Our People in QLD
John Bein - Chipping in for Afghanistan
Eighteen months ago Narangba-raised John Bein, 25, was a civilian carpenter with a wife and three children when he felt the urge for job security and a challenge.
“A brother-in-law of mine was in the RAAF, so I decided to join as a carpenter,” Leading Aircraftsman Bein said. “The Defence Force appealed to me because I could wear the Australian flag on my shoulder and still do my trade. I chose the RAAF because I could join with the rank of Leading Aircraftsman.”
Leading Aircraftsman Bein has been deployed to the RAAF’s Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force. There his co-workers user a giant portable radar dish and radio procedures to manage the airspace of Afghanistan, ensuring that military aircraft can go about their business in a safe and efficient manner.
There is plenty to keep the young carpenter busy as he makes life more comfortable for the Australian troops during the harsh Afghan winter. He has built duckboards to cross the snow and mud, as well as partition walls and floors for the tan coloured tents they call home. Now he is working on a canteen counter and shelving for the small store that operates within the camp.
“Being here is amazing,” Leading Aircraftsman Bein said. “Who would have thought I’d go from building houses to serving in Afghanistan within a year and a half? “I feel very honoured to have been picked to come here.”
Afghanistan represents active service for Leading Aircraftsman Bein, so there was naturally some concern from his parents in Narangba when he announced he was being sent overseas. “Mum and dad were a bit worried about me, but they have been very supportive,” he said. “They gave me advice like ‘keep your head down’ and ‘don’t walk straight’. They send me packages all the time with puzzles and lollies.
“It’s exciting to get mail because it keeps you in contact with everybody back home. I enjoy reading the letters and seeing the pictures. I miss my wife and kids desperately, but I talk to them everyday on the telephone before the kids go to sleep.”
Leading Aircraftsman Bein said he was looking forward to his reception at Townsvillle when he returns home at the end of his six-month deployment. “I’m looking forward to wrapping my arms around my wife and kids – that will be the best thing,” he said. “Then I’ll relax, have a beer and enjoy the warm weather in Townsville. I’ll also go back to Narangba to see my parents and sisters, and have a few beers and enjoy the pokies with my brothers-in-law at the Narangba Tavern.”