AIRFVol. 53, No. 18, October 13, 2011 The official newspaper of the Royal Australian Air Force

RCERCE1

NEW NEW FRONTIERFRONTIER

BIG THREE MARK 95TH DOUBLE COMBAT FOR 77SQNP4-5INSIDE: P14-15

BRING IT ON, SAYS SHANNAN: LACW Shannan Turley, a military working dog handler from RAAF Base Amberley, says she is looking forward to the opportunity to go ‘outside the wire’ with her dog King once gender restrictions are removed from ADF service. Read her story on Page 2. Photo: LACW Kylie Gibson

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Gender restrictions to Gender restrictions to be lifted on all rolesbe lifted on all roles P2

2 October 13, 2011RCEAIR F

Editorial teamDirectorDavid Edlington: (02) 6265 4650david.edlington@defencenews.gov.au

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News

PEOPLE may have their doubts about women in combat but LACW Shan-nan Turley says bring it on.

The Amberley-based working dog handler took part in several focus groups during the research process for the new policy and said it was a “fantastic opportunity” for women in the ADF.

She said she was excited that there would be no restriction on her working with airfield defence guards in her role as a dog handler.

“At the moment I am concentrating on my job but I am excited that the ADF is opening to all opportunities for me and other female handlers to be able to work to the full extent possible with their dogs,” LACW Turley said.

She said no one should be prevented from serving in any ADF role providing there was no drop

in standard for the role. “Allowing females to be in any role if they can pass the criteria and maintain the high standards is a fantastic opportu-nity for all females wanting to serve in front-line roles.”

FSGT Paula Ivanovic, of HQ Joint Operations Command, said any initiative that increased options for women was welcomed but she didn’t expect it would make a significant change in the Air Force or wider ADF in the short term.

She has 21 years’ experience in the Air Force and is only the third woman of four to become a loadmaster.

FSGT Ivanovic has served on C-17s and C-130s and has deployed into Afghanistan and the challenge of pushing her own boundaries was very much a reason for remustering to a loadmaster.

But she said pursuing a com-

bat role would always be personal choice.

“Given the opportunity 10 years ago if that option was out there I feel I would have thought about it – it was something that I had won-dered whether I could have done [a combat role] if I had passed,” FSGT Ivanovic said.

But she said it was unlikely, based on her experience, the new policy would necessarily mean a lot of women would be attracted to those roles.

“There have been female load-masters since the first women broke ground in 1999,” she said.

“Opening that role hasn’t exactly drawn a bunch of women to join the military or become a loadmaster.

“I think it all comes down to the person, their character and what they want to be.”

LIFTING gender restrictions on combat roles was welcome news to Canberra-based LACW Brim-lea Smyth who has already made enquiries about remustering to an ‘adgie’.

A champion Air Force rugby player, LACW Smyth said she had sought advice and information from members already in the airfield defence guard (ADG) trade.

She said she loved being in the field environment and the physical challenges involved with front-line roles and if women could meet the criteria for the trade then they should have the opportunity.

LACW Smyth has previously served with Airbase Protection Flight at RAAF Base Williams as a reserv-ist but the idea of serving in a front-line role had not really occurred to her because of the restrictions.

She had enjoyed the opportunity to undertake combat training and training on various weapons and said the role of the ADG was under-valued.

“They [ADGs] are responsible for maintaining an active ground defence, air base defence, aircraft security operations and force gen-eration and sustainment,” she said.

“This involves extensive physical specialist ground defence force train-ing that females did not previously have the opportunity to take part in.

“Now the opportunity has arisen and females are allowed on the front-line and that opens up doors to the interest that I, and many other females in Defence, have in that area,” LACW Smyth said.

“I love being out in the field and the front-line environment.”

LACW Smyth said opinion from serving airfield defence personnel had been encouraging and at times cautionary about the type of role it was and the need for any person to able to adapt to the challenges and environment.

“We would have to adapt in that environment but I don’t expect to be given any leniency because I’m female. If that’s the role we want as a career then the expectation is to meet the standard required in the field,” she said.

For the time being she is still gathering information about the trade and working through the deci-sion.

But when asked she said there was no urgency at this point to become the first female ADG and said whoever that female was will be the person to change women in the front-line for the future of Defence.

“Obviously, this is only new and they are looking at implementing it over the next five years.

“I’ll just wait out and see how they are going to go about getting women involved in combat roles and what selection requirements end up being put in place to determine suitability,” she said.

Graham McBean

WOMEN will be eligible to serve in airfield defence roles within the next five years following the Government announcement on September 27 to re-move gender restrictions on service in the ADF.

Women will now be able to work in any position within the ADF including combat roles provided they have the ability to meet the demands of those roles.

The new policy will open up air-field defence guard and ground defence officer careers to women, if they meet the Air Force criteria for the job.

CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown said Air Force already prided itself on hav-ing the best people for the job regard-less of their gender.

“Our men and women already make a tremendous contribution across Air Force, both at home and on operations,” AIRMSHL Brown said.

“This will not change with the news that women will be able to apply as airfield defence guards and ground defence officers.

“We will continue to judge our people on their merits, skills and pro-fessionalism, not their gender – I wel-come the Government’s decision and support women who wish to apply for these categories.

A joint statement by Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon said the new policy would be introduced over a five-year implementation plan.

“It’s important that implementa-tion of this matter be done carefully, methodically and is done to ensure that the appropriate training and other opportunities are available to enable women to take up these positions if they so choose,” Mr Smith said.

“The first implementation report will come to the Government in the first quarter of next year.”

The new policy will remove gen-der restrictions on the remaining 7 per cent of ADF trades where women were excluded on the basis of gender.

This includes clearance divers for Navy and infantry, armour and artil-lery combat or frontline positions within the Army.

The statement by Mr Smith and Mr Snowdon said Defence would now draw on the experience gained from opening more positions to women over the past two decades to imple-ment the new policy.

Additional research will be under-taken to enable the implementation of the Government’s position.

Mr Snowdon said women had a long and proud history of service with the ADF.

“This decision is a positive step, enhancing equality among the men and women who proudly wear the uniform,” Mr Snowdon said.

“Defence is committed to creating a work environment where all person-nel are treated fairly and with respect

– developing the implementation plan is central to this.”

Mr Snowdon said work already started within DSTO in partnership with the University of Wollongong would ultimately determine the physi-

Green light for womenHoping to be an ‘adgie’

FOCUS GROUPS: LACW Shannan Turley with military working dog King. Photo: LACW Kylie Gibson

cal capacities required to do a particu-lar job.

“That’s how people will be judged – their physical and psychological capacity to do the work, not their gen-der,” he said.

“That will make a significant difference in opening up these trades to women and it will mean that in the future we may well see women leading, for example, infan-try companies.”

Bring opportunities on, says dog handler

ALREADY ENQUIRED: LACW Brimlea Smyth who loves being in the field environment. Photo: LAC Bill Solomou

21 YEARS: Loadmaster FSGT Paula Ivanovic during a mission into Afghanistan.

Photo: CPO Dave Connolly

FOCUS GROUPS: LACW

3 NewsOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

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ANOTHER ADF unit has returned safely to Australia following its successful six-month deployment to the MEAO.

Combat Support Unit rota-tion 5’s (CSU 5) 118 personnel arrived home on September 28.

They came from 41 separate units from across the three ser-vices.

CSU 5 was responsible for providing medical, transport, security and accommodation sup-port to more than 2500 Australian and ISAF personnel, who are operating at the Al Minhad Air Base (AMAB) in the United

Arab Emirates, as well as the Multinational Bases at Tarin Kot and Kandahar in Afghanistan.

The unit was also responsi-ble for arranging accommoda-tion and meals for more than 9000 personnel who transited through Al Minhad over the six-month period.

Unit CO WGCDR John Leo, of 395 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing at RAAF Base Amberley, said CSU 5 success-fully provided passenger and air-cargo-loading services, force protection for visiting dignitar-ies and medical services for all

Australian and ISAF agencies at AMAB.

“The unit was extremely effective in managing a large array of medical issues includ-ing the emergency treatment of patients requiring aero-medical evacuations,” WGCDR Leo said.

Despite working in tempera-tures which regularly exceeded 45 degrees Celsius, the commit-ment by the CSU 5 Air Load Team ensured that no mis-sions were delayed or cancelled because of air movement techni-cal deficiencies.

“ADF operat ions in the

MEAO are very high tempo, which is demonstrated by the fact that CSU 5 loaded more than 15,000 passengers and almost six million pounds of cargo dur-ing their rotation across three airfields of operation,” WGCDR Leo said.

“I am very proud of the team. They performed extreme-ly well under difficult circum-stances and I am pleased we were able to provide a range of services that Defence Force members from both Australia and Afghanistan rely on to do their jobs effectively.”

Making our F-111 history accessible

UP TO 13 F-111s are to be preserved under a deal announced by Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare on September 30.

Six of the aircraft will be preserved at RAAF Base Amberley (two aircraft), RAAF Museum Point Cook (two aircraft already delivered), RAAF Base Edinburgh (one aircraft already delivered) and RAAF Base Wagga (one aircraft).

In addition, up to seven F-111s will be made available on a loan arrangement to Australian air-craft museums and other historical organisations, after about four decades in front-line service.

After the retirement of the fleet in December last year, aircraft museums and historical organi-sations around the country expressed strong interest in acquiring and displaying an F-111.

Since then, Mr Clare said he had met museum operators around the country.

“They [the F-111s] could fly at 2½ times the speed of sound, and when they retired were still one of the fastest strike aircraft in the world,” Mr Clare said.

“I understand how important it is that as many Australians as possible have access to this piece of Australia’s aviation history.

“I have therefore decided that up to seven F-111s will be made available to Australian aircraft museums and other historical organisa-tions.”

The aircraft will be loaned to museums so that Defence can continue to manage the risk of hazardous material such as asbestos and the loan will be subject to a number of conditions to ensure the safe preservation of the aircraft.

It will need to be housed and exhibited in a completely enclosed facility with supervised controls to ensure members of the public are prevented from climbing into engine intakes and exhaust ducts, that there is limited, controlled and supervised access to the cockpit, public access to wheel wells and weapons bays is supervised and members of the public are prevented from open-ing any aircraft panels.

