air chief marshal sir april senior commander royal_australian_air_force raaf served chief air staff raaf highest ranking position chief australia military role time second raaf officer hold rank air chief marshal born queensland joined raaf world war saw action flying flew combat missions korean war awarded leadership operational conversion unit gained operational experience heading raaf presence thailand late 1960s promoted air commodore commander vietnam deputy commander vietnam appointed commander order british empire deputy chief air staff named officer retired completing term early life world war born april queensland educated joseph enlisted royal_australian_air_force raaf october following training graduated sergeant pilot october served instructor posted fighter pilot squadron flying gained commission post war career rise senior command war posted air traffic control duties stationed squadron married couple daughters served instructor victoria ranked squadron leader saw operational service korean war squadron flying initially employed conflict fighter unit time squadron role primarily ground attack cannon augmented newly fitted rocket armament briefly took charge unit november december hiatus commanding officers rotating rotating returning australia posted pilot training officer served staff officer fighter operations appointed commanding officer squadron promoted wing commander took charge operational conversion unit new_south_wales responsible training pilots fly sabre jet fighter operated nos squadrons performance commanding officer earned queen birthday honours posted england senior air staff officer london appointed director personnel officers received air efficiency award following year took command thailand operating provisions agreement early years vietnam war australian contingent included squadron flying equipped kilometres border occasionally intercept north vietnamese fighters saw action contrast based limited military role raaf presence judged politically valuable completing tour thailand served air staff officer new_south_wales appointed senior raaf command promoted air commodore april commander vietnam deputy commander vietnam believing air_force paid lip service army operation responsibilities 1950s 1960s finer points air ground operations accompanying squadron helicopters missions supporting given responsibility overseeing withdrawal raaf vietnam praised wise patient counsel devotion duty firm control leading appointment commander order british empire september year posted united_states australian washington air vice marshal returned australia took duties deputy chief later described learning experience job appointed officer june distinguished service responsible positions promoted air marshal chief air staff march succeeded sir personally command raaf legal sense following abolition previously position akin chairman equals members earlier arrangement considered senior commanders tended behave like regional war lords thought existed purely handle politicians commanders got air_force real work train development new strategies air defence australia later remarking capability matched ideas supervised selection process chose replace raaf iii fighters personally favoured multi role capability appointed knight commander order british empire december australia abandoned imperial honours system air_force member directly command australia armed services chief replaced earlier senior position defence force chairman second raaf officer raised rank air chief marshal work repair strained relations military civilian components sought accomplish restrained management style respect department public servants time maintained need military civilian personnel easily distinguishable reversed trend armed force personnel wear suits office uniforms parade preference secretary military public service wings department clashed question role achieve coherent defence planning shortly completed term position redesignated chief clearly reflect authority australian armed services retirement air chief marshal retired military life april awarded centenary medal january service australian society royal_australian_air_force year joined celebrations point cook victoria mark anniversary founding raaf published autobiography quiet man died bay new south wales survived wife daughters commemorated sir drive new_south_wales
Neville McNamara