Raaf dog handlers Association

Transcription

1 Raaf dog handlers Association Newsletter Issue #16 September 2016 PATRON CPL MARK DONALDSON, VC VICE PATRON GPCPT GUY BURTON, CSC, ADC What s in this issue? Lest We Forget 2 Basic Course Pitch Black WOFF Adam McDonald 6 Sydney MWD Tribute 7 Glen Innes RSL & Special School Memorial 7 Visit by John Burnam to RAAFSFS 8 Working Dog Handlers earn their stripes 10 Debunking the Myths 12 Gold Card Holders 15 Ian & Judy Wintle s Giving Garden 16 Helping Veterans get back to work 18 What is a Veteran? 19 Pozieres Memorial 20 New Children s book by Nigel Allsopp 20 Pozieres 21 Wedgetail Success 22 Bring US War Dogs home 24 Black Hawk 28 Up-coming Birthdays 29 What s in this issue? Doggies Health Survey 29 They ve got this licked 30 RAAF s new Recruiting campaign 31 Mal Holland at Jandowae, QLD 32 How I got to where I m today 33 Kbora Ali Joins Australian Army 34 Battle of Long Tan Intelligence Background 34 RAAF Spartan crash lands 38 RaDHA s new transport 39 RDHA Merchandise 40 Life isn t fair but it s still good Force Protection is: All measures and means to minimise the vulnerability of personnel, facilities, equipment and operations to any threat and in all situations, to preserve freedom of action and the operational effectiveness of the force.

2 On the 25th July 2016 we have lost yet another patriotic RAAF Dog Handler, Adriano Bortolanza. Before passing he wrote me an which read. Hi Ray, I have attached a poem that my daughter has written through my eyes. I just read the article in the latest newsletter and believe that this poem helps to push the point from a child's view point. She has written it through a military aspect. I hope it will assist other children to look at their fathers in different eyes. Can you please put in my apologies for the meetings in the future, thank you? 2 BY GIULIA BORTOLANZA This poem was written to bring awareness to the public about prostate cancer. Every one in seven men are affected from this disease up to the age of 85 (Australian Government, 2016). Last year 17,250 Australian men were diagnosed and It was the most commonly diagnosed cancer (Australian Government, 2016). This disease affects men over the age of fifty, however if there is a family history of Prostate Cancer, The Prostate Cancer Foundation recommend men aged forty have a screening with their doctor. This poem is Titled Mission of the Cross. It is written in first narrative as one man expresses his fight against Prostate Cancer and his intent to send a message to all men to be brave and have a prostate test. MISSION OF THE CROSS The day I was diagnosed I was not prepared A battle had just begun And war was declared I set a vow to fight I had my cross to bare A mission to beat this germ And conquer this raging warfare My fight has started The barriers are broken The enemy has engaged This disease is outspoken It felt like the flu My body was aching My hips were so sore I thought I was ageing A PSA blood test Proved the convoy of cancer cells Had invaded my prostate As my body tried to rebel A barrage of tests followed CT, bone scan, and biopsy too The rectal examination Was also due Prostate Cancer The callous medic said Wait but there s more This incurable disease has spread A secret mission To inflict chaos on the enemy In the hope to kill them Was a dose of Chemotherapy This plan worked The enemy pulled back Only to regroup And find a new track My pain intensified As the convoy found new roads Blowing up nerves Destroying my bones A prisoner in my own body This disease sentenced me To eighteen months of living At fifty-two I m a retiree A reconnaissance team of doctors Explore ways to keep me alive As I fight this invasion I won t die, I will strive

3 3 The enemy stormed the shorelines Of my hips, legs and spine My shoulder, ribs and sternum My brain, it s not a good sign As I lay here fatigued and sore My instinct is to fight back My death may be looming But my message is ATTACK A concentration camp is needed As my memory starts to fade My body is aching I m tired from this raid Calling all men over forty Gear up and soldier down To get your prostate checked And stop this cancer now My finances are in ruins My wife is my nurse My children are depressed They are preparing for the worst All you brave men Get out there and fight Early detection Will save your life On the 23rd September 2016 we have lost yet another patriotic RAAF Dog Handler, Kevin James. Kev was at the ANZAC Day weekend in Adelaide, South Australia He was in very high sprits over the weekend and having numerous beers with several of his Doggie mates. Kev was going to go to the next AN- ZAC Day march in Toowoomba and was committed to the ANZAC Day march in Townsville Kev will be very much missed. RIP my friend. The Tribute to the Military Working Dogs at the Dog Lovers President s Report Show in Sydney was a huge success with over $500 in merchandise sales. On the 26 th August, Nigel Allsopp and I as well as RaDHA and Venus (Nigel s dog) drove to Glen Inness, NSW to conduct a presentation to a Special School along with the Glen Innes High School and RSL. Just to let you know the dogs were travelling in the new dog float. Photos are at the end of these minutes. I took ex-usa, Vietnam dog handler, Master Sargent John Burnam, his wife Fern and Paul Winds to RAAFSFS. John did a presentation for all dog handlers at RAAFSFS and 2SECFORSQN, Amberley in the RAAFSFS Auditorium on the 14 th September. The presentation was a fascinating history to John s time as a dog handler. John presented a statue of the War Dog Memorial that is situated at Lacklands Air Base, Texas, to the Co RAAFSFS WGCDR McHugh and a Not Forgotten Fountain statue to me as President of the RDHA. Other attending members also received gifts from John Burnam.

