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News and Reunions!

Contents:

Djinnang Reunion.

Ernie Gimm says:  “I have been speaking to a few of the ex-communicator “oldies” who are becoming increasingly concerned about the number of us prematurely dropping off the perch so to speak. With that in mind, we think we should think about renewing old friendships, and there is no better place or time to do this than at the next Djinnang Reunion on 25th May.

It only takes a few of you to put your names down on the web site in the hope that a few more will follow. Come on guys, your Committee works tirelessly to put this function on for you so the least we can do is support them.

Some of us travel from all corners of the continent so the Brisbane locals should have few excuses. I would personally like to see a few more of the ladies from Frognall such as Mary(nee) Moore, Dottie(nee) Hodge, Noreen Barry etc. and wives of departed members re-attending; not to mention some of the fellas. Please give it some serious thought people and commit early, remember, life is short so live it up”

The 2019 reunion will be held in the Colonial Bar at the Port Office Hotel, which is on the corner of Edward and Margaret Sts Brisbane. The Hotel Jen closed its doors at the end of 2018. The Colonial Bar is upstairs but there is also a small lift for those requiring it.  You just have to ask one of the staff members to escort you to the lift.

The normal function times apply, 2pm till 9pm.  There will be a free drink on arrival and platters as per the last few reunions.  Entry will remain the same price as last year - $30 non-perpetual members and $20 perpetual members.

We have a code that can be used at any of the Oaks CBD apartments, 212 Margaret Street (just up the road from the Port Office). The code is: portofficehotel.  We believe they have a car park. If you want a 5 Star Hotel the Stamford Plaza is directly across the road from the Port Office.  Also, opposite the old Botanical Gardens is Royal on the Park.  These are the three hotels that are closest to the venue.

Unfortunately, there won’t be a coffee/tea station in the Colonial Bar on the night, but these can be purchased from their Restaurant downstairs.  Dinner can also be purchased downstairs. Hoping to see you all there on the night to again reminisce and have a few drinkies. 

Please spread the word regarding the change in venue.

TelsTech Mustering get-together.

On 29 November 2019, it will be 30 years since the TelsTech mustering disappeared and as nobody, except perhaps George Mellick, has suggested a venue to celebrate or commiserate the disappearance, a decision has been made. We were looking for an area that had some sort of connection to the mustering and so Penrith was decided on. The preferred venue in the first instance, was the Penrith Leagues Club, but they wanted 'an arm and a leg’ just to use their facility, by charging $800 just to hire the dining room, so our faithful 'servants' Jon Wye and Nick Marathakis went to the Penrith RSL - what a 'breath of fresh air' they were, we booked their dining room for 29 November and they didn't charge anything up front. Their dinner menu is equal to that offered by Penrith Leagues Club, and quite considerably cheaper, allowing for pre-dinner nibblies, as well as entree, main course and sweets for dinner.

What's more, we found out later that 'Jock Cartwright' is the Assistant Marketing Manager at the RSL, so that may help as well. The plan is to have a sit down dinner from 6:30pm on Friday 29 November at the Penrith RSL - A meet and greet is planned to be held on the previous Thursday evening, at a venue to be decided, and other activities will be decided in the next few months to entertain you during the day on Friday, and may even have something planned for an 'after glow' on the Saturday.

Now that the venue has been decided, the committee would like an indication from those who could make a reasonably firm commitment to attend, so we can decide on the makeup of attendees, i.e. Just ex Telstechs, or ex Telstechs and their partners. We are restricted to approximately 125 seated for the dinner, but with a bit of a stretch, they can accommodate 150 - plenty of notice has been given, so please give it some thought.

RAAF Apprentice Intakes (1948 - 1993)

We have just completed our first reunion committee meeting regards to the next all Apprentice Intakes Reunion to take place in Wagga in 2021. We shall also be celebrating the one hundredth year of the RAAF formed on the 31^st March 1921.

Some details at this early stage of the following.

As you can see, there are no exact times for events at this very early stage. This notice is to inform all in advance for your Diary entry.

The RAAF Heritage Centre at the Base main gate is open all days except Fridays, however it may be open if they have a volunteer for this special occasion. The RAAF base is an area out of bounds to all public, but if we have enough starters, we will try to have a guided tour arranged for the Tuesday 27th either am or pm hours.

The Temora Aviation Museum will have a flying display over the ANZAC weekend.

In approximately 12 months from now we will be posting out mail and you will receive 2 forms.

