THE wild weather ride which accompanied this Christmas New Year period was a reminder how perilous and unpredictable Australia’s climate can be.

It’s fifty years since Brisbane and the Gold Coast flooded after weeks of incessant rain.

Among the 16 dead were two Army Reserve (then CMF) members from the recently formed transport corps.

Captain Ian Kerr and Corporal Neville Hourigan were thrown from their amphibious LARC which struck live power lines.

Two soldiers who swam through the flood waters to recover the vehicle and the men received gallantry decorations.

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Lack of planning is disaster in making | Australian Defence History, Policy and Veterans Issues (targetsdown.blogspot.com)

If you share my sentiment, you might be frustrated with the constant welcomes to our own country and the obligation to apologize to individuals unaffected by historical actions, especially since we are not accountable for events that occurred so long ago. This nation belongs to each and every one of us, so there’s no need to welcome me to my own country.

A nine-page account by Captain Roger Donlon of the Nam Dong Battle can be found at https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/images.php?img=/images/213/2130413003.pdf. He records that an Australian AATTV member was killed in the battle., noting: “Besides the 12 of us in Team A-726, there were only two other westerners in the camp: Kevin Conway, an Australian warrant officer who represented his country the way we did the United States, and Gerald C. Hickey, an American anthropologist expert on the Vietnamese mountain tribes.”

Australian War Memorial Records notes:
13097 Temporary Warrant Officer Class 2
Kevin George. Conway, Age 35.
Australian Army Training Team Vietnam

Attached to US Special Forces. He was killed in action at Nam Dong, Thua Thien Province on 6th July 1964. He was the first combat casualty. He held the Medal of Knight, National Order of Vietnam , Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He was also awarded a Campaign Service Medal with clasp South Vietnam (this is a very rare award only 68 issued, all to the AATTV). He also was awarded the US Silver Star and the Vietnamese Armed Forces Honour Medal, Kevin Conway was recommended for the Victoria Cross, but this was denied at that time, because Australia was not at war. The Australian Government saw fit not to award Conway with anything, but the South Vietnamese awarded him their highest award being the National Order of Vietnam.

Warrant Officer Class 2, Kevin Conway becomes the first Australian to die as a result of enemy action in South Vietnam.

By Ernie Chamberlain

We all need a few extra smiles.

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You CAN’T Lie To Your Wife – Jeff Allen – 1Funny.com

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Understanding The Wife’s Code – Jeff Allen – 1Funny.com

RAAF aviators, accompanied by a C-27J Spartan aircraft, are participating in Exercise Cope North 2024 in Guam. The deployment of 215 aviators aims to enhance combat readiness and interoperability with US and Japanese forces. Training will occur at various locations, including Anderson Air Force Base, Won Pat International Airport, North West Field, Tinian, and Saipan. Canada, France, and the Republic of Korea are also involved in the exercise.

Australian aviators will operate on non-traditional airfields, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale air force operations. The scenarios focus on agile operational concepts, improving force projection and survivability. RAAF Task Group Commander GPCAPT Kylie Green emphasizes the commitment to developing skilled aviators through collaborative exercises with allies.

Additionally, the RAAF has recently participated in Exercise Sea Dragon 2024, conducting anti-submarine warfare missions alongside partner nations, including the US, India, Korea, and Japan. The exercise enhances tactical experience and collaboration in a maritime environment to ensure effective deterrence for Australia’s maritime security.