1
00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,280
Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf Thanks to Joyce Main Darwin

2
00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,400
Speaker 1: home Z owned Stuart Highway beerromote.

3
00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,320
Speaker 2: The Royal Australian Air Force celebrates its one hundredth birthday today.

4
00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,240
Speaker 2: Now there are quite a few activities organized in Canberra,

5
00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,440
Speaker 2: as I understand it, but as we know, our presence

6
00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:23,279
Speaker 2: here in Darwin and Catherine is also incredibly important and

7
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,880
Speaker 2: joining me in the studio to tell us more about

8
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,520
Speaker 2: the Air Force celebrating one hundred years. Commanding Officer of

9
00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:34,440
Speaker 2: the RBAF base here in Darwin, Wing Commander Andrew Anthony,

10
00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:36,080
Speaker 2: Good morning to you.

11
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:37,720
Speaker 1: Good morning Katie, thanks so much for having me.

12
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:39,760
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining us. I know that

13
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,599
Speaker 2: one hundred years, it's obviously an incredibly long time. Can

14
00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,480
Speaker 2: you tell us a little bit more about the number

15
00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,280
Speaker 2: of assies who've served in the Air Force and I

16
00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,959
Speaker 2: guess a bit more about the work that you.

17
00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:51,600
Speaker 1: Do most certainly, Katie.

18
00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,800
Speaker 3: So we have three hundred and fifty thousand Australians who

19
00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,520
Speaker 3: have served in the Air Force over the years. Air

20
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:02,160
Speaker 3: Force was initiated in nineteen twenty one, of course, was

21
00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,080
Speaker 3: the Australian Air Force at the time. Then in August

22
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,040
Speaker 3: nineteen twenty one got its title as the Royal Australian

23
00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:07,520
Speaker 3: Air Force.

24
00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,800
Speaker 2: Well, I mean one hundred years. It's such a long time.

25
00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,760
Speaker 2: And as I mentioned, you know, Darwin and Catherine, we've

26
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:15,840
Speaker 2: got quite a large presence.

27
00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,400
Speaker 3: Here, don't we most certainly, and of course the importance

28
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,319
Speaker 3: of the location in terms of the Air Force bases here.

29
00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,920
Speaker 3: Raft based Darwin is the only remaining Air Force base

30
00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,520
Speaker 3: that has seen combat, and of course Raft based Tindall

31
00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,679
Speaker 3: is played an important role the airfield did during the

32
00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,200
Speaker 3: war before it was reinvigorated to become the base that

33
00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:34,560
Speaker 3: it is today to house seventy five squadron.

34
00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:37,560
Speaker 2: Now where do we currently have members deployed.

35
00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,319
Speaker 3: We have members deployed around the world and locally, so

36
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,880
Speaker 3: we have members deployed in the Middle East, supporting the

37
00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,760
Speaker 3: United Nations missions in Sudan and even supporting domestic operations

38
00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:52,160
Speaker 3: so Operation Resolute, looking after our borders and keeping Australian safe.

39
00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,000
Speaker 2: It's such important work and I think we all realize that.

40
00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,639
Speaker 2: And then, you know, so often I suppose we maybe

41
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,280
Speaker 2: just get used to having such a large present here

42
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,040
Speaker 2: in Darwin that we forget, you know, just how important

43
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,440
Speaker 2: our location is as well. Here in the territory, particularly

44
00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,000
Speaker 2: in the top end. But I think that there'd be

45
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,440
Speaker 2: a lot of people listening who probably don't know a

46
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,600
Speaker 2: huge amount about what you guys do really day to day.

47
00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,160
Speaker 2: Can you sort of give us a bit of insight.

48
00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:19,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, most certainly so.

49
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,680
Speaker 3: Raft based Darwin its primary role is as a mounting base,

50
00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,600
Speaker 3: so we reflect back on Operation Astute with these team

51
00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,040
Speaker 3: or Darwin acted as the base where a lot of

52
00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,919
Speaker 3: aircraft came through to support that effort to our north.

53
00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,920
Speaker 3: We also host a lot of exercises as the community

54
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,760
Speaker 3: will be well aware, we do make a lot of noise,

55
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,560
Speaker 3: but we like to give back to the community in

56
00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,040
Speaker 3: terms of providing information on where aircraft might be in

57
00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,720
Speaker 3: when so that those aviation enthusiasts can get to see

58
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,720
Speaker 3: a little bit of the cool kit that we operate.

59
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,000
Speaker 2: I've got a lot of friends who just love seeing

60
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,400
Speaker 2: those amazing aircraft and I think it would be such

61
00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,200
Speaker 2: a well, I don't know if caols the right word.

62
00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,200
Speaker 2: It to be a day's job as well, but it's

63
00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,080
Speaker 2: such an interesting job. I would imagine for you personally,

64
00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,640
Speaker 2: where has it taken you? And you know, tell us

65
00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,120
Speaker 2: a bit about I guess your work that you've done here.

66
00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,760
Speaker 3: So I joined in the late nineteen nineties. Yep, it's

67
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,120
Speaker 3: nae time. Have done interesting a lot of work with

68
00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:22,919
Speaker 3: the army. So a key to success in today's military

69
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,120
Speaker 3: is to work together with the three services. So I've

70
00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:26,400
Speaker 3: done a lot of work with Army and we have

71
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,120
Speaker 3: a really close relationship with Army and Navy here in

72
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,519
Speaker 3: the North. The pinnacle of my career has really been

73
00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,120
Speaker 3: the working with the largest aviation search in history, which

74
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,200
Speaker 3: was the search for MH three seventy off the Western

75
00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,280
Speaker 3: Australian coast. But I've also deployed into the Middle East.

