A Report on the RAAF Today (1971)

	Sub-category index

RAAF Base Williamstown was granted the 'Freedom of the City' by Newcastle in 1968.To mark the occasion at the formal ceremony, Mirage aircraft flew overhead in formation
COMMAND

The Department of Air is a Commonwealth Government department under the control of the Minister for Air and is the centre from which government control is exercised over the Royal Australian Air Force.

The Air Board, which is responsible to the Minister for Air, is the controlling body at the head of the Department and is charged with the control and administration of the RAAF.

The Department of Air is organised into five branches, each with a member of the Air Board as its head.

These branches, together with their heads are:
- Branch of the Chief of the Air Staff (Air Marshal Sir Colin Hannah, K.B.E., C.B., who is also Chairman of the Air Board)
- Branch of the Air Member for Personnel (Air Vice-Marshal B. A. Eaton, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C.)
- Branch of the Air Member for Technical Services (Air Vice-Marshal E. Hey, C.B., C.B.E.)
- Branch of the Air Member for Supply and Equipment (Air Vice-Marshal C. G. Cleary, C.B.E.)
- Branch of the Secretary, Department of Air (F. J. Green, Esq., B.Com.)

The Defence complex at Russell Offices, Canberra. The main elements of the Department of Air are housed in the three buildings shown at the bottom right of the photograph overlooking the car park

The Air Board administers and controls RAAF units thr oughout Australia and its Territories. RAAF operational units overseas generally work within broad directives issued by the Air Board. Forces currently overseas comprise the RAAF contribution to the defence of Malaysia at Butterworth (with a detachment at Singapore after 197 1) and the RAAF component of the Australian forces in South Vietnam.

The guiding principles of the RAAF command organisation within Australia were introduced a decade ago and are designed to decentralise day-to-day operational activities. Modern managerial techniques including electronic data processing have streamlined administration and markedly increased efficiency.

The functional control of RAAF units in Australia is exercised by the Air Board through two functional command headquarters. These are:

1. Operational Command, which controls all operational units except those overseas, which remain under the control of the Department of Air.

2. Support Command, which controls all supply, training maintenance and administrative units.

Each Command has an Air Officer Commanding who is responsible to the Air Board for certain specific functions of the RAAF. The A.O.C. has a staff to control and co-ordinate the activities of the various units which perform the functions for which he is responsible.

In the computer room of the RAAF Electronic Data Processing Centre in Canberra.

Wing Commander H. A. Pickering, Data Processing Officer, issues instruction for computation and storage to Warrant Officer R. Morrison (seated).

In the background are Sergeant Butel (left) and Warrant Officer Lehman.

The five members of the Air Board are (left to right) Air Vice-Marshal C. G. Cleary, Air Member for Supply and Equipment; Air Vice-Marshal E. Hey, Air Member for Technical Services; Air Vice-Marshal B. A. Eaton, Air Member for Personnel; Air Marshal Sir Colin Hannah, Chief of the Air Staff; and Mr. F. J. Green, Secretary, Department of Air. At extreme right is Air Vice-Marshal C. F. Read, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.