Royal Australian Air Force

General Informaiton Current structure of the RAAF Ranks of the RAAF List of aircraft List of bases List of squadrons History of the RAAF Commands Air Command Current Operations Operation Astute Other Airfield Defence Guards Air Force memorial

The Airfield Defence Guards (ADG)- commonly called ADGies - are the Royal Australian Air Force's ground security force. Similar to the Royal Air Force Regiment or the United States Air Force Security Forces the Airfield Defence Guard's responsibilities include the protection of equipment, personnel, assets and facilities of the RAAF. Other duties include training other RAAF personnel in weapons handling and defensive tactics in order to protect the assets of the RAAF. Ground Defence Officers receive training at the Australian Army's Royal Military College in Duntroon, ACT. All of their training is Army based, and Ground Defence Officers receive very little RAAF-specific training. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Image File history File links Ensign_of_the_Royal_Australian_Air_Force. ... // Air Force Structure Formations ~A Junior Officer is a Pilot Officer, Flying Officer or Flight Lieutenant Common Appointments Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Air Chief Marshal (Only when RAAF Officer) Vice Chief of Defence Force (VCDF) Air Marshal (Only when RAAF Officer) Deputy Chief of Air Force (DCAF) Air Vice... The Royal Australian Air Force inherited its rank structure from the Royal Air Force. ... Royal Australian Air Force F_18 Hornet. ... This is a list of current and previous Royal Australian Air Force bases. ... This is a list of Royal Australian Air Force aircraft squadrons. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). ... It has been suggested that Timeline of Operation Astute be merged into this article or section. ... RAAF Memorial, highlighting the three stone walls with etched photgraphs. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Security Forces members survey the installation perimeter at Manas Air Base. ...

The ADG is tasked with a counter-special forces role and regularly trains against units tasked with the capture of airfields such as 4RAR (a commando battalion) and U.S. Army Rangers. Recently their duties were expanded to include combat search and rescue of downed pilots.^{[citation needed]} This was previously the responsibility of 4RAR. For other uses, see Special forces (disambiguation). ... The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment or 4 RAR (Cdo), is one of the battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment and is one of three combat capable groups within the Australian Special Operations Command (the other two being the SASR and 1st Commando Regiment). ... The 75th Ranger Regiment—also known as the United States Army Rangers—is an elite light infantry special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) headquartered in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment or 4 RAR (Cdo), is one of the battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment and is one of three combat capable groups within the Australian Special Operations Command (the other two being the SASR and 1st Commando Regiment). ...

The Airfield Defence Guard force was established in 1966. Since then ADG units have served overseas in several countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq. Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

The ADGs are currently grouped as No. 1 Airfield Defence Wing (1AFDW). 1AFDW currently commands three operational squadrons: Category: ...

• No. 1 Airfield Defence Squadron (1AFDS) - RAAF Edinburgh
• No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron (2AFDS) - RAAF Amberley
• No. 3 Airfield Defence Squadron (3AFDS) - RAAF Amberley

1AFDS and 3AFDS are manned by both full-time RAAF and RAAF Active Reserve personnel. No. 2 AFDS is a full-time active unit of the RAAF. No 1 Airfield Defence Squadron (1AFDS) is an Australian military unit whose primary roll is to provide the protect and defend airfields, buildings, equipment, and personnel. ... RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Airforce base in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. ... Categories: | | ... RAAF Base Amberley is currently home to No. ... Categories: | | ... RAAF Base Amberley is currently home to No. ...

All of the Airfield Defence Squadrons operate in the ground defence role, with Air Defence being the responsibility of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery. In addition, 2AFDS and 3AFDS are deployable tactical units that enable the RAAF to maintain ground defence commitments either for itself or other formations. 2AFDS and 3AFDS also operate the Bushmaster vehicle. “Flak” redirects here. ... UBIQUE (Everywhere) and QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT (Whither Right And Glory Lead) The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery is descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australias federation. ... The Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian built wheeled armoured vehicle designed by Perry Engineering in Adelaide with some technical support from Irish company Timoney Technology Ltd. ...