As the aircraft were produced in the US, organisations selected to display the aircraft will be subject to the approval of the US Government under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Interested organisations will be asked to respond to a Request for Offer, which will be released by Defence later this year.

SHINY AND NEW: Jason Clare and CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Brown inspect F-111 A8-113’s new paint work.

Photo: CPL Peter Borys

CSU 5 returns from the MEAO

JOB WELL DONE: Right, members of Combat Support Unit 5 at their final parade at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. During their six-month deployment, they loaded more than 15,000 passengers and almost six million pounds of cargo.

Photos: LEUT Alistair Tomlinson and PO Damian Pawlenko

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4 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FFNews

FLTLT Skye Smith

WHEN 2, 3 and 4SQNs celebrated their 95th anniversaries with a combined pa-rade and family day at RAAF Base Wil-liamtown on September 23, there was no prouder person than Commander Air Combat Group AIRCDRE Mel Hupfeld.

“RAAF Base Williamtown is proud of its rich and unique history as the home to three of the Air Force’s most distinguished units 95 years since they were formed,” AIRCDRE Hupfeld said.

Numbers 2, 3 and 4SQNs were formed between September 19 and October 16, 1916.

The three units were immediate-ly sent to England to train as Royal Flying Corps units and later deployed to France under the banner of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) in 1917.

AIRCDRE Hupfeld said the 95th anniversaries provided a unique

opportunity to celebrate the rich histories of the original AFC units.

Four AFC squadrons joined the British during WWI. 1SQN, now based at RAAF Base Amberley, flew against Turkish and German forces in the Middle East, while 2, 3 and 4SQNs served on the Western Front between September 1917 and November 1918.

The Australian airmen engaged in photographic reconnaissance, artillery spotting, strafing and bombing raids on enemy troops and positions, and air to air com-bat with German aircraft.

The leading scorer of the AFC was 24-year-old CAPT Harry Cobby from 4SQN who was credited with 29 aerial victories and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and

a Mention in Dispatches.“These decorated squadrons have

gone on to serve in a variety of roles since the inception of military avia-tion in Australia and continue to serve with a great sense of pride today,” AIRCDRE Hupfeld said.

Proud dayProud day

TRADITION: With a Canberra Bomber as the backdrop, the Colours of 3SQN are marched into position during the parade for the 95th anniversary of the formation of 2, 3 and 4SQNs. Photos: LAC Craig Barrett

MAN TO LOOK UP TO: The oldest living member of 3SQN Tom Russell at the anniversary celebrations.

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5NewsOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

Remember the fallen: care for the living

Legacy would like to thank the sponsors of the 2011 John Holland Defence Charity Ball held on Saturday 10th of September. With your support Legacy can continue to care for the widows and young families of our deceased veterans.

Thank You

RETIRED AIRMSHL Jake Newham, former Chief of Air Force and former CO 3SQN, spoke poignantly about the three historic squadrons and what they achieved in years gone by.

“These distinguished squadrons are what they are today because of the aircrew who have served in times of war, but also the maintain-ers and support personnel who make sure the pilots have planes to fly safely,” he said.

“It is inspiring to see that the heritage and traditions of these three squadrons are still upheld 95 years since they were formed.”

He also remarked on the ‘‘unbe-lievable’’ quantum leaps in technol-ogy and capability made since he was first instructed in a Tiger Moth.

‘‘The weapons themselves are not old-fashioned bombs that you drop and hope for the best,’’ AIRMSHL Newham said.

During his early years, he said 100 bombers could be sent in to destroy a bridge and still miss it, whereas today a single plane could be relied on to take it out.

for revered squadronsOver the past 95 years the three

units have served with distinction in times of peace and conflict. They have fought in some of the most dangerous battles in wartime history including operational service in the Pacific, Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Today, 4SQN has personnel deployed on operations perform-ing Combat Control duties with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan.

Numbers 2, 3 and 4SQNs are resi-dent at Williamtown, operating in the roles of airborne surveillance and con-trol, fighter combat, combat control and joint terminal attack control.

Air Force’s diverse history was on display at Williamtown with a 2SQN Wedgetail, 3SQN F/A-18s and a 4SQN PC-9 on the flightline alongside warbirds, including a Tiger Moth, Boomerang, Sabre and Mirage.

Families, veterans and members took in the afternoon’s aerial displays including a solo Hawk display from 76SQN, solo Hornet display from 2 Operational Conversion Unit and a four-ship formation display by 3SQN’s Purple Cobra Hornet display team.

Thomas Russell , the 3SQN Association honorary president, recited the ode during the parade while the chaplain provided an invocation that reminded everyone in attendance that we still have per-sonnel on operations, with 4SQN Combat Controllers and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers serving in Afghanistan.

AERIAL TRIBUTE: A trio of F/A-18s fly over the combined 2, 3 and 4SQNs parade held to celebrate the 95th anniversary at RAAF Base Williamtown. Photo: LAC Mark Friend

MARVELLED AT PROGRESS: AIRMSHL Jake Newham talks to a member of 4SQN during the parade for the 95th anniversary.

Photo: LAC Craig Barrett

‘

Inspiring, says former CAF

Williamtown is proud of its rich and unique history as the home to three of the Air Force’s most distinguished units.

– AIRCDRE Mel Hupfeld

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6 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FAir Force Improvement

Andrew Stackpool

THE JINDALEE Operational Radar Network (JORN) is on track to provide projected cost reductions of more than $100 million over the next decade under the Strategic Reform Program (SRP), thanks to a new focus on reform between Air Force, the Defence Materiel Organi-sation (DMO), Lockheed Martin Aus-tralia and BAE Systems.

The projected amount represents a reduction of about 16 per cent per year and an extraordinary 80 per cent of the SRP efficiency reform targets for JORN.

The ongoing results are the outcome of changes to the support contracts between Defence, Lockheed Martin Australia and BAE Systems, which were signed earlier this year and are intended

to deliver more efficient support ser-vices.

The companies are responsible for the majority of the radar-site operation, maintenance, engineering and logistics support.

The contracts are managed by the DMO’s Over The Horizon Radar Systems Program Office (OTHRSPO), based in Adelaide.

The contract changes were the culmination of 12 months of inten-sive teamwork and development by Air Force, DMO, BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin Australia personnel.

They have not only resulted in cost reductions, but also include a number of improvements designed to encourage further efficiencies in the future, while ensuring that capability outcomes are still met.

FROM November 1 meal choices will be standardised across the ADF, as Defence Support Group aligns Garrison Support Services contracts with the Defence Catering Manual (DCM).

The DCM sets out the new planning requirements for ADF meals and includes, for example, that larger messes with 50 or more din-ers offer four main courses. Messes with fewer than 50 diners must offer at least three main courses. In addi-tion, the cold buffet/sandwich bar will continue to be avail-able.

Dessert will no longer be provided at lunch times, but fruit will be available.

Meal choices will continue to meet the quality, portion size, religious and nutritional requirements set out in the DCM. Diners will still have a variety of food options, provided through a more sustainable delivery model.

CAF and the other Service Chiefs support this reform, which will eliminate waste by streamlining hospitality and catering services in a cost-conscious manner and rea-lign service delivery to meet capability demands.

More information will be available in a Defgram to be released shortly.

Meal changes

They also include an extension to the original contract support periods.

Additionally, the contracts include options for further extensions should capability outcomes and improved pro-ductivity continue to be achieved.

The CO of the OTHRSPO sus-tainment management unit, WGCDR Martin Nussio, said that after the first four months of the new contract arrange-ments, the results were excellent.

“JORN availability and other key performance indicators have been met and there has been a reduction in cost to Defence over that period of about $2.6 million,” WGCDR Nussio said.

“The improved reporting arrange-ments are working very well and allow Defence and industry to work very effectively together in managing a high-ly-complex capability.”

CO 1 Radar Surveillance Unit WGCDR Peter Davies described the results as an excellent outcome for the OTHR capability.

JORN’s big savingsVIGILANT: VIGILANT: JORN provides long-range surveillance of Australia’s northern sea and air approaches up to 3000kJORN provides long-range surveillance of Australia’s northern sea and air approaches up to 3000km from its three radar sites.m from its three radar sites.

BAE Systems contract manager Murray Robinson said: “By working closely alongside OTHRSPO, we have been able to achieve an agreement that includes the necessary cost reductions framework, and one that incorporates as culture of continuous improvement.”

Lockheed Martin Australia program director Rodney Hislop said that from the start, the company embraced the reform objectives underpinning the SRP as an opportunity to expand its working relationship with the Commonwealth. “The skills of the Lockheed Martin Australia team were brought to bear in a true partnership with Defence through progression of an end-to-end review of the JORN system, which laid the funda-mental groundwork for the application of innovation and cost-consciousness across many parts of the radar mainte-nance and support operation,” Mr Hislop said.

“The flexibility exhibited by all part-ners in identifying viable opportunities for real-cost savings successfully opened up a broad spectrum of initiatives for discussion, resulting in significant sav-ings being achieved without any impact on the operating capability of the radar network.”

JORN provides long-range surveil-lance of Australia’s northern sea and air approaches up to 3000km from the three radar sites near Laverton, Western Australia, Alice Springs, Northern Territory and Longreach, Queensland.

7NewsOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

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RAAF Base Tindal chapel was a sea of blue uniforms as more than 200 family, friends and colleagues gathered for the funeral service of SGT Mick Dunn.

SGT Dunn died on September 20 from injuries he sustained in an explo-sion at Rockhampton Airport in July while deployed on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011.

Commander Air Combat Group AIRCDRE Mel Hupfeld, representing CAF at the service on October 5, said SGT Dunn was well liked by his work colleagues, the wider Air Force com-munity and the local community.

“Mick holds a special place in all of our hearts, and I know this because of all the people here today,” AIRCDRE Hupfeld said.

“SGT Dunn was supporting essen-tial high-end war-fighting activities during Exercise Talisman Sabre, and has spent significant time in Tindal and Katherine. Mick and his family were an integral part of the commu-nity in Katherine.”

Commander Combat Support Group AIRCDRE Noddy Sawade also paid tribute to SGT Dunn who had served for 28 years. AIRCDRE Sawade said: “SGT Dunn served his family, friends, Air Force and country with honour and dedication.”

