MERCY MISSION

AIR FVol. 52, No. 12, July 8, 2010 The official newspaper of the Royal Australian Air Force

RCERCE

Nurses partner with US to treat needy

NEW TIMOR ROLE P5 P7 P14-15HORNET HIGHWAYRHINO RAMP-UP

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Story

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: The language barrier does not stop nursing officer SQNLDR Toni Murry greeting a Vietnamese patient in the recovery ward on board United States Naval Ship Mercy during Pacific Partnership 2010. SQNLDR Murry and FLTLT Danny O’Neill were the RAAF element of the first ADF contingent to participate in the US-led humanitarian assistance mission in Vietnam and Cambodia. Below inset, FLTLT O’Neill with US Navy Hospital Corpsmen Daniel Deveau and Sandy Hernandez on board the hospital ship. See Page 3 for the full story. Photos: ABIS Andrew Dakin

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2 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FFNews

THE dangers faced daily by ADF per-sonnel in an operational environment were graphically reinforced on June 21 when three Australian soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an incident in Afghanistan.

PTEs Tim Aplin, Ben Chuck and Scott Palmer from the Sydney-based 2 Commando Regiment (2 Cdo Regt)died in a helicopter crash in Southern Afghanistan on June 21.

One aircrew of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopter was also killed. Seven Australian soldiers, three aircrew and an interpreter were wounded.

CDF ACM Angus Houston said the three soldiers killed were from the Special Operations Task Group and extended his sympathies to their fami-lies on behalf of the ADF.

“The families of these soldiers can be extremely proud of their loved ones,” ACM Houston said.

“The soldiers were very expe-rienced. Time after time they have taken the fight to the enemy with courage and determination. I have nothing but admiration for these very brave and committed Australians. They were some of our finest.”

He said the cause of the helicopter crash would be investigated; howev-er, it appeared not to be the result of enemy action.

All the wounded personnel were evacuated from the incident site and were initially treated at the Kandahar Role III Medical Facility where six of the seven Australians underwent sur-gery.

By June 23, all seven were trans-ported to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany for fur-ther treatment.

On June 24, PTEs Aplin, Chuck and Palmer were farewelled in a cere-mony as Australian, Afghan and ISAF personnel paid their final respects to them at Tarin Kowt.

Following a memorial service at

Sad homecomingSad homecoming

the base, their Australian Flag-draped caskets were carried on vehicles in a sad procession flanked by Australian and coalition soldiers to a waiting 37SQN C-130J and, following the tra-ditional ramp ceremony, flown to the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates where more Australian soldiers mounted a guard overnight.

Then on June 26, Australian ser-vicemen and women at the Australian Support Base held a memorial service for the three men before they began the final leg of their journey home to Australia.

A 36SQN C-17 departed Al Minhad and on the morning of June

26, touched down at RAAF Base Richmond. There, with another Ramp Ceremony, members of 2 Cdo Regt formed an honour guard and bearer party to receive and carry the three caskets from the aircraft to the men’s waiting families.

Defence Minister Senator John Faulkner, ACM Houston, CA LTGEN Ken Gillespie and Special Operations Commander Australia MAJGEN Tim McOwan attended the Ramp Ceremony.

PTE Chuck’s funeral was held on July 1; the others were scheduled for July 5 and 10 respectively (at the time of going to print).

LEAVING AFGHANISTAN: Above, the bearer parties of PTEs Ben Chuck, Tim Aplin and Scott Palmer advance towards the waiting C-130 at a Ramp Ceremony in Tarin Kowt, flanked by members of Special Operations Task Group and their coalition partners.

Photo: CPL Raymond VanceHOME SOIL: Left, CHAP John Sanderson leads the procession as the caskets are carried from the C-17 at RAAF Base Richmond.

Photo: CPL Melina Mancuso

WHILE PTEs Aplin, Chuck and Palmer returned home via RAAF Base Richmond on June 26, several hundred kilometres to the south-west in Goolwa, South Australia, the service and sacrifice of a mate was also being remem-bered.

Explosive detection dog Herbie paid the ulti-mate price along with his human partners SPRs Jacob Moerland and Darren Smith when an improvised explo-sive device exploded while they were investigating it in Afghanistan.

Herbie was cremated at

Tarin Kowt but his ashes were returned to SPR Smith’s wife on June 30.

More than 400 people and 300 dogs attended the ceremony at the War Dog Memorial at Goolwa to commemorate Herbie’s life and reflect upon all military dogs that have given their lives in service of the nation.

Included in their ranks were four military work-ing dogs (MWDs) and their handlers from RAAF Base Edinburgh, under the leadership of SGT Trevor Seebohm. They were SGT Seebohm with his dog

Major, CPL Karl Rosemeier with Brodie, LAC Adam Schaffer with Keysha and AC Ben Philips with Wedge.

The four formed a guard of honour.

He said that the service attendees paid their respects to all the dogs that have served the nation on active service and in particular those that gave their lives.

“LAC Schaffer and I had just returned from six months in East Timor and I said to the other handlers

that I hoped that if my dog and I lost our lives overseas in the course of our duty that some-

one would do this for us,” SGT Seebohm said.

“As far as I am con-cerned, if a MWD lost its life in the course of its duty and I don’t really care if it is in Army green, Air Force blue or Navy white; it’s still a MWD.”

The Goolwa War Dog Memorial was dedicated in 2003. Herbie’s name will be added to the memorial.

SECURITY within Australian mili-tary bases would be enhanced under a Bill introduced into Parliament on June 24.

Defence Minister John Faulkner introduced the Bill following a Defence review of its protective security arrangements, after the arrest of four people allegedly plan-ning an attack against Holsworthy Barracks in August 2009.

Senator Faulkner said the Bill would strengthen Defence’s ability to deter, detect and respond to inci-dents which threaten the security of Defence bases, facilities, assets and personnel within Australia.

“The Bill acknowledges the contemporary security environment in Australia, including the threat of terrorism,” Senator Faulkner said.

“It provides explicit authority

and legal protection for authorised Defence Force members to defend themselves, or others, from death or serious injury in the event of an attack on Defence premises.”

The Bill will provide search and seizure powers to reduce the risk of dangerous items entering Defence premises – or weapons and classi-fied information being unlawful-ly removed – and will strengthen Defence’s ability to detect and deal with trespassers.

The common law right of all individuals to defend themselves will continue to apply, as will the various Commonwealth, State and Territory legislative provisions that provide a defence of self-defence.

Defence will also implement a range of other security measures as a result of the review.

Security to be enhancedTRIBUTE: Explosive detection dog Herbie at Tarin Kowt only weeks before his death.

DirectorRod Horan: (02) 6265 4650EditorSimone Liebelt: (02) 6265 2253Mobile: 0400 003792

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Explosive detection dog honoured in SA

3 NewsJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

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LEUT Kara Wansbury

TWO RAAF nursing officers have re-turned to the familiar sounds of jet en-gines, having left behind the ever-present hum of a ship engine they have experi-enced for the past six weeks.

SQNLDR Toni Murry and FLTLT Danny O’Neill have returned from Pacific Partnership 2010 (PP10), onboard United States Naval Ship (USNS) Mercy where they have visited Vietnam and Cambodia.The nursing officers, as part of the first ADF contingent to participate in the US-led assistance mission, were assimi-lated into a 900-strong team providing humanitarian assistance in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Patients from both countries were brought on board the 69,000-tonne hos-pital ship.

FLTLT O’Neill assessed and admit-ted the patients in the casualty receiv-ing area while SQNLDR Murry nursed patients in the surgical ward before and after operations. Both found the experi-ence to be challenging and rewarding, professionally and personally. FLTLT O’Neill said the experi-ence was daunting for most patients so a reas-suring and comforting approach in the casualty reception area went a long way in easing the stress of the situation.

“I had my team of United States Navy hospi-tal corpsmen and together we welcomed, assessed and admitted the patients upon arrival,” he said.

“Most of them had never been on a big ship before so they were nervous and also eagerly anticipating their treat-ment.”

SQNLDR Murry said the usual demands of the surgical ward work-load were enhanced by communication issues.

“In order to ease the communica-tion difficulties we had interpreters in each country and, while they worked really hard to help us, sometimes they had trouble understanding my Australian accent,” SQNLDR Murry said.

“I was able to rely on some sign lan-guage, though, which always managed to get a laugh from my patients.

“The patients were just beautiful and even though they were only in my ward very briefly I was always sad to see them get on the boat to go back ashore after their surgery.

“At the same time, though, I was filled with pride, having helped in some

Nursing the Pacific

small way to improve their lives.”

Their work also took both nurses ashore in Vietnam and Cambodia.

SQNLDR Murry spent some time ashore at a community relations event at a local orphanage in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, which provided her with her most memorable experience.

“I was sitting on a bench with a 16-year-old boy named Chau; we talked about his school subjects and asked each other many questions. He was an abso-lutely delightful child and it was a special moment,” SQNLDR Murry said.

As an accident and emergency nurse practitioner, FLTLT O’Neill was one of the care providers at a number of clinics throughout his six-week mission. Mostly set up at local schools, the clinics pro-vided services including family medicine, paediatrics, physical therapy and dental treatments.

His biggest challenge was the role as OIC of the medical clinic at Andong Thma school, near Sihanoukville in Cambodia, for a day. The site observed more than 1000 patients.

GIVING COMFORT: Above, FLTLT Danny O’Neill works with MA3 Brandon Marshall to coordinate patient movements on shore in Cambodia. HELP: Left, an elderly Vietnamese lady waits to be seen. Photos: ABIS Andrew Dakin

FLOATING SAVIOUR: United States Naval Ship Mercy at anchor off Sihanoukville, Cambodia during Pacific Partnership 2010.

SIGN LANGUAGE: SQNLDR Toni Murry in the recovery ward onboard USNS Mercy.

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4 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FFperations

LEUT Todd Austin

A CEREMONY on the edge of the flightline in the Australian Support Base in the United Arab Emirates marked a changing of the guard at the Australian Air Component Task Group, Task Group 633.2 (TG 633.2) on June 12.

GPCAPT Don Thornton handed over command of the Task Group to GPCAPT Mark Eldridge during a Change of Command ceremony at Al Minhad Air Base.

Commander Joint Task Force 633 MAJGEN John Cantwell and Deputy Commander CDRE Roger Boyce joined TG 633.2 members and coali-tion personnel in celebrating the occa-sion.

This is GPCAPT Eldridge’s first deployment to the Middle East as part of Operation Slipper, but he was previously based in the region as a helicopter pilot flying peace-keeping missions at the Sinai Peninsula.

GPCAPT Eldridge said that it would be the most challenging and rewarding posting of his career.

“It’s an honour to be selected for any command appointment; but this one comes with so much more than a normal OC job,” GPCAPT Eldridge said.

“The Australian Air Component is a relatively small, diverse, complex and geographically-dispersed organ-isation and all these features bring their challenges and rewards.”

GPCAPT Eldridge believes sup-porting the ground troops in the thea-

OPS IN BRIEF

Takingcharge of 633.2

tre of operations is the essential task that he will continue to provide during his command.

“TG 633.2 is here to support the real war fighters – our troops on the ground who are putting themselves in harm’s way every day,” GPCAPT Eldridge said.

