Our People in the NT
Flight Sergeant Shane Haire - Father of five delivers again in the Middle East
On his first overseas deployment after 25 years in the Royal Australian Airforce, Flight Sergeant Haire is playing a key role in co-ordinating logistics for Australias 1,400 personnel in the Middle East.
Flight Sergeant Haire deals with local business owners in various cities across the Gulf buying stores and supplies needed by Australians at airbases, on board ships and in dusty army compounds.
"Getting through the language barrier to ensure the goods we're after are delivered correctly can be quite a challenge. There have been mix ups where hessian has been sent instead of toilet paper needed on a navy ship. It took a little explaining but the order was corrected much to the relief of some anxious sailors" Flight Sergeant Haire said.
But there are some special requests that only Australians can deliver.
To celebrate Anzac day across the Gulf the call went out for Anzac biscuits, baked beans, vegemite and meat pies. A bakery in Sydney supplied two and half thousand fresh meat pies, the Returned Services League offered boxes of biscuits, trays of baked bean cans finished the load and Flight Sergeant Haire and his team at the Force Logistic Base co-ordinated delivery to 7 different locations across the Middle East in time for Anzac day and without having to freeze anything.
Flight Sergeant Haire has five children aged between 18 and two. Although his wife and family is in Katherine it doesn't always feel they are that far away.
"The kids regularly send me video messages to my mobile phone, telling me what happened at school and the latest funny incident between my 3 girls and 2 boys. It allows me to still be a part of their lives even though I'm thousands of kilometres away"
"I'm working alongside other logistics specialists from the navy and army here and we're all looking forward to reuniting with our families later this year."