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Hero lives on at staff college


Edition 4909, 31 May, 2007
 
IN HIS HONOUR: The Australian Command and Staff College has named a new exercise after the late WGCDR Dick Cresswell, pictured above during WWII when he was in command of 77SQN.
 
The memory of Air Force hero WGCDR Richard ‘Dick’ Cresswell will live on at the Australian Command and Staff College (ACSC) in a new exercise named in his honour.

“Exercise Cresswell will harness the considerable intellectual horsepower resident here at ACSC to the immediate benefit of the Air Force as well as achieving learning outcomes to prepare Air Force’s leaders for the future,” said Director of Studies–Air at ACSC, GPCAPT Ian Pearson.

The exercise will require Air Force course members to research and present to DCAF (the exercise sponsor) and other senior Air Force leaders solutions to contemporary challenges facing the Air Force.

GPCAPT Pearson told AIR FORCE News that the use of WGCDR Cresswell’s name for the new exercise had been cleared with WGCDR Cresswell’s family. Speaking for the family, daughter Claudia Cresswell expressed her delight that her father was being recognised by the naming of the new exercise.

WGCDR Cresswell raised, commanded and fought with 77SQN during World War II, and again commanded and fought with the squadron in Korea.

GPCAPT Pearson described WGCDR Cresswell as “a leader, a warrior and an innovator – attributes we seek to foster at ACSC”.

After his distinguished Air Force service, WGCDR Cresswell went on to become a strong supporter of the Air Force program at ACSC, appearing annually as a popular speaker at the Eagles Day symposium where the experience of yesterday’s warriors is passed on to the emerging generation of Air Force leaders.

GPCAPT Pearson said that “while the meaning of the word ‘hero’ had been diminished by its routine use to describe pop stars and sporting identities, the exploits of Dick Cresswell remind us of what being a hero is really all about.”

Exercise Cresswell has been introduced as part of a revamp of the Air Force single studies component of the year-long ACSC course.

The review of the Air Force component, led by WGCDR Alan Lawrence, has brought an increased operational and real world focus to the course.

Acknowledging WGCDR Lawrence’s work, GPCAPT Pearson said that he expected Air Force course members to enjoy the updated program as well as be better prepared by it to participate in the joint environment.

“I see professional Air Force mastery as a key enabler for our people to be effective contributors to the joint environment,” he said.

“Our partnership with the Air Power Development Centre in delivering the program and the strong support we have received for the course from Air Force Headquarters have been fundamental to the development of our new program, and underlines the priority Air Force is giving to the professional development of our future leaders.”