Badge’s significance

A number of personnel appearing in photos in Air Force News are wearing a badge on the right breast pocket. Could you please inform us what it is and for what it is awarded.

WGCDR W.J Thorn (ret’d)
Lakes Entrance, Victoria

THE Operational Readiness Badge (ORB), is awarded to Air Force members who satisfy individual readiness requirements to deploy in accordance with Defence instructions.

The ORB is a silver eagle mounted on a laurel-leaf, worn on the right breast pocket of service dress, ceremonial dress, mess dress and tropical dress. Members once awarded the ORB are required to wear the badge in accordance with the RAAF Manual of Dress.

As the ORB signifies a member is “individually ready”, any member who does not remain ready for deployment will forfeit the right to wear the readiness badge. Commanders are to control the issue of ORBs and are to ensure that the members under their command only wear the ORB when they are entitled to do so.

Members who lose their readiness status for reasons within their control are to cease wearing the ORB and the commander will re-award the ORB only when they regain their readiness to deploy.

Each year, a member must meet certain eligibility criteria. Personnel are required to sign an availability statement, confirming their availability to deploy at short notice for long periods. Accordingly all personnel are to ensure that there are no legal, financial or personal impediments that will prevent their operational deployment.

Members are required to have an annual dental examination to assess their dental fitness, to be medically fit for long-term deployment to an activated bare base, and be able to undertake base combatant duties.

Members must also maintain their personal weapons proficiency, i.e. meet their individual weapons continuation training requirements, be proficient in the rank and employment to which they are posted, and pass their annual physical fitness test, once in each fiscal year. Each member has an ORB record updated by staff annually.

WGCDR Alison Black
Air Force Personnel Branch

Darwin memories

REGARDING the article “Fighters ready to confront threat” in the February 27 edition, a couple of points should be made.

There was an intercept made by a Sabre aircraft during this time. Because of the boredom of sitting around waiting for something to happen, both pilots and controllers decided to add some excitement to their lives.

A Bristol Britannia freighter used to fly in from the Indonesian area and rarely did its flight plan arrive before the aircraft was picked up on radar by No. 2 Control and Reporting Unit at Lee Point near Darwin. The aircraft was made “unknown” and the duty air defence controller decided to scramble for interception. As a result of this action the controller was threatened with disciplinary action. He pointed that he was a Cat C controller and should have been under supervision at the time. The matter was put to rest.

I also disagree with the statement that “the inability of the radar operated by No. 2 Control and Reporting Unit to track aircraft at low level was well known”. The operators had a great reputation for finding low-level attacks on the unit and around Darwin. One of our great backups was the A/N FPS 507 Height Finder Radar, which could be operated independently of the A/N FPS 66 Search radar.

It was a rare occasion when “attacking” aircraft were not intercepted before “bombs gone”. Our other ace-in-the-hole was the tracking and intercept radars of No. 30 SAM Squadron Detachment “A” at Lee Point.

2CRU had a great history of picking up and rescuing lost aircraft over the Top End.

We were available at short notice to be activated 24 hours a day, and the personnel were highly motivated. The unit was opened in 1961 (I was there), closed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 (I was there again) and, after many years, re-activated and died with a whimper in December 2000.

Howard Campbell
Air Defence Supervisor 1957-77
Springfield, NSW

FURTHER to the history article about the deployment to Darwin in 1964, it was not only the Indonesian hostility towards Malaysia that was of grave concern. The Indonesian Air Force had been violating Australian airspace by overflying Darwin and penetrating well south over the mainland, all at a time when RAAF Base Tindal was under construction.

Nos 75 and 76 Squadrons were deployed to Darwin, however the Sabre aircraft were not capable of effectively intercepting the Indonesian aircraft. While the Mirage was coming, it was not yet operational and Darwin was vulnerable.

Back in 1961, No. 30 Squadron was reformed and equipped with Bloodhound Mk I surface-to-air missiles. The squadron was installed at Williamtown, not as part of No. 81 Wing but as an autonomous unit operating as a “training” facility. Although No. 30 SAM Squadron operated in an inert mode at Williamtown it did have live-fire capability.

The Bloodhound flight envelope was more suited to short-range high-altitude interceptions than was the Sabre, so at some time in 1964 the decision was made to move a detachment of Bloodhounds to Darwin.

This involved a complex land, sea and air operation to transport and install the fully operational live-fire surface-to-air missile system alongside No. 2 Control and Reporting Unit at Lee Point.

Part of the Bloodhound system was the precision illuminating radar that also had a search capability which overcame much of the shortcomings of 2CRU. The system became operational in mid-1965 and remained until the end of 1968 when Bloodhound was withdrawn from service.

Even though the political climate did improve in these years, 30SQN was called to full operating readiness on numerous occasions, the last being only weeks before closing down. So as David Wilson stated in his article, nothing can detract from the fact that the squadrons, including No. 30 SAM Squadron, were deployed for war.

Kevin Frost
Medowie, NSW

Give us a sporting chance

I WRITE this letter seeking clarification on the ADF Sports Council’s (ADFSC) rulings on “inappropriate sports”.

I understand that the sports deemed inappropriate were done so on advice from the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS). However, I believe that the ADFSC needs to be have more detailed discussions with AGS to correctly determine “inappropriate sport” commensurate with this century.

Some examples of “inappropriate sports” represented by Defence are motor cycle racing, ocean yacht racing, abseiling and rock climbing.

First, motor cycle racing. One might suggest these guys are safer on the track, in a controlled environment, wearing all the required protective clothing, than they are on their personal bikes riding to and from work.

Second, yacht racing. I wonder what the ADF Sailing Association has to say about their sport being deemed inappropriate.

I read with interest that this sport “develops self confidence, leadership, and team skills while working in a demanding environment”. Surely these are qualities that are advantageous to the Defence force.

Finally, abseiling and rock climbing. Defence has gone to a lot of expense to establish an Adventurous Training Wing, to qualify Unit Adventurous Team Leaders (UATLs) with the view to return to their respective unit and “prepare for adversity through challenge”. It should be understood that with the operational tempo these days some of these UATLs undertake these activities in their own time.

Some “appropriate sports” are lawn bowls, tenpin bowling, golf. Surely all sports could be appropriate provided they are risk managed adequately, and meet the requirements stipulated in DI(G) Pers 14-2.

We are told that our risk management system is world class, so why not use it? Let’s get with the times, use the tools we have in place, and enjoy our sport, whatever it is.

SGT P. Cooke
No. 5 Aviation Regiment
RAAF Base Townsville

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