“My focus will be to make sure we provide whatever we can to the soldiers in Afghanistan so they can get on with fighting the war on the ground in the

NEW CHALLENGES: Outgoing Commander GPCAPT Don Thornton shakes hands with his replacement, GPCAPT Mark Eldridge, with Commander Task Force 633 MAJGEN John Cantwell holding the instrument of transfer of command at the Change of Command Ceremony for Task Group 633.2. Photo: SGT Brent Tero

Petraeus welcomeCDF ACM Angus Houston has wel-comed the appointment of GEN David Petraeus as Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan follow-ing the resignation of GEN Stanley McChrystal. “I want to express my thanks to GEN McChrystal for the important and valuable work he has done as the ISAF Commander. He oversaw a particularly difficult period in Afghanistan and has been instru-mental in driving the revised counter-insurgency strategy forward,” ACM Houston said.

MTF-1 changeoverThe Commanding Officer of the First Mentoring Task Force (MTF-1) LTCOL Jason Blain has handed over com-mand to LTCOL Mark Jennings during

a ceremony at the Multi National Base in Tarin Kowt. MTF-1 is comprised of elements of the Australian Army’s Brisbane-based 7th Brigade, with support elements drawn from the Navy and Air Force.

Dutch replacedDutch forces departing Oruzgan in August are to be replaced by a US-led multinational Combined Team – Oruzgan under an International Security Assistance Force flag. Both Singapore and Slovakia will be part of the new organisation. The Singaporean Armed Forces has had about 40 members deployed to Afghanistan for some time, mostly in a medical role. Slovakia has about 290 troops in Afghanistan with plans to increase this number to 500 by the end of 2010.

safest and most effective way possi-ble. TG 663.2 will continue to sup-port the troops with its air mobility assets to move the stores they need in and around the theatre and will con-tinue to support them with informa-tion through our intelligence, recon-naissance and surveillance assets,” he said.

Before handing over command, GPCAPT Thornton acknowledged the achievements of two members of the

Task Group. CPLs David Orders and Jason Fry both received Commander Task Group 633.2 Commendations.

CDRE Boyce also presented a Commander Joint Operations Commendation to LAC Thomas Norton in recognition of LAC Norton’s efforts during the rescue response to an explosion on board Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel (SIEV) 36 in the vicinity of Ashmore Island on April 16, 2009.

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LAC Aaron Curran

AIR FORCE personnel can now look forward to a chance to work in tri-service Civilian Military Cooperation (CIMIC) positions on overseas operations.

CIMIC is the branch of military operations that focuses on providing support and coordination in the devel-opment of the civilian population.

The first Air Force member to take on this role is FLTLT Thomas Dunn, who is deployed on Operation Astute.

FLTLT Dunn, a logistics officer from 395 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing at RAAF Base Amberley, is in East Timor for a six-month deployment conduct-ing Medical Civil Action Program (MedCAP) patrols.

“I help coordinate the East Timorese Defence Force (F-FDTL), Ministry of Health and District Administrators to conduct medical clinics in remote areas,” FLTLT Dunn said.

“Our main objective is to devel-op the host nation agencies so they can conduct these clinics without the assistance of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF).”

Before he joined the CIMIC, FLTLT Dunn completed the necessary tactical operator’s course as well as the joint CIMIC staff planner’s course.

“I saw an opportunity to expand my skill sets and use them on operations.

“CIMIC is a non-kinetic opera-

Focusing on civilians

tion, which is a traditional hearts and minds campaign.”

He said those that take on the role as CIMIC in the Air Force need to be prepared to realise that they are in a capability in its infancy and may be called upon to do instructional roles and assist in its development.

“The Air Force is well suited to this role due to our psyche,” FLTLT Dunn said.

EAST TIMOR HELP: Right, FLTLT Tom Dunn watches over the registration process at the MEDCAP in Ucecai village. Above, talking to local villagers during the MEDCAP visit.

Photos: LAC Leigh Cameron

Williamtown to go on show

News

THE skies over RAAF Base Wil-liamtown will come alive over the weekend of September 18 to 19 when the base hosts its first air show in more than 35 years.

Head of Special Events – Air Force AIRCDRE Phil Byrne said it was time the Hunter experienced the awe and excitement of a modern air show as part of the Defence Force annual air show schedule.

“This year's air show will provide the communities of Port Stephens, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley with an opportunity to witness Air Force aircraft, historic war birds and many static displays and stalls,” he said.

“RAAF Base Williamtown has a long association with the Newcastle and Port Stephens communities and this event will help us to thank the community for their support.”

Details of the air show and its flying program were announced at a media event on the base on July 2, which was supported by Port Stephens Mayor Bruce Mackenzie, Newcastle’s Lord Mayor John Tate and Commander Air Combat Group AIRCDRE Mel Hupfield.

While actual flying activities will start at 12.30pm and finish by 4pm on both days, there will also be numerous ground displays and activ-ities to keep crowds entertained.

Free parking will be available on the base from 7am with the gates open at 8am.

Tickets can be purchased online from www.airforce.gov.au/airshow from August 1, or at the gate. Visit www.raaf.gov.au/AirShows for more information on the event.

“We are not as aggressive in the way we do things.”

He said CIMIC operators liaised with people as high as ministers of government down to the average Timorese villager, so potential candi-dates needed to be able to communi-cate with confidence at all levels.

One MedCAP that FLTLT Dunn fondly remembers was in Ucecai, a remote village in the country, acces-

sible only by helicopter. “The local population made us a welcome sign and waited for us,” he said.

“They practised the welcome dance for 24 hours straight before we arrived. It was a massive deal for them. As much as the villages loved to see us, by the end of our visit we had given back 10-fold, which felt good.”

FLTLT Dunn said the main purpose of the MedCAP was to train local popu-

lations so that they could conduct these types of operations once they left.

“It is not good enough to do it just so you feel good about yourself – that is useless,” he said.

“We are in the process of state-building, so you need to do it to the point where you are comfortable that the local army and local ministry of health can conduct these operations once we are gone.”

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6 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FFNews

TWO AP-3C aircraft, aircrew and maintenance personnel from 11SQN, along with 92WG support staff, have deployed to the US Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii to take part in Exercise Rimpac (Rim of the Pacific) 2010.

Being held from July 1 to August 2, Rimpac is the ADF’s largest international maritime exercise, and tests the ADF’s interoperability with the 14 Pacific Rim nations, including the US, South Korea, Indonesia and Canada.

The RAAF contingent, consisting of more than 90 personnel, will join HMA Ships Kanimbla, Newcastle and Warramunga for the biennial exercise.

This year marks the 22nd Rimpac.

The AP-3C missions will include Undersea Warfare, Surface Warfare and Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance within a multi-national exercise environment. A Harpoon missile will also be launched during the exercise.

11SQN personnel will be developing their skills in a High-end War Fighting envi-ronment, while 92WG support staff will run the Combined Air Operations Centre for the ADF element.

See an upcoming edition of Air Force News for full coverage of Exercise Rimpac.

SQNLDR Brett Dockett

AIR FORCE members once again dem-onstrated their community spirit and courage when they went to the aid of a civilian in distress.

On the morning of June 17, LAC Kevin Crick and LAC Jarrad Hungerford from 2 Airfield Defence Squadron (2AFDS) at RAAF Base Amberley were driving along Warwick Road from Yamanto to Ipswich when a van in front of them suddenly crashed into a cement barrier.

They immediately pulled over and went to the aid of the driver.

As they were helping him, another two members from 2AFDS, FLGOFF Joel Kimber and SGT Peter Madigan, arrived.

They set to work controlling the scene until emergency services arrived.

Queensland Police, paramedics and

members of the public who witnessed the incident applauded the four men for their work.

Subsequent information revealed that they had been helping one of their own.

The driver of the accident vehicle was a former Air Force member named Alan Lewis who had served for 16 years, retiring in 1993.

In a letter to the Queensland Times, Mr Lewis’s wife Valerie said that he had suffered a sudden heart attack.

She said that LAC Crick and LAC Hungerford had administered CPR to him until paramedics arrived.

He was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Mr Lewis knows that it was Air Force members who came to his aid, and told his wife he is in no doubt that without their assistance he might not be alive today.

Joining Joining forces at forces at RimpacRimpac

ENTERING PEARL HARBOUR: HMAS Kanimbla sails past Hickam Air Force Base, Honlolulu, Hawaii, as the ship enters Pearl Harbour for her participation in Exercise Rimpac. Photo: CMDR Paul Moggach

READY TO FLY: Right, an AP-3C sits on the hardstand as maintainers perform pre-flight checks. Two of the aircraft are participating in Rimpac. Photo: LAC Glen McCarthy

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7 NewsJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

FLTLT Skye Smith

THE next stage in Air Force’s air com-bat capability evolution is about to oc-cur with the second group of F/A-18F Super Hornets preparing to embark on their journey to Australia from the United States.

Six more Rhinos are set to arrive at RAAF Base Amberley later this month following extensive prepa-rations for the flight to Australia, including acceptance flights and ground tests at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California.

CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin said that over the past few weeks a detachment from 1SQN has been con-ducting test flights on the aircraft, air-to-air refuelling training and finalising logistics for the flight to Australia.

“The detachment is completing comprehensive flight testing which includes up to 96 hours of test and evaluation flying and two weeks of Electronic Warfare flight trials from Lemoore,” he said.

“Another key task involves work-ing with an air-to-air tanker conduct-ing day and night refuelling flights to ensure we are ready for the flight to

Ready for more Rhinos

Australia. This is a very exciting time for Air Force. We are looking forward to bringing the new aircraft home.

“When these jets arrive shortly, close to half of Australia’s 24 Super Hornets will be based at Amberley, and we will be working toward the next milestone of achieving Initial

Operating Capability by the end of this year.”

The long journey from California to Amberley involves several stops, including Hawaii and Pago Pago in American Samoa.

CAF said the Super Hornet was a highly capable, battle proven, multi-

role aircraft that has already proved its effectiveness in service with the US Navy. Its flexibility will enhance Australia’s air combat capability, through maritime and land strike, sup-pression of enemy air defence, recon-naissance, air-to-air combat and close air support.

By the end of 2011, all 24 Super Hornets are scheduled to be at Amberley.

A I R M S H L B i n s k i n s a i d Australia’s new fleet would maintain our regional air superiority as the F-111s are withdrawn from service at the end of this year.

“The Super Hornets represent a major step forward in air combat capability for Australia. The aircraft will provide a bridging capability dur-ing the transition to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,” he said.

While the new fighters share a strong resemblance with Air Force’s existing classic Hornets, they feature stealth characteristics, an enlarged air-frame, more powerful engines, greater weapons and fuel payload, advanced avionics and state-of-the-art radar.

“The Super Hornet project has been a fine example of team work,” AIRMSHL Binskin said.

“Reaching this stage of the project on time and on budget has been due to the great partnership between the Air Force, Defence Materiel Organisation, United States Navy, Boeing and their industry partners, General Electric, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.”

ON THE WAY: 1SQN is preparing for the arrival of six more Super Hornets later this month. Photo: LAC Benjamin Evans

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8 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FNewsIN BRIEF

Michael Brooke

FLTLT Andrew Abbey had an extra reason to be proud at RAAF Base Pearce on June 24 when he graduated from No. 219 RAAF Advanced Pilots’ Course, along with eight fellow Air Force pilots and one Navy aviator.

“I didn’t make the grade some 10 years ago when I first applied for fast jets, so to be standing here today with my wings ... is something I am really proud of,” FLTLT Abbey said.

FLTLT Abbey, a former naviga-tor on the F-111, collected five of the eight awards for academic excellence on the course at 2 Flying Training School (2FTS).

