Reign Ends
To the strains of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, the Air Force’s HS748s have shut down their engines for the last time. The five No. 32 Squadron Draggies took off from RAAF Base East Sale on June 30 and conducted a three-hour farewell flight over the Gippsland district.

A man of dedication
LEADING Aircraftman Bruce Brown, who died of a suspected heart attack on July 2, was always keen to embrace new challenges. He had recently begun a five-month stint with Air Force News, where he was eager to learn about journalism – a skill to add to his photography talents.

Uniform hung up for the last time
THE Air Force’s venerable blue/ grey all-seasons uniform officially passed out of service on June 30. The uniform, replaced by the Air Force blue uniform, was introduced in 1972 as the replacement for the old blue World War II RAF-style uniforms introduced in 1921.

Cautious approach to anti-malaria drug
THE ADF is taking a conservative approach to the use of the anti-malaria drug mefloquine after the US Department of Defense raised concerns about its side-effects. Mefloquine has been most recently linked to vestibular dysfunctions, or balance disorders, in nearly a dozen US service members returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Travelling man is ready for holiday
He has travelled the world in the past four years, but Warrant Officer Chris Dunne has had only one overseas holiday in that time.

Herc comes under attack
Seven crew of a C-130 in Iraq will probably remember their mission on the afternoon of June 27 above all others No. 36 Squadron has flown – more than 2000 now – while deployed. “The crew heard a loud thump and felt the projectile strike the aircraft,” recounted Air Commodore Greg Evans, Commander Air Lift Group.

Caribous return
SIX Air Force aircrew and two Caribou aircraft from No. 38 Squadron have returned to Townsville and concluded the squadron’s deployment to the Solomon Islands in support of Operation Anode.

Govt should look at options: report
THE Government should consider purchasing the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter and more air-to-air refuelling (AAR) tankers, according to a parliamentary committee.

Indigenous contribution honoured
AUSTRALIA’S indigenous Service men and women were honoured at a memorial service in Canberra this month. More than 80 people attended the service at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Memorial at Campbell as part of a the National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week 2004 activities.

Safety awards
People who go beyond the call in maintaining safety in Defence may now be recognised with a Defence Safety Award.

Sound check is OK
RAAF Bases Pearce and Wagga are close to finalising changes to hearing protected areas (HPAs) and activities as a result of independent noise surveys conducted earlier this year.

Good show from No. 1
ON THE flightline they are the words no pilot wants to hear from ground crew: “You’re not going anywhere.” But that’s what had to happen when five No. 1 Squadron technicians detected leaking liquids and other mechanical problems in aircraft on separate occasions in the past 18 months.

Bring her down, Huey
The familiar and comforting thumping sound of four Hueys in a low formation flypast over Brisbane on June 26 heralded the start of the weekend ceremonies for the retirement of the Iroquois Bushranger gunship capability from the Army.

Changes to order supplies
A new arrangement for buying office supplies and janitorial products in Defence will start on September 1. Standing offers are in place with Boise Office Solutions and Corporate Express for office requisites and Bunzl Limited for janitorial products.

Help with experiments
If you conduct a Google search of the Internet inquiring about “military experimentation”, the search engine will return about 175,000 hits. Even if you refine that search by adding the word “Australian”, you will still come up with more than 13,000 responses.

Turning tragedy into a positive
LEADING Aircraftman Bradley King knows what it is like to experience the loss of a child as this tragedy has struck his family twice. He and his wife, Angela, were devastated when their son Benjamin was stillborn on August 29 last year.

A new service medal in 2005
A new medal is being established to recognise volunteer service of six years in the ADF, permanent or Reserve. The Australian Defence Medal will be retrospective from the end of World War II.

Honours for our doctors
Aviation training medical officer Dr Gordon Cable’s attendance at the largest gathering of his peers was such a rewarding experience that it’s impossible for him to choose the best of it.

Teams get marching orders
For the first time, teams from RAAF Bases Amberley and Tindal will participate in the Nijmegen March, the world’s oldest march. About 35 Air Force personnel, made up of No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron and a detachment from No. 75 Squadron at Tindal, will take part in the 160km march from July 20-23 in the Netherlands.

D-Day dreams come true
Backstage with the beautiful dancers of the Moulin Rouge in Paris – that’s every young flyer’s dream of a visit to France. And it came true for Air Force veterans Charles Turner and Collin Wheatley, but not until 60 years after they flew over occupied Europe during the great landings at Normandy on D-Day, 1944.

F-111 ranks grow
Three aircrew have joined the F-111 ranks after successful bombing missions during Exercise Northern Challenge.

Family all fired up
A FAMILY tradition continued at the Parramatta Defence Force Recruiting Centre recently when Bradley Oaklands, 18, followed in the footsteps of his father and brother by enlisting as an Air Force firefighter.

Views of politicians changed
Walking the halls of power has changed the perception two Air Force officers have of oft-maligned politicians.

Back to school after 30 years
It has been a long time since RAAF Base East Sale has hosted a reunion of navigators and air electronic officers – 20 years at least – and longer still since members of No. 47 Navigator and No. 9 Air Electronic Officers courses trained together.

Bulletin Board

In Brief