AIRF RCEVol. 56, No. 16, August 28, 2014 The official newspaper of the Royal Australian Air Force

THANK YOUADF support to Operation Bring Them

Home comes to an end

CENTRE

ROLLING SUCCESS

The KC-30A Multi Role

Tanker Transport fleet

– Liftout

INVICTUS GAMES

Personnel prepare to represent

Australia at inaugural

games

– Page 25

An RAAF C-17A Globemaster carrying personnel and equipment arrives at Eindhoven Airfield in the Netherlands following a three-hour flight from Kharkiv International Airport in Ukraine. Photo: CPL Jake Sims

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RESPECT – EXCELLENCE – AGILITY – DEDICATION – INTEGRITY – TEAMWORKLiving the Air Force Values:

2 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FNews

Head Capability Transition – AF AVM Kym Osley retires this month after an Air Force career touch-ing four decades, CPL Max Bree reports.

Taking time to reflect

YEARS before he became an Air Vice Marshal, then FLTLT Kym Osley ran the gauntlet of Soviet air defenc-

es as a navigator in a US RF-4C Phantom while on exchange with the USAF during the Cold War.

“At night you had to fly on track plus or minus a mile along the East German border,” he says.

“The NATO maps carried the warn-ing that if you deviated more than a mile off track from approved low level routes near the border you could be shot down.

“The East Germans would often come up on the radio, and in very good English they’d say ‘you are off track by two miles’.

“Their intent was to trick you into turning towards the border so they could shoot you down.”

AVM Osley was flying with the USAF 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron that deployed to Europe from its home base in Texas, along with hundreds of other US military units, to test the Soviet military dur-ing a Cold War ‘Reforger’ Exercise in 1987.

This is just one of the memories AVM Osley will take into retirement.

His journey started in 1977 when he joined the RAAF and attended the RAAF Academy at Point Cook.

At the time, most RAAF Academy cadets undertook pilot training.

“I quickly demonstrated that it would be safer for both the RAAF and me if I made the transition to navigator training,” he says.

AVM Osley graduated as dux of 60 Navigator Course in 1982.

He was one of the first navigators to go directly to F-111s from naviga-tion course, and from 1982 to mid-1985, he flew with No. 1 Squadron.

At the age of 26, AVM Osley, his wife Debbie and their two children travelled to the US where AVM Osley flew on exchange with the USAF.

AVM Osley returned to Australia in 1988, and flew in reconnaissance RF-111Cs with No. 6 Squadron.

He coordinated the RAAF’s stra-tegic planning effort for several years before taking command of 1SQN in late 1997 where he led the initial F-111 deployment in support of INTERFET operations in East Timor in 1999.

“We eventually flew reconnais-sance missions along the border area and over key infrastructure in East Timor to assist in finding any residual militia forces or evidence of infrastruc-ture they had damaged,” he says.

“Each F-111 would photograph about 45-50 targets to document the destruction.

“East Timor taught me how quickly the strategic environment can change – one minute you’re flying in peacetime exercises in Australia and the next you are on alert for operations.”

In 1999, AVM Osley was posted to London as the Air Force Adviser with the RAF.

After attending the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies in 2002, AVM Osley became OC No. 82 Wing before being posted as Director General Capability and Plans within the Capability Development Group in Canberra.

He deployed to the Middle East in 2006-2007 as Director of the Coalition Air Operations Centre (CAOC).

“I ran day-to-day air operations over Iraq and Afghanistan, with a headquarters staff of more than 1000,” he says.

“The CAOC directed the efforts of about 25,000 coalition personnel operating more than 400 combat jets. We also directed the air combat forces of three coalition aircraft carriers.”

He was responsible for authorising airstrikes in Iraq and Afghanistan dur-ing the troop surges in both countries, with up to about 500 aircraft sorties a day.

“Air power in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations was the coali-tion forces’ decisive edge, and was able to rapidly and relatively incisively inflict a lot of damage on a fleeting and elusive enemy,” he says.

AVM Osley also had the opportu-nity to fly in several of the coalition aircraft on operations, including the B-1B bomber, F-18F fighter and Rivet Joint ISR aircraft.

He returned to Australia in 2007 to become Commander Air Combat Group, a first for a non-pilot.

He was promoted to air vice mar-shal the following year and posted as Head of Australian Defence Staff in Washington DC, before returning to Australia as Program Manager New Air Combat Capability in late 2010.

AVM Osley retired on August 28.

AVM Kym Osley with a model of the F-35 Lightning II; and as a flight lieutenant, inset. Main photo: CPL Max Bree

AVM Kym Osley regards government approval of the next tranche of 58 F-35s and the rollout of the first two Australian F-35 aircraft on July 24 as one of the bookends to his career.

The other, he says, was meet-ing the pioneering military pilot and Australia’s first Chief of the Air Staff, AIRMSHL Richard Williams (retd), at a ceremony at Point Cook after he joined the RAAF in 1977.

“It was both wonderful and hum-bling to meet the ‘Father of the RAAF’ – and to think that at the time Dickie Williams had personally seen the evolution from Boxkites to F-111s,” he says.

The F-35 involvement over the past 3½ years, he says, has been something of a rollercoaster ride.

“The international F-35 Program had significant challenges in 2010 – technical issues, schedule issues and cost overruns,” AVM Osley says.

“In 2011-2012 the US Defense

Department led a major restruc-ture of the program that largely addressed these issues, which has set the F-35 Program on a steady upward vector.”

He says the Australian JSF Integrated Project Team has worked tirelessly and steadily for years to achieve two great outcomes in 2014 – government approval of the next tranche of 58 F-35s, and the rollout of the first two Australian F-35 air-craft.

“One constant over my career has been the great people that I have had the privilege of working with in the RAAF,” he says.

“At all levels and over almost four decades, my overwhelming experi-ence has been of an organisation that is professional and who cares for its people – and a work environment characterised by trust and respect.

“I could not have asked for more.”

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3August 28, 2014RCEAIR F News

AN RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft has completed the most complex operational humanitarian air drop mis-

sion in more than a decade to save lives in northern Iraq.

The Hercules de tachment deployed to Joint Task Force 633 at Al Minhad Air Base as part of Operation Accordion, was rapidly reinforced with extra crews from No. 37 Squadron in response to a humanitarian crisis on Mt Sinjar in northern Iraq.

A group of civilians, most from the Yazidi minority, had fled to Mt Sinjar to escape attacks by terrorist organisation the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The mission on August 13 was planned and coordinated through JTF633 including the logistical efforts of RAAF’s Combat Support Unit-11, JTF633.2 (Air Component Command) and the Army’s 176 Air Dispatch Squadron, which deployed personnel to prepare the air cargo.

Deputy Commander JTF633 AIRCDRE Noel Derwort said meticulous planning had gone into the mission and he was not sur-prised by its success.

C-130J pilot SQNLDR Cameron Clark will never forget the night he assisted in delivering humanitarian aid to civilians stranded in northern Iraq.

XO No. 37 Squadron SQNLDR Clark praised the efforts of the air-crew and the wider Joint Task Force personnel.

“It was a challenging mission flown on night-vision goggles into a very congested air space, in what we expected would be a moderate threat environment, but for a very important mission,” he said.

“It was a four-hour transit until we reached our marshalling area with about 16 other aircraft includ-

ing ISR assets, close-air support and an airlift package comprising C-17s and C-130Hs from the US Air Force and C-130Js from the RAF and US.

“Mt Sinjar is a pretty impressive geological feature. As we overflew it on our run-in it was quite dark with no cultural lighting at all.

“As we approached the drop zone (DZ) we made a thorough scan for threats and also to ensure the area was clear so we didn’t injure the people we were trying to help.”

He said one of the most impres-sive experiences of his career was when he arrived at the C-130 Detachment for the mission brief prior to launch.

“It was late at night and the place was alive with activity,” SQNLDR Clark said.

“At first glance it looked like chaos, but when you examined it closely you could tell everyone was working methodically to a single purpose.

“The tactical situation on the mountain was very fluid and we were required to change our DZ at very late notice after we had com-menced our run-in. The thorough planning ensured that this became just a detail.

“It is unbelievably satisfying to complete a mission of this complex-ity in a threat environment.”

SGT Barney Hayward was performing observer duties as the augmented load-master when his two compatriots cut the restraining ties and sent 10 bundles of humanitarian aid, including water and bis-cuits, under parachute into the night sky.

“It was an absolute honour to be involved and it was a big relief when every-thing went out the back of the aircraft the way it should and seeing everybody’s hard work pay off,” he said.

“My job was easy. The whole base had worked their guts out getting the aid, packing the aircraft for us and planning the mission.

“In the end, all I had to do was walk to the aircraft, perform my normal in-flight duties and confirm good deployment of the chutes after the other two loadmasters had released the cargo over the ramp.

“It’s definitely a career highlight and I am very privileged to be given the oppor-tunity to participate in this mission.”

Mercy drop by HerculesAbove left, humanitarian aid cargo bound for Mt Sinjar in northern Iraq arrives at Al Minhad Air Base on a C-17A Globemaster; above right, the crew which made the drop, left from rear, LAC Samuel Watts, FLTLT Christopher Bassingthwaighte, FSGT Paul Ross, SQNLDR Cameron Clark, SGT Barney Hayward and FSGT Greg Milne. Photos: CPL Janine Fabre.

An RAAF Hercules was among 16 aircraft that dropped supplies to people trapped on Mt Sinjar in Iraq, LEUT Peter Croce reports. Satisfaction for job well done

Pilot will never forget mission

“The entire Joint Task Force had been focused on ensuring we could deliver critical humanitarian aid to the people stranded in northern Iraq,” he said.

“Not only did the Air Force, Navy and Army personnel from

JTF633 work together to produce a successful mission, we also achieved it while also balancing our need to support personnel in Afghanistan as well as coordinating a visit from the Prime Minister and CDF.

“The fact we could carry out all these tasks concurrently speaks volumes of the professionalism and skills of our people.”

The mission delivered 10 bun-dles of critical supplies to people trapped on Mt Sinjar by encircling ISIL forces.

The cargo included 150 boxes of high-energy biscuits and 340 boxes of bottled water – enough to sustain 3700 people for 24 hours.

The operational air drop was the first mass air delivery of humanitar-ian cargo since the outbreak of vio-lence in East Timor in 1999.

The Australian Hercules was one of a 16-aircraft package, including USAF C-17s and C-130Hs and a British C-130J, to respond to the humanitarian disaster.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and CDF ACM Mark Binskin inspected the loaded aircraft during a whistle-stop tour of the base.

An RAAF loadmaster watches the tail ramp of his blacked-out C-130J Hercules transport aircraft lower as the final approach is made through the night sky towards Mt Sinjar for the first airdrop of Australian aid.

SGT Barney Hayward examines paperwork as cargo is loaded.

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4 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FNews

CPL Mark Doran

TWO KA350 King Airs from No. 38 Squadron based at RAAF Base Townsville supported Army during Exercise Hamel 2014 from July 7 to August 1.

The squadron’s role during Army’s annual foundation warfighting exercise included surveillance and reconnaissance tasks for both the 3rd Combat Brigade and the opposition forces, which helped to create a realistic training environment.

Pilot FLGOFF Andrew Quaife, of 38SQN, said the twin-turboprop King Airs were used by many international air forces for intelligence, surveillance, tar-get acquisition and reconnaissance roles.

“Air Force doesn’t use them in that role currently, but we are able carry pas-sengers who can observe or take image-ry,” FLGOFF Quaife said.

“We can provide a lower configura-tion and can slow down and tilt on station to give the observers a closer look at the ground from different heights.

“Working with the 3rd Brigade increases their capability from only working with rotary-wing assets, because with our fixed-wing capability we can conduct reconnaissance without being heard or get down lower if required.”

Pilots from 38SQN regularly oper-ate with the 3rd Brigade, as well as the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland

Regiment, which conducts operational patrols across northern Queensland.

The King Airs often operate in Papua New Guinea, and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

Exercise Hamel was designed to assess and certify both the 6th Combat Support Brigade and 3rd Brigade force elements as ready to conduct future operations.

The exercise was conducted in Defence training areas, including the Townsville Field Training Area, and towns across north Queensland.

Close to 5000 personnel were involved in the 25-day exercise, including troops from the New Zealand Defence Force, US Army and US Marine Corps.

View from a King Air as it flies over the Townsville Field Training Area.

KA350 King Airs support annual Army exercise

SQNLDR Michael Ward and FLGOFF Andrew Quaife, of 38SQN, with a KA350 King Air during Exercise Hamel. Photos: CPL Mark Doran

LEUT Peter Croce

SQNLDR Robert Saunders says travelling around Afghanistan with the United Nations is very different to most ADF deployments in the Middle East Region, and he would recommend the experience to others.

The aeronautical engineer from Air Force’s Capability Development Group has returned home to Aus-tralia after seven months deployed on Operation Palate II as the staff officer to BRIG Bill Date, the Senior Military Adviser to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and OIC of the Military Advisory Unit.

He said the experience was something he would never forget.

“This has to be one of the best jobs for personnel deployed to Afghanistan simply because of the fascinating work that we do and the significant local engagement we get with the general public,” he said.

“Unlike people deployed to Operation Slipper, UN personnel aren’t confined to the bases such as in Kandahar and Kabul.”

He said the role also allowed him to see exactly how coalition and UN projects were positively af-fecting the people of Afghanistan.

“On a personal level, I learned a lot, saw a lot and got to see a

substantial portion of Afghanistan as a result of assisting BRIG Date and travelled on a range of coalition aircraft,” SQNLDR Saunders said.

“On the professional side, I was able to meet and be exposed to the work of three and four-star gener-als of a lot of foreign countries, which is something I would not get the chance to do back home.

“It was also a great experience to work alongside personnel from the Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

“I would have no hesitation throwing my hand up for a UN job again.”

UNAMA is a political mission established in 2002 by the UN Se-curity Council at the request of the Afghanistan government to assist it and its people lay the foundations for sustainable peace and develop-ment in the country.

In March 2014, the Secu-rity Council unanimously adopted resolution 2145 (2014), renewing UNAMA’s mandate and set out the scope and range of activities it must undertake as Afghanistan continues its political and security transition.

Two ADF officers are still serv-ing within the UNAMA Military Adviser Unit.

Deployment dream job

‘This has to be one of the best jobs for personnel deployed to Afghanistan.

– SQNLDR Robert Saunders

SQNLDR Robert Saunders on top of mountain overlooking Kabul while deployed to Operation Palate II.

LEUT Peter Croce

THE 14th rotation of the Heron Detachment at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan has handed over to a new team after five months deployed to Operation Slipper.

The transfer of authority from CO Rotation 14 WGCDR Matthew Bowers to CO Rotation 15 WGCDR Stephen Parsons was completed on August 1.