One last item. For all you grey nomads. The Range Function Centre have their own caravan Range Function Centre parking facility with 56 sites having power and water. If you wish to book a site early or wanting to know more, (dogs are allowed) ring 02 6938 2121 or on the web HERE

Let me say, on behalf of the committee I hope to see you all in Wagga in April 2021.

Just remember if Bob Gnezdiloff does not have your postal address, he cannot send you a registration form.

Terry Gould

Co-ordinator/Secretary

AIRCARE

PO Box 2313

Wagga Wagga

0419 146 688

terrygould45@hotmail.com

TPI Federation campaign.

The TPI Federation met with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff recently. The meeting was most disappointing, to say the least, with the apathy shown towards the plight of the 28,000 most disabled veterans of the Australian Defence Force. The TPI Federation has tried to prosecute a case based on the unfair economic loss compensation that TPI/SR (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Serving Men and Women/Special Rate) veterans receive. In recent tries the TPI Federation has approached Mr Shorten on this issue Mr Shorten stated that the Labor Party could not table new legislation but would only support our claim for fair and equitable economic loss compensation if the Government tabled the smail one line amendment that Is required.

The Government only needs to remove the current figure and put In the new figure in Section 24(4) of the VEA. The TPI Federation has bi-partisan support on this. We also have the support of the Senate. This could go through in three days just as the indexation legislation did in 2007. It is now up to the will of the Government Do they care about the 28000 most disabled veterans - or not.

It should be noted that the Opposition Veterans Affairs Minister. Amanda Rishworth MP stated at the TPI Federation Congress a few weeks ago that should the Labor Party win the election that they would have to look at the budget before committing to our request. Sorry Amanda - but here we go again Alan Griffin said, and did, the same thing in 2007-2010.

Anzac Day is fast approaching. Will the Prime Minister and other MPs and Senators stand there and laud lavish praises on the deeds of current and ex- serving ADF Members during the coming months, while leaving the most disabled Veterans at 63% of the gross Minimum Wage for their economic loss compensation?

Prime Minister recently you stated “We need to fix that”.  Prime Minister - when will that be?

East Sale Reunion. 2020.

The 2020 East Sale Box Packers and Friends reunion will be held in Albury NSW over the weekend 16 – 18 October, 2020.

There’s more info HERE.

ANZAC Day Brisbane form up areas - 2019

The map below shows the form up areas for this year's march.

The WRAAFs formup up on the corner of Queens and George Sts (Group 2)

and their male counterparts form up in William St, behind the Casino (Group 7).

RTFV/35 Sqn and others will meet at the Jade Budha Bar and Restaurant (arrowed) after the march.

ANZAC Day - Brisbane.  Order of March.

Group 2 – Form up Cnr Queen and George Sts.  0950hrs.

1.         Defence Service Nurses, RAA Nursing Corps Association,  Australian Army Medical Women’s Service.

2.         Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps.

3.         Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force, WRAAF Association.

4.         Women Veterans Network Australia.

Group 7 – Airforce Associations (Form up William Street –1120hrs).

102.       RAAF Airfield Defence Association of AUST INC.

103.       2 Squadron Association.

104.       3 Squadron RAAF Association–QLD.

105.       9 Squadron RAAF Association.

106.       35 Squadron Association/ RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam.

107.       38 Squadron Association.

108.       467/463 RAAF Squadron’s Association (QLD).

109.       Combat Support Association.

110.       RAAF Association (QLD DIV) National Servicemen’s Branch.

You can see the full Order HERE.

Accommodation

For those wishing to stay overnight in the City, (Subject to availability) 35 Sqn has negotiated a deal with the Oaks apartments in Felix St (see blue arrow).

To make use of this, log onto THIS link,  make sure the words "Spartan10" are entered in the Corporate/promotion Code window and make your booking.

These rates are available from the 24th April to the 27th April.

Greater recognition for Veterans and their families.

We received the following from the Hon.  Darren Chester, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

“NEW legislation introduced into Federal Parliament will provide better recognition of the unique nature of military service and further acknowledge the service and sacrifice of veterans and their families. The Government’s Australian Veterans’ Recognition (Putting Veterans and their Families First) Bill 2019 will establish an Australian Defence Veterans’ Covenant, and as part of a wider recognition package, a card and lapel pin will be provided to veterans.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said it was a project he has been working on with ex-service organisations since becoming the Minister almost 12 months ago. The Government has introduced this legislation to provide a formal way for all Australians to show their appreciation to the men and women who secured the freedoms we enjoy today and to their families who have supported them,” Mr Chester said.

