Defence Leaders: Air Force
AVM Jack Plenty, AM
Head Capability Systems (HCS)
Air Vice-Marshal Plenty joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 26 June 1975, graduating from No 96 Pilots Course in September 1976. He has undertaken three operational flying tours at No 38 Squadron flying Caribou aircraft (RAAF Richmond and Amberley), a secondment to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force for instructional duties on Dakota (C47D) aircraft (Lae), and flying instructional tours at No 1 Flying Training School (RAAF Point Cook), No 2 Flying Training School (RAAF Pearce), and the Central Flying School (RAAF East Sale). During the latter tour, he was a member of the RAAF formation aerobatic team, The Roulettes. He has flown 14 aircraft types and has approximately 6,900 flying hours, of which around 3,300 hours are as a qualified flying instructor.
His staff postings include a tour at the RAAF Directorate of Personnel - Offices at Air Force Headquarters, Canberra as a member of aircrew and other officer selection boards. Other staff postings have included the Defence Intelligence Organisation, and as the Staff Officer to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, initially Lieutenant General John S. Baker then Vice Admiral RAK Walls. Later he was posted as the Director Exercises at the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre (RAAF Williamtown). During this posting he was responsible for the planning and conduct of Exercise Crocodile 99, then the largest and most complex Command Post Exercise conducted by the Australian Defence Force.
On 19 December 2001, he was promoted to Air Commodore and posted as the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Australian Theatre, Potts Point, Sydney. In January 2004, he was posted to Infrastructure Division, Defence Support Group in Canberra to take up the appointment as Director General Headquarters Joint Operations Command Project. The project was established to provide a new Headquarters facility for Joint Operations Command on a greenfield site between Queanbeyan and Bungendore, New South Wales. Significantly, the project was the first Public Private Partnership undertaken by the Commonwealth Government. The facility is planned to be ready for Defence use by the end of 2008.
On 2 February 2007, he was posted to RAAF Richmond to take up the appointment of Commander Air Lift Group, commanding all of the RAAF's combat airlift, air to air refueling and VIP transport capabilities. On 28 July 2008, he was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal and returned to Canberra to take up the appointment of Head Capability Systems on 1 August 2008.
His command experience has been at the sub-unit level as the A Flight Commander and later the Chief Flying Instructor at No 2 Flying Training School. He commanded No 38 Squadron at RAAF Amberley, and later was the Officer Commanding No 86 Wing at RAAF Richmond. During that tour he also commanded Joint Task Force 632 supporting the Department of Foreign Affairs led Bougainville Peace Talks, and Joint Task Force 633 supporting the Solomon Islands Peace Initiative. Air Vice-Marshal Plenty commanded Air Lift Group from 2 February 2007 to 3 July 2008.
Air Vice-Marshal Plenty graduated from No 45 RAAF Command and Staff Course in late 1992, where he was awarded the Chief of Air Staff price for Professional Excellence, and the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, Higher Command and Staff Course (2003). He also graduated with a degree of Master of Public Administration from the University of Canberra in 1996. Air Vice-Marshal Plenty was appointed an Member of the Order of Australia in the Queens Birthday List of 2002 for services as Officer Commanding No 86 Wing.