Defence Force members, MAJ Terry O'Farrell, MAJ Sam Houston, MAJ Leigh Blair and WGCDR Alan Curr, served in Vietnam and are once again seeing active service - this time in East Timor.

Age has certainly not wearied the enthusiasm of four Defence Force members who served in Vietnam and are once again seeing active service, 28 years later, this time in East Timor.

The quartet - three Army officers and one from the Air Force - are part of the Australian contribution to UN peacekeeping operations.

Between them they have 144 years of service and are among only a handful of current Defence Force members with Vietnam experience. And all four still have their original military 'dog tags', which have to be worn at all times on active service.

Working in diverse roles, from air operations to assisting in the formation of the new East Timor Defence Force, the officers are relishing the new challenge that this unexpected and special service has presented them.

Wing Commander Alan Curr, of Stanthorpe, joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet air crewman in 1967, graduated in 1968 and was sent to South Vietnam as a navigator on Canberra bombers with No. 2 Squadron, Phan Rang, in October 1969.

'We all knew what we were getting into, and I only ever wanted to fly,' said WGCDR Curr. 'There was a tremendous amount of training in the lead-up to going to Vietnam, including high-explosive bombing sorties at Dutson Air Weapons Range near Sale, Victoria. But it still didn't prepare me for the real thing.

'One thing hasn't changed, and that's how well we do things. All the Australians here continue to do an excellent and professional job. In Phan Rang it was just 300 Australians living and working on a base of 9000 Americans. They were the main differences, plus the fact that we be attacked by mortar fire regularly.'

In East Timor, WGCDR Curr manages a fleet of more than 20 aircraft, including L-100 (Hercules) cargo planes from South Africa, Puma helicopters from Chile and the world's largest helicopter, the Russian-made and crewed Mi-26.

He also oversees a staff of eight and the daily operations of aircraft around East Timor, which can see more than 15 flights hovering and humming around the country at any one time.

It's a far cry from his previous role as a Staff Officer (Operations) in charge of the Air Operations Centre at HQ Air Command, RAAF Glenbrook (NSW). WGCDR Curr is posted to HQ Combat Support Group at RAAF Base Amberley (QLD) on completion of his six-month tour of duty in late November.

'This is a really challenging role, particularly from the point of view that our section supports such a wide variety of people,' he said. 'There are 28 nations serving here, and each has a particular way of doing business, so it's a matter of adapting our methods to their way and working our the best way to get a result.'

Story by MAJ Greg Smith
Photograph by WO2 Gary Ramage