WGCDR Bowers said the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft and the 35 Australian personnel from Air Force, Navy and Army had maintained the capability’s strong reputation for professionalism and dependability during a busy deployment.

“The personnel on Rotation 14 have continued the highly profes-sional work of the rotations that have gone before them,” he said.

“The Australian capability has a fine reputation among our American

and other coalition partners here in ISAF as a result of our can-do atti-tude and the operation of this air-craft.

“From the first days supporting ISAF’s mission in Uruzgan, and continuing with support to Regional Command – South, Heron ensured commanders on the ground had the information they needed to enhance the protection of their troops.”

He said the Heron had excelled in its role to provide high-resolution intelligence, surveillance and recon-naissance.

WGCDR Bowers was award-ed a Bronze Star Medal from the Commanding General Regional Command – Sou th , MAJGEN Michael Bills, for his command of Heron.

“Sometimes we are the only unmanned aerial system flying in this region and we’ll be often called upon to get overhead and provide

information back to coalition part-ners,” he said.

“This Bronze Star Medal is in recognition of the outstanding per-formance of my professional team.”

Despite a heavy workload, Rotation 14 also raised more than $21,000 for Legacy from fundraising efforts.

The Heron mission was extended in December 2013 to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to ISAF Regional Command – South during the final transition of security responsibility to Afghan National Security Forces and April’s Afghan Presidential elec-tions.

The mission has subsequently been extended to support ISAF until the end of 2014.

More than 455 Air Force, Navy and Army personnel have deployed to Heron during its 14 rotations to Operation Slipper.

Latest rotation

WGCDR Phillip Parsons (left) signs the transfer of authority with WGCDR Matthew Bowers at Kandahar Airfield. Photo: CPL Janine Fabre

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August 28, 2014RCEAIR F News 5

WO2 Andrew Hetherington

AIRMEN and airwomen commemo-rating 100 years of World War I in 2014 are continuing to give back to Red Cross Australia, also marking its centenary this year, by participating in the sixth Red Cross Defence Blood Challenge.

Red Cross Australia was formed on August 13, 1914, nine days after the outbreak of WWI, to help Australian personnel deploying to fight overseas.

At the blood challenge launch at ADFA on August 15, Australian Red Cross Blood Service CEO Jennifer Williams said the contribution made yearly by ADF personnel to her organ-isation was enormously important.

“Throughout the year ADF person-nel are good donors, but during the period of the blood challenge we get a record number of donations from across the organisation,” she said.

“The challenge begins each year at a time when we are usually low on blood and blood product stocks in late winter.

“Without donations of whole blood, platelets, plasma or bone mar-row from people and their families, we cannot help people who need the products.”

Air Force’s Blood Challenge Ambassador this year is WGCDR Joe Medved, of the C-27J acquisition pro-ject.

He decided to become an ambas-

sador because of his son’s need for blood product.

“My son has an immune deficien-cy and for him to fight infections he needs to receive plasma product infu-sions each month,” WGCDR Medved said.

“It’s hard for him but it would be even harder for him if he did not receive the products.”

WGCDR Medved has made 30 donations over the past 10 years.

“I haven’t always been able to donate but my son’s condition has reinvigorated me to also become a regular plasma donor,” WGCDR Medved said.

“My advice for Air Force person-nel not sure about donating blood is it doesn’t hurt you.”

“If people are fit and able they should be donating.”

During the 2014 launch, awards were handed out to the winners and placegetters for achievements during the 2013 challenge.

A total of 4163 donations were received from Defence personnel. Air Force had the highest number of dona-tions per capita with 1087 and Army the highest overall donations at 1650.

CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown has issued a challenge to Air Force for this year’s donations to number “2014 in 2014”, while the Defence-wide target is 4500.

The challenge will run from September 1 to November 30.

Defence gets ready to give

WGCDR Joe Medved is Air Force’s 2014 Defence Blood Challenge Ambassador. Photo: CPL Matthew Bickerton

Make it count To register your donation

group preference, make sure you and your family visit www.donateblood.com.au/who-can-give/club-red/join-group and pledge your dona-tion to Air Force. To donate whole blood every

12 weeks or donate plasma or platelets every 2-3 weeks call the Red Cross Blood Service on 131 495 to make an appointment. For more information on the

Red Cross Blood Service visit www.donateblood.com.au

OFFCDT Alexandra Hendry

AEROMECHANICAL design engineer FLGOFF Jack Weeks knows that one bolt can be the difference between avia-tion safety and an accident.

He was awarded a Good Show Award for identifying an incorrectly fitted lock-wire on an Aircraft Research and Development (ARDU) FA-18A Classic Hornet.

Commander Aerospace Operational Support Group AIRCDRE Stephen Osborne presented the award on July 21 at RAAF Base Edinburgh.

FLGOFF Weeks, of Aerospace Systems Engineering Squadron (ASESQN), spotted the fault on the aircraft’s nose-wheel steering unit cover while escorting a work experience stu-dent around the ARDU hangar at RAAF Base Edinburgh.

He immediately reported the fault to the hangar technicians, who were able to fix the aircraft before its next flight.

CO ASESQN WGCDR James Blagg said FLGOFF Weeks’ technical knowl-edge and exceptional attention to detail in identifying and reporting the fault pre-vented a potential incident and reinforced the importance of vigilance within the ARDU maintenance environment.

“Jack’s detection of this fault was particularly impressive as he was busy escorting the work experience student and the lock-wire was partially covered by sealant,” WGCDR Blagg said.

“When Jack realised something was wrong, he took the initiative to follow correct procedure and report the incident within ARDU’s safety management sys-tem. In doing so, he prevented the fault from escalating into an aviation safety incident, thus protecting the lives of ARDU aircrew.”

AIRCDRE Osborne said FLGOFF Weeks’ actions were a credit to the standards of ASESQN and Development and Test Wing (DTWG).

Engineer’s good work recognised

FLGOFF Jack Weeks with his Good Show Award. Photo: CPL Nicci Freeman

“Jack’s actions exemplify the high level of diligence and professionalism that we have come to expect from our junior officers and airmen from both ASESQN and DTWG,” AIRCDRE Osborne said.

“He should be justifiably proud of his contribution to aviation safety in the RAAF.”

FLGOFF Weeks said his training at ADFA as well as his initial employment training gave him the necessary skills to perform his duty.

“It was great to be able to help out and to be recognised with this award, but at the end of the day I was just doing what any other engineer or technician would do in this situation,” FLGOFF Weeks said.

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6 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FNews

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MODERN surgical techniques – such as the ones taught at two courses in Sydney last month – are helping to drive down the odds of people dying from their war injuries.

In World War I, personnel had about a 66 per cent chance of dying from their wounds. This was down to 50 per cent by World War II and down further to 30 per cent for the Vietnam War.

The fatality rate is now down to about one in 10, according to the Director Air Force Health Reserve Queensland, GPCAPT David Scott.

He shared his first-hand knowl-edge during the Definitive Surgical Trauma Course (DSTC) and Military Anaesthetic (MILAN) courses held at Holsworthy and Liverpool Hospital from July 22-24.

“The MILAN course was set up in the early 1990s to help anaesthetists in the ADF who had never deployed to become familiar with the equipment they would deploy with,” GPCAPT Scott said.

“Over the years the concept has changed with the conflicts the ADF has been involved with. In the Middle East in particular the nature and inju-ry patterns were far more severe than what we saw in Bougainville, Solomon Islands and East Timor.

“The stuff we are teaching now is management of severely injured battle trauma patients. That differs from what people would normally see in their practice in anaesthesia and intensive care.”

One permanent and four reserve Air Force anaesthetists took part in the courses. This was the first time in Defence that these two courses have been run concurrently – and ADF Professor of Military Medicine and Surgery LTCOL Michael Reade said this seemed a logical evolution.

“When I took on this position it struck me that we would be a whole lot better off to have a combined training course,” he said.

“Not only would we get to know each other as individuals, but we would understand each other’s perspectives and how we operate so that when we come together and do this for real we are not meeting each other for the first time.

“The course we have designed includes sessions where we are all together in the same room and discuss-ing things on the same page then split-ting off into separate groups. This is the first time that Defence has done this.”

The main difference between the environment surgeons and anaesthe-tists work in here in Australia and when

FLTLT Rob Bishop, of RAAF Health Reserves, said he was fortunate to have done the Military Anaesthetic (MILAN) course for the second time.

“I did this course two years ago and it is a vastly different structure now,” he said.

As this was the first time the course was run concurrently with the Definitive Surgical Trauma Course, FLTLT Bishop said it was the first time the anaesthetists on MILAN had worked alongside sur-geons.

“This has been incredibly useful to get their perspective on trauma,” he said. “It’s been great for net-working and learning from everyone else’s experience.

“Overwhelmingly the great thing about these courses is I get to take this knowledge back to my civilian practice.”

CHILDREN of Vietnam veterans can now apply for funding assistance from the Long Tan Bursary Scheme to help with the cost of following their chosen career path.

The scheme is named after the Battle of Long Tan, fought by Australians during the Vietnam War.

Each bursary has a value of up to $9000 over three years to help cover costs such as enrolment, course fees and textbooks.

This year, 41 students from across the country received bursa-ries which helped them to study a wide range of disciplines, including nursing and other health sciences through to education, commerce and law.

The scheme is administered by the Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust in partnership with Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Applications opened on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, August 18, and will close on October 31.

For more information or to apply, visit www.dva.gov.au/grants

AUSTRALIA’S current and former military personnel will benefit from funds raised by the RSL Bulimba Festival.

The festival will be held in Oxford St and Bulimba Memorial Park in Brisbane on August 31.

An initiative of the RSL Queensland Branch, the festival combines food, fashion and enter-tainment.

Australian band The Church will be the headline act on the main stage, the RAN Band will perform and military hardware will also be on display.

Entry is by gold coin donation, which will go to RSL services.

RSL (Qld Branch) CEO Chris McHugh said the money would help pay for services such as advice on entitlements, advocacy, financial assistance and low-cost and emer-gency housing.

“Without this support, our vet-erans in need are at risk of falling through society’s cracks,” he said.

“They’ve already given their ser-vice to our country, the very least we can do is help them when they need it most.”

For more information, visit www.bulimbafestival.com.au

FLTLT Rob Bishop, left, and CAPT Simon Collins work with the combat casualty simulant during the Definitive Surgical Trauma Course at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney. Photos: LS Jayson Tufrey

Shared surgical skills

WGCDR Kylie Hall works with LEUT Steve Grosser, left, and CAPT Sandy Zalstein with the combat casualty simulant during the course.

Applications now open for bursary

Festival to raise funds for RSL

deployed is the availability of resourc-es.

LTCOL Reade said they had what they needed in the field, but not a lot of it.

“Defence has improved in the past five years with new equipment giving us the tools we would expect in a civil-ian hospital,” he said. “In all of our teaching we are emphasising the need to conserve resources.

“For example, with blood products when we deploy we have a limit to the amount of blood we are able to trans-fuse.”

GPCAPT Scott said the most com-mon cause of injury in the Middle East was penetrating trauma.

“We don’t normally see this in Australia, but over there we have to manage these patients and manage them well,” he said.

“In two months in Tarin Kot I saw more gunshot wounds than I had seen in 20 years of private practice in Australia.

“Lots of soldiers’ lives have been saved by applying the new techniques, which are not generally practised in civilian practices.”

With the unfortunate inevitability of battlefield trauma almost guaranteed in one form or another, ADF person-nel can rest assured that Australian and coalition soldiers are in very capa-ble hands as a direct result of medical staff having completed the DSTC and MILAN courses.

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7August 28, 2014RCEAIR F News

FLTLT Cath Friend and CPL Max Bree

EVERY two years, Exercise Pitch Black creates an opportunity for the community to engage with Air Force.

For the greater Darwin community, an F/A-18F Super Hornet handling display was conducted as the sun set over Mindil Beach on August 14, and RAAF Base Darwin opened its gates to the public on August 16.

CO No. 13 Squadron WGCDR Wes Perrett said the open day allowed the commu-nity to get up close to the platforms they had seen and heard overhead during the exercise.

Exercise Pitch Black 14 was held from August 1-22, and involved more than 2300 personnel working largely from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal. Long-range mis-sions were also flown from RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, and Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific Island of Guam.

Exercise Director GPCAPT Micka Gray said from its origins as a small exercise held within the RAAF in 1981, Exercise Pitch Black had grown to become one of Australia’s most important regional engage-ment activities.

“We are extremely grateful to the local Northern Territory community for its contin-ued engagement and support of this exercise,” GPCAPT Gray said.

“It was tremendous for us to see more than 13,000 members of the public visit RAAF Base Darwin for the open day.”

WGCDR Perrett said participants also vis-ited local schools during the exercise.

“The offer of a visit to local schools by exercise participants was well received,” he said.

Pitch Black meets public

F/A-18 Hornet pilot FLTLT Shannon Murrihy shows his flying gear to children at the Nemarluk School; inset, members of the public swarm over RAAF Base Darwin’s flightline during the open day. Photos: CPL Max Bree and CPL David Said

“Nine schools and more than 1500 stu-dents appreciated the opportunity to find out a little more about the exercise and see someone face-to-face.”

Flight crews from Nos. 1, 3 and 75 Squadrons were among those to visit schools near RAAF Base Darwin to show off their gear, talk about the exercise and answer ques-tions about the world of Hornets and flying.

One of the schools was the Nemarluk School that caters for children with special needs.

Principal Lorraine Hodgson said the chil-dren tended to learn more from seeing people rather than just being told about something.

“Children who have special education needs hear a lot of things, but unless they see the people or things in real time they don’t get the opportunity for education which they really need,” she said. “Now they’ve had the

opportunity to meet people in uniform it helps them understand what’s going on in the world around them.”

Pilot FLTLT Shannon Murrihy, of 75SQN, spoke to the children on August 12.

“I liked some of their questions and how excited they were to get to see the gear we have and hear about what we do,” he said.

Ms Hodgson said the children would have heard about the jets flying around and could now relate them to uniformed people.

“Students here come from as far as Humpty Doo, so they come from all over the area and they’ll be hearing jets fly over or hearing their parents talk about them,” she said.

“Now they’ve got something to give them a better understanding about what’s going on.”

For full coverage of Exercise Pitch Black 14, see next edition’s special liftout.

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8 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FNews

CPL Nick Wiseman

WHILE most servicemen and women aspire for promotion throughout their careers, rarely do they fly past five ranks within the space of a morning tea – complete with their serving fam-ily members present.

Personnel capability specialist LACW Abby Green started work on August 7 as she would on any normal day, except she and her family knew this was the day that would change the course of her career.

During a small ceremony at Brindabella Park in Canberra, she commissioned to the rank of pilot officer, promoted by DGPERS-AF AIRCDRE Bob Rodgers.

With her new rank placed on to her shoulders by her proud brothers, Army SGT Andrew Green and Navy LEUT Matt Green, PLTOFF Green is now set to start her new career at the Officer Training School.

