COMMUNITY ACHIEVERS – 6 Wing in the community

Most stories about Air Force Cadets show them in uniform – generally on parade or in the field. But members of the AAFC do so much more than that. As well as being uniformed volunteers, they are also very active within their communities.

CAPTION: Leading Aircraftwoman (AAFC) Liz Gardener, a 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Bearer.

“I got to do a cool thing today” said Liz Gardner recently.

On Wednesday 21 February, the Queen’s Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games was due to come through the Adelaide Hills. Through her community connections, local young adult Liz Gardner was fortunate enough to be nominated to be one of the Baton Bearers as the Baton made its way through the town of Hahndorf.

Public and ceremonial events like this are no stranger to Liz. As a member of the Australian Air Force Cadets, Liz has served as a Leading Aircraftwoman (AAFC) since August 2017, after a year as a civilian instructor and following on from a seven year career as a cadet reaching the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer.

LACW(AAFC) Gardner is currently the Training Officer for No 617 Squadron, AAFC based at Unley High School, and also the Assistant Training Officer for No 602 Squadron, AAFC based at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills.

On 18 March, Cadet Corporal Lachlan Jenkins was among a small team of instructors running recruit training for the latest intake at No 604 Squadron at Hampstead Barracks. The day before, he had competed in the 2018 Schools’ Head of the River Regatta sponsored by UniSA.

The South Australian Head of the River Rowing Regatta began on the Torrens Lake in 1922 and is currently held at the Alex Ramsay Regatta Course in West Lakes. It involves junior coxed quadruple sculling events over 1,000m and 1,500m as well as senior coxed four and eight races over 2,000m.

Lachlan Jenkins was a member of the St Peter’s College crew that won the Year 10 Coxed Quad D Division, a 1,500 m race. St Peter’s College also won the Gosse Shield for Schoolboy 1st VIII, as well as the prestigious title of ‘Head of the River Champions’ for 2018.

Congratulations to Liz, a great ambassador for the Commonwealth Games, and Lachlan, a great ambassador for his school and the sport of rowing. Both are also great ambassadors for the Australian Air Force Cadets.

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