4 Course AFSEC Basic course 0005 graduated on the 14th July AC Hayden Giles was the precipitant of the Most Improved Award and the trophy was presented by GPCPT Geoffrey Kimmins CSC, OAM and Ray Thomas. AC Giles and his MWD Uber are posted to RAAF Tindal. Pitch Black 2016 ACW Darcy Meredith-Vincent from 2SECFOR and MWD Vexy patrolling the flightline at RAAF Darwin.

5 5 LAC Aaron Peacock and MWD Jag. SGT Ty Trost and EDD, Explosive Detector Dog Rudder.

6 WOFF Adam Mc Donald 6 ATG WOFF Adam McDonald and his partner, Air Command WOFF Michelle Foley catch up in the Middle East. Thanks Macca for all your help to make the 2016 RDHA ANZAC Day weekend in Adelaide a complete success.

7 Sydney Military Working Dog Tribute This was the RDHA & AWAMO Merchandise table managed by Trish Thomas RaDHA standing guard over Queens Park Sydney At the Military Working Dog Tribute, Ray Thomas was awarded the Order of Fewterers, The keeper and handler of the hounds in medieval and Renaissance Society. Ray was also awarded Ambassador of AWAMO. Glen Innes RSL & Special School Animal Memorial

8 Visit and presentation by Ex-Vietnam Veteran Master Sergeant John Burnam at the RAAFSF Auditorium on the 8 John is a retired United States Army Master Sergeant. He served as a combat infantryman and German Shepherd Scout Dog Handler during the Vietnam War from His scout dogs were named Timber and Clipper. Both dogs died in the Vietnam War. Master Sergeant Burnam is the recipient of numerous war decoration including the Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Legion of Merit. John has authored several books about his service in the Vietnam War. His latest books are Canine Warrior, How a Vietnam Scout Dog Inspired a National Monument published in 2014 and Creating an American National Treasure published in John is also the founder of America s National Monument for Military Working Dog Teams. He assisted its legislation through the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon in Washington DC. John orchestrated the monument s design and raised 2.1 million U.S. dollars in public donations to construct it. The national monument was dedicated on October 28, 2013 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where America trains its military working dogs and handlers. John and his wife Fern Zappala have travelled from their home in Washington DC to visit Australia for the very first time and we welcome them with open arms.

9 9 I would like to thank Paul Winds for the opportunity to introduce and meet John Burnam. John would like to thank everyone involved for their hospitality.

10 Working Dogs/Handlers earn their stripes 10

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12 Debunking the Myths 12 Widowed partners eligibility for the Gold Card What is a DVA Gold Card? How can widowed partners of veterans receive the Gold Card? Most people refer to the 'DVA Health Card for all conditions' as the Gold Card. The Gold Card provides access to free health care and related services for all health conditions. It is widely known that the Gold Card is provided to many veterans based on their level of service related incapacity or through having qualifying service and satisfying other criteria. However, Gold Card eligibility for a widowed partner is less understood. A widowed partner's eligibility for the Gold Card is linked to their eligibility for compensation payments such as the war widow s/er s pension or equivalent, under the relevant military compensation legislation. In some circumstances, these compensation payments together with the Gold Card, are granted automatically to the widow/er. In other circumstances, a veteran's death must generally be related to their ADF service in order for the widow/ er to receive compensation. Can the Gold Card be transferred to a widowed partner? A Gold Card is not transferrable to a widowed partner. The widowed partner needs to meet eligibility requirements in their own right. When is compensation and Gold Card automatically provided? Under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986, a war widow s pension and Gold Card is automatically granted if the veteran was an ex-prisoner of war or was eligible for: the Extreme Disablement Adjustment, or disability pension at the Intermediate Rate, the Temporary Special Rate or the Special Rate, or a disability pension at an increased rate for certain conditions, such as amputations and blindness. For service after 1 July 2004, comparable benefits are automatically provided under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 if the deceased member met the eligibility criteria for the Special Rate Disability Pension during some period of his or her life or had been assessed as having a permanent impairment of 80 or more points as a result of service injuries or diseases. There is no provision for the Gold Card under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA). Broadly, the SRCA covers part-time service between 3 January 1949 and 30 June 2004, although some ADF members who served during this time also have VEA coverage.

13 My partner was not receiving one of the payments mentioned above, so is there any way I can be granted a Gold Card? 13 If you believe that your partner s death was related to their ADF service, you are encouraged to lodge a claim for compensation. In the event that your partner s death is determined to be related to ADF service, you would be granted compensation, and potentially a Gold Card. What if I need help lodging a claim for compensation or would like more information? You can visit your nearest DVA or Veterans Access Network (VAN) office for assistance, or contact DVA on or from regional Australia free call More information is also available online on DVA's website Easier access to DVA treatment Did you know that many current and former members of the ADF can receive treatment at DVA expense for a range of medical conditions without having to prove these conditions were a result of their military service? These arrangements are referred to as Non-Liability Health Care (NLHC) and are designed to help people access treatment for certain conditions as quickly and easily as possible. Access to NLHC is based on a current or former member s service history and requires a diagnosis of one of the NLHC conditions by an appropriately qualified health professional. DVA will pay for a range of treatments including from a general practitioner, medical specialist, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist or psychiatrist as well as hospital services, specialist PTSD programs, pharmaceuticals or oncologist services as required to treat the condition. To apply, current and former members of the ADF need to fill out a D9215 (for cancer or TB) or D9213 (for PTSD, alcohol-use disorder or substance-use disorder) application form and return it to DVA. Forms can be obtained from the DVA website or by phoning DVA on or Individuals seeking treatment for anxiety or depressive disorders do not need to fill out a form and can simply call DVA. NLHC is entirely separate from the compensation process, so an application can be lodged before, during or after making a claim for compensation or even in the absence of a claim for compensation. Importantly, if a current or former member of the ADF has a compensation claim that is not accepted they can still receive medical treatment for the NLHC conditions. For more information visit Treatment of your health conditions Non-Liability Health Care or view the factsheet. NLHC conditions Cancer Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Depressive disorder Anxiety disorder Alcohol use disorder Substance use disorder