“I have consulted extensively with the ex-service community on the development of this Bill, including discussions with our 5-Eyes counterparts in the United Kingdom who have put in place similar measures. The covenant, card and lapel pin will allow the community — whether they are employers, businesses, community groups, veteran or sporting organisations — the opportunity to recognise the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served our nation. Our government is committed to putting veterans and their families first and this legislation is part of a greater suite of measures we are putting in place.

This Bill will create a separate Act to provide symbolic recognition for all veterans and does not change current entitlements. Importantly, the Bill before Parliament includes a statement requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to adopt a beneficial approach when interpreting legislation and applying a fair, just and consistent approach to veterans’ claims. It’s part of our ongoing efforts to transform the culture of DVA.

The Government has received a positive response from businesses which are supportive of the recognition program. The covenant includes an oath, which all Australians will be encouraged to take at community commemorative events and is underpinned by the new Veteran Card and an Australian Veteran Lapel Pin and a Reservist Lapel Pin.”

We also received the following from the Honourable Amanda Rishworth, the Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, she said:

“As you are probably aware, late last year the Productivity Commission released their review into the Department of Veterans' Affairs, which made a number of recommendations including the dismantling of the Department. Labor's response was swift and clear, we do not support the abolishing of the Department of Veterans' Affairs as a stand-alone entity.

We know the Department is not perfect, however, we firmly believe in the importance of the Department and will fight to retain it. The Government's response to the report has been to wait for the final report to come out before making any decisions - which is conveniently due after the next election. Frankly, this isn't good enough. The Government should be clear with veterans and their loved ones before the election about their intentions for the future of the Department.

In addition, the Veterans' Advocacy and Support Services Study was released this week. I am aware of ex-service organisations who have been waiting to see the results of this study before continuing training advocates. It took the Government more than three months from the time they received the report until they released it. Given it has only just been released, I am looking over the details of the report and will have more to say in the coming weeks.

What is clear from the report is that more focus is needed on supports for families. This is something which Labor is seeking to address through our National Family Engagement and Support Strategy. If Labor is elected, this strategy will be co-designed with families of both current and ex-serving defence personnel to provide a national blueprint for engagement and support for military families.”

A Meteor hit earth with the force of a nuclear bomb and we hardly even noticed.

The Kamchatka meteor's impact last year was remote and sudden, showing the limits of detecting objects from space.

Last December, the Earth had a very special visitor. According to NASA, a tremendous fireball exploded in the atmosphere, the second-largest in 30 years and the largest since the Chelyabinsk incident of 2013.  The space rock exploded almost 16 miles (25.6 km) above the Earth's surface with an impact energy of 173 kilotons—10 times the energy released by the nuclear bomb dropped over Hiroshima. That's around 40 percent of the power of Chelyabinsk.

The Chelyabinsk meteor gained notoriety in part due to its visibility. Flying over population centres in rural western Russia, it created a trail that was captured by cell phones and dashboard cameras. This new fireball exploded in relative solitude, burning up above the Bering Sea.

If western Russia is rural, than the eastern Russia near where the fireball exploded is downright deserted. Known as the Kamchatka Peninsula, it is sparsely populated and filled with natural wonders like the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, known to some as Russia's Ring of Fire. It's not surprising that the explosion didn't make headlines.

The maps at right shows the two most powerful meteor explosions of the last 30 years: Chelyabinsk (centre) and now Kamchatka.

Earth's water functions as "another thing we have in our defence," according to a program manager in NASA's Planetary Defence Coordination Office. With so much of the planet filled with water, even if a meteor gets through the atmosphere there's still much better than even chance that its impact will be entirely absorbed by the sea.

NASA didn't detect the explosion at all when it happened, the Agency was first notified of the event by the Air Force. The explosion occurred near some commercial flight patterns, and scientists are investigating the possibility of any reports from the air of the explosion.

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of NASA tracking near-Earth objects (NEOs). The search got a major upgrade in 2005, when Congress established an ambitious goal for the NASA program: discover 90 percent of the NEOs down to the much smaller size of 450 feet (140 meters) by the year 2020.

That the Kamchatka meteor was able to slip through its extensive radar and detection systems shows that while progress has been made—NASA has detected over 18,000 NEOS, with an average discovery rate of 40 per week—there's still a lot of work left to do.

Mobile phones.

Mobile phones are changing the way people interact with each other, and it’s not all good. Click the pic below.