Volume 48, No. 23, December 14, 2006
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GOOD COMMS: 114MCRU technician CPL Andrew Webber shows local school students how to operate a mobile communications network terminal as LAC Jim Lees watches during the Try-A-Trade show in Marrara, Darwin.
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“HAVE you been shot at? Have you shot anyone? How old were you when you joined? What do you wear each day?”
These were some of the more commonly-asked questions of 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit (MCRU) technicians CPL Andrew Webber and LAC Jim Lees by students who attended the Try-A-Trade show in Darwin. The aim was to introduce high school students to potential trade careers.
According to 114MCRU maintenance officer FLTLT Lachlan Melville, Defence Force Recruiting in Darwin approached the unit to assist.
“Defence Recruiting was represented by a Navy contingent displaying a patrol boat engine and 114MCRU personnel displaying a SATCOM Terminal Assemblage (STA), a Defence Mobile Communications Network (DMCN) terminal and a Unimog,” he said.
Students from all over NT attended the show, with some staying overnight so they could see all the stands.
“It was encouraging to see a very broad range of schools attend the trade week, including children from “special needs schools” that would not normally be included in this type of activity,” CPL Webber said.
“It was a very rewarding experience to see that kids these days appreciate what we do in the Air Force.”
CPL Webber and LAC Lees provided a realistic picture of a technician’s role within the Air Force and demonstrated some of the day-to-day tasks they do at 114MCRU.
“The majority of students were extremely interested in both the assets and technicians’ experience,” FLTLT Melville said.
“In all, it was a worthwhile task for 114MCRU and, given the ongoing recruitment and retention issues that we experience within the CETECH and GSE musterings, it is in our best interests to stimulate what will potentially be the next generation of technicians.”
