Originally Posted by
gerry111
I was a troop in the RAAF during Air Marshal S. Evans' time as CAS Apr 82- May 85. He was poorly regarded by many of us as simply an aloof mouthpiece for the Defence Minister and Federal government. Fortunately, his replacement was the extremely well respected 'Jake' Newham. I remember meeting Air Marshal Newham in late 1985 at RAAF Richmond. That was after work, in the Airmen's Club over a few beers with quite a few other troops. He was very down to earth and a true leader.
Gerry, you and I both know that the majority of those with whom we flew or otherwise worked with were good blokes. (No female tech crew in my day) Some went on to the upper echelons and remained unchanged, others needed a much bigger hat size as they ascended the rank ladder. We were/are all smart enough to know the difference in personalities they each possessed. My experience during my 23 years left me with many more good memories than bad ones. The same can be said of my civil career experiences and those with whom I shared the flight deck. As in all areas of life we sometimes do not always enjoy the company of those around us or above us. Overall life has been great and I hope it stays that way for a while yet.