History and Beginning

During the Second World War the Australian government realised after the bombing of Darwin and attacks on Australian Air Force bases in the Pacific that they needed a unit in the RAAF to handle airfield defence. In 1942, the Aerodrome Defence Unit was ordered and was recruited from RAAF ground crew and officers composed of mostly grounded Pilot Officers who had undergone airfield defence training provided by the Australian Army.^[1] The recruits were trained in Anti-Aircraft gun operation, ground patrolling, scouting and hand to hand combat. At first the unit comprised around 150 personnel but soon grew to a size of 300. The Aerodrome Defence Unit was first designated a home defence unit and was based on the Tindal Air Force Base in the Northern Territory. However by 1943, parts of the Aerodrome Defence Unit were posted to New Guinea where they saw only light combat duties such as patrolling and scouting for enemy positions. In 1945, the unit was sent to Borneo where they served out the war. The unit suffered one recorded casualty during the war and it was non-combat related. After the war, the unit was disbanded. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... “Flak” redirects here. ... RAAF Base Tindal (RAAF Tindal) is a Royal Australian Air Force air base located near the town of Katherine in the Northern Territory. ... For similar terms, see Northern Territories (disambiguation) Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004... Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. ...

Australian Airfield Defence Guards after a patrol in Vietnam, 1968

In 1966, the RAAF who was now involved in the Vietnam war, had experienced attacks by Viet Cong on a number of Australian Air bases and needed a unit to guard and protect them from the enemy, the RAAF re-entered the Aerodrome Defence Unit as a RAAF mustering however they were known as Airfield Defence Guards or Ground Defence Airmen. The unit swelled with volounteers and the RAAF was forced to create another two squadrons. From 1966-1972, the Airfield Defence Guards served mostly at Phan-Rang and Vung Tau RAAF base alongside USAF Security Force and served with distinction in a number of fights with Viet Cong and NVA soldiers. The Airfield Defence Guards also provided the RAAF with Door Gunners on Helicopters ( 9 Sqn ) during the war. By the end of the Vietnam war, the Airfield Defence Guards were some of the most respected airmen in the RAAF and had gained the respect of their rival the Australian Army Infantry. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 683 pixels, file size: 79 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Australian Airfield Defence Guards during the Vietnam War, 1969 File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 683 pixels, file size: 79 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Australian Airfield Defence Guards during the Vietnam War, 1969 File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... Vung Tau is a city in Vietnam. ... Security Forces members survey the installation perimeter at Manas Air Base. ... NVA is a three-letter abbreviation for North Vietnamese Army (also known as the Peoples Army of Vietnam) Nationale Volksarmee, the National Peoples Army of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, Belgian political party. ... The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ...

After Vietnam, the Australian Air Force sent Airfield Defence Guards to a number of peacekeeping operations around the world such as the Sinai, Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, The Gulf War, Cambodia, Somalia, East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Soloman Islands. The Airfield Defence Guards still remain as one of Australias key units of defence. Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 The Sinai Peninsula (in Arabic, Shibh Jazirat Sina) is a triangle-shaped peninsula lying between the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and Red Sea (to the south). ... Location of North Solomons (Bougainville) Province in Papua New Guinea This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme département of France. ... Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 360,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War (1990–1991) (also called the Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, or Second Gulf War) was a conflict between... Motto To Lead is to Serve Anthem God Save Our Solomon Islands Royal anthem God Save the Queen Capital (and largest city) Honiara Official languages English Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Governor-General Nathaniel Waena  -  Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare Independence  -  from the UK 7 July 1978  Area  -  Total 28...

Selection, Training and Conditions

Once a candidate has successfully completed RAAF basic training they then attend the 15 week ADG Basic course. This is held at the RAAF Security and Fire School (RAAFSFS) RAAF Base, Amberley, Queensland. Applying to become an ADG is incredibly competitive as there are very limited positions available every year. Airfield Defence Guard training is the toughest and most grueling the Air Force has to offer. Trainees are required to run 2.4km (with full pack and weapon) in under 10 minutes, a 10m rope climb, perform 10 chin ups (according to age), swim 1.5km in under 10 minutes and perform 40 sit ups. Trainees are required to live in the field for a period of three or four weeks during training, with only a small amount of sleep, food, shelter and rest. Currently the course boasts a 60-75% failure rate, which, other than the Army's 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and SASR is the highest failure rate in the ADF. All ADGs are require to attend the Combat Survival School (COMSURV) within one year of completing the basic course, which itself boasts a 50% failure rate. The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment or 4 RAR (Cdo), is one of the battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment and is one of three combat capable groups within the Australian Special Operations Command (the other two being the SASR and 1st Commando Regiment). ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) is a special forces regiment modelled on the original British SAS and also drawing on the traditions of the Australian World War II Z Special Force commando unit. ...

