking the 

Aussie presence this year though, 

with our intrepid racers using an 

appropriately adorned trailer with a 

kangaroo and Australian themes. 

They will contest the iron 

rider sportsman category, FLTLT 

Lovelace on a Honda TRX 450R 

ATV (Quad Bike) and Adrian on a 

Honda XR 400R motorbike. 

Neither rider is a novice to the 

racing world and both have ridden 

bikes since their younger days, but 

this is their first major race. 

With Baja typically drawing 

about 450 participants and only 

half of them completing the race, 

the main focus is to finish the 1000 

miles within the 40-hour time limit. 

The course changes each year 

and this year it will be a loop race to 

begin and end in Ensenada in 

California. 

The track includes short sections 

of highway, rocky dirt trails and 

miles of soft sand “whoops” (continuous 

undulating sandhills). 

FLTLT Lovelace has been 

training regularly in the Olympic 

National Park west of Seattle. His 

riding experience is varied but has 

mainly comprised forest riding; the 

open Baja course will offer significant 

challenges with a different riding 

style and much larger distances. 

Adrian trains regularly and has 

an extensive background in motor 

racing. 

Under the team name “Aussie Iron 

Rider”, the Lovelace brothers have 

a website at: www.aussieironrider. 

com


N AIM: SGT Carl Trindorfer engages a target during the Air Force biathlon. 

e took the top men’s awards in the event. Photos: SQNLDR Tony Wood 

GAME PLAN 

Golf 

� The 2008 ADF Golf Association’s Charity 

Golf Day to aid Canberra Legacy will be 

incorporated into the ACT’s regional golf 

handicap championship on October 17. 

� A single stableford competition catering for 

various grades and women will be played 

at Gold Creek Country Club with a shotgun 

start from 12.30pm and a post-game 

barbecue. 

� All enquiries should be directed to SQNLDR 

Mark Wilkins on (02) 6266 4608, email: 

mark.wilkins2@defence.gov.au; SQNLDR 

Dave MacKay on (02) 6127 2581 or email: 

david.mackay@defence.gov.au or FLTLT 

Daryl Bell on 0422 390 353 or email: daryl. 

bell@defence.gov.au 

Softball 

� The 2008 Australian Defence Force 

Softball Association (ADSA) national 

championships will be held at RAAF Base 

Williams, Laverton, from November 3 to 7. 

� A Royal New Zealand Navy team will 

participate in the competition, with the ADF 

women’s teams competing for the WO1 

Dowsett Perpetual Trophy and the men the 

Pat Rawlings Perpetual Trophy. 

� Full details can be found at: http://intranet. 

defence.gov.au/dsg/sites/Softball/ 

ADF nearly nets 

the Anzac Cup 

From Page 28 

“It is fair to say that the Kiwis were rattled, which was 

evident in the changes made to their team. Our coach, 

WO1 Greg Pearson, provided exceptional guidance 

as always and despite his mantra ‘netball is a simple 

game’, we missed bringing the cup home by one collective 

point,” FLTLT Willmore said. 

WO1 Greg Pearson said the women went out 

strongly, playing a physical and frenetic game. 

“The NZDF team, made up of predominantly NZ 

Army players, again proved too strong, and the women 

failed to capitalise on crucial turnovers,” WO1 Pearson 

said. 

The ADF national carnival will be held in Wodonga 

from November 2-7. Selections for the ADF sides are 

made after the carnival. 

Interested players should contact their state representatives 

or visit: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/ 

Sites/ADFNA for more information. 


IT TAKES a master to master 

the Masters and that’s why Air 

Force’s CPL Dean Benedetti has 

called in reinforcements for his 

next cycling campaign. 

CPL Benedetti from 3SQN is 

looking to progress up the medals 

ladder at the Masters Track 

World Cycling Championships at 

Sydney’s Olympic venue, Dunk 

Gray Velodrome in Bass Hill, 

which began on October 14 and 

end on October 19. 

He is being coached by Air 

Force’s SGT Mick Rand, who 

recently retired as the president of 

the Australian Defence Cycling 

Club and celebrated the event by 

taking out the road championship 

this year. 

Encouraged by his recent third 

in the ADFCC criterium, a short 

Host City: 


CPL MARION Woger and SGT 

Carl Trindorfer were the standout 

performers at the Air Force Nordic 

skiing and biathlon championships 

recently at Mount Hotham in Victoria. 

The titles preceded the inter- 

Service championships and CPL 

Woger, from RAAF Base Williams, 

won both the Defcredit Classic and 

the biathlon sprint. 

SGT Trindorfer, from 278SQN at 

RAAF Base Williamtown, also took 

the double in the men’s events. 

The Bob Schouten Novice Award 

went to FLTLT Nick Holton and CPL 

Karryn Monaghan. 

The Barry Hopkins Coach’s 

Award was won by SQNLDR Tony 

Wood from RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong>. 

In Exercise Cool Shot 2008, the 

inter-Service competition which followed, 

Air Force was third. 

“However, the women came 

circuit road race, CPL Benedetti is 

contesting the 3km pursuit, 10km 

scratch race and 30km points race 

at the Masters. 

