WELL DONE
THE efforts of B707 aircrew and support personnel from No. 84 Wing in air-to-air refuelling operations in Kyrgyzstan have earned the detachment a Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) awarded by the Governor-General.

84WG awarded unit citation
No. 84 Wing Detachment's continuous engagement in air refuelling combat support operations, from the middle of March until the end of September 2002, made a significant contribution to the effectiveness of coalition operations in the global war against terrorism.

Tears and cheers
WHEN No. 84 Wing Detachment’s deployment to Kyrgyzstan began three months ago, tears flowed at RAAF Base Richmond.

Ianthe’s active duty
ALTHOUGH she was away from her family and friends and working long, odd shifts, Flight Lieutenant Ianthe has fond memories of her three months in Kyrgyzstan with No. 84 Wing Detachment.

Coming back to a new home
DEPLOYING to a foreign country in a military capacity for three months is difficult for any Air Force member, but when you have a young family and your house has recently burnt down, it’s especially hard.

Squadron’s eagle eyes
MEMBERS of No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley were recently called on to evacuate Australian nationals from an island no one has ever heard of, let alone knows the location of.

Message from the Chief
To the men and women of the Australian Defence Force. We have marked the first anniversary of Operation RELEX – an operation that commenced on 3 September 2001 and continues to provide enhanced ADF support to the civil authorities in protection of our nation’s borders. It is appropriate and timely that we recognise the continuing outstanding efforts of all those involved in delivering this successful operation.

Six of the best pass the test
SIX personnel have graduated with flying colours from the Air Force’s testing F-111 Operational Conversion Course (OPCON) at RAAF Base Amberley.

Photo contest
IF you are a keen snapper, here’s your chance to show the ADF what you are capable of with a camera in your hand.

Thunder hits theTop End
THE Northern Territory resounded to the thunder of lightning-fast jets during Exercise Arnhem Thunder late last month.

Townsville an
important link
RAAF Base Townsville’s key role in the Air Force and ADF was highlighted last week when five F/A-18 Hornets and 57 personnel from No. 75 Squadron visited to take part in Exercise Tasman Link.

Star showing
ELEMENTS from the Air Force and Navy have participated in Exercise STARDEX, a multinational exercise off the coast of Singapore.

Richmond emergency
THE Air Force joined forces with the New South Wales ambulance, police, fire and state emergency services recently to test emergency procedures at RAAF Base Richmond.

Recruiting on rise
THE ADF has generated an increase of almost 50 per cent in full-time recruitment enlistments in the past three years.

Training contract renewed
TAFE NSW Riverina Institute has had its contract renewed to provide technical training at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

CDF visits Mess
CDF General Peter Cosgrove chats visits RAAF Base Edinburgh Sergeants' Mess.

WW2 veteran back at his post
THE family of a man who served with the 34th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery on Horn Island in the Torres Strait in World War 2 has returned to the island to inter his ashes and pay tribute to those who were stationed there.

Best of British
Probably the last time a Pom showed any real speed down under was during the 1932 Bodyline series when Yorkshire coal miner Harold Larwood carved up Bradman and .

GES transfer
Control of Ground Electronic Services (GES) flights has been transferred from Combat Support Group to Surveillance and Control Group’s (SCG) No. 44 Wing at RAAF Base Williamtown.

Wish granted
NO. 292 Squadron Mariner Club members have helped raise more than $3500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Parry beats retreat
After five months of being an honorary member of the Air Command Band, RAF Chief Technician Mike Parry regretfully returned to his British homeland on September 23 after taking part in the UK contingent involved in Exercise Longlook.

You navigate,dad, I’ll drive
AS A “RAAF brat” Kirsten Gordon became familiar with Air Force life at a young age.

Prize-winning performances
PILOT Officer Daniel O’Donnell was named Dux of the No. 191 Pilots Course at the recent graduation ceremony.

Parts sought for chopper
MEMBERS of No. 21 Squadron are seeking parts to restore a helicopter involved in the Battle of Long Tan during the Vietnam War.

Award finalists come to grips
Four Air Force personnel are in contention for the Prince of Wales Award.

Changes to SLC course
The School of Postgraduate Studies (SPS) has advised that the Squadron Leaders Course (SLC) can now be completed in modules of two courses.

An old friend returns
An unexpected reunion occurred when No. 1 Squadron took part in Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, USA, last month.

Medical assistance
Cooperation between Australian and Thailand medical teams at the new United Nations Hospital in Dili is helping strengthen medical support to the UN Mission in East Timor.

A united stand
Conflict Management (CM) and Dispute Resolution (DR) is a crucial part of running any large organisation.

Successful war games
UNITED States forces were pleased with the largest joint war-fighting exercise they have ever held – a three-week, $250 million operation that involved 13,500 military and civilian personnel battling in nine live exercise ranges across the US and in double that many computer simulations. .

Crash landing among ‘hostiles’
AIRCRAFT in the form of heavy and light bombers were delivered to Nassau by pilots direct from the manufacturers in Canada and the United States.