May

RAAF Medical Officer: Kandaha Airfield Afghanistan

The trauma bays at the Kandahar Airfield Role 3 Hospital are buzzing with surgeons, medics, scribes, runners, X ray techs, escorts, interpreters and aircrew.

The hubbub is directed towards two Afghan civilians, flown in on an afternoon Aeromedical Evacuation.

The newly arrived Australian medical officer at KAF, SQNLDR Andrew Pearson, is in the thick of the chaos, cutting through bandages that wrap a malnourished teen’s legs.

The youth has been flown to the Role 3 by US AME flight with an adult civilian suffering chest pains. The two Black Hawks had flared onto the airfield, kicking up dust in the afternoon light.

SQNLDR Pearson confers with a Danish colleague who lifts the emaciated legs and examines the burns. Discomfort plays across the youth’s face, but he is subdued.

Two Canadian radiology techs stand behind the trauma bays, but they are relaxed.

“We usually get used for the crazy trauma,” one says. He is philosophical about his job.

“If I sit on my butt for the next six months, I’ll be happy with that. It just means it’s good for everyone else.”

SQNLDR Pearson is not the only Australian at KAF. Two medics, CPL Megan Hoey and CPL Angela Dare are regulars in the trauma bays. Although they are not posted to the hospital, they help out whenever they can, in addition to their primary duty of providing medical support to Australian personnel at the base.

CPL Dare takes clinical notes as a Canadian surgeon interviews the adult civilian about his chest pains.

Read more at: http://www.defence.gov.au/opEx/global/opslipper/images/gallery/2009/0507/index.htm

14 May 2009 08:29:45 +1000

New era has begun

Prime Minister Rudd promises a more powerful Defence Force

By Michael Brooke

THE FUTURE ADF will be better equipped, fully networked and better positioned to meet Australia’s air power requirements as a result of the 2009 Defence White Paper. Titled ‘Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030’, the White Paper was launched by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon on board HMAS Stuart at Fleet Base East in Sydney on May 2.

Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support Dr Mike Kelly, CDF ACM Angus Houston, CN VADM Russ Crane, CA LTGEN Ken Gillespie and CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin attended the launch. Mr Rudd said it was the first Defence White Paper specifically prepared to meet the challenges to Australia’s defence and security in the 21st century and confirmed the Government’s commitment to the defence of Australia and the security and stability of the region. It represents more than 14 months of hard work and the complete re-examination of Defence strategy, capabilities, business processes and resources. “The White Paper explains how the Government plans to strengthen the foundations of Australia’s defence and also provides an indication of the level of resources required over the coming years,” Mr Rudd said. “It also notes the increasing uncertainty of the strategic environment, and better positions Defence to respond to the broad range of possible conflicts and contingencies likely to impact upon Australia’s future security.”

It provided a clear view of how much strategic risk Australia was prepared to bear, and how much military power we should seek to develop. “The more Australia aspires to have greater strategic influence beyond our immediate neighbourhood – that is to say the ability to exert policy influence that is underpinned by military power – the greater the level of spending on Defence we need to be prepared to undertake,” he said. “If we want to back up strategic influence with military power, we have to be prepared to invest the resources required, and to be content that the security benefits outweigh those costs.” In terms of military power, the Defence policy meant that Australia had the capacity to act independently where we had unique strategic interests at stake, lead military coalitions where we had shared interests at stake, and to make tailored contributions to military coalitions where we shared a wider strategic interest with others. As a result, the ADF of the future will be a more potent force, particularly in the key areas of undersea and antisubmarine warfare, surface naval warfare, air superiority, strategic strike, special forces, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and cyber defence.

The Government also plans to invest about $30 billion over the next decade to remediate the shortfalls and underinvestment in the Defence Budget. Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said in order to adjust Australia’s view of challenges in the future, the Government intends to prepare a new Defence White Paper every five years. “This five yearly White Paper development process will be the centrepiece of the Government’s new strategic riskbased approach to defence planning,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

14 May 2009 08:32:12 +1000

Herc rescue mission

By FLGOFF Eamon Hamilton

CREWS from 37SQN flew through tough conditions to assist the rescue of two yachtsmen from the Tasman Sea on May 21. Using night-vision goggles, the crew of the C-130H was instrumental in marking the position and providing on-scene command and control for the crew members of the 53-foot sloop Sumatra.

This was despite six-metre swells and poor weather conditions, with broken cloud down to 1000 feet. The Sumatra had begun taking water and sinking early that morning, 320 nautical miles east of Brisbane.

Initial assistance was rendered by an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Dornier 328. But strong sea swells hampered attempts by the Dornier to drop a water pump tob the yacht. Arriving on scene at 1630hrs, the Hercules crew had good communication with the yacht.

With the 37SQN crew watching diligently above, it was a long two hours as the Merchant Vessel Scarlett Lucy battled through sea swells to get to the Sumatra.

The yachtsmen – both aged in their 70s – boarded a dinghy for the rescue. One member fell out of the dinghy, however, and spent 45 minutes in the swell before he too was rescued.

http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/?xml=defencenews_airforce.xml

27 May 2009 10:55:23 +1000

Making light work of a big job

By FLTLT Jaimie Abbott


IS THERE anything a C-17 can’t move? The mighty aircraft has again proved its logistical worth by transporting a Tactical Air Defence Radar System (TADRS) from RAAF Base Darwin to RAAF Base Williamtown. It took two C-17 trips to transfer all the equipment from Australia’s Top End to the Hunter, but it was certainly faster than the usual journey by road. The 41WG-operated radar system is one of the core sensors used for air-battle management.

Controllers use the equipment to help provide a three-dimensional air picture to in war environments and exercises. 41WG has four of the radar systems – two at Williamtown, one in Afghanistan and the other at Bathurst Island. Maintenance officer FLGOFF Brendan O’Sullivan, 3 Control and Reporting Unit (3CRU), said the system was put to good use during its time in Darwin, featuring in Exercises Pitch Black and Aces North. It’s no easy task transporting a system so large via an Australian military aircraft, and 3CRU’s SGT Jason Roberts was part of the team that ensured the pieces of the jigsaw fitted together.

“It’s not a case of just throwing the radar on to the C-17,” SGT Roberts said. “We have to assess the size and weight to determine the best way to restrain it.” A giant crane awaited the equipment when it returned to Williamtown and it took a team of 10 to move it to Duckhole Hill, 2km north of the base. OC 41WG GPCAPT Daryl Hunter said this was the first time the radar had been transported using the Air Force’s own heavy-lift capability.

http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/?xml=defencenews_airforce.xml

27 May 2009 10:56:06 +1000