Colleagues and friends spoke of

SGT Dunn’s love of the Liverpool Football Club and CHAP Robert Pagent placed a Liverpool jersey and football alongside the casket.

The funeral paid tribute to SGT Dunn as a compassion and gener-ous father, grandfather, colleague

Tindal’s sad farewell

and mate, as well as light-hearted moments about his love of karaoke.

Poppies were laid by AIRCDREs Hupfeld and Sawade, followed by family, friends and colleagues. The casket was then carried outside, for a three-volley salute and honour guard.

GOODBYE TO A MATE: Left, the casket of SGT Mick Dunn who died from injuries he sustained in an explosion. Below, the procession leaves the chapel. SGT Dunn was buried with full military honours.

Photos: LAC Terry Hartin

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THE Air Force’s Wedgetail aircraft is heading to the South China Sea for its first international exercise.

From October 17 to November 4, the Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft will participate in Exercise Bersama Lima 2011.

2SQN crews will operate out of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base at Butterworth.

Fifty-six personnel are expected to deploy for the exercise which will be broken up into two flight crews and two maintenance crews as well as support personnel for a single jet operating every day.

XO 2SQN SQNLDR Simon Wildermuth said they would be given an opportunity to test a wide variety of skills in a number of roles.

“The Wedgetail will be able to show off its versatility in a demand-ing maritime environment during Exercise Bersama Lima,” SQNLDR Wildermuth said.

“The aircraft’s sensors, commu-nications suite and datalinks will be used for maritime strike, offensive and defensive counter air operations in addition to some Operational Test and Evaluation.”

The exercise will mark the 40th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangement which is a cooperation between Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Bersama Lima will also provide an opportunity to conduct additional crew training for both captains and crews.

2SQN Deputy Training Flight C o m m a n d e r F LT LT P a t r i c k Greentree said participating crews would be tested.

“Exercise Bersama Lima is high

pressure and we will treat it like a real war scenario,” FLTLT Greentree said.

“The weather is challenging and the environment is unfamiliar com-pared to Australian skies so it will provide fantastic training for all of us.”

The Wedgetail will share the skies with F/A-18s from RAAF Base Tindal’s 75SQN in the exercise which will present a different challenge, sce-

nario and environment every day and night.

The Australians will also work with ground, sea and air assets from Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore to help destroy a fictitious enemy.

The aircraft will conduct simulated maritime strike activities against par-ticipating ships.

Bersama Lima will be supported

by 324 Combat Support Squadron. Air Lift Group will provide strate-gic lift and logistics support to the deployed forces.

The Wedgetail has deployed over-seas to RIMPAC in Hawaii before, but at the time that aircraft was a Boeing-owned jet.

This will be the first time the RAAF-operated, aircraft will partici-pate in an international exercise.

OC 42WG GPCAPT Tracey Friend said the wing and squadron had been looking forward to the exer-cise for many months.

“It will be an excellent opportunity to expose personnel to the challeng-es of operating from a foreign base,” GPCAPT Friend said.

“It will train and test our people with high complexity maritime and air combat training opportunities.”

Wedgetail goes international

BERSAMA LIMA BOUND: The Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.

Photo: LAC Craig Barrett

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10 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FNewsIN BRIEF

B707 service A COMMEMORATIVE ser-vice will be held at RAAF Base Richmond Chapel on October 29 to mark the 20th anniversary of the B707 accident near East Sale which cost the lives of five crew mem-bers. Killed were SQNLDR Mark Lewin, FLTLT Mark Duncan, FLTLT Tim Ellis, WOFF Jon Fawcett and WOFF Al Gwynne. The commemoration will start at 10am with a light lunch to follow in the Sergeants’ Mess. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to WGCDR Robyne Green by October 14 at robyne.green@defence.gov.au. Dress for the ser-vice will be Service Dress 4B – long sleeve shirt and tie with medals.

Big blood winFor the third year in a row the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) has won the Public Sector Category in the ACT Club Red/Sunday Canberra Times Corporate and Community Blood Challenge. The ADO was awarded the highest number of donations in its category with 957. More than 9,200 donations were made during the challenge, having the potential to save more than 27,000 lives.

ClarificationOn Page 11 of the September 29 edition, Air Force News ran a story on SQNLDR Kevin Murray, who is serving in East Timor. The story said that SQNLDR Murray was a chaplain, when it should have said logistics officer.

FLTLT Skye Smith

IT HAS been a long road but the Air Force’s newest Rhino aircrew are now enjoying life in the fast seat having graduated from the first Super Hornet ab-initio course in Australia.

6SQN’s inaugural Super Hornet operational conversion (OPCON) course has graduated the first two ‘pure’ Rhino aircrew, FLGOFF Harry Hayes and PLTOFF James Dutschke, straight from Introductory Fighter Course – making them the first F/A-18F Super Hornet aircrew who did not convert from the F-111 or Classic Hornet.

PLTOFF Dutschke said it was an honour to be on the first course.

“Coming out of 76SQN and being told we were heading up to Amberley to be on the first course was fantastic. The opportunity to fly a brand new jet was impossible to turn down,” he said.

The OPCON course comprises the initial aircraft conversion, air-to-air phase and air-to-surface phase.

The initial conversion covers basic aircraft systems, emergency handling, general flying, instrument flying, night flying and formations.

“Most of these tasks have been taught on training aircraft like the King Air and Hawk, but it is about apply-ing those core skills to a much more advanced and complicated aircraft,” FLGOFF Hayes said.

The crew solo during the first phase was a highlight for FLGOFF Hayes and PLTOFF Dutschke where they took the aircraft up for some general flying without instruction.

The air-to-air phase introduces all the air-to-air sensors and weapons, basic fighter manoeuvring and different types of intercepts.

FLGOFF Hayes said: “The phase begins with teaching us how to dogfight and then leads into long range inter-cepts and multiple adversaries in day and night.”

Finally, the air-to-surface phase adds the air-to-ground sensors and weapons, different weapons delivery profiles and strike missions.

FLGOFF Hayes said flying the Super Hornet for the first time was incredible.

“The Super Hornet is a big step up from the single engine Hawk in both power and performance,” he said.

“The amount of information the jet is trying to give you all at once can also be pretty overwhelming to begin with.”

The most challenging part of the course for FLGOFF Hayes was learn-ing how to solve compound and advanced emergencies in time-com-pressed scenarios.

“The jet is very modern and advanced, which makes it such a capa-ble and reliable fighter,” he said.

“But when those systems are removed or degraded it can lead to complex and intricate emergencies that

require detailed understanding on how all systems work and interrelate.”

For FLGOFF Hayes the best part of the course was the final flight, which was a night strike where they were tasked to plan and execute a crew solo pairs attack, while the adversary attempted to prevent them from reach-ing their target.

For PLTOFF Dutschke, flying the jet for the first time was special.

“It is a huge performance jump from anything I’ve flown previously and being allowed to go flying in the Super Hornet is a special feeling,” he said.

“Signing a 90-hour old jet out after only three flights was a definite high-light.”

PLTOFF Dutschke said the Hawk was an excellent lead-in for the Rhino.

“A lot of displays and systems are similar and were good training for what we use on the Super Hornet,” he said.

“The Rhino is a lot bigger than any-

thing I’ve ever flown previously and with lots more power so the perfor-mance jump was huge.”

It took about five years for the two operators to arrive at 6SQN through ini-tial pilot or air combat officer training.

“I grew up watching the F-111s flying low level down the coastline to Evans Head and seeing these jets was probably my biggest influence to join the Air Force and become a weapons systems officer,” FLGOFF Hayes said.

“After the acquisition of the Super Hornets was announced it really fuelled

my motivation to operate in fast jets and it was pretty rewarding to know that the effort I put in over the last five years has paid off.”

PLTOFF Dutschke said: “The culmi-nation of four years going through officer training and pilot’s course has been a long road, but keeps getting more enjoyable as I progress through course to course.”

“I find it almost surreal to think that only two years ago I was flying around in a CT4 and now I am flying in the Air Force’s newest and most capable fighter jet.”

CO 6SQN WGCDR Terence Deeth said the transition from the F-111 OPCON has been comprehensive and the graduation of FLGOFF Hayes and PLTOFF Dutschke is testament to eve-ryone involved in the Super Hornet pro-gram.

The Super Hornet fleet stands at 20, with another four aircraft due to arrive in Australia by the end of the year.

Taming the Rhino

STEPPING STONE: PLTOFF Dutschke in the seat of a Hawk 127, which he said was an excellent lead-in for the Rhino.

FIRST GRADUATES: FLGOFF Harry Hayes, left, and PLTOFF James Dutschke in front of an F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Photo: LACW Jessica Smith

New crew graduate from conversion course with awe

11NewsOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

Tell us about the other hats you wearAll Reservists (Active and Specialist) should recently

have received mail asking about your civil skills (formal,

self-claimed, experience) for the Civil Skills Data e-survey.

It is very important that you complete this survey as it

helps the Australian Defence Force better identify people

with specific skills that can be drawn upon for emergencies,

exercises and deployments.

You will receive a half day pay for preparing and completing

the survey and it will also help your Reserve career.

It’s time to complete the Civil Skills Data e-survey

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You can complete the survey on your own or a Defence

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Visit www.civilskillsdata.com today

CIVILSKILLSDATASkills in Reserve

Eamon Hamilton

POLICE have narrowly pipped Air Force at the post at the second annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Plane Pull.

Held at RAAF Base Richmond on September 24, 16 teams of 20 people attempted to pull a C-130 by rope over 10 metres.

While most teams were from NSW Police, first-time entrants from RAAF Base Richmond made a strong showing.

Each team had three attempts to pull the 40-tonne C-130, which was placed on a flat stretch of tarmac to ensure no disadvantage. The teams with the five quickest times and a sixth wildcard entry entered the final.

For the second year running, the competition was won by NSW Police’s Public Order and Riot Squad, which recorded a time of 12.28 seconds.

The RAAF Base Richmond team managed 13.08 seconds, placing the team as the runner-up.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione joined Commander

Moving Moving story...story...

Air Lift Group AIRCDRE Gary Martin in handing out the champion’s trophies on the day.

All up, team sponsorship and donations managed to raise more than $15,000 for Law Enforcement Torch Run’s nominated charity, the Special Olympics.

