Tindal equal to task

By FLTLT Hayley Thomas

AC Xavier Sherriff carries out the daily tanker duties of a runway sweep to ensure it is free of debris during Exercise Pitch Black at RAAF Base Tindal.

Photos by LAC Ben Dempster

Base Operations Coordinator FLGOFF Tim Ferrell, left, leads the morning brief for the operations centre.

ACW Belinda Walters prepares for the lunchtime rush.

THE dust that surrounded the command post at RAAF Base Tindal is the same colour as the fictitious name of the defending Red force that participated in Exercise Pitch Black.

RAAF Base Tindal’s pivotal role in PB04 included hosting more than 30 aircraft as diverse as Chinook helicopters, Boeing 707 tankers and PC- Forward Control aircraft and more than 700 deployed personnel who supported the Red forces.

The Operations Coordinator at the base, Flying Officer Tim Ferrell, said the planning to make Pitch Black a success began months ago.

“The strategic planning required for Pitch Black was enormous and we commenced bedding down aspects of the exercise in February this year,” FLGOFF Ferrell said.

The arrangements for the exercise meant a transformation for the base. “From food and fuel right through to cleaning and air operations, the base transforms and expands its capabilities exponentially during an exercise like this,” FLGOFF Ferrell said.

“Each day over a quarter of a million litres of fuel were used in support of flying operations, over 2500 meals a day were served and over 1000 people were accommodated on base during the three-week exercise.”

Aircraftwoman Belinda Sanders, who deployed to Tindal from Richmond for PB04, said the exercise placed considerable demands on the cooks.

“We were up every day around 4.30am across the five messes supporting personnel during the exercise. Among our challenges this year have been the supplying of meals to members of the No. 33 Squadron Detachment who were still hard at work at midnight one night,” ACW Sanders said.

One of Tindal’s tanker drivers, Aircraftman Xavier Sherriff, described his experiences during the exercise as “long days and never-ending refuelling ... but it’s great to participate in an exercise of this size”. PB04 was AC Sherriff’s first exercise in Tindal and he found the experience “really interesting and ramping up like this teaches us some important lessons”.

The Security Officer for the exercise, Flight Lieutenant Trent Harris, said SECPOL’s activities intensified during Pitch Black. “With a large influx of visiting personnel and assets on the base ... we had some augmentation from around the country to ensure the base’s security requirements were maintained,” he said.

Group Captain Corrie Metz, Officer Commanding RAAF Base Tindal, said, “Our team has an amazing capacity to rise to almost every challenge and this year’s exercise, thanks to excellent planning and sound implementation, has led to a very positive experience”.

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