The Top End has top-notch base at Darwin

By PTE John Wellfare

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The Air Force Award winners were announced on March 31.

THE Top End has again taken honours for most proficient base. RAAF Base Darwin was announced as the winner of the Hawker Siddeley Trophy for 2004, a year after RAAF Base Tindal won the award.

The annual proficiency and leadership awards were announced on March 31, the day of the Air Force’s 84th birthday commemorations.

The winners were:

• No. 24 (City of Adelaide) Squadron: Air Force Association Trophy, the most proficient Air Force active Reserve squadron;
• RAAF Base Darwin: Hawker Siddeley Trophy, the most proficient base over the calendar year;
• No. 86 Wing: Duke of Gloucester Cup, the most proficient flying squadron;
• No. 3 Combat Support Hospital: Markowski Cup, the most proficient unit not eligible to compete for any other awards;
• Airlift Systems Program Office: RAAF Maintenance Trophy, the most worthy Air Force unit in recognition of their engineering and technical excellence and of the contribution made by all members of the unit toward the successful completion of allocated tasks;
• Flying Officer Rodney Barton, of Headquarters Air Command: Australian Defence Industry Leadership Award and Her Majesty the Queen’s Gold Medal. The former award is for the Officer Training School graduate who has demonstrated the most outstanding leadership attributes and associated officer qualities while on the initial officer training course, and the latter award is awarded by the Queen to the outstanding officer trainee graduate from the Officer Training School to recognise exemplary conduct, performance of duty and good influence on fellow officers;
• Leading Aircraftman Michael Barr, of No. 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron: AVM B.A. Eaton Award, the airman or airwoman of the rank of corporal or below who has been judged as the airman or airwoman of the year.
• Flight Sergeant Shane Meloncelli, of Airlift Systems Program Office: AVM Dietz Memorial Medallion, for an Air Force member (and a civilian) who has been employed in organisations directly involved in Air Force acquisition projects or logistics support of Air Force technical equipment; and
• Leading Aircraftman A.J. Attwood, of No. 6 Squadron: J.R. Bartram and R.A. Kee Sword of Honour, for a graduate of the RAAF School of Technical Training in recognition of meritorious performance while undergoing training.
  
  The Lipshut Family Bursary was not offered this year.
  
  The awards will be presented on May 12 at the Air Force Awards Night in Canberra.

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