76
00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,840
Speaker 3: I've been to Darwin a number of times before coming

77
00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,600
Speaker 3: here on posting supporting Operation Resolute and also with regional

78
00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:56,120
Speaker 3: activities so Operation Gateway doing maritime patrols within our region

79
00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,520
Speaker 3: out of Malaysia. It's also been an important role that

80
00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:00,920
Speaker 3: the force contributes to.

81
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,640
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, I mean there's such important roles and I

82
00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,320
Speaker 2: think that sometimes we sort of forget that, you know,

83
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,760
Speaker 2: as aussi's that aren't part of the force, whether you're

84
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,640
Speaker 2: talking about you know, the r Double Air for whether

85
00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,960
Speaker 2: you're talking about you know another like you said, the

86
00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,719
Speaker 2: three that work together. It's really important work and sometimes

87
00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,320
Speaker 2: we sort of forget day to day how important that

88
00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,359
Speaker 2: work is. But there's so many different things that you

89
00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,279
Speaker 2: guys sort of go off to as well over the

90
00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,680
Speaker 2: years to help out. And I'm looking through some of

91
00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,560
Speaker 2: the history. I mean things like the fact that obviously

92
00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,480
Speaker 2: help out even I believe in Bali after those Balley bombings.

93
00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,640
Speaker 2: People just don't realize that very often.

94
00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,240
Speaker 3: I don't think, Yes, Katie, we're here to support the

95
00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,919
Speaker 3: Australian public. Essentially, we really appreciate the support that we

96
00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,400
Speaker 3: get from the Darwin community. So whilst it might not

97
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,680
Speaker 3: be foremost and center all the time, I am very

98
00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,440
Speaker 3: confident that the community understands important role we play. We

99
00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,000
Speaker 3: really appreciate their support and it allows us ultimately to

100
00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:02,359
Speaker 3: provide back to the community.

101
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, it does have a few interesting little bits and

102
00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,120
Speaker 2: pieces that I got sent through a bit. Few interesting

103
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,920
Speaker 2: facts I guess you'd say, are the RAAF Darwin shares

104
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,599
Speaker 2: its runway with the International Airport. Is that something that

105
00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:13,920
Speaker 2: happens in other locations?

106
00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,040
Speaker 1: It does? It does in Townsville and also in Newcastle.

107
00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,640
Speaker 2: Are there other interesting little things that people might not

108
00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:21,280
Speaker 2: be aware of?

109
00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,320
Speaker 3: Certainly, So you mentioned that we have the civil terminal

110
00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,560
Speaker 3: on the other side of the runway, so it's actually

111
00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,000
Speaker 3: air Force air traffic controllers that keep us safe and

112
00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,760
Speaker 3: keep aircraft separated as those aircraft both military and civil

113
00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,760
Speaker 3: come into Reft based Darwin to land and continue on

114
00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,560
Speaker 3: with their business. Twenty four to seven, three hundred and

115
00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,720
Speaker 3: sixty five. I think the only time in recent memory

116
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,000
Speaker 3: they stopped being a three twenty four to seven outfit

117
00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:45,320
Speaker 3: was due to COVID.

118
00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,240
Speaker 2: Far out there you go and one hundred years. I

119
00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,520
Speaker 2: know that there's quite a bit happening in Canberra today

120
00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,960
Speaker 2: to commemorate what type of things are happening Australia wide

121
00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,520
Speaker 2: for people to sort of to be able to commemorate

122
00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,159
Speaker 2: these hundred very important years.

123
00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,440
Speaker 1: Bigest event is happening in Canberra.

124
00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,200
Speaker 3: We have a parade there where all of our unit

125
00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,400
Speaker 3: colors are being presented or paraded for people to see.

126
00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,520
Speaker 3: So if anyone's got time, encourage you to look at

127
00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:13,719
Speaker 3: the coverage of that event.

128
00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,360
Speaker 2: It's all right, you can say it AYBC nationally, that's

129
00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,000
Speaker 2: all right, thank you.

130
00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,120
Speaker 3: Even our Unit thirteen Squadron, the City of Darwin Squadron,

131
00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,080
Speaker 3: has its colors being paraded in Canberra today.

132
00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:26,280
Speaker 2: All good stuff.

133
00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,400
Speaker 3: So that's a great milestones people want to look at that.

134
00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,279
Speaker 3: But locally we do hope to have a Freedom of

135
00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,240
Speaker 3: the City march through the town later in the year.

136
00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,120
Speaker 3: We haven't got the date set in concrete for that,

137
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,360
Speaker 3: but once we do know, we'll certainly get information out.

138
00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,920
Speaker 3: Love to have the public watch the Air Force parade

139
00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:43,360
Speaker 3: through the team.

140
00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, You'll have to let us know and we'll

141
00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:50,160
Speaker 2: make people aware well. Commanding Officer of the RUBAF Darwin Wing,

142
00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,640
Speaker 2: Commander Andrew Anthony. I really appreciate your time this morning,

143
00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:54,839
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for coming in.

144
00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,200
Speaker 3: Thanks Ebs, Katie and I've got some Air Force flags

145
00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:59,560
Speaker 3: and a comandar air for you so you can remember

146
00:06:59,600 --> 00:06:59,920
Speaker 3: this day.

147
00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,440
Speaker 2: Oh, thank you, and I think you know on behalf

148
00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,400
Speaker 2: of the whole community. Thanks for the wonderful work that

149
00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,120
Speaker 2: you guys do our pleasure.

150
00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:07,239
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, Thank you,