“The Special Olympics is a tre-mendous initiative that organises a variety of sporting events for the intel-lectually disabled at a local, regional, national and international level,” Mr Scipione said.

“It’s an opportunity for them to improve their fitness, meet new

friends, recognise their abilities and build self-esteem and belief.”

For the first time, family members of NSW Police were able to attend the Plane Pull, getting the opportunity to see Defence up close. A C-130H was provided on static display along with a Squirrel helicopter from the Police Air unit.

Police also attended with members of their K9 Unit, and band. This year has marked close bonds between law enforcement and Air Force, with more than 150 NSW Police transported to Queensland by C-130 to provide assistance during the floods.

... (well, for 10 metres anyway) as plane pullers take on the might of a C-130 to help the Special Olympics cause

MUSCLING IN: Left, LAC John Giggins and team members from the RAAF Base Richmond team during a qualifying round; below, AIRCDRE Gary Martin encourages the Air Force team. Photos: SGT Brett Sherriff

THE WINNERS: NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione congratulates the winning team from the Public Order Riot Squad.

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13NewsOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

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FLTLT Skye Smith

FLTLT Joel Adelstein has been recog-nised for his significant contribution to the ADF’s air surface integration.

He was presented with the inau-gural AVM Don Bennett Award for ADF Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) of the Year on September 23 during the 95th anniversary parade for 2, 3 and 4SQNs.

The presentation was made by Alan Mundy, a retired Pathfinder.

The award recognises the ADF JTAC or Combat Controller who has made the most significant and lasting contribution towards the advancement of the JTAC capability and related air surface integration over the previous 12 months.

C O 4 S Q N W G C D R S t u a r t Bellingham said the award was a sig-nificant achievement as it recognised the importance of air power and its integration across the entire ADF.

“The successful integration of these air assets with surface force objectives is not a new challenge, having first presented itself during WWI when aerial vehicles appeared armed with simplistic weapon systems,” he said.

“On the modern bat t lefie ld , JTACs are the crit ical enablers between air power and ground com-manders at the tactical and strategic levels that allow this integration to occur.”

WGCDR Bellingham said FLTLT Adelstein has demonstrated profes-sional mastery of Joint Terminal

Attack Control and has embodied the elements of mutual trust, respect and training required within the joint envi-ronment to achieve successful air sur-face integration.

As a Joint Battlespace Airfield Controller, FLTLT Adelstein’s com-

prehensive understanding of air power and its integration is invaluable to his role as a JTAC and the capability in its entirety. His role at 4SQN as the Tactical Liaison Officer involves coordination for JTAC support tasks and training.

JTAC recognition

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION: FLTLT Joel Adelstein with the inaugural AVM Don Bennett Award for his role at 4SQN as the Tactical Liaison Officer. Photo: LAC Craig Barrett

PLTOFF Michael Newby was welcomed back to his home town of Inverell in NSW recently when he flew into town in a Hawk jet.

During a routine training sortie with 76SQN, PLTOFF Newby took the opportunity to return home to the place where he learnt to fly.

With mum and dad on hand, PLTOFF Newby showed local school children over the Hawk aircraft.

“It was great to be able to come home and show everyone that Inverell kids can achieve big things,” he said.

“It’s not that long ago that I was here in Inverell dreaming of becoming a fighter pilot and now I’m showing off a jet to my home town.”

PLTOFF Newby learnt to fly at the Inverell aerodrome with his dad John and landed the Hawk there for the day.

“It was pretty cool taking the jet to the aerodrome where I first learnt to fly,” he said.

WINGED RETURN: PLTOFF Michael Newby.

Hawk talk of the town

14 15RCEAIR FFCentrepiece October 13, 2011

RELATIONS between the RAAF, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) and Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) were strengthened during Au-

gust and September when 77SQN participated in two separate exer-cises with the air forces.

The exercises were Thai Boomerang, held from August 22-September 2 and Elang Ausindo, held from September 5-9.

The overarching aim of the exer-cises was to enhance the interop-erability of the RAAF and the other two air forces in conducting combined field training in the South East Asia area of operations.

The other aims were to: deploy and sustain operationally in an overseas location, expose RAAF aircrew to dissimilar air combat training, and enhance relations between the respective nations.

The deployment began when

Joining fighter forces

Andrew Stackpool

A TROPICAL storm provided an op-portunity for 77SQN to go that extra mile with a local community – and it responded with enthusiasm.

During Exercise Thai Boomerang, the squadron heard that a local orphanage, the ‘Thailand Children’s Home’, had been damaged by a storm and was struggling to raise the money to repair the roof on one of the buildings.

The squadron immediately took up the cause with a combination of cash donations and gifts. At the same time, RTAF engineers would undertake the repairs and match the Australians’ dollar for dollar raised to pay for it.

77SQN administration officer FLTLT Karl Woodward said that the squadron dug deep into its own pockets and raised $3000 as well as purchasing a range of gifts such as clothing, toiletries, teddy bears and footballs.

Fifteen members then went to the orphanage and handed over the money and gifts before assisting the restora-tions by painting one of the repaired walls.

“They were glad for the opportunity to give back to the local Korat com-munity by spending time with some of the children from the orphanage,” FLTLT Woodward said.

“The RTAF were very happy with the commitment that 77SQN provided and hoped this would maintain a strong part-nership between both countries.

“Also, the orphanage was very happy that the RAAF and RTAF were able to visit the children and contribute to the restoration of the building.”

WGCDR Beck also congratulated his team.

“I was very proud that our squadron was able to raise about $3000 in cash as well as providing gifts for the orphan-age,” he said.

Raising the roof for kids

77SQN gained great experience in dissimilar air combat, reports Andrew Stackpool.

MIXED DOUBLE: A 77SQN Hornet gets airborne for a sortie as a Royal Thai Air Force Falcon taxis out during Exercise Thai Boomerang.

ALL GOOD: B Flight commander SQNLDR Steve Rossiter, FLGOFF Adam Grinyer and an Indonesian pilot give their seal of approval to Exercise Elang Ausindo. Photos: LAC Craig Barrett

WELL SPOKEN: Above, Air Force Indonesian linguists, CPLs Rachel Pidgeon and Ken Lumma, check the local English during 77SQN’s deployment for Exercise Elang Ausindo at Ngurah Rai AFB in Bali.

FLIGHT CONTROL: Below, Joint Battle Airspace Controller FLTLT Greg Sorensen from 453SQN compares notes with RTAF SQNLDR Sathaporn Rakkrathoke, at Korat AFB during Exercise Thai Boomerang.

CHECK IT OUT: SQNLDR Rossiter shows two Indonesian pilots over a 77SQN Hornet, while above, LAC Jeremy Lewin assists with pre-flight checks.

eight Hornets and 126 personnel arrived at Korat air base in Thailand for Thai Boomerang.

The exercise enabled 77SQN’s pilots to conduct dissimilar air combat training and support per-sonnel to exercise Large Force Employment (LFE) operations.

From the RTAF side came F-16s from 102, 103 and 403SQNs.

CO 77SQN WGCDR Glen Beck said that the exercise started with visual manoeuvring and dog-fighting and then increased in com-plexity.

“We started with one versus one dissimilar dogfight missions to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each aircraft in close combat.

“We then moved through two versus two aircraft, up to mini-LFE, which involved 10 versus 8 [forma-tions] with a mixture of strike and air-to-air combat,” WGCDR Beck said.

“These missions often consisted of ‘mixed packages’, with sticks composed of Australian and Thai aircraft fighting each other.”

While most of the action was in the air, the two air forces also engaged in sporting and a mix of formal and informal social activities on the ground.

Squadron members also visited Hellfire Pass and the Kanchanaburi war cemetery where many of the victims of the infamous Thai-Burma railway were buried.

Having said farewell to the Thais, the eight aircraft and 81 per-sonnel deployed to Denpasar, Bali, for Elang Ausindo.

WGCDR Beck said the deploy-ment aims were “well and truly achieved”.

“Some great work enabled our serviceability to stay high, result-ing in only four sorties lost out of nearly 200 planned,” he said.

“It was the result of good plan-ning between operations, mainte-nance, admin and logistics to make sure we had the right rate of effort selected, the right equipment and parts with us, and a good resupply plan for unforseen problems.

“The attitude, professionalism and innovation of the maintenance team technicians were extremely satisfying to see, with the team working in tough hot and humid conditions on the line to make sure we had the maximum number of jets to fly.”

He said this enabled the air-crew to get some great dissimilar air combat training and to test their skills against a different opponent flying a different machine.

“It was a great learning experi-ence. There is no better way to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your aircraft than to throw it up in an unfamiliar and ‘dissimilar’ environment,” WGCDR Beck said.

Being able to consolidate against the TNI-AU was a bonus, too, he said.

“Although they had the same aircraft as the RTAF, they flew and operated it differently.

“This meant that we had to adjust our game plans and learn new lessons.

“The TNI-AU and RTAF take a very professional approach to their operations, making it easy to put together successful missions with good learning outcomes.”

WGCDR Beck said although sometimes a challenge, the com-bination of good planning by the squadron and great cooperation by the Thais and Indonesians led to two successful exercises.

“It was one of the smoothest deployments I have been involved in during my career.”

FOR THE KIDS: Above, SGT Angela Smylie makes a new friend; left, CO 77SQN WGCDR Glen Beck and GPCAPT Suttipong Inseeyong of the RTAF cut the ribbon; and below, FLTLT Karl Woodward plays ball. Photos: LAC Craig Barrett

SORTIE: A Hornet prepares to taxi out at Korat AFB during Exercise Thai Boomerang.

Mark and Peta-Maree Bubear have been in the RAAF for

www.dha.gov.au139 DHA

MARK AND PETA-MAREE BUBEAR, RAAF

17NewsOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

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Safe hands

THE Defence Science and Technology’s (DSTO) Junior Leadership Team (JLT) at RAAF Base Edin-burgh gained a better appreciation of the work of the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) and capabilities of Air Force equipment and assets when it visited the unit recently.

DSTO’s JLTs comprise personnel up to EL1-equivalent level who volunteer to look at issues that affect staff across all areas of DSTO, and improve the flow of communication between senior and jun-ior levels across the organisation.

Dr Tony Scoleri, from DSTO, said that the organ-isation had a long working history with ARDU, which was significant for the JLTs’ visit.

