Inquiry Into Recognition of RAAFies At Ubon, 1965 to 68

[Brendan Cowan]

To All,

It is truly amazing that we can be so slow to recognise operational service!

Here is a recent press release on the latest look into the Service of the RAAF personnel at Ubon, Thailand. Most of you will know the 79 SQN operated Sabres there in the local defence role which freed up USAF assets (principley F-4's) for offensive operations over South East Asia.

Surely, this should be recognised as operational duty.

Here is the release:

Inquiries into unresolved recognition issues for Royal Australian Air Force personnel who served at Ubon between 1965 and 1968

The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, the Hon Dr Mike Kelly AM MP, announced today that the independent Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal will inquire into unresolved recognition issues for Royal Australian Air Force personnel who served at Ubon, Thailand between 1965 and 1968.

“I am pleased that the Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal will inquire into this long standing recognition issue,” Dr Kelly said.

“This inquiry represents a continuation of reviews into long standing Defence honours and awards issues identified by the Government in 2007.”

Calls for submissions will be released shortly in the national press. Submissions to the inquiry close on Monday, 30 August 2010.

“Many people have written to me concerning this issue and I would encourage them to now take advantage of this opportunity to make a submission to the Tribunal,” Dr Kelly said.

The Tribunal can be contacted at:

Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal

Locked Bag 7765

CANBERRA BUSINESS CENTRE ACT 2610

Or via email to DHA.Tribunal@defence.gov.au

The terms of reference for the inquiry and guidance on how to make a submission can be obtained at: www.defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au

Media Contacts:
Elyse Gatt (Dr Mike Kelly): (02) 6277 4840 or 0437 502 246

[Rod Farquhar]

This is old news,
Several years ago I was awarded the"Australian Service Medal 1945/75" with clasp Thailand for my service in 1966 and1968.
After lobbying by a group of service people this service was upgraded to active service, I was then awarded the "Australian Active Service Medal 1945/75" with clasp Thailand, the ASM had to be returned to Defence Medals.
At the same time service in Malaysia during the Emergency and Confrontation was upgraded to warlike operations, the cut-off for this was I think Dec66.

For some reason the very first group that went to Ubon in 1962 were excluded
( about a two month period), this has now been rectified and they are also eligable for the medal and associated repat benefits.

BC you are right about the time taken to recognise service it took them 40 years for this to happen, it was one of the good things John Howard did by initiating the Australian honours and awards system.
Rod.

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks Rod,

Of course - you were there!

Folks, check out Rod's short description of the RAAF deployment to Ubon at:

http://airwarvietnam.com/raafno79.htm

Rod,

You and your comrades deserve the gongs.

I spent 16 years in Defence myself (as a civvie) and it always irritated me to find that we seemed to have a very strange and narrow attitude to handing out honours and awards compared to other countries.

Let's hope that we are not so frugal in recognising the efforts of our current generation of warriors as we have been in the past.

BC



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[Rod Farquhar]

Further info from another source.

Service pre 1965 is classed as War Service.

Service 1965/1968 is classed as Qualifying service.

Apparently this anomaly is what is being reviewed.

Rod.

[Warhawk]

Here's a snippet of USAAf View on how to use them post 1965



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[Warhawk]

The end

Nice touch

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