PLTOFF Green said she had always aspired to gaining a commission, how-ever, she had not planned on doing it this early in her career.

“A call for expressions of interest for the Airmen Access to the Academy Scheme came out last year,” she said.

“After speaking to some col-leagues, who are personnel capability officers, their advice was to go for it, and so I did.”

After completing the administrative requirements, PLTOFF Green pro-gressed through the selection boards and was recommended for the scheme,

THE Airmen Access to the Academy Scheme (AAAS) assists suitably qualified permanent Air Force airmen and women to be appointed as officers to undertake full-time degree studies at ADFA.

Expressions of interest are sought annually for specific officer specialisations to ensure a struc-tured flow of experience from air-men to officer ranks.

Applicants for appointment as officers under the AAAS must be at least a leading aircraftman/woman with a minimum of at least three performance appraisal reports.

Members appointed under the AAAS will complete their Initial Officer Training course before starting studies at the Academy, posted to the advanced students division.

Applications for appointment under the AAAS will normally be called by the Directorate of Personnel – Air Force (DP-AF) in November and December with Officer Selection Boards being conducted in March-April the fol-lowing year.

In addition to documentation required for direct commission, AAAS applicants will be required to provide confirmation from the University of NSW of meeting the entrance standard for the required degree associated with their cho-sen specialisation.

Full details will be provided in the expression of interest released by DP-AF later this year.

For further information, visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/raafweb/sites/DPAF/ComWeb.asp?page=1190780

which aims to assist junior ranks in attaining further education in specialist areas.

After her officer training is com-plete, PLTOFF Green will start the new year at ADFA to undertake a busi-ness degree over the next three years.

With a lot on her plate and some serious study ahead, PLTOFF Green said she couldn’t wait for the new adventure to begin.

“I have always enjoyed being in a training environment and I like new challenges,” she said.

“I was given the advice by one of my clerk/PCS instructors to always put my hand up for every opportunity – this has proven to be extremely good advice.”

Her parents, GPCAPT David Green and WGCDR Robyne Green, both of Air Force HQ, couldn’t be happier with their daughter’s decision and both

look forward to seeing her graduate later in the year.

With all their children in various branches of the ADF, WGCDR Green said it was exciting to see her daughter commission into a stream she herself is part of.

“It’s almost like I’m looking at myself 30 years ago,” she said.

“We’re extremely proud of her and know she will do very well.”

Family’s proud day

AS WGCDR Robyne Green and GPCAPT David Green look on, SGT Andrew Green and LEUT Matt Green place the new rank slides on their sister PLTOFF Abby Green’s uniform. Photo: CPL Nick Wiseman

HOW IT WORKS

9August 28, 2014RCEAIR F News

Lauren Norton

THE day that Globemaster loadmaster WOFF Wayne Silverman flew into the Netherlands in support of the second Malaysia Airlines disaster was the day he clocked up his 40th year of continu-ous service in the Air Force.

Despite occurring on such a sad occasion, he has many memories to draw on over such a long career.

“It’s one of the best jobs in the world, it really is, and I’m very lucky to have done it,” he said.

Some weeks earlier WOFF Silverman, of No. 36 Squadron, also reached the mark of 10,000 hours in the air.

He reached the milestone on a flight from RAAF Base Amberley to RAAF Base Pearce in support of operations in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

To mark the occasion, CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown presented him with a certificate at RAAF Base Amberley on July 10.

“I didn’t think about the first 9000 hours, you just get there,” WOFF Silverman said.

“It was when I reached about 9800 hours that I started getting excited about it.

“This means a lot to me and it means a lot to my kids, too – they’ll be very happy.”

WOFF Silverman spent 10 years as a supplier before remustering to load-master in 1984 after seeing crews work on helicopters, C-130s and B707s.

“I very inspired by what they did,” he said.

“I knew that becoming a load-master was what I wanted to do and felt it was the next logical step in my career.”

Since then he has flown on Iroquois and Black Hawk helicopters, H-type E-type and J-type Hercules, B707s and now C-17s.

WOFF Silverman said remustering was the best career decision he ever made.

“There have been so many memo-rable moments,” he said.

WOFF Wayne Silverman unloads cargo in Ukraine during Operation Bring Them Home; inset, receiving his certificate for 10,000 hours in the air from CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown.Photos: CPL Jake Sims and CPL Peter Borys

40 years in job he loves

CPL Aaron Curran

THE Vietnam War still had a year to run in 1974 when 17-year-old Geoff Jones joined the Air Force – and he is still serving

WOFF Jones, of the Directorate o f Defence Avia t ion and Ai r Force Safety, was presented with a Federa t ion Star a t Defence Establishment Fairbairn by DCAF AVM Leo Davies on August 11.

In a milestone for the Aircraft Surface Finishing (ASURFIN) trade, WOFF Jones became the first PAF ASURFIN to reach 40 years’ service.

“I felt honoured,” he said.“The Federation Star is something

I always wanted but never thought I would be able to achieve. Then the compulsory retirement age changed and that made me eligible.”

AVM Davies, who spoke at the presentation, said 40 years was a long time to do anything.

“His history on various platforms is significant,” AVM Davies said.

“He has had an impressive career and on behalf of the Air Force I con-gratulate him on 40 years of service.”

WOFF Jones’ parents were both in the Air Force and through them a career serving his country was all but sealed, culminating with his enlistment on March 4, 1974.

“I was a RAAF brat and proud of it,” he said.

“While my father was posted to RAAF Base Amberley, I joined the Air Force Cadets and liked it. I was proud that my father was in the Air Force and liked the idea of working on aircraft, and the lifestyle.”

While WOFF Jones’ postings are numerous the one that stands out for him was his role as the SNCOIC at No. 3 Squadron Aircraft Maintenance Section Corrosion Control Facility.

“I was the workshop manager and we had a great team there,” he said.

“Another one was during one of my two Exercise Longlook exchang-es where I managed to score a ramp ride on a RAF Chinook flying at 500 feet along the Thames River through London.”

During his long career, WOFF Jones has worked across a variety of aircraft from the C-130A to the Sabre, Dakota, Caribou and even a Sopwith Pup.

“The ASURFIN trade has changed significantly,” he said.

“Technologies in the aircraft coat-ing field has changed a lot, too. The skillsets now required to remove and apply the newer coatings are more technical than in the past.”

WOFF Jones names the DHC-4 Caribou as his favourite aircraft.

It’s been a fantastic journey

WOFF Geoff Jones with his Federation Star and, inset, at the presentation by DCAF AVM Leo Davies.Photos: CPL Aaron Curran

“Everyone says to me, ‘what has been the best aeroplane?’ but they’re all equal in their own right.

“We did great things in helicop-ters, we did great things in Hercs and we’re doing great things in this aeroplane.”

At the presentation, AIRMSHL Brown asked WOFF Silverman if he wanted to give the C-27J Spartan a go when it came into service.

“No, I like the C-17 – it’s a

loadmaster’s aeroplane,” WOFF Silverman said.

With two-and-a-half years to go until he retires, WOFF Silverman credits working with different aircraft types as something that has kept him engaged.

“Thirty years ago when I started flying around on helicopters it was the best thing in the world for me, it was just brilliant,” he said.

“That’s why my motivation’s still

there. I’ve kept my interest up by changing to different aircraft types, doing conversion courses and a lot of flying – it’s been great.”

WOFF Silverman has worked with many young officers who he has seen go on to carve out impressive careers.

“I used to fly with Angus Houston when he was a flight lieutenant and squadron leader back in Iroquois days,” he said. “Later, as CDF, he walked up to me in Afghanistan to

say g’day and knew my name and spoke about the old days, it was a great moment.”

Being people focused is the advice WOFF Silverman would give to any airman starting out.

“I’m a people person and I love looking after people,” he said.

“Service can take a toll on family, but this place has been fantastic for me – the family of the Air Force has helped me through a lot.”

“They were the trucks of the sky,” he said.

“Fly slow and land short. The Air Force is now very different to the one I joined. Technology has advanced, the world has changed and Defence has changed with it.”

WOFF Jones said Defence was an excellent career choice and he would encourage young people to jump on board and serve their country.

“It’s a fantastic journey and you will have a great time along the way,” he said.

“Do a good job at whatever you do, be respectful and treat people of all ranks as you would like to be treated.”

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11August 28, 2014RCEAIR F News

A NEW in-flight patient-care equip-ment system had its first test run when a medical team flew to Lord Howe Island in a No. 37 Squadron C-130J Hercules on July 14.

The 11-person team from No. 3 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (3AMES) at RAAF Base Richmond included medical and nursing offic-ers and advanced medical assistants, as well as CO AMES WGCDR Kathleen Pyne and XO AMES SQNLDR Paul McGinty.

3AMES recently acquired the Stretcher Bridge Intensive Care Ensemble (SBICE) and the flight provided the squadron with its first opportunity for training with the new system.

Due to the C-130J Hercules and C-17A Globemaster having two different AME suites, the SBICE is being introduced to update and standardise medical equipment across the two platforms.

The SBICE comprises a ventila-tor, suction unit, intravenous pumps, monitors and defibrillators.

Medical officer FLTLT Benedict Whalley said after preparing two dummy patients the team loaded up the C130-J and set off.

“During the flight, 3AMES per-sonnel were able to familiarise them-selves with the equipment and trou-bleshoot any issues that arose,” he said.

Test flight for medical gear

“Our squadron has a strong bond with 37SQN and an important his-tory in aeromedical evacuation of Defence members as well as human-itarian aid and disaster relief efforts.

“Through this mission both squadrons were able to work and train together to further improve cur-rent and future capability.”

SQNLDR McGinty agreed the flight was a good opportunity to test the equipment and to familiarise 3AMES personnel with the kit.

“We looked at the implications of configuring it on the aircraft,” SQNLDR McGinty said.

“We managed to identify some issues and addressed them.”

The visit to Lord Howe Island was also used to present resident Clive Wilson with an honorary 37SQN Association membership in recognition of his loyal service and efforts over the past 50 years to the RAAF squadrons.

Eamon Hamilton

WHEN WOFF Stephen Bailey retires in December, he will take with him a special achievement – surpassing 10,000 flying hours.

After a two-year absence from fly-ing, he reached the milestone when he was part of the No. 37 Squadron crew that took a medical team to Lord Howe Island on July 14.

“Having accrued over 6800 hours in C-130s and 3200 hours on the Boeing 707s, it was great to be back in my office and crew that task,” WOFF Bailey said.

But it was a close-run thing.After a MEAO tour in 2012, he had

accrued 9997.2 flying hours – but faced a lengthy program of surgery after a serious accident.

During the surgery and rehabilita-tion, he was posted into a ground posi-tion as the Executive Warrant Officer at the newly formed No. 35 Squadron.

On regaining his Individual Readiness currencies in 2014, WOFF Bailey was offered the chance to attach to 37SQN for the Lord Howe Island task on a C-130J.

The 10,000-hours achievement marks a pinnacle in his 37-year career.

WOFF Bailey, known to many as ‘Beetle’, began his RAAF journey as a supplier in 1977.

“I was working in Air Movements, and after loading the C-130s, always seemed to find myself watching the loadmasters do their cargo checks,” WOFF Bailey said.

“They would stand out the front of the aircraft on headset and intercom lead prior to clearing the propellers for the engine starts – they would give the

thumbs up to the ground crew and climb the forward stairs and close the crew door.

“After watching the aircraft take off, I always thought how fantastic it would be to become a loadmaster and crew a Hercules.”

He had joined the Air Force to see Australia, but a career as a loadmaster would allow him to see the world.

After serving out a three-year post-ing to Butterworth, WOFF Bailey submitted his application to become a loadmaster and began his training in January 1986.

“I have experienced so many career highlights including delivering flood and fire relief in Australia, provid-ing support to Pakistan following an earthquake, and flying replenishment to Papua New Guinea during famines,” WOFF Bailey said.

“I’ve had a tremendous career and the ‘anywhere, anytime’ attitude has always been my motto.”

WOFF Bailey has also deployed in response to civil unrest, government coups and on numerous tours of the Middle East.

The Lord Howe Island trip will be a special memory for him.

“I was humbled by the experience, and the fact that three pilots who I had deployed with in 2011/12 as co-pilots were now captains,” WOFF Bailey said.

“Being part of this crew was some-thing I will always remember.

“It’s been a great career and I have been privileged to have worked with some outstanding people.

“I have a huge respect for the aircraft technicians and support staff that allow the aircrew to fly missions on a service-able aircraft.”

Getting over the 10,000-hours line

WOFF Stephen Bailey, left, is congratulated by CO 37SQN WGCDR Darren Goldie after surpassing 10,000 flying hours.

CO 3AMES WGCDR Kathleen Pyne and XO 3AMES SQNLDR Paul McGinty monitor a simulated patient during a training mission to Lord Howe Island. Photos: CPL David Said

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MORE than 450 Defence person-nel joined players from the Canberra Raiders and members of the public on August 12 in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest three-legged race.

The event, part of the Canberra Corroboree, was held at Northbourne Oval in Canberra and was supported by Habitat Personnel Indigenous Employment and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

It was part of the National Rugby League’s ‘Close the Gap’ round,

which promoted the need to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, life expectancy, education and employment opportunities.

The attempt fell short of the world record of 649 pairs but the total of 543 pairs of runners was enough to claim the largest recorded three-legged race in the Southern Hemisphere.

The biggest Defence contingent came from Australian Defence Force Academy cadets and staff who paired up to take part.

The Air Force Balloon was partially inflated and the Air Force crest served as a backdrop to the event.

Deputy Director Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs – Air Force

WGCDR Michael Rowe said the event successfully promoted positive mes-sages.

He said the participation by Defence Force Recruiting, Australia’s Federation Guard and ADFA was a positive and very public show of Defence support for the cause.

“We can expect the event to be even bigger and better next year,” WGCDR Rowe said.

One of the participants was ADFA CO/Deputy Commandant GPCAPT John Davidson, who identifies as Aboriginal, and said he was proud of his undergraduates.

“We’ve raised the awareness on indigenous issues like employment and

reconciliation, which can only be good for their development as officers and as people,” he said.

“We’re trying to build officers of the future, we’re trying to build well-rounded people and good citizens before we make officers. Making them engage with concepts of diversity is very important for them.”

SGT Brad Traegar, of ADFA, said it was a great day.

“It’s important to support events like this so that we can show the community that we don’t just do our own thing,” he said.

“We actually get out and do commu-nity events, get involved and help out in any way that we can.”

12 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FNews

DEFENCE is an active participant in closing the gap initiatives through providing employment opportunities. This includes support such as the Indigenous Pre-Recruitment Course, a pro-gram that prepares indigenous Australians for a rewarding career in the military.

Defence also aims to maxim-ise employment opportunities by engaging indigenous busi-nesses through the Australian government-wide Indigenous Opportunities Policy.

