700 Year 7 students see seven assets at Townsville

By CPL Simone Liebelt

FLGOFF Ryan Stokes shows some students one of the aircraft.

Photo by CPL Kirk Peacock

MORE than 700 Townsville children can now look up and identify some of the military aircraft that fly over their schools, thanks to a recent visit to RAAF Base Townsville.

Year 7 students and teachers from seven primary schools located near or under the flight path were invited to the Air Force base on November 26.

The school visit was hosted to thank the community for their support during military exercises and to promote the Air Force to the children.

The visitors were treated to a dog-handling display before being escorted around the base to view different aircraft and vehicles. On display was a Caribou, Hornet, Hawk, Army Chinook and Black Hawk, a search and rescue helicopter and an Air Force fire truck.

Sergeant Kerryn Nutt and Corporal Nadine Gallaway, of No. 323 Combat Support Squadron, helped organise the event, which they both agreed was a great success.

“For us, it was a big learning curve on how to run a large open day for school children, but even though it was a long and sometimes tiring day, it was worth it in the end,” SGT Nutt said. “It was especially worthwhile to hear some of the children say things like ‘wow’ after seeing an F/A-18 take off and ‘this is great’ after climbing through a Caribou or Chinook.”

CPL Gallaway said the students and teachers were really excited.

“They enjoyed getting up close and personal with the aircraft and the people who fly or work on them.

“Children in Year 7 are going on to high school and thinking about what they want to do when they grow up, so this visit just broadens their horizons and gives them a wide spectrum on the Air Force. It was good to see the smiling faces,” CPL Gallaway said.

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