Ruth high flier as COMASC

By Michael Brooke

SQNLDR Ruth Elsey upon her return to Australia, after serving as the ADF’s first female COMASC.

Photo by Phil Barling

THE ADF’s first female Commander of an Australian Contingent (COMASC) has returned home to be welcomed back with a “job well done”.

Squadron Leader Ruth Elsley served concurrently as COMASC on Operation Azure and the Air Safety Officer for the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) from May to November.

Squadron Leader Elsley, an air traffic control officer from No. 44 Wing, rotated back to Australia in November to be welcomed by the top brass for a job well done” and the news that she was the first female COMASC.

“To be the first female COMASC is a bit of surprise really, and has only started to sink in,” she said.

Land Headquarters Chief of Staff Brigadier Brigadier Brian Dawson said Squadron Leader Elsley was appointed to COMASC Operation Azure purely on the strength of her ability and qualifications.

“She has done a fantastic job while helping the ADF reach a small but significant milestone,” he said.

Squadron Leader Elsley rotated back to Australia at the end of November to praise and applause from the top brass for what she achieved as COMASC leading an ADF team of 15 personnel and as the UNMIS Air Safety Officer in which she supervised 15 different aircraft types.

“Of the 28 contributing countries I was the first female officer to deploy on UNMIS,” she said.

“It says a lot about the ADF that we have deployed by far more females in staff positions than any other country.

“The UN Secretary-General saw me in the crowd during a briefing and asked me to stand up and take a bow as I was the only female military officer working at staff level.”

She said her job as COMASC was a pleasure because ADF personnel were highly professional and their services were
valued by the Sudanese and the contributing countries.

Her biggest challenge was serving as Air Safety Officer and trying to apply Australia’s world-class safety standards to 15 aircraft types that lifted personnel and logistics throughout Sudan.

“Because I deployed with the start-up team, I performed the jobs of six air safety personnel,” she said.

Her lessons learnt were given to her successor upon her departure and return to Australia.

“I realise now more than ever how highly professional we are and how it just is not possible to get others to reach our standards in short periods of time,” she said.

.