14 Service requirements Eligible war service under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) Operational service under the VEA Warlike and non-warlike service under the VEA or Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) Peacekeeping service Hazardous service British Nuclear Test Defence Service 3 years Continuous Full Time Service (CFTS) in peacetime between 7 December 1972 and 6 April 1994 (unless medically discharged) or 3 years CFTS in peacetime from 7 April 1994 (unless medically discharged) (for mental health conditions only) 14 Getting the right decision when you claim Veterans frequently comment about the outcome of appeals. Why is it that some compensation claims are successful at appeal but not at the primary claim stage? DVA is committed to providing a high quality, client focused, responsive and connected service. To help identify ways that we can do things better, DVA undertakes detailed analysis of all cases where the primary decision is changed by either an internal DVA review, the Veterans Review Board (VRB) or the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). Our analysis has consistently shown that only a small percentage of matters, determined by DVA, are changed on appeal. This shows that DVA is getting the vast majority of decisions right at the primary level. Usually, it is new evidence being lodged that most often results in a different decision being made, upon appeal. Amongst other things, this new evidence includes medical reports and further information to support the applicant's contention. Knowing this, applicants for DVA benefits can with the help of their advocates make the claims process quicker and more satisfactory by taking care to ensure that all relevant information and evidence is provided with their initial claim. The better a DVA claims assessor understands the conditions of your service, and the effects of any related health conditions, the more likely it is that the right decision will be made at the primary level and in a timely manner. As well as providing as much information, and evidence, as possible to help DVA link each claimed injury or disease to service, making good use of resources available on the DVA website (including MyAccount, Entitlement Self Assessment and Rehabilitation and Compensation Claim Information Sheet) can assist in making the claims process easier for you.

15 Gold Card Holders 15 I just to clarify a few points for people from a Gold Card Professional. 1. Yes, the Gold Card is first and foremost a health care card. It is given to those of us whose injuries and diseases are serious enough that we qualify for free healthcare. It is also given to war widows and to the dependent children of servicemen and women who have died in service. 2. Gold Card holders are entitled to a number of concessions from the various state and territory governments. What those concessions are varies from state to state. Concessions available in one state may not be available in another. It's very inconsistent. 3. There are many businesses (such as Telstra and Hoyts just to name two) who offer concessions to Gold Card holders. This is a gesture of goodwill from these businesses. They don't have to do it but they do. 4. There are frequently people who stamp their feet and say "the Gold Card is a health care card, not a discount card". This is simply not true. It is foremost a health care card but as highlighted above there are concessions available. Also, think of this: there are many Gold Card holders who are very much below retirement age. These younger veterans are often living on limited incomes (incap pay and very small ComSuper pensions) and a lot of them have young families and high cost of living expenses. These people are not entitled to a Pensioner Concession Cards that would give them concessions on a wide range of things. The Government gives PCC cards to other low income members of society to help them with day to day living. So if a Gold Card can give a veteran a saving of a few dollars here and there, would you begrudge them that? For some, getting a small discount on something may mean the difference between being able to afford bread and milk this week. This is just one example - there are veterans in other circumstances not eligible for Pensioner Concession Cards who would be helped by Gold Card Concessions.

16 Ian & Judy Wintle s Giving Garden 16

17 Ian Wintle s 2016 Garden Story 17 You could be forgiven for believing you re lost in a tropical paradise walking through our garden. Our one acre labour of love is fondly called The Giving Garden providing many years of satisfaction and solace to our family, friends, and visitors, not forgetting the wildlife. After finishing Uni our eldest son Scott went backpacking in Europe for a year. Only a couple of weeks before he was due to return home we received news from Switzerland that he had broken his back in a motorbike accident and would never walk again. The months that followed drew on our mental, financial, and physical strength. It was not for a further six months that he could finally return to his home. By that time not only he needed rehabilitation Mum and Dad also did. Our garden gave us the ability to heal, it was our rehabilitation and two decades on; it has blossomed into a lush sub tropical oasis, featuring some of the world s most exotic and unusual plants and fruit trees. The garden was part of Australia s Open Gardens from 2002 to 2013 and many thousands of visitors came to visit our garden. For the last three years we have continued to open our garden and support a local Lions Club, we stipulated that all money raised assist disabled children. We have assisted the Lion s Club by raising $12,523 in the last three openings. Overall we have raised around $50,000 for charities through our 14 Open Gardens. After 48 years of marriage Judy and I know that the time and love we have invested in our garden will continue to give us and our visitor s joy for many years to come. We plan to continue opening our garden for as long as we are able to as we enjoy the weekend and meeting so many fellow gardeners. There is always something new to see in this garden and 2016 is no exception with big changes to the garden. As usual there will be some great plants for sale, refreshments from the Lions Club and a raffle. Some visitors stay for up to four hours and they are welcome to bring their camera. We have welcomed many bus tours through our garden and have given over 135 power point presentations to gardening and service clubs throughout South East Queensland. Ian has his own website garden product reviews.com and a garden blog at ianjudy.blogspot.com over 250,000 people from over 100 countries around the world have seen our garden this way. The blog has been archived by the Queensland State Library as being of significant importance to the state of Queensland. Ian also has a Facebook page called The Giving Garden which has over 1650 followers and another Facebook page Open Gardens and Events Queensland where people who intend to open their garden can post information. This was badly needed as the Australia s Open Gardens Scheme closed down in June So, please come and enjoy our beautiful garden, we are sure you will not be disappointed.