For more information, see the Centre of Diversity Expertise at www.defence.gov.au/code/default.asp

Stepping out for causeADFA CO/Deputy Commandant GPCAPT John Davidson, left, was one of many who participated in the three-legged race to the backdrop of the Air Force Balloon; right, OFFCDT Nicolas Reynoldson hands a registration form for the race to Jessica Nickels at Northbourne Oval. Photos: LS Jayson Tufrey and LAC Michael Green

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THE Deployable Logis t i cs Information Systems Support Team (DLISST) works solidly behind the scenes to support logis-ticians, maintainers and engineers on operations.

The 87th DLISST returned to Australia on July 10 after a six-week deployment to the Middle East.

Members from three directo-rates within Logistics System Branch made up the team. They were MAJ Ash Nurick, WO1 William Roberts, WO1 Andrew Daniels, WO1 Stuart Todd, WO2 Keeh Bradfield, WO2 Craig Borserio and Air Force SGT Ben Whalan.

They deployed to support Operation Slipper to complete corporate governance responsibili-ties for the considerable amount of diverse inventory that has been required.

MAJ Nurick said the team conducted business process test-ing with all force elements, cre-ated stock-take plans, reviewed stock adjustments and optimised the Cargo Visibility System and Radio Frequency Identification infrastructure.

“While numbers in the Middle East have decreased, the change to three operations provided its own challenges to DLISST,” MAJ Nurick said.

Since 2002, DLISST has deployed to assist Joint Operations

Key support team

Command (JLC) and joint task forces to manage almost $3 billion of deployed inventory and assets.

The specialist team helps deployed forces to use the logistics information systems and their sup-porting processes.

This is of growing importance as the differences between an out-sourced national support base and operations in a warlike theatre can require different systems, process-

es and procedures because of their differing requirements.

Since formation, DLISST has created 19 Joint Operational Districts to assist with establish-ing 40 deployed networks. The DLISST is now part of the newly formed Logistics Systems Branch, which stood up on July 1 within JLC.

Director-General Logistics Sys tems Branch AIRCDRE

Stephen Winterton praised the work of the team.

“The DLISST have done an excellent job over of a number of years,” AIRCDRE Winterton said.

“They are part of the new Logistics Systems Branch, which brings together capability man-agement for logistics systems and logistics procedures from JLC, together with the business support elements from CIOG.”

RCEAIR F News 13

SGT Ben Whalan is the only RAAF member posted as a subject matter expert for the MILIS Maintenance Module (MMM).

He provides MMM support to all units in the national support base and on operations.

SGT Whalan participated in the latest Deploy-able Logistics Information Systems Support Team (DLISST) deployment as the maintenance team member.

He was able to use his 25 years’ experience as a ground support equipment fitter to provide advice and recommendations to maintenance staff in the MER.

“My primary task was to review all mainte-nance reporting aspects for a large range of land equipment that is spread across the MER,” SGT Whalan said.

“This required a broad understanding of many Army land equipments that most other RAAF personnel do not often have knowledge of.”

Most of SGT Whalan’s time spent in the Middle East was in the workshops reviewing documentation and mentoring the maintenance the staff. Where possible, SGT Whalan assisted in cleaning up MMM accounts by providing surge manning to close open technical inspections, work orders and update records on the specific workshop locations.

SGT Whalan said the deployment was ex-tremely rewarding.

“I was able to observe the deployment of maintenance units at a functional level and depart a location knowing I had provided real time as-sistance to the deployed workshop staff,” he said.

“The knowledge and experience I gained was invaluable in understanding the hardships and limitations maintenance units face while maintain-ing equipment in a deployed environment.

“The opportunity to deploy with DLISST is one all RAAF logistic staff, particularly ground support equipment fitters, should be asking for.”

Valuable role on deployment

(L-R) WO2 Craig Borserio, WO2 Keeh Bradfield, WO1 William Roberts, WO1 Andrew Daniels and RAAF SGT Ben Whalan in Kabul.

August 28, 2014

14 15RCEAIR F August 28, 2014Centrepiece

THE ADF’s initial support to Operation Bring Them Home came to a close on August 20.

The mission started on July 22, after the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine on July 17.

CDF ACM Mark Binskin said Defence had played a significant role in supporting the Dutch-led police mission to secure the crash site and recover victims and their personal effects.

“The mission required extensive planning and cooperation across multiple nations, organisations and time zones,” he said.

“Defence staff in the US, Europe and Australia worked long hours to successfully ensure Australian personnel and equipment moved rapidly into Europe and forward into Ukraine.”

Two RAAF C-17A Globemaster crews operating from Eindhoven led the ADF contribution.

“The aircrews and ground crews worked around the clock, loading caskets into the aircraft themselves before they transported victims from Ukraine to the Netherlands for for-mal identification,” ACM Binskin said.

“Additional RAAF aircraft flew support missions between Australia and the Netherlands, and head-quarters staff, logisticians, plan-ners, medical specialists, security personnel and other enabling staff in Australia and the Netherlands ensured that those in Ukraine had the resources and back-up needed to carry out this difficult task in a complex security environment.”

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and ACM Binskin paid a visit to the Netherlands earlier this month to thank Australian personnel deployed on Operation Bring Them Home.

They were accompanied by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus and the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, ACM Angus Houston (retd).

Mr Abbott and ACM Binskin also visited HQJOC in Canberra on August 15.

Mr Abbott spoke of their trip to Europe and the short notice tasking associated with Operation Bring Them Home.

“The thing that struck me and the thing that people should recog-nise is the ADF’s ability to deploy right around the globe at very short notice to do very important and nec-essary things,” Mr Abbott said.

“We put some 200 Australian Federal Police and more than 250 ADF personnel into Europe within a few days. Our ability to do that speaks volumes for our capacity, our commitment and our professional-ism.”

ACM Binskin said the ADF remained on standby to support the operation should it resume.

“I would like to formally acknowledge the contribution of the hundreds of ADF personnel, Defence civilians and Australian Government agency staff who unit-ed to support Australia’s response to the MH17 tragedy,” ACM Binskin said.

“I thank you for your efforts. Your work to date will allow us to bring these Australians home.”

Thank you for Bring Them Home

CPL Adrian Bradley and LACW Rachel Waters secure a new landing gear wheel on a C-17A Globemaster at RAF Brize Norton in Britain. Photo: SGT Ray Vance

WGCDR Paul Long chats with CDF ACM Mark Binskin at the residence of the Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands in The Hague. Photo: CPL Jake Sims

LAC Ying-Tai Li is thanked by Prime Minister Tony Abbott at Eindhoven Airfield during a visit to Australian personnel deployed to the Netherlands; inset, LAC Li loads cargo on board a C-17A Globemaster bound for Kharkiv International Airport in the Ukraine during Operation Bring Them Home. Photos: SGT Ray Vance and CPL Jake Sims

CPL Adam Hanrahan performs routine maintenance on a C-17A Globemaster engine at Eindhoven Airfield in the Netherlands. Photo: CPL Jake Sims

FLGOFF Bryn Mottershead on a C-17A during a maintenance visit to RAF Brize Norton in Britain during Operation Bring Them Home. Photo: SGT Ray Vance

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and CDF ACM Mark Binskin thank ADF personnel for supporting Operation Bring Them Home.

‘I thank you for your efforts. Your work to date will allow us to bring these Australians home.

– CDF ACM Mark Binskin

RAAF personnel join members of RAF’s No. 99 Squadron from the Boeing Global Spares team during a stopover in Britain. Photo: SGT Ray Vance

WOFF Brian Green welcomes Prime Minister Tony Abbott aboard a C-17A Globemaster at Eindhoven Airfield. Photo: SGT Ray Vance

Feature RCEAIR F August 28, 201416

AIR FORCE will be look-ing into space by 2016 after acquiring a C-Band Space Surveillance Radar.

Brought to Australia in June with the help of the US Air Force and a No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemaster, the radar is being installed at the remote Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt, north of Exmouth in Western Australia.

Planned and delivered by the Defence Materiel Organisation through project AIR3029 Phase 1, this is the first time that Air Force has operated such a capability.

Project manager Mike Carney says the radar will assist the devel-opment of a Space Situational Awareness capability in Australia and will strengthen the US global Space Surveillance Network’s ability to track space assets and debris.

“It will contribute to the global public good by making this informa-tion publicly available and providing satellite operators around the world with warnings of possible collisions between space objects,” he says.

This would reduce the danger posed by space debris.

The C-Band radar had been posi-tioned in Antigua in the Caribbean and used for telemetry tracking of space launches in Cape Canaveral, but when it was decommissioned by the US it was decided it could be adapted for space surveillance.

Mr Carney says the US Air Force was prepared to move it to Australia and set it up with local assistance.

“We bought all the construction materials and services, built a new building and an eight-metre high ped-estal for the radar to sit on as well,” he says.

Mr Carney says an existing build-ing was refurbished at the same time. In a bonus to the local economy, contracts were kept local whenever possible.

“It is a substantial structure,” he says.

“The radar weighs 60 tonnes and has a 10m-wide dish. It took two C-5 Galaxy aircraft and one 36SQN C-17 to get it here. Once on the ground at RAAF Base Learmonth, our air load teams took the equipment off.”

A 60-tonne radar used to assist with Cape Canaveral launches has been relocated from the Caribbean to Australia to help track objects in space, CPL Aaron Curran reports.

Reach for beyond the sky

Equipment for the space radar is unloaded from a USAF C-5 Galaxy by USAF and RAAF personnel.

US Air National Guard personnel were tasked with dismantling and cleaning the radar before its transpor-tation and construction in Exmouth.

“It was used as a training exercise for construction and engineering per-sonnel from the Air National Guard,” Mr Carney says.

“They were sent to Exmouth on a two-week rotational basis from all over the US.”

The building at the facility, which

was started in August 2013, was con-structed on schedule and completed in mid-June, and close to budget.

“We are looking at final opera-tional capability in May 2016,” Mr Carney says.

“It will then be operated remotely by No. 1 Radar and Surveillance Unit at RAAF Base Edinburgh.”

The radar is planned to operate, seven days a week. Raytheon will maintain it.

Owing to its previous employ-ment for telemetry tracking of space launches, new software is also being developed.

“Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory in the US is developing new software for the radar so it can operate in the sur-veillance role,” Mr Carney says.

“DMO have not done a project like this before. It’s a complicated project that is progressing very quickly.”

1. Construction work progresses on the building to house the pedestal and radar. 2. A USAF C-5 Galaxy at RAAF Base Learmonth. 3. The radar is put temporarily into a hangar. 4. The finished building and radar pedestal.

The C-Band Space Surveillance Radar is secured to its eight-metre pedestal.Photos: Defence Materiel Organisation

❶ ❷ ❸ ❹

HistoryRCEAIR F August 28, 2014 17

MORE than 215,000 men and women served in the RAAF and WRAAF during World War II. Some, like ‘Bluey’

Truscott and Clive ‘Killer’ Caldwell became well-known fighter aces, while David Shannon was to become one of the famous Dambusters.

Many others remained unsung heroes who answered the call to arms, did their duty and returned to civilian life when peace came.

One such person was Reg Davie, who died early this year.

On August 29, 1944, while serving as a RAAF pilot in the RAF Bomber Command’s No. 207 Squadron, FLGOFF Davie and the crew of his Avro Lancaster were tasked to conduct a mine-laying operation along a canal adjoining Königsberg in East Prussia.

Davie’s mission was not only haz-ardous, needing to be conducted at low level, but also required precision flying to ensure the mines were laid within a canal only 50 metres wide.

Along with two other Lancasters, Davie took off for Germany in the early evening to head for his target.

REG Davie was not the only RAAF member in the skies above Germany on August 29, 1944.

That night, 871 Bomber Command aircraft, many with RAAF crew members on board, con-ducted raids on Stettin, Königsberg, Berlin and Hamburg.

Of the aircraft in the air that night, five contain-ing RAAF members were shot down – with 14 Australians killed.

In one case, the body of a RAAF navigator killed in the air over Stettin was washed ashore in Sweden eight months after the raid.

Once over their target, Davie fol-lowed the other two Lancasters down to 500 feet and into an intensive barrage of anti-aircraft fire.

In short order, one Lancaster was shot down and another so badly dam-aged that it was forced to abandon its run on to the target.

This left Davie and his crew the sole focus of every anti-aircraft weapon and

searchlight in the area. With cool deter-mination and great precision, Davie flew the length of the canal and released three of his mines.

He then reversed his course and braved the gauntlet of fire once again, released the remaining three mines into the canal before finally turning for home.

It was not over.

As he was making for the coast the aircraft was attacked by a Ju-88 nightfighter, which knocked out two of the aircraft’s four engines before being driven off by the Lancaster’s tail gunner.

The Avro Lancaster, however, was badly damaged and barely controlla-ble, with the navigator having to lie on the floor and help control the rudder pedals.

As Air Force marks the centenary of military aviation in Australia this year, it’s worth remembering the many unheralded people who have passed through the service. RAAF Historian Martin James recounts the deeds of just one of the men who just did his duty against terrifying odds.

One of the unsung heroesBlack night for RAAF

Reg Davie and his crew. Photo: Office of Air Force History

Davie was only just able to get his crew back to Britain.

In recognition of his courage and great skill, Davie was awarded a DFC and was personally interviewed by the Air Officer Commanding Bomber Command, ACM Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris.

In April 1945, Davie was awarded a bar to his DFC in recognition of his continued leadership, courage and devo-tion to duty.

After the war, Davie left the Air Force only to return again in 1948 to fly the newly acquired four-engine Avro Lincoln bombers.

While participating in Operation Thor in 1949, Davie lost an engine on take-off from Schofields airfield near Sydney.

Undeterred, he calmly completed the nearly 800km flight to RAAF Base Amberley on three engines.

After experiencing flak, nightfight-ers and the loss of two engines during the war, the loss of a single engine in peacetime must have seemed almost routine.

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18 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FAir Force Improvement

A COMPUTER program called the Stocktake Binder developed by Air Force Training Group (AFTG) has done more than gain wide accept-ance across Air Force.

It is being implemented by Army and is in consideration for use by the Aerospace Systems Division within Defence Materiel Organisation.

The program was developed in April to manage AFTG’s stocktake program and provide greater vis-ibility of stocktake performance across Air Force.

The Stocktake Binder, run from within Microsoft Excel, provides transactional data to advanced users, while also providing middle and senior management summa-rised data to monitor and manage the stocktake program.

While the Military Integrated Logistics Information System (MILIS) provides good transaction-al detail, it requires users to have a detailed understanding of the stock-take business processes.

MILIS also lacks a single report that lets a unit to easily track stock-take progress against planned activities, or review the accuracy of stocktaking.

As a logistics business intelli-gence tool, the Stocktake Binder allows Air Force to monitor the progress and accuracy of stocktak-ing, as well as enabling the easy identification of problem areas.