“Due to our normal work environment, our staff-members are often unaware of what is happening outside their personal work space,” Dr Scoleri said.

“These tours broaden our knowledge in many areas to assist us in having a balanced view of our own workplace, the ADF and our business reporting model, as well as how we can better support the ser-vices.”

Dr Scoleri said the technical and research exper-tise within the JLT comprised knowledge in weapon design, missile guidance, communications, target tracking, geospatial intelligence, electronic warfare and air, land and maritime operations.

“The visit therefore provided the team with prac-tical experience in many of these domains.”

The visit started after ARDU liaison officer, FLTLT Peter Tippner, welcomed the team and pro-vided a briefing on ARDU’s work. His presentation covered aspects such as in-flight videos, new equip-ment and missile-testing on various types of aircraft, including helicopters, the AP-3C and F/A-18 aircraft.

His presentation was followed by a tour of a Hornet, which highlighted the features of the aircraft such as its manoeuvrability, electronic and situation awareness systems, and attack and defensive capa-bilities.

Temporary CO ARDU SQNLDR Andrew Kerle said it was interesting for ARDU members to learn of recent DSTO achievements to receive a practical education on the business-end of ADF flight-test operations.

“The visit also allowed us to discuss some of the test programs that ARDU has worked on recent-ly,” SQNLDR Kerle said.

“Being able to share lessons learned and under-stand each others’ challenges is essential to contin-ued success for future engagements, and we look forward to hosting DSTO personnel again in the future.”

Insight Insight into into ARDUARDU EYE-OPENER: ARDU Qualified Test Pilot FLTLT Peter Tippner explains the

cockpit of the F/A-18 to two DSTO Junior Leadership team members. Photos: LAC David Cotton

MUTUAL BENEFIT: FLTLT Peter Tippner, front left, and OFFCDT Matthew McCarty with the visitors.

Catering reunion A proposed RAAF catering reunion is planned to be held in October 2012 at the Coolum-Peregian RSL Sub Branch in Queensland. Former serving cater-ing personnel are invited to register their interest by emailing Bill Powell at wpo32528@bigpond.net.au or Gynith Whatmough at hsq@hibiscus.org.au

Cadets alumni callFORMER air cadets and former staff of the ATC/AIRTC/AAFC are asked to register their inter-est in forming an Australian Air Cadet Alumni Association. Current AAFC staff members (but not current cadets) are also welcome to register their interest. To find out more or register your details, go to the interim website www.aafc.org.au/alumni

BULLETIN BOARD

We’re there for you, when you can’t be.A promise was made to a dying soldier in the trenchesof WW1. A promise that his family would be looked after.

Since 1923 Legacy has kept their promise to Australian veterans and taken care of the families of those who have fallen as a result of their service.

Support the organisation that supports you, and help us keep a promise to our veterans.

Please give generously. To donate, call 1800 534 229 or visit legacy.com.au

NATIONAL PARTNERS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

18 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FFlightline

Air Force events

Air Force RoulettesOctober 14-16: MotoGPOctober 23: HMAS Cerberus Open DayOctober 23: Car and Bike Show, HazelwoodOctober 29: RFDS Base Open Day, Port AugustaOctober 3O: Spring Festival, Ballarat

Air Force MuseumOctober 19: Korean Vet Association, Point CookOctober 23: HMAS Cerberus Open Day

Air Force BalloonOctober 22: Salvation Army Community Spring Fair, ScullinOctober 29: Port Augusta RFDS Base Open Day

Air Force BandOctober 13: Port Phillip Community Senior’s Ball, North Melbourne, from 5.30pm.October 21: Laverton Officers’ Mess Ball, RAAF Base Williams.October 22: Australian Military Medical Association Conference, Melbourne, from 8pm.October 23: Children’s Week Picnic, Werribee Park.October 23: Free public concert at St Mark’s Church, Camberwell, from 2pm.October 26: 1RTU graduation parade, RAAF Base Wagga, from 11am.October 26: Children’s Week Picnic at Commonwealth Reserve, Williamstown.� To confirm dates and tim-

ings on events, contact the Air Force Band on (03) 9256 2514.

MUCH TO SING ABOUT: Above, 87SQN’s LACW Rosaleen Normoyle gives two thumbs up to 36SQN’s latest C-17A after it arrived at RAAF Base Amberley. Right, Leah Taylor from Playford Primary School joins her father FLGOFF Ian Taylor after performing the school’s interpretation of the song I was only 19 during the unveiling ceremony of a Battle of Britain honours board at RAAF Base Edinburgh. Photos: LACW Jessica Smith and LACW Nicci Freeman

FAST-JET THANKS: Below, outgoing DSTO Chief Air Operations Division David Graham (right) is all smiles with WGCDR Stewart Seeney after a ride in an F/A-18 from 2OCU. Mr Graham has reached the end of a 40-year career with DSTO, supporting Air Force’s fast jets. Photo: SGT Ricky Fuller

IN STITCHES: Reservist and university student FLGOFF Natasha Castree, left, learns field stitching skills from SQNLDR Kylie Hall during a recent clinical skills workshop held at Enoggera for 250 University of Queensland pre-clinical medical students. Photo: LAC Benjamin Evans

19PersonnelOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

ManagementOrganisational Analysis and Improvements (2 days)

Project ManagementComplex IT Project Management (3 days)Managing Integration Projects (2 days)Recovering Troubled Projects (2 days)Agile Project Management (2 days)

Systems ThinkingSystems Thinking and Modelling (3 days)System Dynamics Modelling Practicum (3 days)Introduction to Problem Solving (2 days)

Most of these courses can be tailored for in-house delivery.

A number of our courses can also be used towards credit for eligible postgraduate programs.

For further information and details of over 70 courses contact:

E: bsu@adfa.edu.au

T: (02) 6268 8421

or go to http://bsu.unsw.adfa.edu.au/courses

CRICOS Provider Number: 00100G

CommunicationsSatellite Communications - Overview, 21 NovemberSatellite Communications - Intermediate, 21 - 23 NovemberSatellite Communications - Advanced, 21 - 25 November

ManagementEffective Writing for Managers and Professionals, 3 - 4 November or 1 - 2 December

Military SystemsAircraft Electronic Systems, 31 October - 2 November

Naval ArchitectureBasics of Naval Architecture, 7 - 8 November

Risk ManagementRisk & Contract Management 20 - 21 October

Expressions of Interest:

LeadershipLeadership for Team and Work Group Performance (1day)Leading People-Leading the Way (2 days)

UNSW Canberra is a campus of the University of New South Wales and is located at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. UNSW Canberra offers a range of postgraduate programs and Professional Education courses for the general community and Defence personnel. These courses provide stimulating learning and networking opportunities within a supportive environment.

Courses offered in October - Decmber 2011:

Professional Education Courses

Never Stand Still Business Services Unit

CANBERRA

Graham McBean

LARGER-than-expected returns for the recent ADF Reserve Reform Survey have laid the groundwork for the reforms required to meet Force 2030 objectives.

More than 31 per cent of the 30,000 surveys sent to permanent, active and standby reserve members between July and August were returned, making it one of the most successful ADF surveys conducted.

Additionally, focus groups at 23 regional locations and more than 50 principal stakeholder interviews includ-ed tri-service representation of reserves and permanent members to augment information gathered from the survey.

A Reserve Reform Ideas website was also created, which received more than 7000 hits. These were distilled into more than 150 ideas that will be con-sidered in the Reserve Reform Stream (RRS) process.

The RRS was established in 2009 under the SRP as one of three streams allocated to the VCDF Group then headed by present CDF GEN David Hurley.

RRS Director Jerome Reid took up the lead of the project in early 2010 and said achieving the aims of the Total Force concept under Force 2030 demanded deep reform to be successful.

Senior RRS staff said it was interest-ing but perhaps not surprising that many of the ideas concerned common issues.

These initiatives were conducted under Plan Suakin, launched on May 24 by the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division, headed by MAJGEN Paul Brereton, as a key RRS initiative, which is ultimately the responsibility of VCDF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin.

It represented the new direction of the reform process.

The intent of Plan Suakin is to pro-vide an employment model capable of investigating how best to support the enhanced roles variously identified for ADF reserves by the 2009 White Paper, Strategic Reform Program and the Defence Audit Report.

To enable this, the RRS is using an evidence-based approach to develop solutions.

Information gathered under Plan Suakin will populate a Predictive Behaviour Model (PBM) which in turn will form one of the core tools to develop courses of action at the single-service level for reserve reform.

This is supported by a Personnel Cost Model created by consultant Ernst & Young and, together with the PBM, these tools will provide evidence-based model-ling on which to inform decisions on how best to grow participation in the reserves.

A Civil Skills Data project also has been established to further identify the capability brought to the ADF by reserves with more than 7500 reservists having already registered with the site.

With these models and supporting online tools in place, the RRS report is

PARTICIPANTS selected at random to participate in the Defence Attitude Sur-vey (DAS) have until October 23 to complete the survey.

The DAS collects important information about the attitudes and opinions of Defence personnel on a range of employment related issues.

Information collected from the DAS is primar-ily used to inform the development and evalu-ation of new and existing personnel policies in areas such as conditions of service, job satisfac-tion, family mobility, career management and retention.

If you have any questions, contact the DAS helpline on (02) 6127 2606, by email at Defence.surveys@defence.gov.au or by internal mail at Defence Attitude Survey, BP33-4-045 Brindabella Circuit, Brindabella Park ACT, 2600.

Survey deadline

due later this month for consideration by the Chiefs of Service Committee.

“The reserves are being asked to do a lot of things that have never been asked before but the reserve employ-ment model has not changed in more than 60 years,” Mr Reid said.

“If we are to build the Total Force doctrine then we needed to develop a Total Force model to support it.”

Mr Reid said the first task was to understand the nature of the workforce and the incentives and conditions of service that would create the workforce needed to meet new capability demands.

One of the indicators of a simple but fixable problem was highlighted when more than 10 per cent of the surveys were returned because of out-of-date information on PMKeyS.

He said the phone was still the pri-mary means of communicating with

ADF reserves and often even these details were inaccurate.

But he said the success of the ADF Reserve Reform Survey was evidence of willingness in the workforce for change, with more than 1000 people contacting the RRS office requesting to take part.