He received dux for the highest aggregate of overall marks and awards for the most proficient pilot, the most proficient pilot at instrument flying, and the graduate who had shown the most improvement.

FLTLT Abbey and fellow gradu-ates PLTOFF Dan Butler, PLTOFF Alex Roff and OFFCDT Scott Rushworth have posted to 79SQN to pursue their goals of flying the Super Hornet or the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

OFFCDT Rushworth’s father was an Air Force fast-jet pilot.

“I’ve been flying with my dad since I was a little kid so he is really

Reach for a dream

proud that I have followed in his foot-steps to be a jet pilot,” he said.

PLTOFF Dan Butler and OFFCDT Simone Mohrlok were declared joint winners of the award for the gradu-ate with the highest aggregate of aca-demic marks.

OFFCDT Mohrlok, who was also presented with the award for the grad-uate who displays the highest level of aerobatic skill, has completed a jour-ney of transformation, from arriving from Germany as a tourist some 10 years ago to gaining her wings with

the Air Force. She has been posted to 33SQN to fly the KC-30A aircraft.

The graduates were presented with their wings by the graduation parade reviewing officer, AIRCDRE Bill Henman, who himself graduated as a pilot exactly 101 courses ago in 1983.

AIRCDRE Henman told the stu-dents that their graduation marked the start of a challenging and rewarding career as an ADF aviator.

“Be proud of what you have achieved but be aware this is only the start,” he said.

A DREAM FULFILLED: FLTLT Andrew Abbey.

TIME TO CELEBRATE: From left, graduates FLTLT Andrew Mills, OFFCDT Scott Rushworth and OFFCDT Simone Mohrlok with 2FTS instructor FLTLT Anthony Batchler. Photos: Michael Brooke

Pilot 10 years in the making

SKY’S THE LIMIT: PC-9 aircraft used to train new pilots conduct a manoeuvre during the graduation ceremony.

Hornet upgradeDefence Materiel and Science Minister Greg Combet has announced the completion of a major phase of the F/A-18 Classic Hornet Upgrade Program. Under contract to the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), L-3 Communications MAS Canada and BAE Systems Australia have completed the F/A-18 Classic Hornet fleet Centre Barrel Replacement Program. Under Phase 3.2 of the Classic Hornet Upgrade program, select Classic Hornet aircraft were identified as requiring replacement of the centre barrel. The centre barrel is the major structural element of the aircraft fuselage to which the wings and main undercar-riage are attached.

MilHOP hits roadJoint Health Command, together with the Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health, (CMVH) are tak-ing a roadshow to bases to promote participation in the Military Health Outcomes Program (MilHOP). The roadshow will be at RAAF Base Amberley from July 19 to 23 and RAAF Base Richmond from July 26 to 30. Senior leadership from Joint Health Command will emphasise the importance to commanders of the need to encourage service person-nel to complete the health surveys. MilHOP will gather information from all serving personnel through a range of surveys, including gathering gen-eral health information from Defence personnel who have deployed to the Middle East. General information about MilHOP is available at www.cmvh.org.au, from the Research Team on 1800 886 567, or email mil-hop@cmvh.org.au

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9 NewsJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

ACAUST Bronze CommendationFLTLT Carl Lorrigan � For his

outstanding performance as the Force Protection Staff Officer at 396 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing.

CPL Nicholas Elder � For his

outstanding performance as the squadron Safety Officer at No. 29 (City of Hobart) Squadron.

WELL DONE

Hawk eyes on PhoenixMichael Brooke and FLTLT Skye Smith

FOUR months of intensive training paid off for six junior pilots as they completed their Introductory Fighter Course (IFC) last month on Exercise Western Phoenix.

The exercise enabled the pilots to undergo jet conversion training from the PC-9 to the Hawk 127 and achieve key components of the IFC, including navigation and tactical formation flying skills.

The exercise was held at RAAF Learmonth in WA from June 14 to 25.

CO 79SQN WGCDR Bernard Grealy said this phase of the IFC was a necessary step to becoming a fast-jet pilot.

“This is the first opportunity pilots have to test their air-combat skills in a fighter aircraft,” WGCDR Grealy said.

“Western Phoenix featured high and low altitude navigation and day and night tactical formations, which prepared the pilots for their posting to 76SQN where they will complete the last three phases of IFC.”

The IFC students added another 13 hours of flying to their experi-ence levels and completed impor-

tant training milestones such as solo night flying.

A-F l igh t commander fo r 79SQN, SQNLDR Paul Lombardi, said Western Phoenix was designed to progress students through IFC and expose them to operational sce-narios.

“The students need to apply the lessons they learn from each flight and ground event to achieve that,” SQNLDR Lombardi said.

“The squadron is staffed by instructors with experience ranging from F/A-18 and F-111 to Jaguar and Harrier aircraft.”

Former Caribou pilot and stu-dent FLGOFF Matthew Smith said the course was well supported by the wealth of the instructors’ experi-ence, which provided valuable les-sons.

“We really benefitted from the experience of the instructors, who were in our shoes and were ide-ally placed to help us master the jet conversion training,” FLGOFF Smith said.

F e l l ow s t u d e n t P LTO F F Emmanuel Murray said the biggest challenge posed by the training was the speed of the Hawk compared to the PC-9, which greatly reduced decision and reaction time.

“Everything happens so incred-ibly fast – especially when you’re

navigating at low level around the Pilbara or Hamersley ranges,” he said.

“There’s not a lot of time to scan everything as you are used to in the PC-9.”

PLTOFF Murray said the tacti-cal formation flying at night was the most challenging part of the training, when the experience of the instructors helped him to avoid making the mistakes common to student jet pilots.

“There have been quite a few lessons learnt, but the main one for all of us is to have confidence in our ability,” he said.

XO 79SQN SQNLDR Thomas Van Rooyen said a successful pilot did not need to be a mathematical genius to fly a combat jet fighter, but did need “foresight and time-line awareness to complete tasks”.

“What we teach here is how the speed of the jet greatly reduces decision and reaction times, as well as a pilot’s ability to see the ‘big picture’,” SQNLDR Van Rooyen said.

The six students were posted to 76SQN to complete the last three phases of IFC, putting them one step closer to their dreams of flying the Classic Hornet, Super Hornet or, ultimately, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

GROUND WORK: Left, from left, 79SQN technicians LAC Kyle Snodgrass, CPL Peter Liddle and LAC John McLaughlin, and above, CO WGCDR Bernard Grealy straps in with the help of technician LAC William Coote. Photos: Michael Brooke

LEARNERS PERMIT: Student PLTOFF Emmanuel Murray straps into the cockpit of a Hawk, and left, taxis out of RAAF Learmonth during Exercise Western Phoenix.

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10 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FNews

Michael Brooke

IN A win-win situation for stakeholders, a 890m footpath has been built from RAAF Base Darwin’s ‘Tin City’ to the Sergeants’ Mess by 1 Airfield Operations Support Squad-ron (1AOSS).

The need for the path was identified more than three years ago, however the project stalled due to insufficient funding to complete all the identified pro-ject works, until 396 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing (396ECSW) coordinated a Defence Support Group (DSG) and 1AOSS Airfield Engineering (AFENG) collaboration.

WOFF Brian Hughes from HQ 396ECSW said the project was founded as the result of ongoing pedestrian safety issues at Darwin that mainly arise during exer-cise periods when Tin City is heavily populated.

He said before the new solar-lit pathway, the route contained numerous trip hazards and 321 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron (321ECSS) had to hire gener-ated light sets during exercise periods, resulting in the risk of injuries and a significant cost burden to exercises at Darwin.

“As a result of issues arising from Exercise Talisman Saber 09, DSG and CO 321ECSS consult-ed with HQ 396ECSW for a solution, which led to 1AOSS being approached to provide the labour to

FLTLT Skye Smith

LACW Emma-Lee Weston couldn’t wait to start her adventure on the Young Endeavour when she was se-lected for the Air Combat Group (ACG) Scholarship on board the tall ship.

An excited LACW Weston board-ed the Young Endeavour at Newcastle on June 4 before setting sail on a 10-day voyage to Brisbane.

Heavy rain and gale winds did not discourage LACW Weston from her seagoing adventure.

“To be honest, as much informa-tion and as many stories that I heard doesn’t prepare you for the most amazing experience,” LACW Weston said.

“My favourite highlights of the trip would have to be stepping on to land in Trial Bay for the first time in three days after all the sickness and

Young Endeavour provides an adventure

Darwin gets a new path

construct the footpaths and install solar bollard lightingalong the route,” WOFF Hughes said.

HQ 396ECSW AFENG1 was tasked to coordi-nate the project, and after liaising with 1AOSS, DSG and HQ Combat Support Group (AFENG), a tasking order was raised in February for 1AOSS to complete the works.

WOFF Hughes said a team of eight members from Townsville and Richmond started work with their plant and equipment in mid-May which they completed on schedule on June 18.

He said the collaboration between the Defence stakeholders breathed new life into a project that had stalled because of funding issues relating to initial cost estimates and also highlights to Senior ADF Officers and other DSG regions that this may be an option for smaller projects at their respective bases in the future.

“As a result of the collaboration, RAAF Base Darwin has gained a safe pedestrian route from Tin City to the Gym, Frontline, Cinema, and Airman’s and Sergeants’ Messes that minimises the risk of injury to pedestrians walking on poorly lit ‘on-base’ streets,” WOFF Hughes said.

“Additionally, DSG has achieved partial comple-tion of a larger project with significant financial effi-ciencies as a result of Air Force trades supplying the labour and no contractor mark up on the materials used.

“Further, AFENG trade members have gained and maintained valuable core trade skills in accordance with their training and competency log books.”

WOFF Bob Gourley, who led the team that com-pleted the path, said the project represented a win for everyone involved.

He said although the work was conducted dur-ing the hottest May in Darwin in 40 years, the team stayed dedicated and celebrated their feat by leav-ing their mark in cement on the last panel near the Sergeants’ Mess.

The path includes about 178 cubic metres of con-crete and 141 solar lights to improve visibility and reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians.

‘spending our last moments together up the mast as we sailed along the Brisbane River.”

The crew took off to Queensland and anchored in Cape Moreton for a day before taking the lead for Command Day, in which the youth crew run the 44m, square-rigged tall ship for 24 hours.

Command Day involved the youth crew, aged between 16 and 23, working together to navigate to Tangalooma at Moreton Island and anchor there overnight.

LACW Weston took on the chal-lenge of Head Chef on Command Day and had to cook for more than 30 people on board over a 24-hour

period. “It was pretty hard, but the experience was fantastic,” she said.

LACW Weston also enjoyed the team challenges on board. “We all came together as a team so well and managed to get the tasks completed with a good laugh. I found I learnt a lot about leadership.”

The 22-strong youth crew and 11 Navy staff members were joined by two other Navy members undertaking their suitability to become a ‘staffy’.

The youth crew worked in four-hour watches while they sailed and up to two hours when anchored, taking the work-ing day well into the night.

Young Endeavour CO LCDR Gavin Dawes also gave the youth crew sail theory and navigation lessons.

LACW Weston enjoyed the feeling of being in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight.

“It was great. I love the water and having dolphins and whales swimming alongside the ship.”

The Young Endeavour experience has provided LACW Weston with the confidence to take on more leader-ship roles in her job as a clerk in the HQACG Orderly Room.

LACW Weston has been sailing before, but this was the first time she had actually sailed a ship.

“It was a great first time experience to be at the helm with such experi-enced sailors from the Navy,” she said.

