 |
|
The
long-serving AVM Bruce Short.
|
FORTY
years is a long time for one person to serve the Air Force – but
that figure is even more impressive when you add another seven
years of other military-related service. Surgeon General ADF Air
Vice-Marshal Bruce Short notched up 40 years’ service with the
Air Force earlier this year.
“I’ve had a collection of uniforms and military impedimenta continuously
hung in my wardrobe for 47 years,” AVM Short said.
At Sydney Grammar School he served in the Cadet Corps and was
also a member of the school rifle team. In 1960 he embarked on
his future calling as a doctor by enrolling in the School of Medicine
at Sydney University.
His Defence service began at the same time when he enlisted as
a Private in the Sydney University Regiment. In 1964, he transferred
to the Undergraduate Medical Scheme, opting for a medical career
in the Air Force.
“I selected Air Force even though I had started ‘green’ because
of the situation in Vietnam.
My thinking at the time was that we had Army advisers over there
and that there was a real chance of being shot at,” he quipped,
then added:
“The real reason was that we had the options of all three services
clearly explained to us and I felt Air Force was definitely the
way to go.”
He finished his degree in 1966 and in 1968 he was posted to No.
3 RAAF Hospital, Richmond, where he found himself busy with aeromedical
evacuations out of Vung Tau, Vietnam. “My first deployment was
an interesting introduction to medicine and military service.
The entire load were amputees, some multiple,” he said.
“While the aircraft were fully equipped the concept of the 18-hour
flight back to Sydney from Butterworth [where patients were first sent from Vung Tau] to keep the troops stable and with the
possibility of major intervention procedures en route was pretty
daunting.”
Later that year he was posted as Senior Medical Officer to RAAF
Base Point Cook and then as a Squadron Leader to RAAF Base Williamtown
in 1971.
He
said the base was very busy because of the commitment to the Vietnam
War, but all personnel “felt we were doing something that was
worth it”.
In 1972 AVM Short transferred to the General Reserve and carved
out a distinguished career in a number of Sydney hospitals and
a stint as the relieving Specialist General Physician at No. 4
RAAF Hospital, Butterworth in 1973.
He joined the newly created Specialist Reserve in 1986 before
being appointed Assistant Surgeon ADF in 1998 and ultimately Surgeon
General in January 2001.
“I have seen an awful lot of changes over the years, from the
delivery of single Service medical and health services to the
provision of joint medical services,” AVM Short said.
Looking back on his career AVM Short said he was would retire
at the conclusion of his final extension at age 65. “I’ve had
a wonderful career but I think 17 to 65 is quite long enough to
be in uniform.” .
Back