Mr Reid said initial responses

of the survey were positive and he was confident that a more effective employment model would be the result.

“We want a world-leading evidence-based solution to the reserve employment model – and that is what will be deliv-ered.”

Consensus for reserves plan

‘We want a world-leading evi-dence-based solution to the reserve employment model – and that is what will be deliv-ered.’

– Jerome Reid

Photos: LAC Benjamin Evans, Darren Hilder, CPL Rachel Ingram and CPL Melina Mancuso

21 FinanceOctober 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

NEW ADF INTERACTIVEBUDGET PLANNERNOW DEPLOYED! www.adfconsumer.gov.au

‹ Easy, accurate planning‹ Battleground graphics & details‹ Targeted at ADF personal & family finances‹ Super-fast calculationsWho said finances are boring? This whole exercise will help all ADF members and their families manage income and expenses, create personal balance sheets, and understand progress towards financial independence. Check it out now at:

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Email ASIC at ADFcolumn@asic.gov.au with topics that interest you

IF YOU are an investor, don’t just invest and forget.

Keep your eyes open, be pre-pared to ask questions and watch

out for warning signs that tell you something may be going wrong.

Investment markets can be volatile, so review your plans regularly.

Savvy investors take the time to understand the basic principles of investing, then develop and stick to their investment plan based on the timeframe of each investment goal.

Even when market and economic conditions are rapidly changing it is vital that you keep a cool head as a knee-jerk reaction can often make things worse.

Don’t panicWhen market conditions change,

it is important to revisit your invest-ments to assess whether they still fit your goals and risk tolerance.

This will help clarify your position and will inform your next steps.

Make decisions based on your long-term investment goals and what you think will happen in the future.

Do not make a decision based on what has happened in the past – for example: “my investment has gone down 20 per cent.”

If your investments are still on track to meet your goals, then you will need a good reason to change.

However, if your investments are no longer on track, you have a tough decision.

Investors need a cool head and keen eye, says Australian Securities and Investment Commission chairman Greg Medcraft.

Some typical warning signs that your investment may be head-ing downhill include:➤ Published statements: Sometimes ASIC and the Australian

Securities Exchange (ASX) require issuers of investment products to publish statements clarifying or correcting information given to investors. The investment may still be suitable, but these warnings may signal that the investment involves more risk than you want to take. The problem may have been a genuine oversight but you need to be sure.

➤ Accounting problems: Mistakes, delays, audit qualifications and controversy over accounts could be warning signs. Accounting rules can be complex and genuine errors or dif-ferences of view do occur. However, repeated issues may indicate deep-seated problems.

➤ Management problems: Director and senior management in-fighting, resignations, breaches of the law or unethical con-duct are sometimes warning signs. Changes in management may be necessary, but could take attention away from respon-sibilities to investors.

➤ Repeated over-promising and under-delivery: While even the best managers make mistakes, ongoing disappointing results, lack of communication and falling service standards may indi-cate that something is seriously wrong.

Should you change investments (and sell when prices are low) or hope that your investments will go up in value?

It’s important to think carefully about your next step.

If you are making your own buy-and-sell decisions, you may need to

Stay in Stay in controlcontrol

review and rebalance the investment mix to make sure it still matches your strategy and attitude to risk.

If you are using a fund manager or financial adviser, discuss your options with them.

If you have used a margin loan to pay for your investments, you should

check your loan account regularly because the value of your investment can change very quickly.

As your investment is used to secure the loan, you should ensure that you can sell the investment and repay the loan if market circumstanc-es change.

When monitoring your invest-ments, keep your goals and risk toler-ance in mind.

If your goals change, you may have to re-jig your strategies too.

A change in your employment status or health may alter the risks you are prepared to take when investing.

However, there’s no guaranteed method to spot losses in advance.

Even the most experienced investors make mistakes.

Get organisedRecord keeping is an essential part

of investing.You need records for accounting

and tax purposes and to assess wheth-er you need to make changes to your investment portfolio.

The world changes and so do you.That’s why successful investors

review their plans regularly.The rule of thumb is to revisit your

investment plan at least once a year.

For more information on investing, go to www.moneysmart.gov.au

HEED THE WARNING BELLS

Are you eligible for a

DHOAS subsidy?

Our Australia-wide network

is easy to access.

For the cover you can count on

just call 1300 552 662.

Then you are also entitled to home and contents

insurance through the Defence Service Homes Insurance

Scheme—even if you don’t have a DHOAS home loan.

The scheme offers:

• Comprehensive cover

• Economical premiums

• No general excess

• Contents new for old replacement, regardless of age.

P0201

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22 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FHealth

Relying on body mass index readings to assess your fitness might not give you a true reflection. LAC Bill Solomou reports.

DURING the ‘Join Bill Campaign’ I have stressed to members who have taken on the challenge that they should

throw away the scales and use a tape measure as a guide to how they are going.

Using your normal day-to-day clothing also indicates whether you are on the right or wrong track.

For the first time in 12 months my weight, blood pressure and general wellbeing have improved dramatically.

Thanks to the efforts and support from PTI SGT Shane Duncan, dieti-cian Tiffany Peddle and encourage-ment from family and Defence mem-bers, I am on my way to better health.

The good news is I am no longer in the obese category, according to my latest body mass index (BMI) reading.

It is not clear, however, how accu-rate the BMI measurement is – and some of the experts suggest caution.

In my case, I am finding I am reducing in body size and gaining muscle (muscle mass replacing fat).

In most cases the measurement can be accurate, but the technique does not differentiate between muscle and fat.

Because in most cases muscle weighs more than fat, I know my BMI reading may be flawed.

As a quick, easy and inexpensive method of testing, the BMI has been used for many years in Defence.

Physiotherapist and ex-PTI LT Rob Orr said BMI could provide a good starting point for assessing fitness, but cautioned personnel to be aware of its limitations.

“Even though it has the term ‘mass’ in its title, BMI uses weight to determine fatness, even though fat is a mass, not a weight. So the BMI cannot

differentiate if your measured weight is made up of fat, muscle, bone or water,” he said.

“I would estimate that more than 90 per cent of my 1995 PTI course cohort would have been classified as ‘overweight’ and of that group at least 20 per cent as ‘obese’.

“So in BMI terms, a notable amount of the PTIs in the ADF would probably be ‘overweight’.”

LT Orr suggested there were other

methods personnel could use to gain a more accurate reading.

“If you wish to be specific and measure fatness, PTI staff are trained in taking some basic measures like ‘sum of skinfolds’ and ‘girths’ that when used together – even together with the BMI – can provide some basic information about your body mass,” he said.

“If you wish to measure your phys-ical fitness, military fitness assessment

results are useful as they assess the basic fitness of the individual – hence the Army fitness assessment being termed the ‘basic fitness assessment’.

“If you are tired of the basic mili-tary fitness assessments, try some of the assessments detailed in DI(A) 148-2 Army Physical Conditioning Assessment System, Annex E.”

Email LAC Solomou at vasilis.solomou@defence news.gov.au

WHAT IS BMI?BMI uses body weight and height in a formula mass divid-ed by height squared. The results are then compared

to a chart of ‘normative’ values and a rating of ‘underweight’, ‘normal’, ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ is given. BMI is predictive of the development of a range of medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

JO

IN B

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LIMITATION: The BMI test cannot differentiate between fat and muscle.

Photo: LAC Bill Solomou

Weighing up options

Have you thought about your future workforce?

Have you considered offering placements through the Defence Work Experience Program?

This Program provides opportunities tostudents to experience the ADF or Defence APS as an employer of choice.

Send enquiries to:

Defence.WorkExperienceProgram@defence.gov.auOr Visit:

www.defence.gov.au/workexperiencehttp://intranet.defence.gov.au/dsg/sites/workexperience

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23October 13, 2011RCEAIR FF Sp rt

LCPL Mark Doran

EVEN though the team was bol-stered by a Navy ring-in and an ex-change airman from the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), Air Force went down in the grand final of the South Australian inter-service basketball tournament.

It lost to Army’s 9 Bde 67-55.M e n ’s t e a m s r e p r e s e n t -

ing 11SQN, the APS, Air Force, 7RAR and 16 AD and 9 Bde com-peted in the tournament in the new two-court facility at RAAF Base Edinburgh on September 18 and 19.

Air Force shot to a 20-14 lead in the first quarter of the grand final.

LS Nick Clancey, playing in an Air Force singlet, amassed 18 first half points while LAC Tom Amos, RNZAF, used his agility around the basket to keep the Army defence busy.

9 Bde consolidated to win the second quarter by one point and dominated both ends in the fourth quarter.

Although disappointed, captain of the Air Force team SGT Tim Muehlberg welcomed the boost in competition with the addition of 7RAR.

“LAC Amos was, without a doubt, one of our best players. We are lucky to have him on exchange from the RNZAF as he is a quality inside player,” he said.

Scotty Tobias

THREE Air Force players – SGT Tony Tapper, CPL Jim Dwyer and FSGT Shaun Keitel – were named in the 16-man Australian Services Bowls Asso-ciation (ASBA) national team which will go to South Africa in April.

The team was named after the ASBA national championships in Brisbane from September 19 to 23, where Air Force failed by just four shots to defend the Defence champions title it won last year.

Three Air Force players were named as reserves for the ASBA team

which will play the South African National Defence Force.

They are CPL Wayne Jones, LAC Phil Brown and SGT Michael Petersen.

SGT Tapper was named player of the series in Brisbane.

The scoreboard might read one win out of three matches but Air Force lawn bowlers can be proud of their efforts, coming within a breath of claiming the champions trophy.

Navy made a clean sweep of the service competition though scores were close in all three matches.

Air Force’s first match was against Army with the lead see-sawing

throughout. It was a thrilling contest and after 84 ends and 336 bowls the two teams couldn’t be separated.

In the second round, Air Force accounted for APS and Navy beat Army to set up the title decider.

Navy led by 18 shots with a third of the match to go when Air Force began their comeback only to fail by four shots.

Team manager SQNLDR Ian Lane was delighted with his charges. “Couldn’t ask for anything more, the boys were great,” he said.

In the first half of the champion-ships, NSW whitewashed the state competition.