18 Helping veterans get back to work 18 When people leave the military, they can often feel that the skills they have learnt during their career don t match with the skills employers are looking for. However, a recent DVA pilot project has shown that people transitioning from service have a broad set of skills that are indeed valued in the civilian workforce, and many are able to undertake work across a wide array of jobs. In November 2015, DVA commenced the second phase of its innovative Veterans Employment Assistance Initiative (VEAI) which is being conducted out of the Adelaide Office and involving around 120 clients from South Australia and Victoria. This phase will run for six months and will enhance DVA s vocational rehabilitation program as part of its broader whole-of-person rehabilitation model. This important work is evaluating the support provided to clients, as well as to employers and rehabilitation services providers, and implementing changes to more effectively assist clients with their return to work goals. Phase two builds on an initial six month pilot conducted in South East Queensland in The participants include a mix of genders and ages across Army, Navy and Air Force, from urban, remote and rural localities. Phase two will also examine what particular supports are needed by employers when they hire a veteran, as well as encouraging further inclusion of families as supporters of clients as they return to work. Some clients may be unable to go straight into full-time work due to psychosocial and medical management issues, and the trial will look at what support can be provided to both the client and the employer to develop arrangements and set goals that are achievable and sustainable. These goals are part of a rehabilitation plan developed with the rehabilitation services provider that include broader personal goals. While employment may be the end goal, there are also other rehabilitation goals that contribute to positive social and wellbeing outcomes. As part of the Department s commitment to continuous improvement, the VEAI will specifically assess the vocational rehabilitation needs of clients who have significant mental health and/or neurological conditions and identify opportunities to further assist them in returning to work and achieving their rehabilitation goals. The mental and social health benefits to clients who participate in the workforce and achieve their rehabilitation goals are complementary to the strategies set out in the Department s Veteran Mental Health Strategy and Social Health Strategy , which are available at

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20 Pozieres Memorial 20 I thought I would share with you the final artwork plan for the Pozieres memorial. now be sent to the development team to draft tech drawings. This plan will AWAMO have also confirmed receipt of a letter from the Mayor of Pozieres formally inviting us to place a memorial at Pozieres. This is all exciting news. We will keep you informed of any further developments. Purplepoppies.com.au New Children s Book by Nigel Allsopp New children's book by Nigel Allsopp out now, also great Christmas gift. Available via Amazon, AWAMO webpage, etc.

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22 WEDGETAIL SUCCESS 22 WEDGETAIL ACHIEVES 100% MISSION SUCCESS IN MIDDLE EAST Commander of the Air Task Group, Air Commodore Antony Martin, said that the men and women of the E-7A detachment should all be immensely proud of their efforts. The Australian Air Task Group E-7A Wedgetail command and control aircraft has achieved a record 100% mission success rate in Coalition operations against Daesh in the Middle East. The record is attributed to the current rotation, Rotation 5, of aircrew and maintenance personnel that operated the aircraft over the last four months. Commander of the Air Task Group, Air Commodore Antony Martin, said that the men and women of the E-7A detachment should all be immensely proud of their efforts. They ve all set the bar exceptionally high, especially achieving 100% mission completion a fantastic effort, said Air Commodore Martin. Such success speaks volumes about what the whole team has achieved in the past few months. The take-away for Rotation 5 is that their role and that of the E-7A Wedgetail in facilitating combat airpower capability in the Middle East is first class. Rotation 5 Detachment Commander, Squadron Leader David, explained that the record was the first time that an E-7A Rotation in the Middle East had successfully conducted every single mission they were assigned over the period of their deployment in this case all 36 missions. I m very proud of what our rotation has achieved over the four months that we ve been deployed to the Middle East, said Squadron Leader David. While 36 missions may not sound like a lot, when you consider that each mission lasts upwards of 12 hours, and we only have one aircraft, that s nearly 500 hours of flying and a lot of maintenance. The Wedgetail is a very technically advanced and complicated aircraft, so under normal circumstances we expect to have to cancel the occasional mission due to a maintenance requirement or perhaps crewing issue.

