RAEME’S 80th BIRTHDAY REFLECTIONS

GARRISON CATCHUP

Your link to the Aviation Centre RAEME’s 80th Birthday Dinner

During the Second World War, the maintenance and recovery of unit equipment was the responsibility of the unit themselves.

In this construct, the Army had difficulty providing its men with sufficient training in the maintenance and repair of its increasingly sophisticated vehicles and weapons.

It was also impossible to enforce best practices, which resulted in efficiency falling off at a time when a higher standard was required.

As a consequence, the Army officially established the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (AEME) on the 1st of December 1942 by combining the repair facilities of the Australian Army Ordnance Corps and the Australian Service Corps.

The AEME went on to provide a vital service, keeping the Army moving and fighting in all theatres; keeping the punch in the Army’s fist.

In recognition of the services performed by AEME units in World War Two, the Corps was granted the title of ‘Royal’ on 10 November 1948 by King George VI and became the Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the only ‘Royal Corps’ in the Australian Army.

Today the Australian Army’s Corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME) [ray me] provides repair and recovery support for all equipment operated by the Army, including aircraft.

At Swartz Barracks’ own RAEME Aircraft Maintenance School we seek to inculcate the skills and attitudes of our forebears into today’s aeronautical engineers and aeroskills technicians to ensure the punch in Army’s aviation fist remains strong.

However, it’s not all hard work and parades, and on Friday 2 December the unit hosted a formal dinner to acknowledge the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Corps.

RAEME is renowned throughout Army for its strong, and enduring, esprit de corps, and the 1st of December becomes a significant event on the calendar for any member of the Corps; almost as important as Christmas to those in the Unit.

Thus attending a RAEME Dinner becomes a must-do for many members of the Corps.

Consequently, not only were there current members of the Corps at the Dinner, but also many former members made the trek out to Oakey to renew their bonds with friends past, and become acquainted with new members of the family.

And like any family gathering, those no longer with us are remembered, and those high achievers are feted by the masses.

Special mention goes to Corporal Liam Maiden, Rotary-wing Aircraft Maintenance School (RAMS), who was awarded the AAVNTC Instructor of the Year Award; and to Colonel Miles Irving, former Commanding Officer of RAMS who was promoted to Colonel at the dinner by Major General Retd Irving (his father).

The dinner is also a time to welcome our new friends into our fold as well as an opportunity to acknowledge the close relationship forged between RAMS and the Oakey State High School (OSHS).

ABOVE: Brigadier James Allen Head of Corps had the honour of joining the youngest member of the unit (keeping with tradition) in cutting the cake.

ABOVE: Commanding Officer of the Rotary-wing Aircraft Maintenance School (RAMS) Lieutenant Colonel Trent Groves gave entertaining speeches at the dinner.

Not only is RAMS happy to engage with the OSHS as a member of the Oakey community, but we are happy to show students the many opportunities available in STEM vocations that can begin in their own backyard.

Unfortunately, Mr Danny Keenan, former Principal of OSHS, was unable to join us at the dinner due to commitments with students on a trip to Cairns.

We’d like to publicly acknowledge Mr Keenan’s commitment to the students of OSHS and look forward to continuing the relationship with OSHS in the future. - Arte et Marte

Commandant’s Christmas Message

Hello colleagues, friends, partners and supporters,

This year, 2022, has served up a range of challenges for Swartz Barracks over and above the routine training business that the Army Aviation Training Centre’s name suggests.

From a very quick response in support of the local community to flooding in the Lockyer Valley and Northern NSW back in late February to another response in May and the provision of personnel and base in support of the November NSW and VIC flood emergencies, this year has been anything but mundane.

Of note, our international partners on Swartz Barracks, the Republic of Singapore Air Force detachment of heavy lift Chinook helicopters, also came to the aid of the local community during these trying times, as they did during recent bushfires, to help out friends in need.

Their rapid and forthright support to Australians in need is deeply respected and appreciated making true the old saying, ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’.

As always, throughout the emergency support provided, we maintained our focus on core business and produced an amazing training effect for Army in the past year.

This included 861 personnel trained on over 204 course sessions. To generate these outcomes, we flew over 801 sorties within the 420,000ha of the Oakey Flying Training Area and over 2021-2022 had invested over $54 million into infrastructure of which over 76% of contracts were from local suppliers in the Darling Downs.

As always, we could not succeed without the support from the Darling Downs Community.

We do not take this support for granted, and work hard every day to not only earn it, but to make it clear that the Defence capability we build and support is one you can be proud of.

Over the Christmas period, though we would very much like to have a rest ourselves, we remain ready to respond should we be required.

On behalf of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Australian Defence Force, our supporting contractors and Defence public servants, and our close and trusted friends in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, have a safe, restful and very Merry Christmas. - Col. David Lynch

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