Mick Pittman

I joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 29th July 1968 and retired as a Warrant Officer on 25th August 1989. During my 21 years in the RAAF, I served at a number of different postings before spending 26 years with various NSW Government agencies. Some might say I was nomadic while others would say I just kept going walkabout.

In my first several months in the RAAF I completed my recruit training at RAAF Edinburgh South Australia before doing my Supply Clerk training at RAAF Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. My first real posting was to No. 2 Aircraft Depot at RAAF Richmond NSW as an Aircraftman in 1969. I then attempted to get an overseas posting to Vietnam or Malaysia. Luckily, after just one year I was reclassified as a Leading Aircraftman and posted to 478 Maintenance Squadron at RAAF Butterworth Malaysia for two-years. I was then promoted to Corporal and posted to Base Squadron at RAAF Pearce, Western Australia in 1972. It was there that I met Kaye and we were married in 1973. Late in 1974 I was promoted to Sergeant and posted back to 2 Aircraft Depot (2AD) RAAF Richmond. During the next five-years I gained much valuable experience and also during this time my sons, Greg and Stephen were born. I was posted to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory in 1980 to work on the 707 Project where the first two Boeing 707 aircraft formed the RAAF VIP Fleet. After three-years I was promoted to Flight Sergeant and posted to Melbourne to work on a project to purchase six Squirrel Helicopters from France. In early 1985 I was promoted to Warrant Officer and posted to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania USA. I spent three-years working with the US Navy and US Army obtaining spares for our P3 Orion Maritime Aircraft and Iroquois Helicopters. Mid way through 1988 I was posted back to Sydney where I spent my last year in the RAAF.

After discharging from the RAAF, I then spent 26 years working for various NSW Government Agencies. I worked for NSW Health at Central Coast Health for 14 years before stints with the Department of Community Services (two years), WorkCover NSW (four years), NSW Premier and Cabinet (one year) and NSW Fair Trading (one year). I then returned to NSW Health as the Manager of the Nunyara Aboriginal Health Unit with Central Coast Local Health District in September 2012. I retired in March 2016 but am still active in the Central Coast Aboriginal community.

I encourage any young Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to consider the Defence Forces as a career as it gave me a wealth of skills and a series of wonderful adventures.