Defence

Air Force

The 'fix-it' team

Louise Butcher looks at the Directorate of Coordination - Air Force, where unusual tasks are just part of the job.

Dedicated: The team at DDCOORD-AF are committed to handling whatever their job may throw at them. Photo by Corporal Simone Liebelt, Air Force News.

With most Defence areas dedicated to undertaking a specific task or activity, the Directorate of Coordination-Air Force (DDCOORD - AF) has the interesting and varied responsibility of taking on activities that don't "fit in" anywhere else in Air Force.

The Director Coordination-Air Force, Group Captain Robert Lawson, says the unique responsibilities and roles that the directorate performs presents some challenges for his team. The directorate has a mixed civilian and Air Force team of 20 people, including an embedded staff member from CPA Division.

"The Air Force Headquarters [AFHQ] environment is very different to an Air Force base environment. When the military people start here, the environment is probably as new to them as working with the military is for some of the public servants that come here," he says.

"There are some issues of language and culture but the team has got the right attitude and that is 99 percent of what is important about working here anyway. They look out for each other and for the senior Air Force commanders they support."

Group Captain Lawson says over the years, the directorate's role has expanded from its original definition.

"We still have an administrative support role to the office of CAF but our primary focus is now on communication and coordination across the Air Force and on management in those areas that don't readily fall into the responsibility of other sections of AFHQ," he says.

The directorate is divided into two major sub-sections, the first being the coordination sub-directorate, DDCOORD.

"DDCOORD is headed up by Wing Commander Rowley Tompsett, and gets involved with managing the business for the major Air Force committees and CAF's involvement in the major Defence committees. They also do other odd things like approving carriage of civilian passengers for travel on RAAF transport aircraft, coordinating honours and awards, maintaining relationships with RAAF-affiliated associations and managing Air Force's involvement in the ADF Parliamentary Program," he says.

"Within the DDCOORD-AF section is also the Ministerial liaison area. The section looks after all the correspondence between the Ministers' offices and Air Force. Their role includes providing responses to Ministerial representations, administering Ministerial submissions, handling questions on Notice, Question Time briefs and Senate Legislative Committee briefs."

He says one of the more unusual responsibilities of DDCOORD-AF is to handle Air Force wrecks and recoveries.

"That job involves recovering the remains of Australian airmen missing in action and making sure they are buried appropriately, and returning personal items to relatives. Australia is one of only a few countries that actively recovers the remains of its war dead," he says.

DDCOORD also provides post-administrative support for Boards of Inquiry (BOI). That section, headed by Wing Commander Bill Sanders, currently looks after the F- 111 Deseal/Reseal Board of Inquiry.

Group Captain Lawson says the section oversees the implementation of the recommendations that came out of the BOI. The section also contains the Air Force Advocate, Warrant Officer 'Blue' Hind and his team, who are located at RAAF Base Amberley providing a service for victims.

"The Advocate works with victims of the deseal/reseal process and helps them find their way through Veterans Affairs and compensation schemes," he says.

The second major sub-section of the DDCOORD-AF is the Communication and Reputation Management (DDCRM) section. The DDCRM team, headed by Wing Commander Jo Elkington manages communication throughout the Air Force, Air Force branding, news stories, Air Force Internet and intranet sites, major ceremonial events as well as public events of significance, visits to Air Force establishments and Defence aid to the civilian community.

Collocated with this section is also an embedded CPA staff member, Caroline Chalker, who is the Strategic Communications adviser to the Chief of Air Force.

Group Captain Lawson says another role within DDCOORD-AF is the DD-Uniforms role. This section, headed by Wing Commander Terry Curtain, includes a small team in Melbourne. The section manages Air Force uniform policy and scaling.

Group Captain Lawson says that although the Directorate may have its challenges, its varied work environment presents a rewarding experience for those who work there.

"The job is exciting and you never know what is going to happen next."

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