Back to school for pair

Corporal Ivan Brezinscak with two new Military Skills Instructors, Corporals Tammy Dolby and Graham Gleeson.

By Ben Caddaye

TWO Air Force members have taken a step back in time this year as they return to recruit training school – but now they’ll be teaching rather than being taught.

Corporals Tammy Dolby and Graham Gleeson graduated late last year from the Military Skills Instructor (MSI) course at RAAF Base Edinburgh, and are now fully qualified to help usher new recruits into the Air Force.

The pair returned to No. 1 Recruit Training Unit in January to officially begin their new careers as MSIs and, according to CPL Brezinscak, “be responsible for shaping the Air Force of the future”.

CPL Dolby and CPL Gleeson were two of 14 trainees to graduate from the course, which involved 11 weeks of intensive training.

The trainees, who came from a variety of Air Force backgrounds, began with two weeks of Instructional Techniques training at RAAF Base Wagga, followed by two weeks of Weapons Instructional Techniques training at Edinburgh.

They then had to complete seven weeks of Military Skills Instructor training at Edinburgh’s 1RTU, the place where they began their Air Force careers as fresh-faced recruits.

“It was pretty full-on,” said CPL Dolby, a Computer Information Systems Controller from RAAF Base Glenbrook.

“Parts of the training were very tough, both mentally and physically.”

CPL Dolby joined the Air Force in 1997, but after an enjoyable five years decided her career path needed a change of direction.

“I wanted to teach – and this is the first step,” she said. “It’s going to be a tough learning curve but it’s also going to be very rewarding. I’m really looking forward to it.”

As part of their training, CPL Dolby and CPL Gleeson were taken through virtually every aspect of the Air Force, beginning with the basics.

“The first thing we did was put them through a drill test to see what standard of trainee we have to begin with,” said MSI instructor Corporal Ivan Brezinscak, who took CPLs Dolby and Gleeson through their paces.

CPL Brezinscak said it was important for the trainees to initially get a taste of what new recruits went through, so that they could be better teachers.

“You may have a trainee who hasn’t been through a parade in years, and suddenly they have to learn to teach drill training from start to finish,” CPL Brezinscak said.

Many more areas were covered in the course, including Ground Defence Training, Leadership Training and the history of the Air Force, to name but a few.

“It was better than I expected,” said CPL Gleeson, who joined the service in 1996 as an Aircraft Life Support Fitter.
“The amount of satisfaction you get out of teaching new recruits is great.”

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