Arriving in Brisbane to a reception of friends and family was “fantastic” after 10 days at sea.

“I was very lucky to have family waiting for me in Brisbane as it’s my home town.”

LACW Weston is looking forward to putting her new sailing skills to the test. “But maybe I’ll go in summer next time.”

ACG sponsors two outstanding members each year to undertake the team and leadership challenges on board the Young Endeavour.

HIGH THERE: LACW Emma-Lee Weston, front, hangs out with some new friends.

The experience was fantastic.

– LACW Emma-Lee Weston

SMOOTH OPERATOR: Plant Operator from RAAF Base Townsville, LAC Nick Voigt, levels the newly poured concrete as other members in the background work solidly as a team.

Photo: LAC David Cotton

11 NewsJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

RONALD McDonald House Charities is well known for providing a range of accom-modation, family rooms and support around Australia to help the families of children suf-fering from serious illnesses.

But when 75SQN’s CPL Shannan Nichols from RAAF Base Tindal discovered there was nothing similar in Darwin he decided to do something about it.

As a result, 10 members from Tindal embarked on a hot and humid 330km walk from Katherine to Darwin to raise money and aware-ness for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The long journey, which began at Tindal on June 20 and finished at McDonald’s in Darwin on June 26, aimed to raise $10,000, but before the team took their first steps, they had already raised $15,000. At the time of going to press, this had increased to more than $25,000 through their website, from families, friends, local businesses and donations on the route.

“We are humbled by the support we received from everyone,” CPL Nichols said.

The story began a few months earli-er when CPL Nichols and his wife Aneeka spent a couple of months with their seriously ill 13-month old daughter Eloera at Ronald McDonald house at Westmead, NSW.

The family returned to Tindal on April 16 and CPL Nichols and Aneeka determined to help make a difference for other families with sick children and those who need to spend time away from their home and loved ones.

So it was that the team, led by CPL Nichols, walked under the banner K’s for Kids for seven days with stops at Edith Falls, Pine Creek, Hayes Creek, Adelaide River,

Acacia Hills and Howard Springs before reaching their final destination at McDonalds in Darwin.

CPL Nichols said that the weather, which was mild when they left Tindal, had become hotter and more humid by the halfway mark.

“Darwin was 10 degrees hotter than Katherine and that took its toll on everyone,” he said.

He paid tribute to the people they encoun-tered along the way, from passing vehicles to people in the towns they passed through to the businesses that gave them accommodation, donations or other assistance.

“It was incredible to think that we had walked so far. It takes the same amount of time to walk from Tindal into Katherine (that was the first 17km leg of the trip) as it does to drive the entire distance,” he said.

“We are thankful it is finished but it was a special thing to be a part of. It was definitely worth all the effort and pain, and it is encour-aging to know that there are so many people that are willing to support those in our com-munity that need it most. There are a lot of people with very big hearts and that is more than obvious when you are involved with something like this.”

Through K’s For Kids, in association with Tindal and with assistance from fam-ily, friends and the Katherine community, the Nichols aim to create awareness of the Ronald McDonald House and more importantly gen-erate financial support for the charity.

For further information on K’s for Kids or to make a donation, visit the website: www.everydayhero.com.au.com.au/event/ks4kids

CPL Jane Ashby-Cliffe

A REVIEW to analyse current policies and procedures for reporting defects on ADF personal equipment and combat clothing has started.

Focusing on the effectiveness and efficiency of the RODUM (report on defective or unsatisfactory materiel) sys-tem, the review team is calling for sub-missions from ADF personnel to help identify weaknesses in the system.

Lee Walton, review coordinator, said the review would assess the ease of use and responsiveness of the reporting system, the current feedback arrange-ments and provide recommendations for improvement.

“Every submission will be acknowl-edged and carefully considered, and we hope by canvassing ADF personnel we will be able to identify patterns and shortcom-ings in the system,” Mr Walton said.

Submissions should be received before August 9. They must be less than 10,000 words and written in accord-ance with the Terms of Reference in DEFGRAM 344/2010.

Mr Walton said they would like to ensure the RODUM system is more accessible and responsive, and that issues agreed to be significant were addressed quickly.

“Instilling a greater confidence in the system will ensure it is used to its fullest potential,” he said.

The review will be conducted by Jeff Whalan and supported by Mr Walton with a report of recommendations released in September.

Mr Whalan, a former CEO of Centrelink and Medicare, is an independ-ent-external reviewer with a long and distinguished career in the public service.

Submissions are to be emailed to rodum.review@defence.gov.au

RODUM review under way

Walking for a cause

SGT Gianni Querin, CPL Nichols, LAC Gary Donaldson, CPL Jeremy Little, LAC Alex Jess (support crew), LAC Adrian Phillips, LAC Toby Nuske, LAC Nicolas Brindell, LACW Sophie Needham and AC David Crummy (support crew); all from 75SQN.

WALKING THE TALK: Above, CPL Shannan Nichols with his family, from left, Zethan, Aneeka and Eleora Nichols and right, it’s a long way to go.Main photo: LAC David Cotton

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12 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FFNews

SIX new national delegates have been appointed to Defence Families of Australia (DFA) to rep-resent the views of Defence fami-lies.

Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Alan Griffin presented the certificates of appointment at the DFA National Conference dinner at Duntroon on June 24.

He congratulated the dele-gates on their appointments and acknowledged the important role the volunteers of DFA would play in representing Defence families.

“The government greatly val-ues the views and contributions of Defence Families of Australia members. Their input is heard and their opinions are valued,” Mr Griffin said.

“Through DFA, Defence gets a clear picture of the issues affecting the families of our serving person-nel and possible options for resolv-ing these issues.

“Consultative groups such as [this] are essential in ensur-ing Defence has a broad range of information available when mak-ing policy decisions.”

In August, DFA will release a comprehensive policy paper outlining the key issues discussed and recommendations for new initiatives to be implemented in the coming year. The paper will be released on www.dfa.org.au

Andrew Stackpool

QUEEN’S Birthday honours and awards are awarded across the entire spectrum of the Australian community but have one thing in common – they are awarded to those members of the community who have, in the eyes of their peers, gone that extra mile in the performance of their duties or in their contribution to bettering that commu-nity.

The vast majority of recipients make their contributions, often over many years, unheralded and unreport-ed, except by those upon whom their works may make a significant differ-ence.

SGT Kevin Aldridge is one of those recipients. He received a Conspicuous Service Cross in the June 2010 list for his outstand-ing achievement as the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge (SNCOIC) of the Fuel Quality Control Centre (FQC) while he was employed in the Mechanical Equipment Operational Maintenance Section (MEOMS) with the Combat Support Unit at RAAF Base Pearce.

The award c i t a t ion reads : “Sergeant Aldridge is a distinguished

airman who consistently demonstrates outstanding leadership, exceptional technical expertise, drive and dedi-cation. He has displayed exemplary foresight and initiative in develop-ing a Work Clearance System and has greatly contributed to the develop-ment of the fuel facility as part of the RAAF Base Pearce Redevelopment Project. He has brought great credit upon himself, Combat Support Unit Pearce and the Air Force.”

SGT Aldridge said that his wife and family were very proud and excit-ed about the award.

His workmates were also pleased.“They congratulated me and are

looking forward to [me paying] the carton,” SGT Aldridge said.

“I was totally surprised [when he received the award]; I never expected anything like this.

“I am humbled by the recognition of my work effort and honoured to receive the award.”

With the project now out of the way, SGT Aldridge is looking at other horizons.

“I have deployed for numerous exercises, including to Malaysia,” he said. “However, I have not yet been to an operational area. I look forward to that challenge.”

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QUIET ACHIEVER: Conspicuous Service Cross recipient SGT Kevin Aldridge goes about his work. Photo: LAC Scott Woodward

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13NewsJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

FLTLT Skye Smith

“HE IS probably undoing nuts and bolts that I tightened all those years ago,” is a standard joke FSGT Paul Whitman (ret’d) shares with son CPL Jason Whitman. Both have worked in the armament trade on the F-111 aircraft.

Paul joined the Air Force in 1968 and fondly remembers the day the F-111s first touched down at RAAF Base Amberley on June 1, 1973.

“I was 19 years old when the government of the time was con-scripting,” he said.

“Civilian job prospects at the time were not very good in Townsville, and I never looked back when I joined the RAAF.”

Paul’s first posting was to Amberley operating Canberra air-craft. The unit trained crews and ground staff for deployment to 2SQN in Vietnam.

Watching the F-111s touch down at Amberley for the first time is one of Paul’s fondest memories of the aircraft.

“The first six jets were mar-shaled in by technicians in white overalls and we all had to wear dress uniform. The base was crowded with media and most of the senior Federal politicians were at Amberley for the event,” he said.

A feeling of relief washed over Paul and his colleagues when the F-111 arrived.

“We had been waiting for so long to get our hands on these aircraft. They were very complex compared to the Canberra aircraft that most of the ground crew had worked on. But we were ready to go and the F-111 arrival made a lot of people happy,” he said.

Working on the F-111s with high explosives took Paul to Darwin for bombing on Quail Island and Pitch Black, and to East Sale for bombing at Dutson Range.

The aircrew also travelled from East Sale to conduct training with inert Mark 82 bombs.

Another highlight for Paul was a trip to Butterworth in 1977 for a Defence Five Power Agreements exercise.

“It was a great trip back then, but what a luxury it would have been to have a C-17. Back in those days we were split up for air travel on exercises with about a dozen of each trade on each C-130,” he said.

Paul worked on the F-111s from their arrival in 1973 until January 1978 when he was posted to Kingswood. He discharged as a FSGT in January 1990 after 23 years in the Air Force.

While sad about the F-111 retir-ing at the end of the year, Paul is happy to have been a part of the history of the aircraft and has many fond memories of his association with the F-111.

Seven years after his father’s retirement, Jason joined the Air

Force in August 1997 as an avionic technician before remustering to an aircraft armament technician.

Jason spent his entire career at 1SQN, working on the Pigs between 1998 and 2006. Now in the Active Reserves, he is regularly called upon to assist 6SQN and will see out the F-111 era with the last squadron to operate the aircraft in the world.

The first memory Jason has of the F-111 was seeing them in Malaysia in 1985 during his father’s posting to Butterworth.

“My father took me out to work one night to have a look over an F-111 and to watch a night take off,” he said.

“This was an amazing experi-ence that has remained with me over the years.”

Jason enjoyed a number of exercises at 1SQN including three Exercise Red Flags, numerous Exercise Pitch Blacks, a trip to Malaysia, C3A and C4 upgrade tri-als, and many trips to Tindal.

He was also a part of the 75SQN cadre that deployed to Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Falconer.

He spent three months on the deployment where he was respon-sible for prepping high explosive ordnance for the F/A-18s and US Air Force squadrons in theatre.

Red Flag and bombing camps are among the highlights of Jason’s time with the F-111s. “But a stand-out was definitely taking a ride in [F-111] Aircraft number A8-144 in 2003,” he said.

Father and son are both look-ing forward to catching up with old friends at the F-111 retirement cer-emony in December this year.

“There is a multitude of armour-ers living in close proximity to Amberley and we have stayed in close contact over the years,” Paul said.

Jason said: “I have made some great friends during my time in the Air Force and I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone as we say goodbye to the Pig at the end of the year.

“I really enjoyed working on the F-111. I spent a lot of hours and many late nights working on the aircraft. It will be a sad day when it takes its last flight.”

Like father, Like father, like sonlike son FLTLT Skye Smith

NUMBER 6 Squadron celebrated its 83rd birthday on June 15, with F-111s on the tarmac for the last time.

