-A touching moment
-Counting the clothing cost

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A touching moment

I am writing this letter in the hope that people who have never been involved in the sporting community of the Defence organisation will gain an understanding of the unique, important and life changing experiences and friendships we gain from being a part of Australian Defence sport.

My husband, ‘Goody’, and I have been involved in ADF touch as players and committee members for several years. We actually met on a ‘touch trip’, through another touch friend.

At our recent Australian Defence Touch Association National Championships, held in Laverton, Goody suffered a serious leg injury that was witnessed by the supporters.

He was playing in the Men’s 30s Grand Final for Southern States against ACT/NSW Country, which included several of his long-time friends and former team mates.

The accident was very traumatic for all involved. The reason for this letter is not to focus on the incident but what was to follow.

I want to thank the people who administered the first aid; their professionalism and quick action was a credit to them and their training.

To every person who held his hand and shared his pain, comforted my daughter and me, offered us help with anything, including our children, and the phones calls of well-wishers, we thank you with all our hearts. To know we have friends like this makes every posting, every job change, every challenge faced by us as Defence members worthwhile. Without the support and help from our friends, this experience would have been so much more difficult for our family.

Even though we may have played our last game of touch for now, we shall never forget the friendship and compassion that was shown to us by all of our friends and those involved in the ADF touch community.

We are forever grateful to be a part of the “Touch Family” and we will miss it immensely, if only for a while.

FSGT Coralee Goedhart
RAAF Williams, Laverton

Counting the clothing cost

The statement “nothing comes without a cost” is what I think every time I go to a clothing store currently.

After some early teething problems, the supply of field equipment (both quantity and quality) is becoming what it should be to support the thousands of ADF personnel deployed around the world.

The cost that has come though is “barracks uniform” supplies at clothing stores.

While I understand short-term shortages due to resources being redirected towards more operational aspects, the current state of supplies is leaving individuals struggling to turn out in correct uniform.

The inability to obtain garrison caps of an appropriate size for greater than 18 months has left people wearing hats either too large or small. I myself, fast approaching my second increment as a FLTLT, still have not been able to be issued with the appropriate Shoulder Boards, Mess Dress. Now, to add the ultimate final insult, the clothing store at Williamtown has had ribbon for the Defence Long Service Medal on order for nearly 12 months without success, resulting in individuals (like myself) being unable to have rows of ribbons made up.

I hear many other anecdotal stories from individuals having difficulty maintaining their uniform to what they consider an appropriate standard due to stock shortages.

I would love to see this parlous state of our clothing stores rectified, but what will it cost us elsewhere?

FLTLT Andrew Koop
RAAF Base Williamtown

Director Coordination-Air Force GPCAPT Anne Borzycki responds:

The supply of ADF uniforms and accoutrements is the responsibility of the Clothing Systems Program Office (CLOSPO) within DMO in Melbourne. None of the three Services has direct management input to this organisation.

During the past 12 months, CLOSPO has been subject to a Ministerial-initiated change program in relation to requirement definition, needs analysis, procurement practices, technical integrity, industry relationships and culture.

The magnitude of these reforms, as well as the loss of many experienced staff, has resulted in a backlog of Navy, Army and Air Force clothing demands awaiting action.

Last year, the then Director General Land Systems Branch wrote to the three Service Chiefs advising them of the delays and shortages which would arise because of the changes within CLOSPO. This information was passed on to units via the Commanders Net and WOFF Air Force’s AIR FORCE News column.

To ensure the more urgent of Air Force’s clothing requirements were supplied, DCAF met with the Head of Land Systems Division last October and provided him with a list of items which were needed on a priority basis. This list included garrison caps.

DMO staff have now placed orders for the items concerned and the majority of deliveries are expected in February or March this year. Once the changes within CLOSPO are finalised and the backlogs cleared, it is expected that stock levels in ADF clothing stores will return to normal.