23 While luck might play a small role, it s above all a credit to the Rotation 5 maintenance team that has dedicated themselves to making sure the aircraft is always ready, and that they are prepared for all practical contingencies. Senior Engineering Officer and head of Rotation 5 maintenance, Flight Sergeant Barry Damsma, said that he was really proud of his workforce for achieving the record. It doesn t sound like much, but it s really hard to get a 100% mission success rate, said Flight Sergeant Damsma. It s the first time I ve seen it achieved in 23 years and I ve worked on a number of different aircraft. Flight Sergeant Damsma attributed the team s success to three key factors: logistics arrangements, maintenance practices, and personnel management. We ve been pro-active, rather than re-active; looking forward into the future, said Flight Sergeant Damsma. From a logistics point of view, we ve focused on establishing a more long-term supply of spares and more solid supply chain management. While the earlier focus was more on critical items, we ve looked ahead at what might become critical in the future, and tried to make sure it never reaches that stage. As for maintenance practices, we ve developed policy that is more sustainable and we ve tried to mirror the practices we do back home. That means for example moving from working with toolboxes, to putting everything on tool-boards. When it comes to people, it s important that they are happy, motivated and have the resources to achieve what they want. If people are motivated they will come into the workshop during their spare time and try to fix problems that they ve been working on. Aviation Technician, Sergeant Andrew Green, acknowledges that luck played a bit of a role, but he notes that luck and hard work seem to often go hand-in-hand. It may be a bit of a cliché, but you really make your own luck, said Sergeant Green. It all boils down to attitude, and we ve had the right attitude the right attitude can overcome just about anything. If the next rotation wants it enough, they ll likely achieve it again, and we ve done the best we can to set them up for success. It s a very modest team, and I don t think we ll be celebrating our record. We ll just end the day as normal, and turn up tomorrow and do it all over again. 23

24 Bring US War Dogs Home 24

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28 Black Hawk 28

29 Up-Coming Birthdays Sean Payne Sep Ty Trost 8-Sep Rob Emes 9-Sep Kol Kajanto 11-Sep Tanya Eddy 14-Sep Geoff Dove 15-Sep Jeff Klaebe 16-Sep Alex Crows 19-Sep Barry Ireland 25-Sep Terry McMullan 27-Sep Bryan Murdock 4-Oct Brad Lucke 4-Oct Don Bates 4-Oct Aaron McGregor 5-Oct Robert Bradley 9-Oct Stephen McNaughton 9-Oct Jodie Dell 14-Oct Robert Reece 18-Oct Rob McMaster 23-Oct Denzil Potter 24-Oct Greg Barker 25-Oct Guy Burton 29-Oct Mal Holland 4-Nov Pete Stanford 13-Nov Akio Lambert 15-Nov Tony Aldrich 18-Nov Laurie Lord 19-Nov Robert Seamons 30-Nov 29 RAAF Dog Handlers Service and Health Survey For the people that wish to receive the RAAF Dog Handlers Service and Health Survey please contact Steve Ibbotson at for a Summary Report. "You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish". "To write with a broken pencil is pointless." When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.. A man who stole a calendar got twelve months.. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.. The batteries were given out free of charge.. A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.. A will is a dead giveaway.. With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.. A boiled egg is hard to beat.. When you've seen one shopping Center you've seen a mall.. Police were called to a day care Center where a three-yearold was resisting a rest.

30 They ve Got This Licked 30 CPL Samantha Luck, puppy development officer, with Malinois puppies. Photo: CPL Max Bree EXCITED puppies run out of their cage, swarming me after their door opens. One of the Malinois pups runs off and starts exploring, two sniff my boots while another bites my boot laces and doesn t plan on letting go. It s difficult to imagine these seven-week-old pups as military working dogs chasing down air field intruders, but they ve already started their training at the canine breeding section of the RAAF Security and Fire School. Apart from breeding puppies, the section puts the aspiring working dogs through a program exposing them to things like gunfire, jet noise and children. Puppies are taught to walk on leads, chase balls and prey-bite their toy as opposed to handler s limbs. Canine breeding manager Stephen Cannon said the program shapes puppies natural behaviours for future work. If a guy comes too close, the dog might bite and that s a defensive behaviour, he said. If someone runs and the dog chases them, that s a prey behaviour; then the dog gets the guy down and hooks in, that s a fighting behaviour. These are all natural behaviours, we just pigeonhole them with a name. The section was originally set-up to produce five to six litters a year, but it is now doing litters The section was originally set-up to produce five to six litters a year, but it is now doing litters, which totals about 80 puppies. CPL Samantha Luck works in the section as a puppy development officer, but is sometimes called on to be a puppy midwife. The mother during the first birth I did was quite calm and she let me sit in there the whole time, she said. Steve was mentoring me showing me what I had to do, what to look for and other veterinary procedures. During his time at the section, Mr Cannon helped deliver more than 800 puppies but the experience hasn t become boring. Each time they have babies it still excites me, he said. It s always exciting the arrival of new life. Every now and then you get to save a life or help along a puppy who is doing poorly. The section breeds German and Dutch shepherds but is mostly focused on Malinois, a type of Belgian shepherd.

31 Malinois want to please you, hop on your lap and do things like that, Mr Cannon said. They re gregarious, some would say naughty. German shepherds can be a little bit aloof they can take you or leave you. All the Malinois skills seem to come earlier than the other shepherds that seem to be a bit clumsy and dopey. Malinois had become the dog of choice for police and militaries around the world, according to Mr Cannon. Even the German police breed Malinois now which is quite amazing but that s because their success rates are better, he said. At 12 weeks, puppies are sent out to foster families until they reach about eight months and come back to start serious working dog training. CPL Luck said she would sometimes get attached to the puppies, particularly the ones she s had to hand raise. By 12 weeks of age we re happy to see them progress to the next stage of training and they re getting to that terror stage and we ve generally got litters following behind them, she said. This is the busiest job I ve ever done. There s so much more than what you d perceive as training puppies or playing with puppies it s so much more in depth. 31 RAAF s new recruiting campaign what do you think? Link: Defence Force Recruiting (DFR) is launching a new national Air Force recruitment campaign which will be broadcast for the first time on Sunday 14 August. The campaign highlights the different ways individuals look to further themselves in life, and how the Air Force is a place to realise their ambitions. Director of Military Recruiting, Group Captain Kaarin Kooij said the campaign aims to speak to people who have a desire to succeed. We know people who are interested in taking on responsibility, enjoy a challenge and are driven are suited to a career in the Air Force. We want our audience to know they can achieve more in the Air Force, Group Captain Kooij said.