Next year, Rhinos instead of Pigs will be on the tarmac when the unit becomes the Super Hornet operating squadron.

6SQN dates back to WWI and has a proud history of training and operations in many aircraft, in many locations.

The unit was formed in England on June 15, 1917 as part of the Australian Flying Corps and was established as a training squadron for the four operational squadrons on the Western Front.

The squadron was disbanded in 1919 and later reformed in January 1939.

In August 1942, 6SQN Hudsons deployed to Milne Bay to provide reconnaissance and bomber sup-port in defence of the Australian garrison.

During the Japanese invasion of Milne Bay, 6SQN crews flew con-stant bombing and strafing missions against troop positions, landing barges and ships. The unit went on to receive numerous battle honours in the Pacific and New Guinea.

On February 23, 1948, 6SQN was reformed at RAAF Base Amberley, where it has remained to this day as part of 82WG.

The squadron flew Lincolns after WWII and entered the jet age in the 1950s. During this period, the Lincolns also participated in

the British atomic bomb tests at Maralinga before being replaced with Canberra jet bombers in 1955.

The F-111C arrived at Amberley on June 1, 1973 and 6SQN has now flown the formidable strike jet for nearly four decades.

In recent years, 6SQN’s primary role had been the training of F-111 aircrew in their basic conversion and upgrade to combat ready sta-tus and the F-111 Fighter Combat Instructor course.

With 6SQN preparing to transi-tion to the Super Hornets next year, all F-111 aircrew courses have been completed and the squadron is now solely operational.

Amberley is the proud home to the last operational F-111s in the world. Following the merge of air-craft and personnel from 1SQN in 2008, 6SQN has been responsible for providing the F-111 capability to Australia for the last two years under the leadership of WGCDR Micka Gray.

“I am sure the end of 2010 will be an emotional time for many peo-ple when we say goodbye to the Pig. But for now we have F-111s to prepare, fly and fight,” WGCDR Gray said.

The squadron will continue its role of maintaining the F-111s to be combat ready until their with-drawal in December this year, while providing members with the skills, knowledge and experience to ensure a smooth transition to a new generation in January next year with the arrival of the Super Hornets.

FAMILY LINK: CPL Jason Whitman, left, follows in the footsteps of his father FSGT Paul Williams.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD: An F-111 accompanies two Super Hornets to their new home. Photo: ACW Kylie GibsonWORK TO BE DONE: Left, 6SQN CO WGCDR Micka Gray. Photo: AC David Said

Happy birthday and end of era

F-111 feature

14 July 8, 2010 15Centrepiece RCEAIR FF

Six graduates showed during Exercise High Sierra 1-10 that they have what it takes to become fighter pilots.

FLTLT Daniel O'Donnell, LEUT Todd Woodford, FLGOFF Jarrin Coombes, FLGOFF Timothy Venz, PLTOFF Michael Keightley and PLTOFF Adam Rouessart graduated from 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) after participating in the exer-cise.

They were among 150 personnel who deployed to Townsville from June 14 to July 1 for High Sierra, which was the final phase of the F/A-18 Conversion course (OPCON) for the graduates.

CO 2OCU WGCDR David Smith said that before deploying to High Sierra the graduates had completed an intensive five months of training.

“This included conversion on to the

F/A-18, advanced within-visual-range dog-fighting skills, beyond-visual-range air combat tactics and air-to-surface attacks,” he said.

During the exercise, the graduates conducted long-range Precision Strike and Offensive Air Support missions with live ordnance in complex air-to-air and surface-to-air threat scenarios.

The students put their new skills to the test as they demonstrated profi-ciency with dropping a range of prac-tice weapons and laser-guided training rounds as a precursor to conducting missions with high explosive ordnance, such as the Mk-82 500lb Snake-eye bomb, Mk-83 1000lb bomb and GBU-12 500lb laser-guided bomb.

2OCU has deployed F/A-18s to Townsville for High Sierra for more than 20 years.

The Townsville Field Training Area and high explosive ordnance weapons

ranges are used for the exercise, which enables the OPCON to conduct a wide variety of realistic air-to-air and air-to-ground training missions with maximum reality and effectiveness.

WGCDR Smith said the ultimate aim of High Sierra was for graduates to demonstrate that they have what it takes to perform the role of a front-line operational fighter pilot capable of employing the F/A-18 in all tactical roles.

“The deployment also allows the squadron to exercise Air Combat Group’s deployment capabilities, takes the students out of their regular train-ing environment and enables them to experience life in a fighter squadron on deployed war-like training missions,” WGCDR Smith said.

4SQN and 76SQN also deployed elements to Townsville to provide sup-port for High Sierra training missions.

Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from 4SQN provided Forward Air Control for the OPCON’s Offensive Air Support missions, as well as airborne range safety officer duties.

Four Hawk 127 aircraft from 76SQN also deployed to provide adversaries against OPCON long-range strike mis-sions.

2OCU conducts an OPCON for six to eight students every six months and a Fighter Combat Instructor course every two years.

“The squadron’s ability to gener-ate more than 3000 flying hours every year allows the squadron to maintain a relentless fighter pilot training regime,” WGCDR Smith said.

“The dedication, professionalism, leadership and teamwork of the squad-ron’s maintenance and support team are fundamental to the success of 2OCU achieving its training objectives.”

He said 2OCU’s maintenance work-force had implemented a range of ‘work smarter, not harder’ initiatives that had dramatically reduced leave-in-lieu, increased average serviceability rates and provided long-term sustainable work practices.

“Without a doubt, the maintenance team’s ability to develop innovative and sustainable work practices to oper-ate and maintain our jets, which have been in service for almost 25 years, is the driving force behind the squadron meeting our fighter pilot graduation targets year after year,” WGCDR Smith said.

He said the OPCON was a demand-ing yet immensely rewarding flying training course and the result of years of dedication and hard work.

81WG’s operational Hornet squad-rons, 3SQN, 75SQN and 77SQN will each receive two of the graduates.

Our newest fast-jet pilots are put to the test in Townsville on Exercise High Sierra

HIGHWAY TO HIGHWAY TO HORNETSHORNETS

4SQN FORM: Three PC-9 Forward Air Control aircraft from 4SQN fly in formation during the exercise.

ROSTERED: Above, 4SQN OPSO OFFCDT Pat O’Neill updates the flying roster during Exercise High Sierra.BOMBS AWAY: Right, 2OCU armament fitter AC Dylan Williamson makes sure the bombs are secured correctly.PC-9 FLAIR: Left, 4SQN avionic technician CPL Sean Campbell checks for any chips along the propeller of a PC-9 at Townsville.

MAPPED OUT: Above, 2OCU OPCON student FLGOFF Tim Venz finalises his flight plans during the exercise.LOADING UP: Left, 4SQN aircraft technician CPL Shane Marshall reloads smoke canisters on to the wing of a PC-9.

READY TO ROLL: 2OCU OPCON student PLTOFF Michael Keightley conducts last minute checks inside his F/A-18 before taking off for a sortie during Exercise High Sierra.

HORNET HAPPY: 2OCU OPCON student FLGOFF Adam Rouessart prepares for another mission. FILLING THE TANK: 2OCU avionic technician CPL Ryan Pratt and LAC Brendan

Summers refuel an F/A-18 between exercise sorties.

Photos: LAC Craig Barrett

The Super Hornet provides Australia with an immediate next-generation air combat capability ideally

suited to RAAF requirements. Already delivering on budget and ahead of schedule, Boeing and its

industry partners are committed to ensuring superior program performance in the air and on the ground.

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Safe hands

17 NewsJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

Air Force BandJuly 16: The Ceremonial Band will lead the Bright Autumn Festival street parade in support of the 20SQN series roll-out at RAAF Base Edinburgh from 11am.

Roulettes 40th The 40th anniversary of the forma-tion of the RAAF Roulettes aero-batic team will be held at RAAF Base East Sale on August 13. The celebrations will include a lunch-eon, flying activities and dinner.� For more information, email

Roulette 7, FLTLT Allister

Berryman, at roulettes@defence.gov.au

34SQN reunionPast and present members of 34SQN, or anyone affiliated with the squadron, are invited to register their interest in attending a reunion in Canberra. The squadron was formed in Darwin in 1942, so the reunion is likely to be held in 2012 to celebrate 70 years service. � Those interested are requested

to email Ken Stone at marganken@bigpond.com.au

BULLETIN BOARD

Eamon Hamilton

THERE’S a new boss in charge of Air Force’s biggest flying squadron.

WGCDR Mark McCallum took over the reins at 37SQN from WGCDR Matt Hegarty on June 18.

With 587 personnel on strength, 37SQN has under-gone big changes and delivered massive outcomes for the ADF during WGCDR Hegarty’s tenure as CO.

Taking command in late 2007, he oversaw the unit’s continued deployment of personnel and air-craft to the MEAO, which included surpassing 20,000 C-130 flying hours for the deployment.

In October 2008, the unit carried the legacy of 50 years of Australian C-130 operations, and has con-tinued to be at the forefront of numerous search and rescue missions, humanitarian tasks, and operational deployments.

WGCDR Hegarty has been a key part of measures to make 37SQN a more sustainable unit for deploy-ments such as that in the MEAO.

In the last two years, 37SQN introduced a new aircrew structure based on individual flights, as well as cross-training technicians on both the C-130H and J. Under the Strategic Reform Program, the C-130 capa-bility was one of the first Air Force elements picked for improvement.

WGCDR Hegarty leaves 37SQN to take up a new post within DP-AF in Russell. It will be only his sec-ond posting out of RAAF Base Richmond.

“With the Hercules, I’ve been to see some great places, but it’s been better still because I’ve been there with all of you,” WGCDR Hegarty said.

“You’ve made this the most enjoyable posting of my career. I’d like to offer my congratulations for the hard work and sacrifice which has been willingly offered from the unit.

“At any given time, somewhere around the world there's a C-130 with a small Skippy painted on its side, doing great things for this country and its people.”

WGCDR Mark McCallum comes to 37SQN having previously served as XO 84WG, and brings a wealth of Hercules flying experience to 37SQN.

The new CO 37SQN’s impressions are of the Hercules still operating as a “Swiss Army Knife” of the air mobility world.

“We are often the one-stop-shop for a quick response, at the same time we are continuing to sup-port an ongoing deployment,” WGCDR McCallum said.

“We now have the mindset too that the Middle East is one of our core activities, and will be a task that we do on a daily basis as a fully integrated activity.”

Sustainment of personnel, and not just aircraft, will be an important part of WGCDR McCallum’s agenda.

“We need to not be overwhelmed by the day-to-day operational challenges. Our people are our true capa-bility and we must invest a portion of that capability in our future and not spend it all today.”

Leading the Herc charge

HELLO AND GOODBYE: Outgoing CO 37SQN WGCDR Matt Hegarty hands over to incoming CO WGCDR Mark McCallum at Richmond, and left,WGCDR Hegarty on his last flight as CO. Photos: LAC Michael Green and AC Christopher Hall

A MilHOP, SKIP AND A JUMPTO A BETTER HEALTH FUTUREFor a better health service for you and your ADF teammates, participate in the MilHOP survey.

milhop@cmvh.org.aucmvh.org.au/milhop1800 886 567

18 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FFNews

Tindal saluteFLTLT Skye Smith

THE QUEEN’S Colour was paraded for the first time by RAAF Base Tindal when the base exercised its freedom of entry to the Town of Katherine recently.

