Look into ANYA

By CPL Simone Liebelt
Volume 48, No. 5, April 6, 2006

ANYA applications are now open, with military skills instructors (MSIs) one of the career choices available in 2007. Pictured is MSI CPL Korey McGregor with a student at 1RTU.

Photo by CPL Greg Walls

“WHAT you learn about yourself, along with the skills that you acquire, can only make you a better supervisor, leader, or whatever you want to call it.”

Those were the words of a former facilitator from Airmen Leadership Flight (ALF), who had taken a short-term career change as part of the Any Airmen (ANYA) program.

Facilitators are just one of the choices up for grabs this year, with Expressions of interest for all the available positions now listed under Hot Jobs in People Central.

Other positions include Australia’s Federation Guardsmen, military skills instructors, Defence recruiters, personnel managers, ground safety officers and commanders’ valets and drivers.

The minimum tenure for ANYA is two years and offers members a break from their mustering, as well as broadening their knowledge of other musterings and the wider Air Force.

It also increases their chances of being posted to a particular location and can increase their chances of promotion.

For some of the positions, selection can be a highly competitive process, as with ALF facilitators. Once shortlisted, applicants face a selection board at the School of Postgraduate Studies in Wagga, where they undergo a formal interview and are asked to demonstrate their teamwork, interpersonal skills and creativity in public speaking.

ALF Flight Commander SQNLDR Bob Miller said it was all about recruiting the right person for the important but demanding job.

“At any time, and particularly during these times of high operational tempo, good leadership at all levels is a vital element of Air Force effectiveness,” he said.

“With this importance recognised, ALF seeks to recruit those airmen and airwomen with the passion for the subject, and who wish to further both organisational and personal capability in the field of leadership.”

“The work varies from physical work in the field in all weather conditions, through to classroom discussion, to activities such as training dining-ins,” he said.

“The learning curve for a new facilitator is steep, and the work during courses is often long and hard, but it can be very rewarding work for the right people.”

ANYA Personnel Manager FSGT Aaron Smith said members interested in a career change, such as facilitator, should start preparing now.

“People have to get out and take control of their own career and be responsible for their decisions by doing the research before applying,” FSGT Smith said. “This isn’t something you do on a whim, this is the next three years of your life.

“There are massive bonuses with working in ANYA, like working beside high-calibre people who were hand-selected for the job and are really driven to be there. Some positions also offer overseas travel, such as the Federation Guard, so people can visit destinations overseas other than the desert.”

For more information on ANYA, visit People Central or contact FSGT Smith by emailing aaron.smith@defence.gov.au or calling (02) 6265 2288. Members interested in applying for ALF should contact WOFF Dan Dwiar on (02) 6937 5035.

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