Corporal Micheal Johnson, of the RAAF Combat Survival Training School, has been crowned RAAF Base Townsville's Airman of the Year for his efforts in maintaining equipment needed to teach aircrew how to survive in the bush and at sea. RAAF Base Townsville's Airman of the Year, CPL Micheal Johnson, shows off the trophy he received along with his coveted title. (Photograph by CPL Jason Weeding).

With the school staffed by a small band of instructors and support personnel, CPL Johnson worked as a one-person show, mending life rafts, repairing flotation vests and doing other jobs such as manning radios and driving boats to ensure the training was world-class.

His Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader Dave Bishop, said he could not think of a more deserving recipient of the award.

'Micheal gets the job done with no supervision, running his own workshop and working long into the night and on weekends when we have courses on,' SQNLDR Bishop said. 'He loves his job, maintains a sense of humour, and he's never let us down.'

The survival school trains mainly Air Force, Army and Navy aircrew in how to survive if their aircraft is forced down in rugged terrain.

It conducts seven courses a year, utilising Rattlesnake Island, Hervey Range and the rainforests of Paluma for the training courses.