The Stocktake Binder, in pro-viding additional functionality that is not available within MILIS, improves Air Force’s stocktake management.

Staff Officer Logistics at HQ AFTG WGCDR Sam Wakfer said the lack of robust logistics reports made it difficult to manage logis-

NO. 32 Squadron, which trains aircrew on the KA350 King Air, has used exper-tise from HQ Air Force Training Group’s Blended Learning Cell to assist in train-ees’ recall.

During training there are phases in aircraft and simulators used to demon-strate and train sequences, including starting the aircraft, conducting electri-cal checks and intercepting instrument landing systems.

Some of these training phases are only conducted once or twice before the curriculum moves on and it might be several weeks until the student is required to demonstrate these tasks again.

Often the student is unable to remember the sequences entirely, which can tie up valuable simulator and air-craft time as students reacquaint them-selves with the sequences.

To address the problem, 32SQN turned to the Blended Learning Cell at AFTG for an easy cost-effective solution to enhance learning.

In late May, Grant Burton, of the Blended Learning Cell, filmed a number of cockpit training sequences in the KA350 simulator at 32SQN.

Under the direction of OIC KA350 Simulator FLTLT Mike Oram, the film was edited into self-contained video sequences that can be used in class-room instruction, refresher training and remedial training.

“Access to the new locally based King Air simulator has given us the opportunity to explore innovative teaching methodologies on our Aircraft Conversion Courses,” FLTLT Oram said.

“In partnership with AFTG Blended Learning Cell, we are producing cockpit

procedures training videos that have enabled students to better prepare for their simulator and aircraft training sor-ties – allowing them to get maximum value out of every session.

“Some of the procedures are quite complex, and the old adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ certainly applies.”

Filming in the simulator took a mat-ter of hours and was preferable to using the real aircraft.

Utilising the simulator allowed all manner of flying configurations and environments to be quickly and easily replicated as the operator had full and instantaneous control over the operat-ing environment.

The first three sequences have been used for the first time on course and students are already seeing the benefits in being able to access this type of training in their own time.

The sequences are also being used in the classroom to replace static photo demonstrations.

It is clear that if a real-world situation can be demonstrated on real equipment, students do not have to conceptualise the procedures, and real equipment can be better utilised for other training purposes.

It is envisaged many more of these types of cockpit training videos will be made over the coming months for 32SQN to add to the work that has also been completed for No. 2 Flying Training School and No. 79 Squadron.

What has set this initiative apart is the use of the simulator for filming, which has proven to be incredibly cost effective.

Program fills a big need

Logistics officer FLGOFF Romana Bakay, of RAAF Base Point Cook, uses the Air Force Stocktake Binder to manage stocktake progress and review planned activities.

tics activities and provide accu-rate reports to Headquarters Air Command (HQAC).

“Every six months, HQAC seeks input from the Force Element Groups regarding the status and accuracy of stocktaking across Air Force as part of the Defence Audit and Risk Committee reporting,” he said.

“I found myself unable to pro-vide a complete and accurate report to HQAC based on the data avail-able in MILIS. With the develop-ment of the Stocktake Binder I now have precise visibility of stocktake progress and results across all lev-els in the FEG.”

To build the report, WGCDR Wakfer sought assistance from WOFF Wayne Jones, the resident HQAC subject-matter expert on stocktaking. WOFF Jones was also looking to build a better report.

“As someone working in a com-pliance and governance position, I was particularly interested in creat-ing an exception report that high-lighted anomalies in the stocktak-

ing data – in particular, overdue or incomplete stocktakes,” WOFF Jones said.

“The Stocktake Binder provides an easy mechanism to highlight these anomalies.”

The Stocktake Binder continues to evolve based on feedback from the logistics community.

WGCDR Wakfer said the initia-tive was only one example of what two people could do with access to a logistics Data Warehouse.

“If all logistics personnel could utilise the potential of a Data Warehouse, cost-effective in-house solutions could be delivered, ena-bling sound business decisions to be made on solid information,” he said.

“Consequently, an Enterprise Data Warehouse is required now in order to enable logistics person-nel to meet the challenges of the future.”

For more information, contact WGCDR Sam Wakfer at samuel.wakfer@defence.gov.au

The Air Force Stocktake Binder makes the job more efficient.

Squadron uses video to improve recall

Grant Burton films cockpit training sequences in the KA350 simulator.

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19August 28, 2014RCEAIR F New Horizon

WOFF Andrew Godwin

CHANGING bystander behaviour is one of the things being embraced by Air Combat Group commanders and supervisors as part of New Horizon.

Walking past a problem or not saying something because the people involved are not part of the chain of command is no longer an option.

CDR ACG AIRCDRE Tony Grady outlined what he expected in July last year when he issued his Behavioural Expectations.

“In the past, we have all seen and heard things that make us uncomfort-able, but have failed to act. No more,” he said.

Members are being held account-able not only for their own behaviour,

but also for acting appropriately when confronted with the unacceptable behaviour of others.

Embracing the idea that good lead-ership should be demonstrated at all levels, commanders in ACG expect and encourage members to show the moral courage to speak up for what is right – particularly when that is the hard thing to do rather than the popular thing to do.

AIRCDRE Grady said he expected people to intervene before ‘the wheels come off’, providing this could be done safely.

“Inaction is inexcusable, and in itself unacceptable behaviour,” he said.

AIRCDRE Grady reiterated this view to his senior enlisted leadership group at a recent ACG WOFF Forum.

The whole beachNew Horizon has been described

as ‘not just a line in the sand – it’s a whole new beach’.

This is certainly true of the approach that ACG commanders and supervisors are taking to reset stand-ards and drive change.

Many maintenance staff are dem-onstrating leadership initiative in main-tenance productivity reforms, which will fundamentally change the way that individuals exercise personal account-ability at work, maintain an absolute focus on safety and airworthiness, and improve the way their work effort opti-mises maintenance output.

In ACG Wing and Group head-quarters, roles and responsibilities

are undergoing reform to improve the way headquarters’ staff add value to generating and delivering Air Combat effects for our nation.

Director Air Combat Reform Nigel Thompson said it was encour-aging to see section staff within every ACG unit undertaking improvement activities in their everyday work.

“Over the last few years, the level of improvement participation among ACG staff has steadily grown to the point where it is now integral to our workplace culture,” Mr Thompson said.

This doesn’t mean that ACG is becoming a fun-free zone – far from it.

ACG remains a great place to work among a professional, dedicated and motivated team.

A posting to ACG can bring excit-ing opportunities to practice high-end warfighting against the best in the world in some amazing locations.

ACG is aiming to be known not only for achieving its mission with excellence, but also for providing a working environment that everyone enjoys and feels safe and respected in.

While only a small number of people might view New Horizon as a requirement to amend their own standards and behaviours, everyone has a role to play as a bystander and a leader.

When you step in and take action in a situation you can see going off the rails, you’re actually strengthening the team.

Walking past is no option

Members who witness unacceptable behaviour and fail to act will be held accountable.

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August 28, 2014RCEAIR F Personnel 21

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Who’s leaving after 20+ years’ service

NCODefence Force MagistrateOne charge of Prejudicial Conduct – DFDA s 60(1)The member was accused of making an inappropriate comment to another member. The member pleaded not guilty and was found guilty. The member forfeited senior-ity and was severely reprimanded.

Defence Force MagistrateTwo charges of Prejudicial Conduct – DFDA s 60(1)The member was accused of pretending to be another member when making certain enquiries. The member pleaded guilty and was found guilty on both charges. The member was reprimanded on both charges.

Other rankDefence Force MagistrateFifteen charges of misuse of Commonwealth Credit Card – DFDA s 61(3) and Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 s 60(1)One charge of Prejudicial Conduct – DFDA s 60(1)The member was accused of using a Defence Travel Card to obtain cash totalling $16,700 that the member was not entitled to receive. The member was accused of taking the Defence Travel Card after it had been confiscated. The member pleaded guilty to all charges and was found guilty of all. The member was sentenced to dismissal from the Defence Force; 10 periods of civil imprison-ment to be served concurrently, to be released after four months on a conditional good behaviour bond; and to pay reparations to the Commonwealth of $16,700.

All Court Martial and Defence Force Magistrate trial results are subject to command review and appeal. The results indicated are

of trials across the ADF.

JULY TRIAL RESULTSADF pay progress as views soughtTHE 2014 Workplace Remuneration Arrangement (2014 WRA) remains a key part of the Defence Employment Offer that provides a wide range of employment benefits.

Director Military Remuneration COL Brendan Stevens and his team continue to develop a WRA appropriate for the current environment.

“It has been great to see so much engagement in the process. I thank the many ADF members who contributed to the development of the 2014 WRA and made their views known. The ADF will continue to seek the views of members on remuneration matters,” COL Stevens said.

“The WRA is part of ADF’s strat-egy to ensure a strong workforce for the future and to ensure that we provide the best possible employment offer not only for our current personnel, but for

our future personnel, working towards a sustainable ADF workforce.

“The 2014 WRA will need to be an arrangement that reflects the current budgetary constraints.

“Specific details on the 2014 WRA proposals will be provided as soon as they are finalised and endorsed.”

The 2014 WRA pay case remains scheduled to be heard by the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal in October for implementation from November 4.

Relevant information and updates on the WRA and monthly newsletter is available on the ADF Pay and Conditions Website at www.defence.gov.au/dpe/pac and People Connect website at intranet.defence.gov.au/people/sites/peopleconnect/ComWeb.asp?Page=110472 Or access the information by scanning the QR code below with a smart phone.

RAAF Base East Sale units took time out from their busy schedules to partici-pate in the 2014 Half the Sky Physical Challenge.

The base closed down training for the day on July 25 for the event, which draws its name from a Chinese proverb that “women hold up half of the sky”.

CO No. 30 Squadron WGCDR Jim Svede said this year was the third time the challenge had been held.

“While there is a strong charity focus, the event aims to support Air Force values by promoting healthy lifestyles, teamwork and building a positive base-wide community,” he said.

The event raised more than $4000 for CARE Australia and the Bandung Street Children’s project in Indonesia.

Event coordinator CHAP Bruce Grey said he used members’ fondness for a physical challenge as a ‘hook’ to get them involved.

“As well as the physical benefits, the theme of ‘half the sky’ also serves to raise awareness of the contribution of women across the community and the issues affecting women, particularly in the developing world,” he said.

The challenge comprised three main elements: an online knowledge-based challenge, a series of individual physical challenges and “runway run”, as well as a team sports carnival.

“No unit can win on physical prow-

ess alone,” CHAP Grey said. “The short online multiple choice test also gave points to the winning unit.”

Participants had an information sheet to read and a short animation to watch, which raised awareness of the situation of women in the developing world and the contribution of women in Australia.

Central to the whole activity was a series of physical training lessons held in the weeks leading up to the chal-lenge, designed to promote healthy lifestyles when the days are short, cold and wet.

These also prepared participants for individual physical fitness challenges, which culminated in the 4.8km runway run and sports carnival.

Physical training instructors from 30SQN, FSGT Shane Woolley, SGT Andy Miller and CPL Bronwyn McCoy, organised the testing team sports car-nival consisting of battle PT, ball skills challenge, PTI challenge, novelty events race and a 100m sprint.

FSGT Woolley said it was great to see everyone get involved. “Everyone seemed to be really enjoying them-selves,” he said.

“People were highly aware of why we were doing the challenges and it was really well received.”

The winners of the runway run were PLTOFF Jordan Cowley, of School of Air Warfare, who completed

Sale gets into the spirit

Runners dash down the runway in one of main events of the Half the Sky Challenge: inset, teams work together during the ‘cannon’ event. Photos: PO Rick Prideaux

Photo: LS Jayson Tufrey

the distance in an impressive 16min 20sec, and LEUT Sarah McWilliam, of School of Air Warfare.

While the School of Air Warfare team emerged victorious at the sports carnival, FSGT Woolley said the outcome was not the important part of the day.

“It was about participation, raising awareness of situations women face in developing countries and raising money for charity,” he said.

“However, special mention should go to LAC Cameron Graham, of 30SQN, who held an impressive 10min 5sec plank during the individual chal-lenges.”

A screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s was held at the Roulette Cinema after the challenge to raise additional funds.

REMMKG_Q1NL_DEFENCE_A_0714

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23August 28, 2014RCEAIR F Finance

SCAMS target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels across Australia.

Most scams seem like gen-uine offers but are carefully designed to trick you into giving away your money or personal details.

Tactics scammers use�Making you feel obliged:

Scammers use persuasion and psychological tactics. Some might offer a gift to make you feel obliged.

�Pressuring you to get in before the offer ends: Terms like ‘last chance’ or ‘limited offer’ are often used to make you act fast. Scammers don’t want to give you any time to check if their offer is real before you commit.

�Getting to know you: Scammers know that if they develop a rela-tionship with you, you are more likely to go along with them. Some scammers access church or community groups so they can recruit new victims on the testimo-ny of others already in the scheme.

�Claiming to be profession-als: Scammers will say they are

approved by or associated with a reputable organisation or govern-ment agency to convince you of their legitimacy. They will also use slick brochures and websites to appear professional.

�Making persistent phone calls: Scammers can call you endlessly or try to keep you on the phone for a long time. As long as they can keep you talking you have not really said no.

What can you do? �Do your own checks: Always

do your own research on a com-pany before you deal with it. Seek independent professional or legal advice so you are not relying solely on the information the potential scammer gives you. You can check the company’s Australian financial services licence or Australian credit licence number by searching ASIC Connect’s Professional Registers. You can also check ASIC’s list of companies you should not deal with at https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/scams/companies-you-should-not-deal-with

�Ask the right questions: Ask the

person making you an offer for details of the company they rep-resent, its address and its licence number or ABN. If they avoid answering, the deal they are offer-ing is probably a scam. If they answer your questions, be cau-tious and do your own checks.

�Protect your personal informa-tion: Don’t give out any personal, banking or credit card information to anyone who makes contact with you.

�Reduce telemarketing calls: Put your name on the Do Not Call Register to remove your name from telemarketing phone lists.

Be on guard about every offer that is made to you. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

The best defence against scams is to hang up the phone, delete the email or destroy the letter if you think it looks even vaguely like a scam.

ASIC’s MoneySmart website at www.moneysmart.gov.au has more information about common types of scams, where to report them and what to do if you have been scammed.

Keep up your guard and be wary, says Australian Securities and Investments Commission chairman Greg Medcraft.

Don’t fall for a scam

Photo: LS Jayson Tufrey

Attention: Investment is subject to DHA’s lease terms and conditions of sale. Investors retain some responsibilities and risks. Prospective investors should seek independent advice. Refer to the Pay and Conditions Manual (PACMAN), Chapter 7 (7.2.18) for more information on your housing and rent entitlements.1. Rent may be subject to abatement in limited circumstances. 2. To be eligible for the discount, the purchaser must be an active member of the Australian Defence Force, including Reservist. The property must be purchased and settled by 31 December 2014.

