Our People in SA
Anthony Gough - Taekwondo Man’s Middle East Tour
The double ITF Taekwondo bronze medallist has been deployed to the Middle East as a structural fitter for AP-3C Orion aircraft. He is part of the 170-strong Air Force detachment operating surveillance flights over the Persian Gulf and Iraq.
Anthony won his Taekwindo medals in Birmingham, UK, in 2006, but said his duties with the RAAF were a challenge all their own. “It’s a job that keeps you busy. You do a lot of flight line work when you are away.”
These days the Norfield High School graduate is normally based at RAAF in Edinburgh, where he has helped keep the Orions structurally sound. But this was his third tour of the Middle East — the previous two were during 2004 and 2006.
“We do the same job at home or when we are away,” he said. “The first time was exciting … we were pretty busy and the accommodation was pretty basic!”
The keen sportsman first trained in martial arts as a change from football and to spend more time with wife Kim, 31, and daughter Jayda, 2. “I was into footy and other sports, but taekwondo suits my lifestyle,” he said.
Some 1400 members of the Australian Defence Forces remain on duty in the Middle East as part of Operation Catalyst, the Australian Government’s contribution to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq. Working with the Iraqi Government and coalition forces, Australian military personnel are continuing to work for a more secure environment and assist with national rehabilitation programs.