The titles cater for cyclists from 

around the world who are 30 or 

over. Last year 425 riders from 25 

countries competed. 

Time trials, pursuit, scratch 

races, team and match sprints, and 

points races are being contested. 

CPL Benedetti began road racing 

in 2003 and started track racing 

in 2007. 

In the Australian Masters track 

titles in Sydney this year and on 

debut, he snared a bronze in the 

3km pursuit and fourth in the match 

sprint, time trial and scratch races. 

The Masters will go part of 

the way to preparing him for next 

year’s big event, riding for the ADF 

team in road cycling at the Arafura 

Games in Darwin in May. 

www.AustralianMastersGames.com 

Over 30? Register Now! 

Registrations Close 5 December 2008 

Phone: 1300 725 266 

admin2009@CASevents.com 

Sport 

Host State: 

27 

Hot shots at 

Mt Hotham 

Dean to master 

the velodrome 

WHITE WASH: SGT Trindorfer 

lines up at the gates for his run 

in the inter-Service biathlon. 

second in most events and first in the 

relay sprint in Devonport village,” 

SQNLDR Satya Tanner said. 

“This year was a time for consolidation 

as many of our senior ski- 

ers were unable to attend. But the 

combination of strong novice/intermediate 

talent, great coaching and 

incredible snow made for a year of 

significant personal advancement as 

many of the team members cut down 

their race times. 

“The overall competition was 

fantastic. Some people said that it 

was the best snow since the early 

1990s, so we were able to ski new 

trails and ran the freestyle event as a 

point-to-point race between Whisky 

Flat and Dinner Plain. 

“The other exciting news is that 

the Military Patrol race is starting to 

take new form. This year we introduced 

activities such as a medevac 

with sleds and snow shoes, building 

snow shelters, off-trail reconnaissance 

activities with bouts of shooting 

in between each. 

“It was a great test of team work, 

navigation, skiing ability, shooting 

and fitness and thoroughly enjoyed 

by all,” she said. 

HOT WHEELS: CPL Dean Benedetti shows his trackwork form 

during recent training. Photo: Brendon Mulloy

SPORT 

October 16, 2008 

Inside: ■ Cycling ■ Biathlon 

TASMAN TIE TIE 

A draw with the Kiwis 

ends ADF’s chance of 

claiming Anzac Cup 

KIWI QUICK STEP: Above, NZDF goal attack LCPL Kaycee Tipene-Thomas (left) protects the ball against ADF defender 

FLTLT Georgia Willmore from RAAF Base <strong>Amberley</strong> during the Anzac Cup netball tournament in Wellington, New 

Zealand. Photo: AC Helen McDonald, NZDF 

COMBINED FORCES: Right, ADF goal keeper SQNLDR Peter Janssen (left) from RAAF Base Tindal waits for the pass 

from team-mate CPL Kristen Pickering (Army) during a mixed game. Photo: AC Grant Armishaw, NZDF 

IT WAS a case of aggregation 

aggravation as the ADF 

Netball Association (ADFNA) 

fell agonisingly short by one 

goal in its quest to bring the 

Anzac Cup back across the Tasman. 

The cup was decided by the 

aggregate scores of the games 

between the ADFNA women’s 

and mixed teams against their 

NZDF counterparts. Although 

the mixed team was far too good 

for the Kiwis in winning 41-26 

to establish a 15-goal advantage, 

that was wiped out when 

the NZDF women won 53-38 

against the ADFNA, giving both 

an aggregate of 79 goals. 

The balanced scores meant 

that the host nation retained the 

cup until the next encounter. 

The ADF women’s and 

mixed teams first competed in 

the New Zealand Combined 

Services annual competition 

held in Wellington. The mixed 

team remained undefeated after 

the round-robin competition, finishing 

first, and the women’s 

team placed second after 

being defeated only by NZ 

Army. 

The week ended with the 

Anzac Cup matches, with the 

ADF mixed line-up first to 

play against the newly-selected 

NZDF side. True to the style 

of the NZ service teams during 

the week, the NZDF mixed 

team came out playing strong and 

physical netball. It seemed determined 

to inflict the ADF mixed 

team’s first loss of the week but 

it was not to be and after a hardfought 

game, the ADF mixed 

team won handsomely. 

ADF mixed captain SQNLDR 

Peter Janssen said his team had 

the advantage over the Kiwis. 

“We had been playing together 

all week, while the NZDF was 

playing its first game as a team,” 

he said. 

“We had worked hard on our 

game plan and combinations in 

the earlier matches, so when it 

came down to the Anzac Cup 

game everyone knew what to do. 

“Congratulations to wing 

defence CPL Kristen Pickering 

(Army) who played an excellent 

game and was awarded the most 

valuable player.” 

The women’s captain FLTLT 

Georgia Willmore said that 

despite two losses and many 

bruises, the women’s team went 

in determined to win the cup 

back. 

“The first quarter of the 

women’s decider was goal for 

goal, with the ADF side’s fitness 

and attacking skills paying off,” 

FLTLT Willmore said. 

“Defensive pressure all down 

the court resulted in numerous 

unforced errors by the Kiwis but 

after missing a few opportunities, 

they forged ahead.” 

Continued Page 27

Amberley goes on show in style - Department of Defence

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