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Purchase a DHA investment property between 1 July and 31 December 2014 and you’ll receive a $5,000 discount on your property purchase2.

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24 August 28, 2014RCEAIR FHealth

Back to weight loss basicsThinking of shedding some kilos? Kate Flinders gives helpful tips to ensure you understand the key principles.

Weight loss requires a long-term change in lifestyle. Photo: LS Jayson Tufrey

DITCH the diets. Going on a diet implies that at some point you are going to come off the diet.

This is not what weight management is about. Forget dieting; instead, start eating for your health. Eat foods that nourish your body, and make regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.

Follow these simple steps to improve your overall health and wellness:

Try to eat: A wide variety of nutritious

unprocessed foods in the right balance.

Lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrain cereals, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Moderate amounts of low fat dairy foods, lean meats and vegetarian alternatives.

Small amounts of foods high in saturated fat, added sugar and salt.

Control your overall food intake by choosing small to moderate food portions.

Drink plenty of water each day.

Forget the scales: Do not become obsessed with weighing or measuring yourself.

Think outside the square to measure your success:

Clothing — you notice your clothing fits more loosely

Energy — you have more energy throughout the day

Mood — you feel good about yourself and what you are achieving

Strength — you feel yourself getting physically stronger and having more endurance

Sensible weight loss rateFad weight-loss diets promising rapid loss of large amounts of weight do not work in the long-term. Also, rapid

weight-loss sets the body up to fight against this loss (because the body ‘thinks’ it is facing starvation), leading to unwanted muscle loss. Fad dieters usually regain the lost weight quite quickly (or end up weighing more).

Think about how long it has taken you to put the extra weight on. It will take time, effort and perseverance to lose it. A rate of weight loss of 1-4kg a month is appropriate.

No forbidden foodsDeprive yourself of something and you may end up wanting it even more. When you eventually succumb to temptation, you will probably eat more than you should. Guilt might stimulate further ‘comfort eating’, reinforcing the vicious cycle.

Rather, allow yourself to have the foods you want – just eat small amounts, and only occasionally. Develop a good relationship with the food you eat, not a love/hate relationship.

Behaviour change

Most people know what they should be doing to improve their health, but they don’t always act on this knowledge.

Changing behaviour is often difficult, even if you are strongly motivated. Your habits were probably set in place relatively early in life and have become ingrained over many years.

Think about why you want to change your behaviour; in particular, what the advantages are to you. Weigh up your choices and make a decision that benefits your health. If you keep making positive behaviour changes, over time you will replace negative health behaviours with ones that are better for your health.

You need to take responsibility for changing your behaviour. No one else can do it, only you.

Kate Flinders is an accredited dietitian and nutritionist

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25August 28, 2014RCEAIR F Sp rt

CPL Mark Doran

ExcitEmEnt is building for the team of 36 ADF and RSL athletes as they prepare to compete at the inau-gural invictus Games in London from September 10-14.

the invictus Games is an interna-tional adaptive multi-sport competition for current and former military person-nel who have been wounded, injured or become ill in service to their country.

this event is an initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Harry and is supported by the UK ministry of Defence and the Royal Foundation.

Participants will compete in ath-letics, archery, indoor rowing, power lifting, road cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.

the Australian contingent will join more than 400 athletes from 14 coun-tries, including Afghanistan, canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, iraq, italy, the netherlands, new Zealand, the US and the UK.

Athletes selected to represent Australia include three Air Force mem-bers, nine current and 18 former Army personnel, three serving and two former navy members and one former Royal marine.

Air Force Pti FSGt tony Benfer, of no. 23 Squadron, takes his fitness seriously.

He said he was very happy to be selected for the invictus Games and would be competing in all the swim-ming events, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.

“i am excited to compete with and against many military personnel who have all suffered and risen to the chal-lenge through adversity,” FSGt Benfer said.

Invictus means ‘unconquered’. It embodies the fighting spirit

of the wounded, injured and ill

serving and non-serving military personnel and

what these tenacious men

and women can achieve, post

injury.

Fighting spirit on show

“i’ve increased my training regime to twice-a-day six days-a-week with the hope that will be enough.

“it would be a highlight to meet Prince Harry, but just being a part of an ADF team is very special to me. if i come away with a medal, it will be the icing on the cake.”

FSGt Benfer received multiple injuries after a hit-and-run in 2007 including a below-knee amputation. He said there was nothing like a challenge through adversity.

“Sport has played a large part in my rehabilitation process,” he said.

“it is through sport i have been able to get off the couch and strive to do bet-ter in sport, family and life. if i can do it, so can anyone else.”

Breast cancer survivor SGt Lia Halsall, of 23SQn, will be competing

in the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m backstroke, swim relay team and seated volleyball.

She said she couldn’t believe her luck at being selected for the Australian team.

“i’d hoped i would make it but never in a million years did i think that i would. i’m just so honoured to be going,” she said.

“Being chosen to attend the invictus Games has given me the motivation to train and to push myself through all the discomfort and pain from my cancer surgery and treatment.

“it’s given me that competitive pas-sion that i’d lost since being diagnosed. it was just what i needed to bring me back to life.”

Aeronautical engineer SQnLDR Daniel Jeffery, of no. 81 Wing, will be

competing in the 4x100m relay, jave-lin, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and sitting volleyball.

He said being selected for the Games had driven him back to physi-cal exercise while recovering from PtSD, depression and anxiety after an Afghanistan deployment.

“the invictus Games has given me an immediate goal. it has been the impetus to give me the desire to throw myself fully into something,” he said.

“to test myself in unfamiliar sur-roundings and totally outside of my normal scope is something i am now ready for in my journey of recovery.

“it’s an amazing and awesome opportunity. if we can do our country and the ADF proud by collecting a few medals on the way then that will be a bonus.”

With the importance of family in the support and ongoing rehabilitation, Defence is supporting one family mem-ber to accompany each athlete during the invictus Games.

A key element of the Games is a recovery summit that will provide par-ticipating nations with the opportunity to discuss the support and management of wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women, to help further enhance health and rehabilitation support ser-vices. the invictus Games is an oppor-tunity for participants to focus on what they can achieve, celebrate their fight-ing spirit and encourage them to stay active when they return to their local communities.

For more information on the games, visit www.invictusgames.org

Michael Brooke

An AvionicS technician from RAAF Base Amberley is officially the third best pistol shot in the world – after his stunning success at the 11th international metallic Silhouette Shooting Union World championships in czech Republic.

cPL Scott Dawson placed third in the individual pistol competition and played a starring role to help the Australian team win the team champi-onships for the first time.

cPL Dawson, of no. 33 Squadron, clinched a bronze medal in the pro-duction match after a one-hour shoot off against 17 other shooters all tied on perfect scores of 40/40.

“With all of my matches added together i shot an aggregate of 143 out of a possible 160 and i scraped into third place overall in the world, nar-rowly beating a Frenchman by count back,” he said.

“it was a very nerve-racking expe-rience but knew i could do it.”

cPL Dawson said his individual success was outweighed by his role helping the Australian team win the gold medal.

“our team was the first Australian team to win at a world championship,” he said.

“our team score of 422/480 beat the reigning champions the French on 420/480 with Finland placing third with a score of 416.

“it was an amazing feeling to be apart of the first team to achieve this title and i hope Australia can keep up the good results in all forms of pistol shooting.”

nine teams put forward a team for the event while the overall competi-tion, held from July 9-29, involved shooters from 16 countries.

cPL Dawson said the competi-tion challenged him to shoot metallic shapes at distances of 50m to 200m, in

a variety of positions including stand-ing and creedmore.

“During the competition i shot some very respectable scores in the four matches,” he said.

“i started off shooting revolver freedom arms (357 magnum) to score 37 from a possible 40, at distances of 50, 100, 150 and 200m.”

cPL Dawson said the largest target at 200m for the hardest match unlim-ited was the shape of a bighorn ram made out of steel plate, which stood about 40cm tall and 50cm wide.

“i shot 38 out of 40 and after a shoot off at 200m with a shooter from Germany i won my first individual medal and received a bronze medal,” he said.

cPL Dawson said his next goal was to be selected to compete in France at the 2015 world cup, where he hopes to repeat the great results from czech Republic.

Pistol shooters’ world championship success

SGT Lia Halsall, top, SQNLDR Daniel Jeffery, above left, and FSGT Tony Benfer, above right, are the Air Force members of the Australian team preparing for the Invictus Games. Photos: David McClenaghan and CPL Melina Young

CPL Scott Dawson lines up a target.

26 August 28, 2014Sp rt

CAPT Dom Sander

ADFA officer cadets and midshipmen made a big splash on August 4.

With the support of hundreds of ADFA students and staff, competitors gave their all for their squadrons dur-ing the Academy’s annual swimming carnival.

Even though it was cold outside the atmosphere inside the pool was at boiling point with each team loudly cheering for their swimmers.

D Squadron came out on top, winning the swimming carnival tro-phy and retaining the title of CDF Squadron, which means that D Squadron is the leading squadron of ADFA for all sporting and academic categories.

Draco, the dragon-shaped mascot of D Squadron, became more and more animated as it became clear that D Squadron would take the title home.

OFFCDT Carly Jacobsen said she was thrilled to swim for D Squadron in the ADFA swimming carnival.

“We have been training so hard for this and I am so happy that our efforts have paid off,” she said.

Michael Brooke

SOME of AIR Force’s most dedicated runners completed the world’s biggest fun run from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach on August 10.

The runners were among 81,000 competitors in the 14km City2Surf.

Five Air Force and four Army competitors were part of the Australian Defence Running Athletics Association, which fin-ished third in the athletics/sports clubs category.

The Air Force runners in the team were WGCDR Tim Creevey (56min 7sec), of HQSRG, FLTLT Stephen Gibbins (54.32), of RAAF Base Richmond, FLGOFF Andy Lamond (58.02), of RAAF Base Amberley, WGCDR Mathew Green, of DMO, and OFFCDT Zoey Paisio (1:43.44), of RAAF Base Richmond.

WGCDR Creevey, who placed 681st overall and 121st in the 40-49 age group, was running in his first City2Surf and said his big-gest challenge was side-stepping around tens of thousands of slower runners just after the race started.

Other Air Force runners who competed included WGCDR Darryl Porter, of HQSRG, SQNLDR Anna Moorcroft, of DP-AF Canberra, SGT Teena Hill, of No. 26 Squadron, and WGCDR Louise DesJardins, of No. 41 Wing.

WGCDR Porter finished in 1:20.31.

“The City2Surf was the first of my two running goals and was intended to be a solid training run for the Sydney Half Marathon in September,” he said.

WGCDR Porter said many peo-ple warned him about Heartbreak Hill but he trained mostly for flat terrain.

“Consequently, Heartbreak Hill presented a fair challenge for a novice runner like myself, and after about a solid kilometre of constant uphill I was positive that every corner would be the last and then it would be all downhill from there, which only led to disap-pointment and continual thoughts like ‘Really? Another hill? Are you serious?’,” he said.

WGCDR Porter said overall the run went well and he managed to hold an average pace of 5.40 a kilometre.

Michael Brooke

THREE Air Force players were selected for national duties after the Australian Country Hockey Championships in Toowoomba from August 2-9.

The ADF Hockey Association fielded men’s and women’s teams and they acquitted themselves well against state teams.

Seven ADF players were select-ed in the Australian under-21 and senior national teams to compete in the Oceania Pacific Cup in Fiji in December, and in Malaysia next March.

They are SQNLDR Mark Ross, OFFCDT Nick Hill, LAC Chris Fazel, AB Dan Sekulich, OCDT Joe Huston, CPL Amy Smith and SIG Ali Burrell.

The ADF men’s hockey team, which finished third in the competition in Toowoomba, dedicated their cam-paign to the memory of CPL Ash Birt, a former ADF hockey player who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011.

Team coach GPCAPT Leon Phillips praised his squad.

“Every game we play we honour the memory of CPL Birt,” he said.

“Many of the current squad played with him and remember him well.”

ADF sneaked into the play-offs when FLTOFF Shaun Buckett scored against Western Australia in the 65th minute to secure a 1-1 draw.

The ADF lost 2-0 to NSW in a thrilling encounter, but rallied against Victoria to draw 2-2 and secure third place in the tournament.

OFFCDT Hill was one of the goal-scorers in that game.

GPCAPT Phillips said the Country Championship was a tough event for the ADF.

“With our modest population of just under 60,000 service personnel we compete against large country regions, such as NSW and Queensland, which have between 2-4 million people to draw from,” he said.

The ADF women’s team lost its play-off for fifth place to South Australia, which won 2-1.

The women had opened their cam-paign against the defending champions Queensland but lost 6-1.

Their next game, against South Australia, was a better result with PLTOFF Di Casey scoring in the 56th

OFFCDT Jacobsen said prepara-tions for the swimming carnival start-ed early with squadron trials.

“D Squadron got together to con-duct swimming trials and find out who would be best placed for the dif-ferent races,” she said.

“From there we got stuck into seri-ous training, which included every-

thing from starts to tumble turns, indi-vidual techniques and improvement of swimming fitness.”

For OFFCDT William Hoffman it all came down to teamwork.

“You can train as hard as you can but to win you have to learn how to work together as a team,” he said.

“The support and team cohesion

within the squadron was really helpful for all of the swimmers.”

OFFCDT Hoffman said the sup-port from the crowd was also just as important.

“You want your mates to cheer you on, especially when it comes to the finish and all the muscles in your body start to hurt,” he said.

Draco gets excited as D Squadron takes the fast lane

WGCDR Darryl Porter crosses the finish line. Photo: Marathon-Photos.com

Next stop, nationals

Above, mascot Draco the dragon cheers on his team at the ADFA swimming carnival; left, OFFCDT Emily Renshaw, representing Alpha squadron, powers down the pool. Photos: CPL Bill Solomou

and 69th minutes for a final score of 2-1. The women then lost to NSW 3-1, to Victoria 3-1 and to Western Australia 1-0.

Coach PO Daniel Knapp said his players performed extremely well in a very tough competition.

“The women’s team have improved

from last year pushing all other state teams in hard fought contests unfairly not reflected in the scores,” he said.

“The team had to adapt to new structures, players and coaching direc-tion, and the signs are very promising given the competitiveness in all games and rapid development.

“FLGOFF Casey was terrific for determination and goal-scoring under heavy marking and pressure.”

PO Knapp said the ADF women’s team was going through a rebuilding phase, and had five debutantes, includ-ing Air Force CPL Kelli Schneider, who played strongly.

City2Surf runners head for Bondi

Above, CPL Kelli Schneider strides away from her West Australian opponent; right, CPL Wade Ratcliff races down the wing pursued by West Australian players.