CO 75SQN and former Senior ADF Officer Tindal, WGCDR Phil Arms, led the 200 base person-nel through the main street of Katherine and over the river, before being challenged by Superintendent Colin Smith of the NT Police at the Council Chambers.

WGCDR Arms said it was a privilege to march through Katherine and recognise the strong relation-ship forged between the Air Force base and the town-ship.

“The right of Freedom of Entry is a significant honour that demonstrates trust, loyalty and a sense of community between a city and a military unit,” he said.

“We are proud to exercise a tradition that recog-nises this involvement and to continue to foster an enduring relationship between the town and Tindal. Many Base personnel have been and continue to be involved in a range of sporting, academic and com-munity events.”

AVM Peter Nicholson (ret’d) was the first OC at Tindal when the base opened in 1988 and was invited to review the units on parade. This included personnel from 322 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron and 75SQN, and Tindal detachments 2 Environmental Health Squadron, 44WG, 3 Control and Reporting Unit and 87SQN 81TIF.

The Air Force Band and eight military work-ing dogs also joined the parade on the streets of Katherine.

The parade marked the 20th anniversary of the base receiving the Freedom of Entry and also com-memorated Tindal’s 22nd anniversary. The first Freedom of Entry was exercised in 1990, with the base last parading in Katherine back in 2008.

An F/A-18 from 75SQN performed two fly-pasts over the town to honour the significant occasion.

FITTING FINALE: LAC Wayne Threadgate from 75SQN and the other members of RAAF Base Tindal perform a general salute at the Katherine Council Chambers, marking the end of the Freedom of Entry parade.

FLYING THE COLOURS: From left, FSGT Paul Gebram, FLTLT Gary Smith and FSGT Pam Gebram with the Queen’s Colour on parade through Katherine after being given the right to march through the city. Photos: LAC Casey Smith

Jaimie Abbott

AFTER more than 16 years, 17,000 appointments and 65,000 treatments, the first beauty thera-pist to set up on a RAAF base is packing up her products and re-tiring.

Kylie Murchie has sold her sa lon a t RAAF Base Williamtown to spend more time with her young family.

When Kylie first opened for business in April 1994 she was inundated with bookings and treated 194 clients in the

first year. Her clients included internal and external contrac-tors, reservists, serving and for-mer serving members and their spouses/families.

Throughout her career, one thing that has never changed is her love for the work.

“I will miss my clients and thank them very much for their kindness and enjoyable moments during my career at Williamtown,” Kylie said.

“My husband Shane served in Defence for 20 years, so I’ve always had a strong connection to the Air Force.

“I’ve been so fortunate to work somewhere that I love, and meet wonderful people as well as have the flexibility to raise my children, be self employed and pursue a career on holistic thera-pies while keeping current with professional development.”

For now, Kylie intends to keep up her volunteer work in the Port Stephens community, including with Tomaree Primary P&C and the Nelson Bay Touch Football Association.

“RAAF Base Williamtown will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Beautiful friendship ends

FAREWELL: Kylie Murchie applies one last facial to loyal client SGT Shirlyanne Dunbar.

Photo: LAC Craig Barrett

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CLOSE LOOK: Above, aircraft technician CPL Daniel Amiet inspects the airframe of one of the new Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft in the 2SQN hangar. Photo: CPL David GibbsSNAPPER SNAPPED: Below, ACW Sandra Midson found herself on the other side of the camera while photographing a C-17 on the flightline at RAAF Base Amberley. Photo: ACW Rosaleen Normoyle

OP RESOLUTE IN FOCUS:Top, avionic technician CPL Georgina Lysaght on the flightline of RAAF Base Darwin and behind her LAC Daniel Stubbs marshals an AP-3C in preparation for take-off on Operation Resolute.Above inset, clerk CPL Emma Fleming working from Darwin in support of members deployed on Resolute.

Left, supply operator LAC Neville Gamble of Joint Task Force 639 Air Component Coordination Element operates a forklift to move an Orion propeller. Photos: LACW Shannon McCarthy

19 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FF Flightline

20 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FPersonnel

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HAVE you ever wanted to tell air-crew where to go? Well this could be your chance.

Opportunities are now availa-ble to undertake vital, exciting and challenging work as a Geospatial Imagery-Intelligence Analyst (GIA) under a new initiative endorsed by CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are being called from members of LAC/W to SGT rank from all mus-terings for three-year Any Airman (ANYA) postings in GIA duties.

Upon selection and gaining a top secret clearance, members will undergo 16 weeks of training, fol-lowed by a three-year posting in GIA duties, at their current rank and pay.

GIAs are involved in the selec-tion of targets, preparation of mate-rials to guide aircrew and weapons to their targets, and other critical combat and intelligence, surveil-lance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities.

GIAs analyse still and video imagery for intell igence and operations purposes. They moni-tor unmanned aerial vehicle video

feeds, conduct Battle Damage Assessments after air strikes, assess the collateral damage a weapon will do if dropped, and recommend the appropriate weapon for use against a target.

AIRMSHL Binskin said the mustering was important now and for the future of Air Force and encouraged airmen and command-ers to support the new initiative.

“GIAs were among the first Air Force personnel to deploy to the Middle East, and have been there ever since,” CAF said.

“Whenever you see video foot-age from aircraft over a warzone, there is a good chance a GIA was the one watching to determine what was happening. Whenever you see photographs with arrows and notes showing buildings and equipment damaged by air strikes, GIAs ana-lysed them, determined how much damage was done, and put those notes on the image.

“I have been keen to find a way to expand GIA numbers for the short and long terms and I am pleased to support this new initia-tive, which seeks to increase GIA

numbers quickly to relieve the pres-sure on the mustering.

“It will also provide an easypathway for airmen interested inremustering to GIA, but uncertainwhether to make the change, toremuster if they choose.”

Initial GIA training is con-ducted in Edinburgh or Canungra,with many opportunities for furthertraining overseas. Work locationsinclude RAAF Bases Amberley,Williamtown and Edinburgh, andalso Canberra.

Applicants are likely to deployduring their posting.

On completion of their term,members can return to their currentmustering or, if assessed as suitable,opt to remuster permanently to GIA.

This is an opportunity to ‘trybefore you buy’. Members will ben-efit from full recognition of priorlearning (RPL) and experience(RPE).

For further information on the ANYA GIA initiative and the EOI, see People Central Hot Jobs, or contact SQNLDR Matt Barnett in Project CASPER, on (02) 6266 7768.

AN ‘Airman’s Knowledge Base’ will be an exciting new feature of the Air Force intranet site when it is upgraded over coming months.

Planned redevelopment of the site will incorporate the feature, which is essentially a wiki, allowing users to edit content on the Airman’s Knowledge Base. It will enable all personnel to con-tribute and build upon the new feature, which will become a valuable online resource for airmen.

Hyperlinks and text will be able to be incorporated into each entry and the application will sort entries alphabetical-ly by the subject. Contributors will not need to be content managers or approval officers of the site to make an entry.

While the current version of the intranet site has served Air Force well, it is now three years old – so the redevel-opment will refresh the appearance and incorporate advances in technology.

Industry standards are that websites are refreshed every 24 months, with minor improvements incorporated along the way.

Ear l ie r th i s year, Ai r Force Headquarters randomly selected 1500 military and civilian members of the Air Force population to survey how they use the intranet site, what they would like to see incorporated into the redevelopment, and the most important aspect of their browsing experience.

This was the first time that Air Force

Departure LoungeWho’s leaving after 20+ years

WOFF David HarrisonFLTENG27 yearsWOFF Richard WoodGIA24 yearsFSGT Duane ArcherATECH22 yearsFSGT Peter CheesmanATECH21 yearsFSGT Bradley KayCETECH21 yearsSQNLDR Martin HuetPILOT21 yearsSGT Glen TomielloGSETECH20 years

Analyse thisNew ANYA initiative to target GIA hopefuls

INTELLIGENT CAREER CHOICE: Members interested in becoming a GIA can ‘try before they buy’ under a new initiative using the ANYA scheme. Pictured is GIA LAC Robert Churchward researching a ship on Janes online Defence Library service. Photo: CPL Guy Young

personnel have been consulted and had the opportunity to provide input into their intranet presence on the DRN.

Their feedback has been invaluable and the data has driven the design and usability of the new look and feel.

Overwhelmingly, personnel wanted to have easier access to Air Force specif-ic information, publications and docu-ments, better search functionality and faster load times.

In coming weeks, Air Force Headquarters will keep you updated via Air Force News on the redevelopment, including further details on exciting new features and

images of the future layout.

Air Force intranet to get a facelift

Air Force MILIS representativeTHE recently published article, ‘MILIS to go live’ (Air Force News, June 24, page 20) included the Army MILIS representative in the story, instead of the Air Force representative. SQNLDR Ed Higgins in Logistics Branch, Air Force Headquarters, is the Air Force lead, and responsible for co-ordinating and monitoring MILIS activities on behalf of Air Force. SQNLDR Higgins can be contacted on (02) 6128 7008 or edwin.higgins2@defence.gov.au

Air Force News apologies for any inconvenience caused.

PREVIEW: The new-look Air Force intranet homepage.

21 HistoryJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

THE Lae War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea con-tains 2818 burials. Grave site M.B.14 is the final

resting place of 22SQN’s FSGT John Lyon.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 19, 1916 and enlisted in the RAAF on March 21, 1941.

He was flying as navigator with FLTLT Willliam Newton on March 18, 1943 when their 22SQN Boston bomber was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire during an early morning raid on Japanese facilities in Salamaua and ditched into the nearby sea.

FSGT Lyon and FLTLT Newton managed to escape the aircraft and made it to shore. There, they met two natives who set off inshore with them to take them to an Australian coastwatcher.

By mid-afternoon, both men were showing signs of dehydration and exhaustion from the long swim and the heat and humidity. They may also have been suffering from malaria.

They decided to abandon the march and return towards the coast.

It is possible that they could see one of the other Bostons still searching the ocean and may have felt they had a better chance of res-cue if the aircrew knew they were still alive.

Whatever the reason, they turned around and were captured by a Japanese patrol from the No 5 Sasebo Special Naval Landing Party, a Japanese Navy Marines unit.

By nightfall they had been taken back to Salamaua.

The unit had gained a reputation for cruelty towards captives. Eight months earlier, it had been respon-sible for the murder of missionaries at Buna Beach.

According to contemporary Japanese accounts, Allied airmen were hated because of the extensive bombing campaign in the Pacific.

At first, they were taken to the unit’s headquarters and inter-rogated.

Then, on the orders of the com-

mander of No. 7 Naval Base at Lae, RADM Ruitaro Fujita, they were transferred to Lae and handed over to the Army’s 51st Infantry Division intelligence section for further interrogation. Again, they could expect no fair treatment; the 51st had suffered heavily from almost constant air attacks and a significant part had been lost when its convoy was attacked and sunk between Rabaul and Lae, including by 22SQN.

The two men were interrogated and subjected to physical torture. The two officers supervising this interro-gation were MAJ Takamura and LT Yamada, and it is believed that mem-bers of the Japanese Military Police, the Kempei Tai, may have also been involved.

The interrogations continued, it is believed, for about a week.

Both men were then held in the guardhouse while their fate was decided.

On about March 28, FSGT Lyon was stripped naked except for his boots and his hands were tied behind his back. Then, he was taken out of town under guard to the edge of the Lae airstrip, near the water’s edge. A grave had been dug and he was forced to kneel beside it. Then, with RADM Fujita and several other officers looking on, the two guards killed him by bayonets through his back. He died instantly and his body was thrown into the grave and covered over.