Promotion for airmen is quite slow in ADG units compared to other RAAF units. On receiving their blue beret, all graduates are given the rank of Airman and due to placements in the units it could take as long as 2-4 years to make it to Leading Aircraftman. Postings for ADG's is also quite limited to RAAF Amberley in Queensland and RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia. However graduating ADG's are some of the highest paid airmen in the Air Force. After promotion to Flight Sergeant, you can expect to receive between $60,000 - $70,000. Ground Defence Officers peak at around 72,000 per year once they reach Squadron Leader. Airman is a term used to refer to any enlisted personnel in the United States Air Force or Other Ranks in the Royal Air Force (in which airwoman is also seen). ... Leading Aircraftman (LAC) (or Leading Aircraftwoman (LACW)) is a rank in the Royal Air Force, ranking between Aircraftman and Senior Aircraftman and having a NATO rank code of OR-2. ... RAAF Base Amberley is currently home to No. ... RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Airforce base in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A Squadron Leaders sleeve/shoulder insignia Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF, SQNLDR in the RNZAF and RAAF and S/L in the former RCAF) is a commissioned rank in some air forces. ...

Duties and Mission Roles

Australian Airfield Defence Guards with members of the USAF 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Baghdad International Airport

Airfield Defence Guards (ADG) are non-commissioned Air Force members who provide the specialist ground defence force required to protect air power assets from the effects of hostile ground action in and around Air Force Bases and Installations, both in Australia and overseas. They form the basis of the Air Force's ground combat force, protecting Base assets, infrastructure and personnel against attack by enemy ground forces for up to five kilometres from the airfield perimeter fence. They also instruct other Air Force personnel in relevant ground defence techniques. ^[2] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 521 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 1960 pixel, file size: 5. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 521 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 1960 pixel, file size: 5. ... Inside view of the terminal, showing an abandoned FIDS in front of empty check-in desks and passport control. ...

Tasks performed by the ADG

• Patrolling over extended periods over arduous terrain and in extreme climatic conditions carrying a specified load necessary to accomplish the mission;
• foot and vehicle patrolling by day and by night in and around both established and bare base airfields and through vegetated or urban environments in all extremities of weather conditions and locations within or outside of Australia;
• Aircraft Security Operations providing protection to both aircraft and infrastructure;
• construction of field defences and obstacles such as weapon pits and bunkers, fences and road blocks;
• searches and clearance operations;
• manning of crew served weapons such us machine guns and anti-armour weapons; and
• instruction on small arms such as rifle, shotguns and machine guns. ^[3]

Equipment

The weapons and equipment issued to the ADG are fairly similar to standard Australian infantry equipment, with the addition of the MP5 submachine gun and the R870 shotgun. ^[4][5] The Royal Australian Army Infantry Corps (RA Inf) is the parent corps for all infantry regiments of the Australian Army. ... A soldier armed with a F88 AuSteyr fitted with a grenade launcher A Bushmaster (left) and ASLAV (right) in Iraq Soldiers and a M113 M198 Howitzers firing during an exercise From left to right, a Chinook, Blackhawk and Tiger helicopter Australian soldiers and an ASLAV in Iraq A MH-90... The MP5 is a submachine gun, developed by German weapons designer Heckler und Koch (HK) in the 1960s. ... The MP5 is a third-generation submachine gun that is widely used by law enforcement tactical teams and military forces. ... The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ...

References

See also

• Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air
• Objektschutzregiment der Luftwaffe
• RAF Regiment
• United States Air Force Security Forces

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... (French for Fusilier Commandos of the Air) These personnel of Frances Armée de lAir are equivalent to the United Kingdoms RAF Regiment or the USAFs Air Commandos. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Objektschutzkräfte (Force Protection Forces, German lit. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Security Forces members survey the installation perimeter at Manas Air Base. ...

External links

• www.adgies.com
• Australian SF Community
• Australian Government Job Info
• RAAF ADG site