CPL Andrew Nash winds up for a shot at goal from a short corner against Western Australia. Photos: CPL Peter Borys

RCEAIR F

27August 28, 2014RCEAIR F Sp rt

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTSOverall ADF Champion Contingent➤ ArmyChampion Men’s Alpine Squad➤ Air Force (439.15 points)Champion Women’s Alpine Squad➤ Army (300.51 points)Champion Men’s Snowboard Squad➤ Army (853.50 points)Champion Women’s Snowboard Squad➤ Army (415 points)Men’s Individual Combined Ski Champion1. FLTLT Mark Kenworthy

2. LAC James Young3. AB Julian JaisWomen’s Individual Combined Ski Champion1. OCDT Elizabeth Lambert2. CPO Kerry Dickie3. CPL Kris RaynerMen’s Individual Combined Snowboard Champion1. CAPT Richard Keller2. PO Daniel McLean3. LTCOL James KerrWomen’s Individual Combined Snowboard Champion1. SQNLDR Amanda Gosling2. CAPT Katie Chapman3. LS Danni Humphries

SKIINGMen’s Giant Slalom1. FLTLT Mark Kenworthy2. SPR Toby Kubara3. LAC James YoungMen’s Slalom1. AB Julian Jais2. FLTLT Mark Kenworthy3. CMDR Phil RidgewayMen’s Ski Cross1. FLTLT Mark Kenworthy2. LAC James Young3. AB Julian JaisWomen’s Giant Slalom1. OCDT Elizabeth Lambert2. CPO Kerry Dickie3. CPL Kris Rayner

Women’s Slalom1. OCDT Elizabeth Lambert2. LCPL Zoey Pepper3. CPL Kris RaynerWomen’s Ski Cross1. OCDT Elizabeth Lambert2. MIDN Kate Millward3. CPL Kris Rayner

SNOWBOARDINGMen’s Parallel Giant Slalom1. CAPT Richard Keller2. FLTLT Rhys Brown3. LCPL Daniel RobinsonMen’s Snowboard Cross1. LTCOL James Kerr2. PO Daniel McClean3. SQNLDR Matt Daley

Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle1. PO Daniel McLean2. SPR Tim Vlastuin3. LS Benjamin Thompson

Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom1. SQNLDR Amanda Gosling2. CAPT Katie Chapman3. AB Louise Chittick

Women’s Snowboard Cross1. SQNLDR Amanda Gosling2. LS Danni Humphries3. LT Julie Lakotij

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle1. SQNLDR Amanda Gosling2. LS Danni Humphries3. LT Julie Lakotij

CPL Nick Wiseman

A TRIP to Europe gave LAC Kane Ricketts an edge during this year’s alpine sports competitions.

Alpine athletes from across the ADF travelled to Europe in January this year to hone their skills and gain expertise on the unforgiving European slopes.

LAC Ricketts, of 92 Wing, was one of the members to attend the five-week long training trip and said the money he put towards it was worth every cent.

“The whole time is about race training, four weeks in Austria, then France where we competed against the British,” he said.

“We even got to stay with and meet members of the Austrian army Mountain Warfare unit which was very interesting.”

With the five weeks spent solely on training, LAC Ricketts said he passed on the knowledge and skills to assist with the rest of his team in this year’s alpine sports competi-tion.

“I held some ski tuning sessions with the team and gate training that I picked up on the Europe trip,” he said.

“I’ve definitely improved a lot since and I hope what I passed on helped out.”

CPL Nick Wiseman

A first-time competitor and a very familiar face shared star-billing for Air force when the ADf’s alpine ath-letes thrashed it out at ADf Alpine snowsports Championships.

A total of 33 Air force, 32 Army and 28 Navy members competed in the championship at Perisher from August 10-14.

Although Army took out the championship, Air force put up a fight to the end.

the first-timer was fLtLt Mark Kenworthy who won the men’s ski championship and the familiar face was sQNLDr Amanda Gosling who was judged the women’s snowboard champion.

sQNLDr Gosling, of Defence force recruiting, has been prominent in ADf snow sports for a number of years and dominated the women’s snowboarding again this year, placing first in all three events.

“it’s been a tough competition this year but Air force is doing very well,” she said. “it’s the best snow i’ve seen in years – Army better watch out next year.”

sQNLDr Gosling added that it was great to see the women who vis-ited Europe earlier in the year for race training and to race against the British Combined services com-petitors, who were hot on her heels throughout the competition.

fLtLt Kenworthy won both the alpine giant slalom and ski cross and placed second in the alpine slalom.

He said he did not expect to do so, this being his first time in the compe-tition.

Hitting the slopes in style

“i have been skiing consistently over the past several years so i think that experience helped out in the races,” he said.

“i’m happy to see Air force going so well and everyone has shown improvement throughout the competi-tion.”

that improvement came from the

sessions in between and before races where expert staff from Perisher ran them through the courses they set for the competition to ensure everyone knew what to expect.

Air force also took out the men’s alpine squad championship with 439.15 points.

ski team captain CPL Bevan

Drew said it was the strongest Air force team in 10 years.

“the team has more depth this year and it’s been great to have more people released from units giving us a stronger team,” he said.

the weather throughout the week-long event was perfect, which is rare for the whole duration of an event.

Passing on new skills

FLTLT Mark Kenworthy completes the slalom course in second place. He later took out the men’s individual combined ski championship. Photos: LS Justin Brown

‘We’ve got a very solid and consistent team this year, all our riders are very capable.

– FLTLT Rhys Brown

FLTLT Rhys Brown catches some air during the slopestyle event; inset, SQNLDR Amanda Gosling after winning all three women’s snowboard events.

SP RTAugust 28, 2014

ALPINE AIRAir Force personnel impress at the ADF Alpine Snowsports Championships

PAGE 27

FLGOFF Mark Hannington catches some air during the slopestyle event; inset, Air Force Ski Captain CPL Bevan Drew. Photos: LS Justin Brown

ON TARGETPistol shooter CPL Scott Dawson ranks third in the world – Page 25

RCEAIR F August 28, 2014 KC-30A MRTT 1

ON A ROLEThe RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport

fleet is going from strength to strength

SPECIAL LIFTOUTA No. 33 Squadron KC-30A is prepared for departure at RAAF Base Darwin. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

RCEAIR FAugust 28, 20142 KC-30A MRTT RCEAIR F August 28, 2014 KC-30A MRTT 3

A CLEAR picture has emerged of the capability being deliv-ered by the KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport to Air

Force.Introduced into service with

No. 33 Squadron in mid-2011, the KC-30A achieved its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in February 2013, clearing the way for strategic transport missions.

IOC also allowed the KC-30A to use the aircraft’s hose-and-drogue refuelling system, put to recent effect during Exercises Cope North, Bersama Shield and Pitch Black.

But in recent months, 33SQN has begun to demonstrate the ability to adapt to its environment as it sustains tasking around the globe.

OC No. 86 Wing GPCAPT Guy Wilson said 33SQN had demonstrated its adaptability during runway works at RAAF Base Amberley – once in late-2013 and again in mid-2014 – which forced 33SQN to find a tempo-rary new home.

“The squadron has been deployed in Darwin during the runway works at Amberley, and from here they’ve been engaged in air-to-air refuelling exer-cises,” GPCAPT Wilson said.

“It’s convenient, as a lot of these exercises are located in the Darwin-Tindal region, and 33SQN is doing a lot of transport well beyond Darwin – domestically and internationally.”

One hurdle has been the number of aircraft available to 33SQN, with two KC-30As remaining in Europe to undergo development work.

This leaves three KC-30As in Australia, of which one aircraft will typically be undergoing scheduled maintenance or upgrades.

As 33SQN has grown in familiar-ity with the KC-30A, the aircraft has proven to be a reliable and capable aircraft.

“33SQN has, on average, two air-

Here, there, everywhere on reflection

A 33SQN KC-30A is checked by ground crew before leaving Andersen Air Base in Guam. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

An RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport and two C-17A Globemasters sit on the tarmac at Eindhoven Airfield in the Netherlands during Operation Bring Them Home. Photo: CPL Jake Sims

Captain SQNLDR Greg Ferguson, left, and co-pilot FLGOFF Nathan Dull are marshalled into a parking position at Andersen Air Base in Guam. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

craft to fly on any one day,” GPCAPT Wilson said.

“They’ve actually flown about 650 hours in the last two months, which is well above the aircraft average for its life time, which is a fantastic achieve-ment.

“With two aircraft and a full com-plement of people at the squadron, they really need to fly as much as possible.

“We’ve given them the opportunity to fly on any day of the week. We pre-fer to provide ADF tasking every day, but if there’s not tasking available then they’ll go training.”

Recently, 33SQN supported its second Exercise Pitch Black with the KC-30A, as well as delivered C-17A crews to the Netherlands to provide MH17 support.

Development work on the KC-30A also continues.

“We are progressively working through all the capability development of the aircraft so that we can perform its full role,” GPCAPT Wilson said.

“The main drive at the moment is to get the boom online. We have just completed very successful boom test-ing in Madrid at the end of July so now we just need to complete some more modification and maintenance

activities during the remainder of the year.”

The two KC-30As in Europe are undergoing development of the Advanced Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) with a resident team of RAAF engineers.

The ARBS extends from the KC-30A’s tail, and can transfer fuel to a receiver aircraft at 4500 litres a minute – three times faster than the hose-and-drogue refuelling pods.

The system is compatible with refuelling the C-17A, E-7A and other KC-30As.

In future, it will be used to refuel the P-8A Poseidon and, critically, the F-35A Lightning II.

The RAAF has had limited experi-ence in boom-refuelling in the past, largely as a receiver with aircraft such as the F-111C and E-7A.

To bring the ARBS online, Air Force needs to be satisfied it can be employed safely and effectively.

“Shortly we’ll go through the pro-cess of certification and preparation for an airworthiness board,” GPCAPT Wilson said.

“We need to sit [the Airworthiness Board] early next year to provide clearance to fly and use the boom with receivers.

“We expect that to happen in March and to have clearance to use the boom in April.”

The KC-30A was purchased for the Air Force to conduct refuelling operations in a modern battlespace. To do this successfully, a number of other systems on the aircraft still need to reach their maturity.

“The mission planning system still has some development to go, but it is coming along well,” GPCAPT Wilson said.

“We’re also fitting Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures, which should be fully operational from this time next year as well.”

‘33SQN has, on aver-age, two aircraft to fly on any one day ... we’ve given them the opportunity to fly on any day of the week. – GPCAPT Guy Wilson, OC No. 86 Wing

The KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport keeps stretching its wings, as Eamon Hamilton reports.

RAAF personnel board a KC-30A at Andersen Air Base in Guam. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

LAC Cody Schomberg, left, and CPL Cliff Brown help refuel a KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

5RCEAIR F August 28, 2014KC-30A MRTT4

PERFORMANCE records have been smashed by No. 33 Squadron with its KC-30A Multi Role Tanker

Transport.On May 30, a KC-30A flew a

training sortie of 14,500km from RAAF Base Darwin to Dallas in the US.

It is the furthest unrefuelled and non-stop distance travelled by an RAAF aircraft.

The KC-30A has also completed perhaps its most impressive refuel-ling sortie to date.

On May 22, the KC-30A left RAAF Base Darwin for an 11-hour round trip to refuel Super Hornets in Queensland and South Australia, and Classic Hornets in the Northern Territory.

Upon landing in Darwin, the KC-30A was turned around and conducted another three-hour refu-elling task near Tindal.

In June, a KC-30A deployed No. 37 Squadron personnel from Sydney to Anchorage for Exercise Red Flag Alaska, non-stop.

For the past two months, 33SQN has operated its KC-30As from

RAAF Base Darwin, as runway works at their home of RAAF Base Amberley are completed.

B-Flight Commander 33SQN SQNLDR Craig Whiting says the KC-30A’s full talents have been demonstrated while supporting mul-tiple exercises simultaneously.

“No. 81 and 82 Wing were provided with on-time refuelling for two weeks with a KC-30A that was departing from RAAF Base Darwin,” SQNLDR Whiting says.

“The missions were 100 per cent on time and demonstrated exceptional reliability, which in turn developed a greater level of confi-dence in the KC-30A as a maturing platform.”

Major planning considerations were not the aircraft’s capability, but rather crew endurance.

“The RAAF is learning that this is a truly multi-role aircraft with significant legs,” SQNLDR Whiting says.

“To that end, with careful coor-dination you can achieve two or even three completely different tasks with the one aircraft over the period of one day, if we start think-ing outside the square.”

Eamon Hamilton

FROM AN altitude of 39,000ft, the view from the cockpit of the KC-30A is a seemingly endless stretch of the Pacific Ocean.

It’s a recurring vista for No. 33 Squadron crews, who are building experience in operating the KC-30A to all corners of the Pacific – and beyond.

OC No. 86 Wing GPCAPT Guy Wilson says the nature of the KC-30A’s work takes it overseas perhaps more than any other aircraft in the RAAF inventory.

“The crews need to get used to flying over international boundaries, over long stretches of water, and flying into countries where the air traffic controllers might speak a different (first) language,” GPCAPT Wilson says.

“They need to practise flying in airspace where the procedures are different, the terrain is differ-ent, and through this practice, continue to build up the competence to go back to those places.”

In one example, 33SQN conducted flights between Australia, Guam and Japan between July 14-19.

These tasks are essential for helping foreign air forces to understand the support arrangements required for an aircraft like the KC-30A.

“In the future, we hope to operate with the other nations in our region, and in this case, par-ticularly Japan,” GPCAPT Wilson said.

“There’s quite a lot of American presence in Japan as well, so we are always expecting to work with them in the future, whether it be assisting them with transport or refuelling their fighters.”

One of the KC-30A pilots who had the oppor-tunity to fly to Japan was FLGOFF Nic Barnes, who has been with 33SQN for the past 18 months.

“We started off in Darwin and flew down to Sydney, to pick up a load of passengers, flew them up to Guam and dropped them off for a planning conference,” FLGOFF Barnes says.

“The next day, we flew up to Japan, where we were exercising the Status of Forces Agreement that the United Nations has with Japan.

“Today, we’re flying home from Japan, back to Darwin, where we’re currently operating from.”

The round trip, which covered more than

16,500km in three days, was standard work at 33SQN.

“Just in the last nine months or so, I’ve been to the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, Spain and main-land US a few times, and we’re coming back from Japan now,” FLGOFF Barnes says.

“The advantage of the KC-30A is that it’s a long-range aircraft. We can fly up to 16, 17, 18-hour missions, taking people and cargo all over the world.

“Plus all over Australia; flying domestically is a weekly occurrence for us.”

FLGOFF Barnes says ensuring the KC-30A can meet its strategic obligations means training to international destinations and, in particular, the US.

“The US is one of Australia’s major allies and they have a lot of resources and a lot of facilities across the Pacific that make operating the KC-30A a lot easier for us,” FLGOFF Barnes says.

“For example, they’ve got the bases in Guam, Japan and Hawaii that we can use to stage for our own operations and exercises.”

