Tech trades’ leading lady
The first female Ground Support Equipment Technician to graduate from the Air Force School of Technical Training tells Private John Wellfare how she became a leader in her field.

 

FLTLT Glenn Buesnel-May teaches Australian Air Force history to students at the Officer Training School, Point Cook.

Photo by SGT Dave Grant

RAAFSTT instructor Tony Kukas with his students, from left, CPL Alison Cooper, CPL Nicholas Jude, CPL Matthew Neal and CPL Neill Roberts, all recent graduates of the GSE course.

TEN years after the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Technician mustering was established, Corporal Alison Cooper became the first female to graduate into the trade from the Royal Australian Air Force School of Technical Training (RAAFSTT) on August 25.

The interesting point in Corporal Cooper’s case is that women have never been ineligible for the mustering; she’s simply the first one to tackle the eight-month training program, widely regarded as one of the toughest trade training courses an enlisted Air Force member can undertake.

Although the OIC Avionics at RAAFSTT, Warrant Officer Steve Batcheldor, says her entry into the mustering will “open a few eyes here and there”, Corporal Cooper doesn’t expect to face any resistance from the her male peers.

“It’s certainly not frowned upon,” she says. “I don’t get any negativity from anyone.
“All the instructors, teachers and staff have always been helpful and the other students have always encouraged me.

“I guess it’s just the way society’s moulded – mechanic has always been a male-dominated trade.”

Corporal Cooper is familiar with male-dominated environments. She grew up on a property with four older brothers and held a number of jobs before joining the Air Force, including several years as a cabinetmaker.

“Working with my hands, I enjoy that,” she says. “I like seeing a finished product.
“A vehicle comes in with a problem, you figure out what the problem is and you see it leave at the end of the day with everything working.”

Corporal Cooper had been a GSE Fitter for about five years. Becoming a GSE Technician meant changing focus from mechanical work to electronics.

According to RAAFSTT Commanding Officer Wing Commander Chris Crowley, the transition is not easy, but is rewarding.

“It’s very demanding for them because most [GSE Fitters] have a mechanical aptitude and to get them to have the electronic knowledge as well is a very unique combination,” he says.

“They’re very precious and highly regarded tradespersons for all the aircraft and communications ground support equipment that we use for all of our operations. It’s a small, specialised mustering, but a very important one.”

For this year’s course, the school introduced a pre-course maths and physics “tune-up” test, making entry to the program more challenging, but proving a worthwhile investment for each student over the eight-month training period.

According to Warrant Officer Batcheldor, the fact that all four people who began the course completed it, and that the difference between the highest and lowest mark was little more than one per cent, proves the tune-up is worthwhile.

“If they’ve done the maths and physics and they’ve passed that, the chance of them getting through the course improves significantly.”

The GSE Technician mustering is undermanned, but potential students must be able to take in the huge range of information presented during the eight-month course. From basic electrical theory through motors and generators, automotive electronics, wiring and refrigeration to working with microcomputers and programmable logic controllers, GSE Technicians have to know their diverse trade inside out.

GSE Technicians start at corporal rank, which means students who attend the course at RAAFSTT are promoted upon graduation, unless they already hold NCO rank. The first few weeks at their next posting can be daunting for the newly graduated technicians, who have to start working in a new trade, and take on the responsibilities of an NCO trade supervisor at the same time.

Corporal Cooper, who was posted to RAAF Base Tindal at the completion of the course, admits to being somewhat daunted by the challenges ahead, but is confident in her ability to settle into the new job.

“I think I’ll learn a lot more as the months go by until the end of the year,” she says.

“As daunting as it is moving to a new base, meeting new people – my new workmates – as well as taking on the role of a corporal now, plus the role of a new mustering and being the only [female], I’m looking forward to it.”

 

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