32 The commercial tells the story of four inspiring Air Force members in a manner that will relate to Australians considering a career with the Air Force. 32 We want people to know that Air Force offers a number of opportunities and that the power to maximise your potential is in your hands. The campaign demonstrates that you can have a rewarding career and a great lifestyle in the Air Force. We are building a diverse workforce to enhance our capability and draw apon a broad range of perspectives and experiences. This will make for a stronger, more capable and innovative Air Force, Group Captain Kooij said. Group Captain Kooij thanked the Air Force personnel involved in the campaign, particularly those who shared their stories about Air Force life with the Australian public. Defence refreshes its campaign materials regularly to help educate and connect with a new wave of potential recruits. The campaign will be featured across cinema, television programming including the Olympics, AFL and NRL, digital, social media, outdoor advertising. Defence developed the campaign in conjunction with creative agency Havas Worldwide and production company Goodoil Films. Mal Holland at Jandowae, QLD

33 How I got to where I m today 33 Jamie Kennedy Well here we go a small run down on what and were I have been doing for the past 28 years. Well I joined in 1988 went to 1RTU in Adelaide and posted to Laverton as a Motor Transport Driver. Had to remuster due to disbandment of the mustering and became a Police Dog Handler in 1993 at RAAFSFS Amberley. Posted to Townsville after graduation until 97 when I was then posted to Darwin dog section. Promoted to CPL in 2000 posted to RAASFS as a instructor which was a fantastic job until 2004 when promoted again and posted to Tindal as the SNCOIC. Spent a whole 10 months in Tindal and was posted again the SASR to develop the dog Program for the SAS. That was a great posting 4 years of full on training and deployed numerous times. Posted out in 2009 back to RAAFSFS as the Course Coordinator for all Dog Courses. Had an opportunity to try something different and instruct in Townsville at CSTS or Survival School when I was promoted again to FSGT in posted again in 2014 as the DSECO in TVL in the new Air Force Security Mustering. Lastly just been posted again to ADFA in Jan 17 as The SSM graduates A Grade so that should be interesting. Grant Teeboon After joining the QLD Police Force in 1976 to become a Police Dog handler, I resigned as soon as I found out that the soonest anyone had got into the 'dog squad' was 9 years out of the academy. I languished in 12 jobs in 2 years trying to find a job that fit. A chance comment from a friend of my mothers let me know that the RAAF had Police Dogs, so straight into Defence Recruiting I went. I signed the oath at 1155am in the 27th of Feb 1979, did my Rookies course (1489) in Edinburgh SA, and then off to 7SD Toowoomba for my dog course. Course number 41. I graduated in August '79 and was posted to RAAF Richmond with my first Police Dog 'Swede'. I did 7 years at Richmond before being posted to the Amberley dog section in '86. I was promoted to CPL in 91 and then off to the Police Dog Training School still at Amberley from '91 till '96 when I was posted to RAAF Fairbairn to the small dog section there until '99 when I was promoted to SGT and posted back to the Police Dog Training School at Amberley where I remained on staff in various positions until 2012 when I took early retirement to care for my terminally ill son who passed away the following year. Tell us your story for the new newsletter rdhapresident@gmail.com

34 Kbora Ali The first refugee from Syria joins the Australian Army 34 At the entrance to Blamey Barracks, Kapooka - the Australian Army s recruit training centre - large gold letters fastened to a boulder read: Soldiering begins here. The extensive centre is 12 minutes from the Wagga Wagga township, on Wiradjuri land, around 15 kilometres south of the Murrumbidgee River that trickles through the checkerboard pastures of the NSW Riverina. The rivers that flow through Afghanistan s Gahzni province and into Jaghori, the region where Kbora Ali was born, similarly drag lines of greenery through a landscape resembling crumpled paper from above. Rich oases and land that has traditionally borne plums, apricots, wild almonds and walnuts spread away from them. That beauty belies violence, mostly directed towards the province s large Hazara population, an ethnic and sectarian minority persecuted by the Taliban. The area shares a border with Uruzgan province, where Australian army troops were based for twelve years until Kbora doesn t remember much of her time there. Her most vivid memories are of Pakistan, and then suburban Adelaide where she has lived since she was nine years-old. In the last two years, she s left the security of her family home and travelled east, to pursue a career some have worried does not befit an ATAR of She is 153 centimetres tall just one above the absolute minimum height requirement set by the Australian army. She weighs just 50kg; her pack and gear weigh 25kg. She is the youngest in a family of eight, and has never lived away from them. How did this young woman, barely out of her teens, decide her future lay not among the textbooks and classrooms that had comforted her since she was small, but in camouflage and combat? She is the first female Afghan refugee to do so. Battle of Long Tan Intelligence Background This is an extract from the book: To Long Tan: Australian Army and the Vietnam War, (Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts, ) Ian McNeill. Allen & Unwin Australia, 1993 (The following information was not available to the Long Tan veterans or Lex McAulay who wrote the first book on the Battle of Long Tan until 25 years after the battle due to secrecy. We also had no time to cover it in our documentary but it will be included in the movie storyline.)

