In Reserve.

Sometimes anniversaries can slip by unnoticed. Sometimes this is not a good thing but at other times it is because you are so engrossed with the activity, that the day passes by without recognition.

So it was for the day that marked six years for me as a Reservist in the RAAF. Rather than noting the date, I was flying with Air Force Cadets and researching another article for the RAAF History and Heritage Branch. The opportunity to serve in these capacities has been an absolute privilege and tinged with nostalgia, as both of my parents served in the Air Force.

To both preserve history and foster the next generation of aviators is a rare blend that ties together two of my passions. After nearly 40 years, to still be an instructor sending a student solo is very satisfying. To write the history of RAAF operations in the Korean War in “A Very Different War” allowed me to capture a chapter of history that is both important and personal.

So I didn’t miss that date in June through disinterest, it was because after six years I am still very proud to serve.