Air Force by Ian McPhedran

Author:Ian McPhedran
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2011-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Matt Basedow is also married to an Adelaide girl, Kylie, and they have four children. He grew up on a farm near the small town of Cobar in central New South Wales.

‘The army used to come through all the time on exercises,’ he recalls. ‘The convoy would come in and they would camp just outside of town in their little tents and all of us kids would go straight over to the army boys and they’d give out bits of their ration packs and horrible chocolate, which we just thought was awesome. And every year without fail the recruiting people would drive their cars into town, set up their displays, give their presentations, and it was always of interest to me.’

After starting an education degree he realised the military was for him and he chose the RAAF with the specific intention of becoming an airborne electronic analyst. He began as an avionics technician but soon transferred to the AEA stream and the Orion mustering. In September 2008 the former warrant officer took a commission and became a SEM.

‘It is very, very competitive because there are only limited spots, one or two spots a year, and quite a few guys will go for it,’ he says. ‘You have to steer yourself into being competitive, so I did a lot of extra study.’

To give himself an edge, Basedow enrolled in a master’s degree in IT and undertook management and leadership courses and he was successful.

‘It is a very dynamic job which takes you to all corners of the globe,’ he says. ‘I am on my third passport because I filled my first two with stamps from different countries I’d been to since 1994. You are always challenged mentally. It’s very demanding and you have to study, and I like that. I like the competitive nature of it as well … You don’t get people who are just willing to cruise and do the bare minimum. Everyone wants to excel.’

A most frustrating aspect is watching the action on the ground from high above on a screen.

‘I can’t stand being up there when there is a TIC. If I could open a door and throw a parachute out and jump I would because I’d rather be down there,’ he says. ‘I think it’s just every military person’s way — they’d rather be in there helping, risking a lot, than sitting back. It’s all about that Australian mateship. You don’t want to see your boys shot at. It’s horrible.’

The thought that he is helping to keep his fellow Australians safe is all the motivation Basedow needs to maintain 100 per cent focus. He says he never gets tired until the mission is complete.

‘You’ve got your Aussie soldier on the ground who is actually at risk and taking fire. They are in trouble — how could you not be switched on? How could you look at this screen without the intent of finding something harmful for those guys? Sure I get tired but do I switch off at all? I don’t think so.

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