In September 1943, the Australians captured Salamaua and Lae.

By this time, RADM Komai had been evacuated. In 1945 he was captured by the British during the liberation of Hong Kong. He was held captive for two years while he was investigated for war crimes, but he escaped trial by committing suicide in April 1947.

FSGT Lyon’s whereabouts remained a mystery until July 1948 when natives digging postholes at Lae airfield uncovered his body. He was buried in the Lae Cemetery with full military honours on August 13 that year.

In June 1948, a Japanese naval

How to get publishedAir 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 resolu-tion digital JPEGs (300DPI) and contain full details in the file informa-tion.

Send your contributions to raafnews@defencenews.gov.au

FSGT Lyon’s last days

member named Superior Petty Officer Kanda Kenichi told a War Crimes investigator that he was responsible for FSGT Lyon’s death.

He said that he had beheaded the FSGT with his sword. The investigator accepted Kenichi’s testimony despite the fact he had been unable to identify Lyon’s photo. Also, his account was wrong because he said the aviators were American and the incident took place earlier than the deaths of FSGT Lyon and FLTLT Newton.

� The story of FLTLT Newton will be told in a later edition of Air Force News.

Information provided by Dr Sean Brawley UNSW, with supplemental information provided by the Office of Air Force History.

CAPTURED: FSGT John Lyon ... after ditching into the sea, he was captured by a Japanese patrol.

Service men and women, along with veterans and members of the public attended the commemorative service at RAAF Base Amberley, to recognise the sacrifice and service of aircrew and ground crew who served with pride and distinction in Bomber Command. Right, Commander Combat Support Group AIRCDRE Noddy Sawade officially welcomes guests. Photos: ACW Rosaleen Normoyle

Commemorating Bomber Command

22 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FFinance

Stake your claim in $610 million. ASIC Chairman Tony D’Aloisio says Australians have that much money lying uncollected.

IT’S quite easy to lose track of our old bank accounts, life insurance policies and shareholdings.

It’s even easier to lose track of accounts and policies belonging to rel-atives who died years ago.

Sometimes companies hold money for their customers but if they can’t get in contact with them after a period the money becomes unclaimed.

How money is lostMoney in bank accounts and life

policies becomes unclaimed when, over a specified period, there has been no activity on the account or policy.

After this time, the money is turned over to the Federal Government, which acts as custodian until that money can be returned to the rightful owner.

The amounts of money owed to individuals and businesses ranges between $1 to just under $1 million. The highest individual amount cur-rently unclaimed is $990,000, from a Commonwealth Bank account in Western Australia.

In the past two months ASIC

has added $50 million worth of new records about unclaimed money to our database, which means now is the per-fect time to search for and find your lost money.

Searching is free and quick andthere is no cost involved in claiming your lost money, but you will need to prove that the money is yours.

To search online for unclaimed money, go to www.fido.gov.au/unclaimedmoney and type in your name.

There is some information that ASIC can’t publish online for priva-cy reasons, so if you don’t have any luck online, ring our Infoline and speak to one of our customer service consultants.

They will be able to conduct a comprehensive search for forgotten funds, including old bank accounts, forgotten insurance policies, and unclaimed money from shareholdings where the company has been unable to contact a shareholder.

Anyone who thinks they might be

� There is $610 million in unclaimed money from banks, credit unions, building societies, life insurance companies, friendly societies and companies for dividends or proceeds of company takeovers.

� The timeframe for handover to the Federal Government varies depending on where the money is located, but in most cases it is seven years. For unclaimed money from company shareholdings, the peri-od can vary from one month to 10 years.

� ASIC is aware of com-panies that may send a letter notifying you that they have located some lost money and will charge you an amount or commission to reunite you with your lost funds. Some people may find this easier than having to locate the money themselves.

Find your money

entitled to unclaimed money should contact our Infoline directly on 1300 300 630 or email infoline@asic.gov.au during business hours.

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fits to an ‘eligible rollover fund’ where your investment earnings may be less. You might also be paying fees that you don’t know about.

The sooner you recover any lost super, the less hassle and paperwork. To check if you have any lost super, visit the Tax Office’s website at www.ato.gov.au/superseeker. All you need to access the database is your name, date of birth and tax file number.

Other searchesThe States and territories also have

claims and recovery services for a variety of other lost money includ-ing dividends, refunds, deposits and wages. Contact details for these ser-vices are on the FIDO website.

It is very easy to search for certain types of unclaimed money through ASIC’s unclaimed money database at www.fido.gov.au, and best of all,it’s free.

For more information about unclaimed money, visit ASIC’s consumer website, FIDO at www.fido.gov.au or call 1300 300 630.

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23 HealthJuly 8, 2010RCEAIR FF

Gain without the painCPL Dean Cook says it’s a myth that cardiovascular training is not meant to be a pleasant experience.

IT’S an age-old belief that, if exercise doesn’t hurt, it’s not being done properly – no pain no gain.Exercise is meant to initiate some

degree of difficulty, but it definitely doesn’t have to always be hard or hurt.

Everyone, regardless of their degree of fitness, is exposed to an unpleasant feeling when progressing through a transition of the four bodily energy systems.� The first system is the adenosine

triphosphate. It is the immediate source for energy that is stored in muscle cells. This system is only good for very quick and powerful movements.

� The second system is the phospho-creatine. It’s a molecule found in muscles cells and is very short in duration.

� The third system is called the anaerobic glycolysis (lactic acid) system. This energy is obtained by breaking down glucose which is either stored in muscles or from the blood stream. Lactic acid causes the burning sensation sometimes expe-rienced. This system is relatively short in duration.

� The fourth system is the aerobic glycolytic system, also called the oxygen system. The main source of energy for this system is carbo-

hydrates from stores in muscles or from the blood stream and fats from stores.The aerobic energy system can

take minutes to initiate. Marathon run-ners have a well-developed aerobic system, but sprinters don’t need it.

Until the aerobic energy is used, a normal ugly feeling is experienced.

The sequence of shuffling through energy systems can be influenced by the degree of exercise exposure.

Therefore fitness can be under-stood as the time taken towards the performance within energy systems.

Effects that lead to fitness physi-ological outcomes are a mixture of internal strengths and mechanical developments.

The heart and lungs, from a con-sistent recruitment, get stronger and more efficient.

This leads to more blood transport which consists of increased oxygen content, which will replenish the oxy-gen deficit created from instant exer-cise and the slow activation of aerobic energy.

As consistency persists, the ves-sels transporting the blood decrease flow resistance and increase in disper-sion throughout the muscle; this again reduces the overall unpleasant effects of the slow-to-initiate aerobic energy system.

With a stronger heart combined with an effective lung and circula-tory system, cardiovascular training becomes internally easier.

Once the body allows the progres-sive stressors on the internal systems to reduce in difficulties, physical mechanics leads to greater movement economy.

Riding a bike from infancy stages to confident complexities explains the body’s ability to absorb physical edu-cation, a similar progression within all human movement.

Once a progressive routine is regulated, and physical conditioning is graduated, the body impressively incorporates as much or as little of the

body’s musculature as it deems neces-sary to allow the levels of movement required.

Consistency and progression are paramount to perfect performance.

CPL Dean Cook is an Air Force PTI working in sports science, and is a three-time 100km Australian runner representative.

� Pain is weakness leaving your body. In the early stages of exercise a moderate unpleasantness may be experienced while your body adapts to the cardiovascular and circulatory responses to the exercise.

� There is no link with exercise quality and your continual pain.

� Walk before you run by allowing the com-puter that is you brain to conduct any activity in an economical way.

� When you’ve discov-ered the feeling of positive physiological results, enjoy your increased standard of life and exercising experiences.

EXERCISE QUALITY

OVERDOING IT: Pain doesn’t indicate that exercise is quality.

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25July 8, 2010RCEAIR F Sp rt

John Martin

THE night before FLGOFF Linda Figgins contested the Red Cross Big Five half-mar-athon in South Africa in June, she went to a briefing that

would have alarmed many of us.The Big Five refers to specific

animals that live in the 22,000ha Entabeni private game reserve: lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, leopards and buffaloes.

At the briefing, runners were told if she saw one of the Big Five to: STOP, BACK AWAY SLOWLY AND DON’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THEM.

As it turned out, FLGOFF Figgins, of No. 25 (City of Perth) Squadron at RAAF Base Pearce, did not have to worry. The only animals she saw while she was running were wilde-beest and impala.

She saw six rangers with rifles lining the 21.1km course but none of the Big Five or any of the many other critters that inhabit the park, including giraffes, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs or warthogs.

“They wouldn’t have let us run if there were lions around,” she says. The rangers had been keeping a close eye on the lions and knew the nearest pride – five females and two males – were 14km away.

She says she wasn’t scared even a little bit.

She was too enthralled that she was there, running through a game reserve.

FLGOFF Figgins knows what it is like to be scared, though.

On returning from a run around the base in April 2008, she scratched her neck and discovered she had a lump there. She did not feel ill; the only other symptom she had was a bit of a cough.

But when she sought medical advice, it was found she had a form of cancer called Hodgkins Lymphoma. She had a 12cm x 8cm x 6½cm mass in her chest, and the cough was a direct result of her trachea being displaced by an inch to the right of

the mass. What followed was eight months of treatment that included 12 sessions of chemotherapy and 20 ses-sions of radiation therapy.

“After the fifth session, both my lungs were infiltrated by one of the chemotherapies, being bleomycin, a rare side effect but in my case extreme. This resulted in me being hospitalised for two weeks.

“My right lung collapsed – it’s no fun losing your hair but worse losing a lung. It was very scary at the time.”

FLGOFF Figgins made a full recovery though, and made her run-ning debut in the 12km Perth city-to-surf in August 2009 and then two races, of 10km and 14km distance.

The South African race came about when she saw it advertised on the internet when researching her next holiday.

FLGOFF Figgins had volunteered

as a tour guide at the Perth Zoo in the year’s lead-up to her illness and although her favourite animals there were Australian – birds, kangaroos and koalas etc – she was attracted to a holiday that combined game drives and exotic African animals with a half-marathon.

Entabeni, which means “place of mountains”, is about 3½ hours from Johannesburg.

FLGOFF Figgins’s race was not until June 5, but she arrived on June 1 which gave her plenty of time to get acclimatised and start seeing the sights.

“I had a total of 10 game drives over the eight days that I was there and leading up to the race; everyone was better than the last.

“I saw lions eating their kill, I watched the pride stalking wildebeest, I sat in the middle of a conversation

between the two male lions and five lionesses at night, no lights. Couldn’t see anything. Just heard it and felt it.

“I had a rhino come and hit the cruiser, ever so lightly. Just saying hello, apparently.

“I watched a light plane take off while a female rhino and her calf stood ever so close to the air strip.

“During the evening drives we would have a sun-downer, which consists of finding a quiet plain, free of predators, where we’d stop, get a couple of drinks out of the esky and watch the sun set.”

One evening the ranger quietly told them to get back into the cruiser because a herd of elephants was com-ing their way.

“Sure enough there they were, 10 of them, totally silent. Very eerie.”

She was truly enraptured with her surroundings in the park.

Finding Finding joy in joy in AfricaAfrica

“Impala, warthogs, kudus, baboons you name it, they were there.

“It’s pretty special when you get up, leave your tent and what you think is a tree moves and is actually a giraffe. They would come into camp and sleep between the tents; appar-ently they felt safe there.”

