Top Stories
A Knight to remember
By MAJ Mark Tanzer

Volume 49, No. 03, March 08, 2007
 
WAY TO GO: WOFF Keith Knight (front), celebrated his 60th birthday and retirement while deployed to Iraq as a specialist Air Force imagery analyst for the Army’s Overwatch Battle Group (West) at Camp Terendak in Tallil.
Photo by CPL Rob Nyffenegger
 
CELEBRATING a 60th birthday and retiring from the Air Force is one thing but doing both while serving with an Army unit in Iraq has to take the cake.

WOFF Keith Knight, of the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO), officially retired from the Air Force Reserve on the last day of his six-month deployment with Overwatch Battle Group (OBG) Group (West) 1 at Tallil in December.

He was farewelled by CO OBG (W) 1 LTCOL Michael Mahy, officers and soldiers at Camp Terendak.

WOFF Knight, the DIGO Liaison Officer to OBG (W), had been on continuous full-time service for the deployment, in which he provided crucial imagery intelligence to the battle group, including support to combat teams, Civil Military Coordination group and snipers.

He said the imagery analyst mustering was one of the most interesting and challenging Air Force careers.

“The ability to provide support to the OBG has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career,” WOFF Knight said.

“I never thought I’d be using my skills to work face-to-face with Army sniper teams and other combat elements – it has been a fantastic experience.”

WOFF Knight joined the Air Force in 1969 as an air photo plotter. His postings included 2SQN, HQ 82WG, 1 and 6SQNs at RAAF Base Amberley and the former RAAF Base Fairbairn.

“My main role with 1SQN was to support the aircrew with mission planning. Because I had to be familiar with the F-111’s capability, I was given the rare opportunity to notch up three flights,” WOFF Knight said.

Overseas exercises included RIMPAC and several others in South-East Asia and New Zealand.

In June 1994, he was posted to the United Nations Special Commission to track the Iraqi missile program. Based in New York, he participated in several inspections in Iraq as an imagery analyst.