SACTU slugs five raw rivals

By Andrew Stackpool

No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit’s Young Guns’ LACW Sharon McKenzie, AC David Fulton, AC Lee Schulz, AC Adam Bosworth and AC Christopher Walker fire in the unsupported prone position during the competition.

Photo by LACW Veronica McKenna

CPL Tony Law indicates to the Young Guns’ team to head inside to the weapons training simulation system facility after their 2.4km team run.

Photo by LACW Veronica McKenna

Event organiser CPL Kory McGregor (second from right) with the Surveillance and Control Training Unit’s Slugs team, (from left) – CPL Jo Rigby, CPL Sean Bedford, CPL Lance Roberts, LAC Richard Gough and CPL Dan Armfield – and their trophy of a plastic replica F88S Steyr.

Photo by LAC Euan Grant

“WHAT am I shooting at? Where is the target? You mean that little thing there?” asked a member of No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit’s Young Guns team.

After initial uncertainty, the inaugural RAW (run and weapon training simulation system) competition fired up on August 19 at RAAF Base Williamtown. Surveillance and Control Training Unit’s Slugs were the competition’s first winners.

Five-person teams from Headquarters No. 41 Wing, Headquarters No. 44 Wing, Headquarters Surveillance and Response Group, 3CRU, SACTU and Williamtown Air Traffic Control participated.

They wore camouflage pants, boots, webbing and a team shirt and ran 2.4km as teams in patrol order.

The event started outside the Eastern Regional Operations Centre and finished at the Weapon Training Simulation System where each member was required to fire 15 rounds.

The SACTU Slugs ran the distance in 14:21 and scored an average of 120 in the shoot. Runners-up 3CRU’s Young Guns achieved a better 14:08 in the run but managed an average of 108 in the shooting.

Third place-getters ROKCSFS ran 16:30 and scored an average of 80 with the guns. RAW coordinator Corporal Korey McGregor said the competition aimed to take people out of their comfort zone and test their military skills.

“To improve our war fighting skills is important,” CPL McGregor said. “It doesn’t matter whether you are an air surveillance operator, a technician, clerk or an airfield defence guard, we all need to be fit to fight and in today’s climate the threat can come from anywhere at anytime.

“The RAW concept aims to test and award the team that possess the best core military skills. Those skills are teamwork, leadership, esprit de corps, courage, fitness, professionalism and the desire to be the best.”

The competition will be held each year in April and August.

 

.