FLGOFF Figgins was one of 70 people in the half-marathon. Sixty-eight more contested the marathon and the 21km and 10km races. They came from all over the world. There were six Australians.

FLGOFF Figgins finished 31st overall in the half-marathon, heading the other three Australians home.

But they are not her only stats. She took 20 stills and 14 videos on the way. She also had her mobile phone.

Midway through the race, she says people were cramping left, right and centre. The hill that was run down then up was a 500m decrease/increase over 3km. The route itself rose from 1150m above sea level to just over 1700m.

“I was taking photos and videoing all the way and once at the top, phone reception kicked in and I called home – much to the delight of the spectators on the top escarpment. They all said hi to my sister in Perth.

“The final 8km was pretty hard on the feet and ankles, uneven, rocky and still hilly, with more creeks to cross.”

With 1km to go, FLGOFF Figgins decided to start videoing again.

“So the crazy Aussie girl went across the finish line, camera in one hand and phone in the other.”

She says she has booked to return next year, perhaps with some other interested Air Force people.

But this time she will contest the full marathon, 42.2kms.

“The more people the merrier. Lots of South Africans run this race and I think it would be great to have lots of Aussies there next year.

“I’m really chuffed at being able to complete my first half marathon at one of the toughest courses in the world and at altitude.

“I’m no super runner, trust me, but I had a lot of fun during the race. I figure when I go back next year I should think about trying a little harder.”

PS: All that photography has not gone astray.

FLGOFF Figgins is also the OIC of organising the RAAF Base Pearce Christmas Treat and she used the African run as a fundraiser for that event.

She raised more than $600 for the fund so that members’ tickets to the event can be subsidised.

Aside from the race photos, she took more than 1000 wildlife pictures during her stay and she’s circulated a presentation of some her best photo-graphs to all staff at Pearce to share her experience and to thank them for their generosity.

“I have definitely generated some interest at Pearce, so I do hope that a group of us will be there next year. This was not just a race; it was an experience like no other.”

THUMBS UP: FLGOFF Linda Figgins with one of the armed rangers stationed around the course; right, winding down after the race.

‘ My right lung collapsed – it’s no fun losing your hair but worse losing a lung. It was very scary at the time.

LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO NOW, AND FULLY RECOVERED

“I’m really chuffed at being able to complete my fi rst half-marathon at one of the toughest courses in the world and at altitude.

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26 July 8, 2010RCEAIR FSp rt

Flushed Flushed with with successsuccess

John Martin

AN UNSCHEDULED toilet stop less than 8km from the finish line was not enough to stop CPL Dean Cook winning the Australian 100km championship on the Gold Coast on June 13.

CPL Cook, a PTI in Canberra, won in 7 hours and 38 minutes – a race record and one that equalled the personal best time he record-ed at the world championships in Holland in 2007.

After two second placings in the race (at his only attempts in 2007 and 2008), he was ecstatic when he crossed the line.

“I was feeling relief, really, that I had finally won it,” he said.

CPL Cook has represented Australia at the world titles three times – but his times have been getting bigger and he wondered whether his best days were behind him.

After competing in Belgium in June last year, he had a six-month break from ultra-marathon races.

The rest seems to have done the trick, but he had cause to wonder in the lead-up to the Australian titles.

First he contracted a virus and then he ran into a door, the result

being three stitches above his left eye on race day two days later.

Normally, during these long, long races CPL Cook has head-phones that allow him to listen to nice up-tempo music while he runs.

And that’s what he planned for the Gold Coast.

The problem was he turned up so late for the race, he barely had time to remove his tracksuit and apply some sunscreen before the runners were started.

Half the runners were compet-ing in the 50km race but CPL Cook did not know who was who. So when three runners took off from the start, he hared off after them – only to realise later they weren’t even going the 100km distance, and he was, in fact, his race leader.

The Gold Coast was an interest-ing venue for the race on a busy long weekend.

The route went from Burleigh Head to Palm Beach and back four times, sharing public walkways with tourists who did not always get out of the way too quickly and dodging traffic on busy intersec-tions.

CPL Cook had not had time at the start to queue his music – and seeing he did not feel he could afford to stop and do it, he com-

pleted the whole race without music. The quietness of the long-distance runner, so to speak.

When CPL Cook finished sec-ond in the 2008 national titles, he led from the start until the 85km mark. It was then he felt a pat on the back from a runner, who went past him and cheekily congratu-lated him for leading the race for so long.

“It was a feeling I never wanted to feel again,” CPL Cook said.

So when he had to find a public toilet (thankfully not such a hard thing to do on the tourist strip), guess what was in the back of his mind?

How much time he lost is between the toilet block and him, but suffice to say he did lose some of his lead.

It was not enough to lose the race, though.

In fact, the second guy came in 25 minutes behind.

CPL Cook, despite his joy at winning, was left wondering how much he would have improved on his best time if it had not been for the unscheduled stop.

He now has his fingers crossed that he will be selected for his fourth tilt at the world titles in Gibraltar in November.

DONE IT AT LAST: Ultra-marathon runner CPL Dean Cook just metres from the finish line to win the Australian 100km title. Photo: Roley Cook

[Getting patted on the back in 2008] was a feeling I never wanted to feel again.

‘SHOWING THE WAY: It was a busy course, teeming with people and cars along the beach strip.

Ultra-marathon runner Ultra-marathon runner wins national crownwins national crown

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27July 8, 2010RCEAIR F Sp rt

A FIREFIGHTER from 325 Expeditionary Combat Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond has won the coveted Australian Defence Tenpin Bowling Association (ADTBA) Masters title.

With a last-ball strike, CPL Dave Hogan beat Air Force rival SGT Dave Cole in the final in Adelaide in June.

Air Force was the dominant force at the titles, with 11 players selected in the ADTBA team which will compete in the national titles this year and the Arafura Games next year.

Air Force set the winning ball rolling by beating Army, Navy and APS in the services challenge. SGT Keiran Wyllie gladly accepted the trophy on behalf of Air Force.

SGT Paul Verrall took out the singles competition with an aver-age of 204.9, including a 270 in game 1.

The doubles event was won by WO2 Steve Ritchie and FSGT Brett Byers with a team average of 190.25.

The teams’ event was won by Mark Jordan (APS), Richard Wdowik (APS) and SGT Wyllie with a team average of 198.1.

The ADTBA Masters was hotly contested with the top 16 finishers qualifying and playing a best of three knockout.

This resulted in CPL Hogan and SGT Dave Cole (also Air Force)

LAC Aaron Curran

THE Air Force only had one competi-tor in the race, but that’s all it took.

SQNLDR Fleur James won the Masters women’s half-marathon (21km) in the inaugural Dili City of Peace Marathon on June 20.

SQNLDR James, a member of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), which was well represented in the race, albeit with Army and Navy runners, crossed the finish line in 2hr 1min 09sec.

“My preparation was good but I went on ROCL (Recreational Out of Country Leave) two weeks prior to the race and only got back from Europe two days before the start,” she said.

“I was absolutely jetlagged and couldn’t sleep the night before.”

The lack of sleep was not helped by the fact that the runners took off from the start at 6.30am.

Dili is a tough ask for a marathon at any time of year due to its constant heat and humidity, and on the day of the race the weather, as usual, was hot and humid by mid-morning.

“I am going to try and sustain my fitness level and do some more of these types of runs in the future.”

Later that day, SQNLDR James was asked to come to the Presidential Palace for an official awards ceremo-ny attended by dignitaries, guests, winners and the President of East Timor, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta.

She was handed her medal on the front steps of the palace in front of hundreds of people and attending media.

The marathon was organised by Dr Ramos-Horta to promote tourism to the country with 50 ISF personnel taking part in the 42km full marathon, 21km half-marathon, 10km run and 5km run/walk.

Up to 1100 competitors took part as well.

East TimorEast Timormasterymastery

THEY’RE OFF: The runners go past onlookers in a blur of colour at the start of the marathon on Dili’s waterfront. Fifty International Stabilisation Force personnel competed.

OVERCOMING JETLAG: SQNLDR Fleur James on her way to winning the women’s masters section of the half-marathon and, inset, with her medal. Photos: LAC Aaron Curran

Cross-country win In a one-two finish for Air Force, SGT Lance Purdon beat home FLTLT Jason Keir in the male veteran 35-44 section at the Defence cross-country running cham-pionships in Canberra on June 18. LACW Brimlea Smyth, who has made her mark recently playing rugby for Air Force/Navy and the Australian Services Rugby Union team, finished third in the women’s open and SGT Suzanne Scragg finished third in the women’s veterans.

IN BRIEF

The master blaster strikes

playing off in the final. SGT Cole took out the first game and CPL Hogan tied it all up by winning the second.

In the third and final game, in the last frame, CPL Hogan needed a nine to win by a single pin and rolled an eight, thereby ending in a tie.

A single ball roll-off ensued and CPL Hogan scored a strike, while SGT Cole got a nine. So CPL Hogan was declared the winner.

The ADTBA National team: Robert Charles (APS), Brian Elrick (APS), Mark Jordan (APS), SGT Keiran Wyllie (Air Force), AC James Wood (Air Force), CPL Dave Hogan (Air Force), SGT Adrian Bennet (Air Force), SGT Paul Verrall (Air Force), SGT Dave Cole (Air Force), Maria Haw (APS), MAJ Arnell, FSGT Dennis Dillon, SGT Gordon Evans (Air Force), CPL Anthony Steuregger (Air Force), WO2 Ritchie, PTE Edwards, FSGT Brett Byers, WOFF Paul Logan, WO2 Harland and WO2 Thomas.

STRIKEFORCE: CPL Dave Hogan, left, and SGT Dave Cole ... their final came down to a roll-off.

Photo: PTE Gay Arnell

MAKING WAVES: CPL Nick Stirling, SGT Nathan Hill and WOFF Kevin Dransfield.

Photo: SQNLDR Nick Grey

Yachting close callAir Force sailors, led by CPL Graham Baxendale and SGT Ross MacDonald, made Navy work hard to win the ADF inter-service yachting champion-ships on Sydney Harbour in late May. Air Force was represented by nine sailors in three Elliot 6 sports boats – SQNLDR Stephen Foster, FLGOFF Alice Clayfield, WOFF Kevin Dransfield, SGT MacDonald, SGT Matt Hanley, SGT Nathan Hill, CPL Baxendale, CPL Sam Bessel and CPL Nick Stirling. The championship was contested over a series of 10 short races of around 30 minutes which kept all boats close together and the racing intense.

Set for City2SurfDefence runners have been contesting it since 1991, so there is a long tradition with the City2Surf in Sydney. Last year 42 people ran as part of the Australian Defence Running and Athletics Association team and the call has gone out for more starter for this year’s race on August 8. If you are interested, send your name as soon as pos-sible (it’s a popular event with about 75,000 participants and entries close early) to luke.grattan@defence.gov.au

SP RTRTJuly 8, 2010

OUT OF OUT OF AFRICAAFRICA

Q: If you were contesting a half-marathon and thought there might be wild African animals lurking in the scrub, would you run faster?

A: Ask FLGOFF Linda Figgins who has just done it at Entabeni private game reserve.STORY, PAGE 25

When you gotta go, you gotta go – but that didn’t stop CPL Dean Cook from winning the Australian 100km championship

JUST HAPPY TO BE THERE: FLGOFF Linda Figgins takes a drink at the 3.5km mark and, left, some of the many photos she took on her trip.

Page 26

Meet the Master

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