MORE than 110 members from Joint Task Force 633, based at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, have raised more than $3700 for Legacy from their own version of the Bridge to Brisbane char-ity run. The run began at 6am in order to avoid the blistering heat which results in average temperatures exceeding 35 degrees during September. “Even though we were 11,000 kilometres away, we tried to replicate the spirit of the event by using a mock-up of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as the starting line, while the Brisbane accommodation block was used as the finishing point,” event organiser MAJ Wayne Bullock said.

BLUES ON GREEN: SGT Michael Petersen, who has been named as a reserve for the ASBA team, checks the head at the national championships. Inset, LAC Phil Brown, who has also been named as a reserve for the team.

Heading for South Africa

“Missing two of our centres for the tournament was a loss because they would have helped us match up to Army’s frontline.”

The tournament’s most valuable player honours were shared by PTE Jason Morton and LS Nick Clancey.

SA basketballers will be select-ed from training sessions begin-ning in October for the Australian Defence Basketball Association national championships which will be held at RAAF Base Williamtown from November 26 to December 4.

For more information, visit www.sadb.basketball.net.au or www.adba.basketball.net.au

Bolstered team fails to turn tables on Army

Al Minhad run raises money

GOLF TROPHY: Winners of the 2011 South Australian Defence golf regional championships from September 11 to 13, from left, FLTLT Craig Gee, FLTLT Michael Bogan, CPL Mark Patton and FLTLT Sam Harkiss.

Photo: LACW Nicci Freeman

ON THE ATTACK: LAC Andrew Mattner drives the ball down the court. Photo: LAC David Cotton

The Master of Systems Engineering (MSysEng) at the University of New South Wales

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Master of Systems Engineering

Never Stand Still School of Engineering and Information Technology

Compulsory courses: (all four)ZEIT8226 Systems Engineering Practice

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Elective courses: (two) ZINT8236 Project Management

ZEIT8136 Software Project Management

ZEIT8402 Problem Structuring Techniques

ZEIT8412 Simulation

ZEIT8410 Soft Systems Methodologies

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24 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FFSp rt

FLTLT Stewart Parkinson returned from the world underwater hockey cham-pionships in Portugal with his second gold medal. John Martin reports.

YOU would expect an underwa-ter hockey world champion to be able to hold his breath for a long time – and FLTLT Stew-

art Parkinson does not disappoint.At 33, he’s been holding his breath

often for a long, long time.FLTLT Parkinson has represented

Australia at the elite level since 1996, playing in Australia’s winning team at the world championships in 2000 and backing up more than a decade later with another gold medal at the 2011 world championships in Portugal in August.

For the record, the first time he held his breath for 4½ minutes – yes 4½ minutes – was when he was 21 as part of a medical study conducted on six or seven of his underwater hockey team-mates.

It’s a neat party trick but he says “it hurts like hell” and he wasn’t doing anything remotely strenuous at the time.

In the hurly burly of a game, he says five to 20 seconds of breath-hold is more the go.

“Being able to go as hard as you can while staying underwater for as long as you can is a necessity but it is always a balance between how long you stay down and how much time you need to recover on the surface before getting back on the bottom,” he says.

Nevertheless, practising hold-ing his breath is something that goes hand-in-hand with much of his train-ing. And that is strenuous.

FLTLT Parkinson, who works for Headquarters Surveillance and Response Group at RAAF Base Williamtown, drives from Newcastle to Sydney two times a week to play.

He does five hard swim sessions

(3km to 5km) each week, much of that underwater. And then there are recovery swims, up to four gym ses-sions a week and cross training such as running or riding his bike.

Underwater hockey probably needs some explanation for most of us.

Each match lasts for half an hour and players wear masks, snorkels and fins as well as donning silicone gloves to protect their hands. They use a 30cm hockey stick to push a 1.5kg lead puck

into the goals at either end of a 25m court. There are six people on each team in the water at any one time and each team has four bench players who are constantly subbed into the game, bring-ing tactics heavily into play.

FLTLT Parkinson was a 12-year-old high school student in Hobart when he first tried this unusual sport at a Come and Try day.

He loved pursuits like snorkelling and free-diving so it was no great sur-

prise when he got into the game seri-ously at 16. At 21, he found himself in the pool playing for the Australian elite men in the world championships.

FLTLT Parkinson did not play another world championships until 2008 in Durban, South Africa.

Having dominated the sport until 2002, Australia went nine years without winning a world championship gold medal. So imagine the joy when Australia beat South Africa 6-1 in this year’s final. It was the biggest winning margin in a world champi-onship final for more than 20 years.

And it gave FLTLT Parkinson an interesting new perspective.

In 2000, FLTLT Parkinson was the newbie in the team and looked to the more experienced team-members to lead the way.

This year he was one of the experienced players, one of four still playing from the 2000 team – and he felt an affinity with the youngest member of the team, also 21 – just like he was back then.

“I felt more pressure than ever before,” he said.

“So it was fantastic to win.”

Breathtaking achievement from a dual world champion

Down Down Under Under triumph

‘No. 1 AGAIN: FLTLT Stewart Parkinson, front left, with his happy teammates after their emphatic win in the world championships in Portugal.

PICTURE TELLS A STORY: The players each use a 30cm hockey stick to push a 1.5kg lead puck into the goals at either end of a 25m court.

I felt more pres-sure than ever before. So it was fantastic to win.

– FLTLT Stewart Parkinson

FIRE: LAC Alex Watson in action.

TWO RAAFies have their sights set on the World Cup Asia paintball championships in Malaysia in November.

LAC Stephen Wadwell and LAC Alex Weston will be part of the TAG Relentless team which will contest the three-day event against 32 other teams (and a total of 129 across different divisions) on Langkawi Island.

It is the pinnacle event in this region.In a world first, the event will be held indoors, which

will be a new experience for most.But not for LAC Weston, of RAAF Base

Williamtown. His nearest venue in Newcastle happens to be indoors.

It will be a new experience, though, for LAC Wadwell, of HQJOC in Bungendore – but both men have been hard at training, not just for Malaysia but also for the Australian Masters and State of Origin, which will be held in early December.

TAG Relentless is coming equal second in its divi-sion in the domestic Super 7 series.

LAC Wadwell is actually a member of another team, the Thundercats, but he has been asked to make the trip to the World Cup as a guest player in the team.

“I look forward to finally getting the chance to play with Alex and his team as they are a great bunch of guys and trained by a friend of mine who I know has taught them well; well enough, I believe, to be serious con-tenders here in Australia as well as in Malaysia,” LAC Wadwell said.

Pair off to World Cup Asia paintball titles

PTSTeahto1ptheoc

DMO DMO MILITARY RESERVESexciting opportunities Australia wide!

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25October 13, 2011RCEAIR FF Sp rt

John Martin

IF FLTLT Damon Stefani and CPL Chris Holbert had failed to do well in the ADF road cycling titles in Sydney from September 15 to 17, who could have held it against them?

True, they did come first and sec-ond in last year’s titles but that was history. This year they have both been busy men off the bike.

FLTLT Stefani, 30, of RAAF Base Edinburgh, had short deployments to the Cocos Island and American Samoa and 10 weeks in Dallas, Texas, where he assisted on the Project Coronis P-3 upgrade.

CPL Holbert, 39, of RAAF Base Williamtown, spent two bikeless months in the US working on the Hornet Upgrade Program at China Lake, California.

FLTLT Stefani was going to give this year a miss, until he got all inspired by Australian Cadel Evans winning the Tour de France, and start-ed training in the Mt Lofty Ranges eight weeks before the ADF event.

CPL Holbert got back into training when he got home but he held no great hopes of doing well at the ADF titles.

“My form is well below what it was last year so I am not expecting too much this year,” he said in the lead-up to the race, adding (intuitively as it turns out), “But you never know.”

Well, we now do know.Against some of the best cyclists

from Air Force, Army, Navy and the APS, FLTLT Stefani won the title for the second year in a row. He won the points classification with victories in the 84km road race and 50 minutes-plus-two-lap criterium and coming in second in the 39km time trial.

“It was a fantastic three days of exciting and well-organised racing so many thanks to all the riders and sup-port staff,” FLTLT Stefani said.

Just like last year, CPL Holbert came in second overall, winning the time trial, finishing third in the road race and only losing the criterium in a sprint finish to win the general classification.

Mind you, it was not smooth sailing.Twenty kilometres into the road

race, he hit a sharp spot on the road and punctured.

By the time the spares vehicle had reached him and he had changed the wheel, the peloton had powered away from him.

“It took me about 10km to catch them and it took a lot of energy from me,” CPL Holbert said.

He managed to break away in the last 25km with FLTLT Stefani and PO Dion Blair but he started to cramp on the last climb and the other two left him behind with 1km to go. FLTLT Stefani outsprinted PO Blair over the last 200m.

CPL Holbert, who went into the event hoping to build general classifi-cation, was philosophical. “I’m not a sprinter just yet.”

He adds, though, that although he’s 39 he has only been road cycling for three years, coming from a triath-lon background, so he hasn’t had time yet to develop his sprint.

Take note of that for next year, FLTLT Stefani.

RIDING a borrowed bike, CPL Michael Crummy made quite an impact in his road cycling debut at the ADF titles.

He finished second in the B grade road race, eighth in the B grade criteri-um and third in the B grade time trial.

CPL Crummy, of 37SQN, is better known as an endurance mountain biker. Usually, he can be found on a dual-suspension bike riding the ups and downs of dusty or muddy tracks.

The weekend after the road titles, for instance, he was one of the com-petitors in the Canberra leg of the Rocky Trail Grand Prix. He finished seventh in the eight-hour race (which

was reduced to seven hours because of fading light) and that placing secured him third place for the series.

His next big date is the Sydney 24-hour race in December.

Like many, he drew inspiration from the feats of Cadel Evans who won the Tour de France this year.

Evans started out his competitive life as a mountainbiker, too, and CPL Crummy thought it might be fun to sample cycling on the other side. He borrowed his bike from a FSGT.

Is he a convert? He laughed.“Well, I might have another go at

the next ADF titles.”

THE Air Force men weren’t the only ones celebrating at the ADF road cycling titles. LACW Bel Althaus won the women’s divi-sion.

On the way, she showed a few of the men a clean set of heels too.

There were only three female competitors and they competed alongside the C-grade men in their three events.