35 The Australian Army Signals Intelligence radio intercept troop (547 Signal Troop) was stationed at the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat. It was a secret radio signal tracking, intercept & intelligence unit. Martin Walsh Producer Red Dune Films Blog: Website: To Long Tan Ian McNeill Pages Page 2 of 5 A police agent had reported 300 Viet Cong carrying crew-served weapons and wearing green uniforms (suggesting main force troops) one hundred metres to the north of Nui Dat 2 on 1 August. But that day D Company of 6RAR had patrolled within 200 metres of the alleged sighting and they might have been mistaken for enemy. An aircraft saw 150 civilians south of Long Tan on 11 August and on the same day an agent reported a Viet Cong battalion and two separate companies in the rubber between Long Tan and Nui Dat 2. Yet the substance of these observations was denied by 6RAR patrols. Since returning from Operation Hobart on 29 July the battalion had been searching the whole area of Long Tan and disclosed 'no unusual activity'. As a task force report noted: with the exception of the enemy mortar and artillery attack on 17 August... there was little in these reports during August which differed from previous indications of enemy activity in this area [vicinity of Long Tan] or many others in other parts of the Task Force area of operations. Apart from the above, however, one further source of intelligence was available whose nature and substance could not be revealed. The task force account of this period refers guardedly to there being: other indications of increasing enemy interest to the EAST of the Task Force base area which resulted in our attention being directed towards this area in order to locate any sizable enemy force. These 'other indications' referred to information provided by radio direction-finding. This source could be revealed only to Hannigan (the operations officer), the two intelligence officers on the task force headquarters, and Jackson himself. Information arising from these measures was available to battalion commanders, but they could not be told its source. Such security was maintained to prevent the enemy deducing that their radio traffic was being monitored. But the habitual secrecy also meant that officers other than those of the Intelligence Corps had no experience in interpreting, evaluating or even understanding the strengths and limitations of this form of information. Jackson, for one, had not been exposed to signals intelligence before. As a result his ability to use it, as far as the signals intelligence officer was concerned, was 'very limited'. Commanders who had to act on the information were not able to assess its reliability for themselves. What the battalion commanders were not told was that signals intelligence began revealing unusual activity to the east as early as 29 July, when the task force false alert was at its peak. At that time radio direction-finding had picked up what appeared to be one Viet Cong main force regiment beginning to move towards Nui Dat. The information came from the Australian 547 Signal Troop attached to the task force headquarters. Commanded by Captain Trevor Richards, Corps of Signals, the small group of fifteen experienced radio operators monitored enemy radio traffic and so assisted in locating and tracking enemy units and formations. The team became so expert that the radio set normally associated with a specific unit could be located to within metres. 35

36 547 Signal Troop had fixed the radio sets of 274 Regiment in the north-west of the province, 275 Regiment east of the Song Rai immediately north of Xuyen Moc and 22 kilometres east of Nui Dat, and both reporting to 5 VC Division in the Mao Tao mountains. Corroborative information indicated that the regiments had been in rest and retraining, which explained the routine radio schedules. Then around 29 July, 275 Regiment stepped up its radio activity with more traffic and longer messages. At the same time other intelligence sources indicated the regiment was being brought up to strength with forces from North Vietnam. It was apparent to Richards that something important was 36 happening. Richards fed this information to the task force staff through Captain Bob Keep, the intelligence officer subordinate to the chief intelligence officer, Major John Rowe. Richards found himself an outsider; he could discuss his work with very few people, Jackson appeared to take little notice of him, and Rowe had shown himself sceptical of the reliability of radio direction-finding (a legacy of his experience with II FFV, thought Richards). But Keep had a natural feel and empathy for Richards's work. It seemed to Richards that Keep understood what it was about, and its limitations, and was able to draw informed deductions where others did not. The two captains spent a lot of time considering ramifications and comparing the indications from radio direction-finding with other information which was available. Richards knew he had 'hard* evidence. He claimed nothing other than to be able to pinpoint positively the location of an enemy radio set, and the enemy had so few radios they were rarely found below regimental level. If you were getting this kind of information, said Keep, You knew... it wasn't a ten-man foot patrol and it had to be the least it could be was regimental if it was North Vietnamese. If it was Viet Cong... it was something equivalent or perhaps a bit less but certainly it wasn't a ten-man foot patrol and you'd better take notice of it. Keep took special notice when the radio station started to move west towards the task force. Richards tracked the radio set associated with 275 Regiment approaching Nui Dat at the rate of a one-kilometre grid square each day. The map markings looked like a string of beads stretching from right to left

