A junior member of the welcoming committee is happy about his dad's return from Kyrgyzstan. Photo by 86WG Photographic

B-707 aircrew and support personnel from No. 84 Wing Detachment were reunited with family and friends at RAAF Base Richmond on July 3 after three-and-a-half months in Kyrgyzstan as part of the coalition against terrorism.

The aircrew and personnel touched down in the B-707 aircraft which had spent three months conducting air-to-air refuelling operation out of Manas airfield.

They represented the first Air Force personnel to return to Richmond following duties in the war on terror. They were replaced in June by the first rotation of aircrew and personnel, who left the base for a similar three-month stint.

Regular rotations are required to allow B-707 personnel to gain the required re-qualifications to keep their skills at the highest level.

During their deployment, the B-707 crew helped refuel foreign aircraft, including French Mirages and US F/A-18 Hornets, over parts of northern and southern Afghanistan.

The B-707 crew reached a major milestone during the course of their duties, supplying more than two million pounds (nearly one-million litres) of fuel to coalition aircraft.

As the 84WG Detachment touched down, they were welcomed by an honour guard of fire trucks on the tarmac, which provided a spectacular touch as the B-707 taxied towards the terminal. The
Air Command Band and Air Vice-Marshal John Kindler were also on hand.

As the members made their way down the steps of the aircraft, family members and friends cheered and ran towards them as they recognised their loved ones.

The 84WG members were understandably relieved to be on home soil and felt they had made a valuable contribution to the coalition against terrorism.

By Ben Caddaye and SQNLDR Lindsay Dooley