Opportunities to cooperate with the US come during visits to their bases as well as when work-ing alongside them during exercises.

Indeed, FLGOFF Barnes has flown to Guam before, during tanking missions for Exercise Cope North 2014.

“By working closely with the US, we can learn a lot from them and their tanker crews,” he says.

“They’ve been doing air-to-air refuelling on a much larger scale than us, for a much longer time than us.

“They’ve developed the tactics, techniques and procedures that are really useful for us, so that we don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel.”

Getting experience in planning and conducting these long-distance missions is essential to 33SQN.

“For an international mission like this, there are a few weeks of planning and forethought that has to go into it,” FLGOFF Barnes says.

“We need to make sure that we have the dip-lomatic clearances to fly through other country’s airspace, that we’ve got all the right approach charts and maps.

“Even down to accommodation sorted, cus-toms and immigrations; there’s a lot of things that we have to deal with on international trips that we don’t normally have to deal with.”

The sky’s the limit for the KC-30A as it shows just what it can do, says Eamon Hamilton.

Taking things to new limits

A KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport refuels two of 10 F/A-18A/B Hornets fly in a formation over the Northern Territory. Photo: FLTLT Michael Head

On May 22, a KC-30A left RAAF Base Darwin for an 11-hour round trip to refuel Super Hornets in Queensland and South Australia, and Classic Hornets in the Northern Territory.

An RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport sits on RAAF Base Darwin’s flightline next to a United Arab Emirates A330 MRTT during Exercise Pitch Black. Photo: CPL David Said

An RAAF KC-30A taxis its way out from the US Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam after Exercise RIMPAC 2014. Photo: LS Brenton Freind

‘The advantage of the KC-30A is that it’s a long-range aircraft. We can fly up to 16, 17, 18-hour missions, taking people and cargo all over the world.

– FLGOFF Nic Barnes, pilot

FLGOFF Nic Barnes conducts a pre-flight inspection on a General Electric CF6-80E1 turbofan, which powers the KC-30A, at Andersen Air Base in Guam.

Photo: CPL Mark Friend

Getting used to the view

RCEAIR FAugust 28, 20146 KC-30A MRTT RCEAIR F August 28, 2014 KC-30A MRTT 7

Eamon Hamilton

TRAINING flights to Japan have allowed No. 33 Squadron to exercise an international agreement whose origins are planted in the Korean War.

From July 15-18, a KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport from 33SQN conducted familiarisation flights to Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo.

Ordinarily, international tasking is pro-cessed through diplomatic channels between Australia and Japan.

This training task, however, was con-ducted under a separate Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

Commander of the United Nations Command – Rear at Yokota, GPCAPT Barbara Courtney, manages this SOFA.

“The Status of Forces Agreement was struck in 1954 following the armistice being brokered in the Republic of Korea,” GPCAPT Courtney said.

“It ensures that the United Nations Command could still keep a presence in Japan in order to provide logistics support if the armistice was ever broken.”

During the Korean War, bases in Japan were an important staging point for United Nations Command forces engaged in the conflict.

The contributing nations’ forces are called UN Command Sending States.

They include Australia as well as Canada, France, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Britain and US.

More than 60 years on, the SOFA remains in effect.

“UN Command Sending States are encouraged to send ships, aircraft and per-sonnel to any of the seven UN-designated bases in Japan under the United Nations flag,” GPCAPT Courtney said.

“By sending aircraft ships and personnel, Sending States are able to use the procedures which are necessary to conduct their missions during a contingency.

“These visits also exercise US forces to enhance their preparedness to support Sending State forces transiting through or operating out of Japan.”

During the visit by 33SQN to Yokota, the aircraft was supported by US-led services at the base, ranging from aircraft refuelling, security, customs and accommodation.

While Yokota is familiar with other large aircraft, such as US Air Force C-5 Galaxies and chartered Boeing 777s, the RAAF’s KC-30As are rare visitors.

“This training permits both sides to ensure that effective and well-understood proce-dures are in place in the event there were a future contingency in the Republic of Korea,” GPCAPT Courtney said.

The KC-30A’s visit to Yokota also allowed officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to tour the aircraft.

Should Australia need to aid other nations within the Asia Pacific, the KC-30A would allow the short-notice deployment of large numbers of personnel, being able to transport up to 270 passengers.

The aircraft also packs considerable range. The 5400km trip from RAAF Base Darwin to Yokota Air Base is a medium-sized hop for the aircraft, at six-and-a-half hours flying time.

“The KC-30A is a remarkable capabil-ity that provides agility, speed and range for Australia’s ability to deliver air power,” GPCAPT Courtney said.

“In that respect, should Australia ever choose to use the KC-30A as part of a contin-gency within the region, it’s really important that we are able to demonstrate the capability that the aircraft brings.

“It’s a capability that I think not only the RAAF should be proud of, but the Australian people should be proud of as well.”

RECENT tasking by No. 33 Squadron to Japan shares similarities and contrasts with RAAF transport flights to the country

nearly 70 years ago. The first opportunity for the

RAAF to travel to Japan came in late 1945, when a No. 38 Squadron Dakota took Australian journalists to Hiroshima soon after its bombing.

The task was led by SQNLDR John Balfe, who recounted in his memoir, …And Far From Home, that the journey north took a week to complete.

They flew with six crew and 27 passengers from Archerfield in Brisbane to Darwin, then on to the Philippines where they stopped at Tacloban, Manila and Loag.

After a four-and-a-half hour flight from Load, they arrived in Okinawa before continuing on to Hiroshima.

It was an eerie sensation for the crew to arrive in a devastated country that they had been at war with only weeks before.

The journey from Brisbane to Hiroshima was perhaps one of the longest-distance RAAF transport tasks of its time, but soon evolved into a matter of practice.

Throughout late 1945, Nos. 34, 35, 36 and 38 Squadrons conducted missions from Morotai in Indonesia to Japan, and the post-war recovery period led to a regular Japan courier from Australia.

More than 5000 Australian personnel were sent to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan, which was supported by a RAAF Dakota courier service that flew a regular service from Australia to Japan by Nos. 35, 36 and 38 Squadrons.

It was a laborious journey for the Dakota, which would carry up to three tonnes of cargo, including mail and equipment, or up to 30 pas-sengers.

The Dakota lacked a weather radar, had an unpressurised cabin, and was limited in its performance due to its two Pratt and Whitney radial engines.

“If we left Schofields in the sum-mer, we met the north-west monsoon over the equatorial regions, the China Sea’s cyclones and Japan’s full winter blast of snow and ice,” SQNLDR Balfe recounted.

Fortunately, RAAF Dakota crews were able to draw upon a wealth of wartime flying experience, which ranged from airdropping cargo in the mountains of New Guinea, to hunting for U-Boats over the North Atlantic.

On one occasion, a Dakota crew received a clear weather forecast for an over-water trip from Okinawa to the Philippines, only to be forced back when a typhoon blocked the path.

As perilous as these conditions

could be, no Dakota was lost on the Japan courier run.

They travelled an impressive 8.5 million kilometres, carried 470 tonnes of cargo and transported 3583 passengers.

From early 1948, responsibility for these flights moved to Qantas Avro Lancastrian aircraft and later DC-4 airliners. RAAF Dakotas in Japan continued to support No. 81 Wing, and in 1948 formed a Communications Flight within No. 77 Squadron.

The outbreak of the Korean War led four Dakotas and crews from 38SQN to deploy to Japan in November 1950, joining two 77SQN Dakotas to form No. 30 Communication Unit. This unit was renamed No 36 Squadron in March 1953.

While 77SQN Mustangs – and later Meteors – fought in the Korean War, they were supported from Japan by RAAF Dakotas.

When the Dakotas returned to Australia in March 1955, they had carried more than 42,000 passengers, 2700 tonnes of cargo, including personnel and equipment, as well as returning Commonwealth Prisoners of War.

In 1954, a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was made between the Japanese government and nine United Nations signatory states.

The SOFA allows the use of seven American bases throughout Japan.

Even today, the SOFA remains in effect, and was exercised recently by a 33SQN KC-30A.

Much as how Australia’s relation-ship with Japan has changed since 1945, so too has the performance of RAAF’s transport.

In March 2011, 36SQN deployed three C-17A Globemasters to Japan from Australia in response to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and the resultant nuclear disaster.

In the space of two weeks, they carried 470 tonnes of cargo, with missions to deploy cargo and person-nel from Australia and throughout Japan.

In July 2014, 33SQN flew to Yokota Air Force Base near Tokyo to exercise the SOFA with Japan, and allow senior members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to visit the KC-30A.

For the KC-30A and C-17A, a trip from RAAF Base Darwin to Yokota Air Base takes a mere six-and-a-half hours, and crews can fly comfortably over much of the weather en route.

If required, the KC-30A could transport up to 270 passengers with no difficulty.

Alternatively, the KC-30A travel-ling non-stop from Darwin to Tokyo can transfer 50 tonnes of fuel to a receiver aircraft during the journey.

Wings over JapanIn 1945 it took a week to fly to Japan. Nearly 70 years later, we can get there in less than 7 hours. Eamon Hamilton looks at how fast we’ve become.

Korean War agreement paves way for flights

Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain, from the window of an RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

A US Air Force C-130H Hercules flies over an RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft at Yokota Air Base in Japan. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

An RAAF Dakota flies over the Japanese coast en route to Korea during the Korean War.

OC No. 86 Wing GPCAPT Guy Wilson takes LTGEN Nakashima (third from left), of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, on a tour of a KC-30A at Yokota Air Base. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

Mount Fuji, as seen from a No. 38 Squadron Dakota (A65-78), during a task to Japan circa 1947.Image courtesy of SQNLDR John Balfe, from his memoir.

Commander United Nations Command – Rear GPCAPT Barbara Courtney and Deputy Commander MAJ Edith Miller, of the Royal Canadian Air Force, at Yokota Air Base in Japan in front of an RAAF KC-30A. Photo: CPL Mark Friend

RCEAIR FAugust 28, 20148 KC-30A MRTT

Eamon Hamilton

IN A rare exchange, a No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemaster trans-ported several KC-30A air-to-air refuelling (AAR) system components between Australia and Spain, and then back again.

The ‘swap’, conducted in Madrid from July 28-31, was organised by Air Mobility Group units working with Defence Material Organisation and industry counterparts.

FLGOFF Dawson Schuck, an engineer who until recently was attached to the RAAF/DMO team in Madrid, said the C-17A mission was to exchange in-service refuelling equipment for newly modified items from two RAAF KC-30A aircraft currently in Spain.

“The C-17A has delivered an in-service AAR boom and two in-service AAR pods to the Airbus Defence and Space KC-30A produc-tion facility in Madrid,” FLGOFF Schuck said.

“These items will be inducted into a retrofit program in Spain, which will provide greatly improved func-tionality and reliability.

“A modified AAR boom and two modified AAR pods, which have already been upgraded, have also been returned to Australia. These items will support progression towards achievement of the fleet’s Australian Military Type Certificate and service release.”

He said the boom and pods had a number of internal components modified during KC-30A develop-ment works.

“This suite of modifications

represents the most up-to-date con-figurations for both items,” FLGOFF Schuck said.

The overall swap will allow an RAAF KC-30A undergoing deeper-level maintenance in Brisbane to return to flight in the newly updated configuration.

The C-17A mission also carried a palletised cargo of upgraded spares, which will enable another set of AAR pods to be quickly modified by No. 33 Squadron, Northrop Grumman Integrated Defence Solutions and Cobham Mission Equipment person-nel in Australia.

The upgraded AAR pod configu-ration will be quickly put to use to enhance the existing KC-30A hose and drogue refuelling capability, which refuels F/A-18 Classic and Super Hornets.

The AAR boom has not yet been introduced into RAAF service, how-ever, the newly modified boom has been sent to Australia as an important step forward in this capability reali-sation.

The upgraded AAR boom will ‘seed’ an overall upgrade program that will introduce the boom capabil-ity in early 2015. All of Air Force’s KC-30A AAR booms will be modi-fied in Spain.

The C-17A mission also takes full advantage of the KC-30A mainte-nance program to install the modified AAR systems on the aircraft.

Transportation of the remaining AAR booms to and from Spain will be conducted via civil air and sea freight even though all aircraft-level removal and installation works will be conducted in Australia.

WHAT IT MEANSTHE delivery of the updated pod and boom equipment are another important step in the delivery of the full KC-30A capability.

Air Force introduced the KC-30A to ser-vice in mid-2011, but for much of 2014 two of the aircraft – A39-001 and A39-005 – have been at the Airbus Defence and Space facility at Getafe Air Base, near Madrid.

These aircraft have been undergoing a development, modification, test and evalu-ation program in collaboration with the Air to Air Refuelling Project Office.

Following completion of retrofit and deeper maintenance activities in Spain, the two KC-30As are expected to return to Australia by early 2015.

Redelivery of these two aircraft will complete the RAAF fleet of five KC-30A air-craft and be a significant step towards No. 33 Squadron’s start of air-to-air refuelling boom operations, which is expected in the second quarter of 2015.

Neither the AAR boom – which is about 11m long – nor the AAR pods are considered ‘outsized-loads’ for the C-17A to carry, as its internal cargo bay is 27m long.

However, FLGOFF Schuck said special care was required to bring the payload both on and off the C-17A.

“Significant work was under-taken by Air Movements Training and Development Unit to clear these loads, as well as trials by RAAF Mobile Air Load Teams,” he said.

This work has enabled the AAR pods, which were carried in trolleys, to be cleared for air lift on a range of RAAF transport aircraft.

In an unusual load configuration, the AAR boom and its container were mounted on top of three mil-

itary-size cargo pallets, which was also cleared for air lift.

These clearances will provide Air Mobility Group with flexibility to transport these AAR systems to support deployed KC-30A aircraft whenever required.

“Due to equipment restrictions at the Madrid facility, the C-17A cargo load also included a TALU roll on-off loading device,” FLGOFF Schuck said.

“Four personnel from the Amberley-based Mobile Air Load Team were also deployed via the C-17A to support the mission by unloading, conducting load swap and build-up activities in Madrid, and reloading the aircraft for the return journey to Australia.”

This task is an example of the cooperation between a number of Defence agencies and the contractors to progress the KC-30A capability development.

In conjunction with Air Mobility Group, the swap was managed by PA5402 Air to Air Refuelling Project Office, Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office, Northrop Grumman Integrated Defence Solutions and Airbus Defence and Space.

Airbus Defence and Space is the prime contractor for the KC-30A acquisition project, while NGIDS is the prime sustainment contractor for the aircraft that are already in service with 33SQN.

Delivering vital cargo

The KC-30A air-to-air boom and pods on the tarmac in Madrid after being transported from Australia by a C-17A Globemaster. Photos: Airbus Defence and Space

An RAAF C-17A Globemaster and KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport on the runway in Madrid.