37 He thought he had to counter the advice of Rowe, who appeared to take the revelations too calmly Rowe himself admits that he considered this was not a cause for particular alarm as the reports were just part of the plethora of intelligence being received. Nevertheless on 13 August task force headquarters notified AFV who in turn advised Army Headquarters that 'visual sightings and enemy radio interception again indicate the presence of possibly company-sized forces in the vicinity of Nui Dat YS4868' (Nui Dat 2,500 metres east of the task force base). The next day, two days before the mortaring, Captain Trevor Richards of 547 Signal Troop informed Jackson and Piper at II FFV that enemy radio traffic indicated 275 Regiment to have reached 5000 metres east of the base. Richards was always at pains to explain he was only tracking the movement of a radio, not intercepting transmissions. It could even be a deceptive measure. But at least it was the radio of 275 Regiment. 'To me this was pretty important stuff, you know', said Richards. 'It was the one grain of gold amongst all the crap. It appeared the regiment, or its reconnaissance party, had arrived at a point just beyond the Long Tan rubber plantation. A factor had emerged which may have placed doubt on Keep's credibility at the time. He had become ill shortly before leaving for Vietnam. Not then long with the task force headquarters in Sydney, Keep was a very capable young officer and would have been difficult to replace at short notice. His superiors gave him the benefit of the doubt, believing that he would soon shake off the affliction, and left him on the draft. But the illness recurred in Vietnam and since late July Keep had begun to feel its effects more strongly. He seemed to be losing his sense of reality and was succumbing to personal neglect. His teeth were going green, he was appearing around the headquarters in sandals and a sarong, and he was not washing. All the while he was painting a picture of impending catastrophe. Keep later admitted his condition besides which, he said, 'I had this tremendous feeling of responsibility that all these people around me were in great peril and I could do nothing about it'. The situation was becoming bizarre. Yet Captain Keep was not being ignored. While Jackson had not been prepared to seek help again from II FFV, he did send company patrols out specifically into the area where 275 Regiment was reported by 547 Signal Troop. On 15 August D Company 6RAR patrolled out to Nui Dat 2 and back through the Long Tan rubber plantation. The following day A Company from 6RAR was dispatched on a three-day patrol following a route which led around the Nui Dat 2 feature. In the same manner as the searches around the base in late July, A Company was required to establish a company base in the suspect area and send out patrols of not less than one platoon. They were to scour the Nui Dat 2 feature and ridge to the north-west. Any sizeable enemy force in the vicinity should have been found, but all patrols drew a blank. A Company had been out only one day and night when they heard the mortar attack on the base but they were instructed initially to continue their task. Keep was sent to the 2 Field Ambulance hospital at Vung Tau on 9 August, unaware that Jackson was ordering out the patrols. 'The thing that really finished me', related Keep, 'was when the [task force base] was mortared... I just disintegrated totally... So in some ways it was, you know, a personal tragedy that I wasn't able to get the message through. But then it was too late for me. Indeed Keep's time was up. Two days before the mortaring he was transferred to the RAAF Hospital at Butterworth, Malaysia, believing fervently that somewhere outside the base, close, 275 Regiment lay waiting. Only the day before, 16 August, Rowe had been evacuated to 2 Field Ambulance with hepatitis. The headquarters had then lost its two intelligence officers. 37

38 Information from radio direction-finding techniques had alerted Jackson to the possibility of enemy in strength approaching the Nui Dat 2 feature; but, as happened with the agents' reports during the July alert, follow-up patrols found no sign of major activity. Regular patrolling had indicated nothing unusual. Consequently task force staff inferred no ulterior enemy intention associated with the mortaring. Nor, it seems, did anyone else. The accepted explanation was that D445 Battalion mounted the attack on orders from the Viet Cong provincial headquarters possibly in retaliation for the recent search for the headquarters by 5RAR. Alternatively it could have been in response to A Company patrols engaging three small parties of enemy in the general area of the Nui Dat 2 feature on the afternoon of 16 August. A Viet Cong ground attack on the task force was thought to be unlikely. There seemed no reason either to alter or to reinforce the last general assessment of the enemy strengths and capabilities which had been issued on 31 July and reproduced to the companies of 6RAR on 3 August. Apart from local guerrillas, this had allowed for the possibility of D445 Battalion and one enemy main force battalion within or adjacent to the TAOR. As the possible main force battalion was thought to be from 274 Regiment, its location, if it was present at all, would have been to the west of the task force. D445 Battalion was associated with bases to the east. From the point of view of 6RAR, their constant patrolling of the east and north-east quadrants of the TAOR without significant result suggested little was to be feared from that direction. When B Company of 6RAR departed from the base at 6.30 a.m. on 17 August to look for the nearby mortar positions, it did not expect much opposition. RAAF Spartan crash-lands in Waco Texas 38 The Royal Australian Air Force has commenced a safety investigation after a C-27J Spartan had an incident on landing during a routine training flight at Waco Airport, Texas, USA, this morning. No one was injured in the incident. the airport s main runway, closing the airport to all other traffic for about 18 hours. Local news sources in Waco reporting overnight say the RAAF C-27J Spartan was involved in a serious incident that damaged the aircraft and It is reported that two tyres blew out as the pilot made a landing after a training mission before 1am Tuesday local time. The airport was closed and at least 180 American Eagle commuter passengers had their flights cancelled. One local news source quoted an assistant Waco fire chief as saying the airplane had attempted a landing but may have touched down short of the runway and damaged two tyres.

39 Firefighters were dispatched to the incident when it happened but there was no fire and no one was injured. 39 In a statement, the RAAF thanked local airport, emergency services and security staff who assisted with the recovery and apologised for the inconvenience to other airfield users. The flight was a pilot-qualification flight for RAAF pilots converting to the new C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter, flown alongside industry instructors, a RAAF spokesman said. Air Force is purchasing 10 C-27J aircraft, of which two have been delivered to Australia. Safety is a priority for Air Force operations. Air Force aircraft are serviced and flown under a very strict and controlled airworthiness and safety system. All aircraft are under constant surveillance to ensure that they maintain the highest standards. RaDHA s new transport Passenger s side Front Back

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