LACW Althaus, of HMAS

Albatross, finished third in the 26km road race, beating the nearest woman by 13 minutes.

She bettered the females by a couple of minutes in the 20 minute + two-lap criterium and rode a personal best in the 26 km time-trial; more than four minutes ahead of her nearest female rival.

LACW Althaus is no stran-ger to the titles, having also won in 2009.

Against the odds

ON THE ROAD: CPL Mick Hernan leads SGT Martin Lewis, PO Dion Blair, CPL Chris Holbert, SGT Tim Grover and FLTLT Damon Stefani in the men’s A-Grade road race, coasting downhill as they follow the mapped course in the Royal National Park. Below, from right, the women’s first, second and third, LACW Belinda Althaus, FLGOFF Bianca May and Miss Jessica Ho. Photos: LS Brenton Freind, AB Sarah Williams

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26 October 13, 2011RCEAIR FFSp rt

CPL Kirsten Nicolle has some unfinished business with the moon-lit Hawkesbury River and the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation will be the beneficiary.

On October 22-23 she will pad-dle a single kayak in the 111km Hawkesbury Canoe Classic from Windsor to Brooklyn in NSW. The journey will take 13 to 14 hours.

Las t year CPL Nicol le , o f

37SQN, managed to paddle eight hours in a double kayak in the race before succumbing to a stomach bug.

Nevertheless she still raised $4136 for Arrow, which conducts research and development into bone marrow diseases.

This year she has ratcheted it up, hoping to raise $10,000.

CPL Nicolle, who has been train-

ing three times a week and building up her strength in a number of events, is leaving nothing to chance.

“I’ve got new equipment for the race this year including a lighter pad-dle and new comfortable seat for the kayak,” she said.

“I have land crew that will be fol-lowing me through the checkpoints along the way with extra food, water and clothes as I need it.

“The tide is expected to change about halfway through the race so for a significant portion I will be facing the uphill battle of paddling against the current.”

The race starts at 4pm and contin-ues through the night.

Aside from all the other paddlers, CPL Nicolle won’t actually be alone.

She is taking an MP3 player hooked up to a waterproof speaker

system and will be armed with abroad range of music from the likesof Bruce Springsteen, Adele, U2 andMumford & Sons.

Springsteen, for one, is known tobe very good Dancing In The Dark.

To sponsor CPL Nicolle, go to www.canoeclassic.asn.au/my/races/profile-public?rid=8885

Moon river,Moon river,here here sheshecomes againcomes again

$10,000 AIM: CPL Kirsten Nicolle has borrowed this kayak for the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic. She raced her own kayak in the Canberra marathon but it’s too unstable for this length of race.

Coach returns. Now, where were we? John Martin

WHEN SGT Geoff Gillard was last in charge of the Air Force open men’s soccer team, his charges scored two wins and a draw in the ADF championship but was pipped for the title by Army, which had scored an extra goal in the tournament.

That was 2008 and SGT Gillard remembers it well. One lousy goal.

Three years on and he is back. He has been appointed by the Air Force Football Association as coach of the open men’s team which will contest the ADF championships in Sydney from October 28 to November 11.

“I’m looking to keep that undefeated run [from 2008] going this year and if we can do that then we will be right in the mix to win it,” he said.

SGT Gillard, who works at Victoria Barracks in Melbourne, is a household name in Air Force soccer circles.

After a year playing in England as a teenager, he made his debut for Air Force in 1997, captained the team to the ADF title five times and captained the ADF combined team for four years.

He retired from the open team in 2007 but continues to play for the Air Force over-35s team.

Thankfully, this year the shortest gap between playing and coaching will be on day one of the ADF titles, which will give him ample time to shower and get his mind into coaching mode.

Last year wasn’t such a good one for the Air Force open team at the ADF titles.

“We had a good side but the boys just couldn’t put it together when it mat-tered. That happens in football but we put it behind us and 2011 is a new year.

“The Air Force is going through a transition stage as we’ve lost a lot of experience but there are some really good young players coming through who have the ability to create a domi-nation in the years to come. It all starts

now, though, and hopefully as coach I can get the ball rolling.”

SGT Gillard has not let the grass grow under his feet these past three years.

“Since 2008 my coaching experience has increased and, stepping back from a playing role, so has my appreciation for the technical and development side of the game.

“I’ve gained experience, not just coaching seniors but juniors as well to give myself a full spectrum in the role. Hopefully in the short time I have with the players I can impart not only the knowl-edge I’ve gleaned by playing the game for 30 years, but also what I’ve learnt over the past five years in coaching.”

More information is available on the AFFA website at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/raafweb/sites/RAAFNSA or from FLTLT Ben Cowan, ben.cowan@defence.gov.au

FLASHBACK TO MARCH 3: Air Force News carried a feature on SGT Geoff Gillard.

27October 13, 2011RCEAIR FF

Gala Game Day 1, Viking Park, Canberra, October 1: Tonga Defence Services 59 b Peoples Liberation Army 12, Royal Navy 73 b Australian Federal Police 0, Royal Air Force 73 b Papua New Guinea Defence Force 0, British Army 33 b Samoa Police 10.

Gala Game Day 2, T.G. Mill-ner Field, Eastwood, October 5: New Zealand Defence Force b Royal Air Force 58-0, Aus-tralian Services Rugby Union b Tonga Defence Service 21-17, Canberra b Royal Navy 83-0, British Army b French Armed Forces 36-11.

RESULTS

ASRU’s sweet revenge

LICENCE TO THRILL: The ASRU players, playing in green and gold, stand as one as the Tongans perform their wardance, the Spi Tau, before the game; right, the toughness of the contest wasn’t lost on FLTLT Andre Holmes.

Photos: AB Lee-Anne Mack

Surprise packet unearthedA CANBERRA team hurriedly put together to take the place of a late withdrawer needed just one victory to advance to the International Defence Rugby Competition (IDRC) quarter finals on October 13.

The Canberra team, formed from ACT A-grade players to replace the South African Defence Force team in Pool B, thumped the Royal Navy 83-0 on Gala Game Day 2 at the TG Millner Field at Eastwood in Sydney on October 5.

On Gala Game Day 1 at Viking Park in Canberra on October 1,

Royal Navy had thrashed AFP 73-0, so a mismatch on Gala Games Day 3 loomed.

But rather than risk possible inju-ries, the IDRC Committee decid-ed not to allow the game between the AFP and Canberra on October 9 because the Canberra team were clearly too fast and experienced to play the developing AFP team.

Canberra is due to play the win-ner of Pool D, the British Army, in the quarter final at TG Millner Field on October 13.

British Army won both of its pool games convincingly.

LCPL Mark Doran

THIS time was different. Despite des-peration by the Tonga Defence Forces in the dying minutes, the Australian Ser-vices Rugby Union (ASRU) held firm to win its opening game of the Interna-tional Defence Rugby Competition by four points.

The Australians won the Pool A game 21-17 on the second game day at the TG Millner Field in Sydney on October 5.

The last time the two teams had met was October last year when ASRU lost by one point in the Pacific Nations Military Cup in Canberra. The Australians had fought back from 25 points down then but fell just short.

This time, it was Tonga’s turn to come home with a wet sail.

FLTLT Andre Holmes, one of the cornerstones of the ASRU team, said his teammates knew the Tongans were going to be physical all day.

“They really came at us in the end stages and it was our structure which got us through,” he said.

“We went in with a solid game plan, but a lot of that went out the window as it is hard to play a structured game against the Tongans.

“We relied heavily on our forward play, broke the line and let our backs do the rest of it.”

WHERE TO NOWQuarter-finals – T.G. Millner, Sydney, October 13: noon, 3rd place Pool A v 3rd place Pool C; 2pm, 3rd place Pool B v 3rd place Pool D.Quarter-final – Victoria Barracks, Sydney: 4pm, winner Pool A v runner-up Pool C.Pool Plate semi-finals, Victoria Barracks, Sydney: noon, 3rd place Pool A v 3rd place Pool C; 2pm, 3rd place Pool B v 3rd place Pool D.Pool Plate finals – Viking Park, Canberra October 16: 1pm,

(bronze) runner-up semi-final 1 v runner-up semi final 2; 3pm, win-ner semi-final 1 v winner semi-final 2.Semi-finals – North Shore RFC, Auckland, October 18: 1pm, win-ner quarter-final 1 v win-ner quarter-final 2; 3pm, winner quarter-final 3 v winner quarter-final 4.Finals – Auckland University, Auckland October 22: 1pm, (bronze) runner-up semi-final 1 v runner up semi-final 2; 3pm, win-ner semi-final 1 v winner semi-final 2.

ASRU’s second pool game was scheduled to be played in Canberra on October 9 (after this newspaper went to press) against the People’s Liberation Army from China.

ASRU coach CAPT DJ Cahill was happy with the match result but thought his team could have played better.

“Our decision-making could have been much better,” CAPT Cahill said.

“It is an emotional game playing against the Tongans because of the physicality of the players and their ability and desire to purely play off broken-play ball.”

SP October 13, 2011

RTRTMany happy Many happy turnsturns Birthday Birthday

boy wins boy wins ADF road ADF road cycling cycling title for title for second second yearyear

FLTLT Damon Stefani turned 30 the day before the ADF road race in Sydney last month and was happily surprised that age was not slowing him down.

After joining a three-man breakaway 25km from the end of the 84km race, he unleashed a withering sprint 200 metres from the finish line to win.

Over the next two days, he won a 50 minutes-plus-two-lap criterium and finished second in a 39km time trial against

the cream of cyclists from the Air Force, Army, Navy and APS to clinch the title of Australian Defence Cycling Club road champion for the second year in a row.

“I’ve got a few years left in me,” he said. And if he ever has doubts he should look no further than another RAAFie, CPL Chris Holbert, who finished runner-up, also for the second year in a row. He is 39.Full story, Page 25

CCCACATCTCHH MEME IIFF YOYOUU CACANN: FFLTLT Damon Stefani ttraverses the long and wwinding road race in the Royall NNational Park in Sydney.

PhPhototo:o: AABB SaSararahh WiWilllliaiamsmss

How long can this champ

hold his breath?

PAGE 24

Hocc

hb

Paddling in the dark again

Page 26 Page 27

ASRU’s revenge on Tonga