[tape starts] the announcement that have been made recently about the longer term future of the base, the importance of it and the activities that it undertakes, not only to the Australian Defence Force particularly, but not only again to the Airforce, but also to the community. It is important with all of our military establishments around Australia that there be the closest possible cooperation and integration of the base activities and the base facilities with the local community, and I know that this has been the case with this base, as is the case with other military establishments around Australia.
I am conscious that this base is basically a training nerve centre, if I can put that way, of military air traffic controllers, and that military air traffic controllers comprise one of the elements of the Australian Defence Force that continue to be deployed in Iraq, they are undertaking… and I know there are a number from this base who have been involved, undertaking very important work in training Iraqis for the handover of the operation of Baghdad International Airport. And I take this opportunity at this place, and given its connection with air traffic control operations, of expressing my admiration for the work that they are doing and the strong support they will continue to enjoy from the Government in carrying out that very important work.
There has over recent years been a greater focus on the role of the defence forces in Australians'; lives for perhaps quite a while because of the deployments in East Timor, in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in the Solomon Islands, and I believe that all of those deployments, whatever may be the legitimate domestic political debates about them, all of those deployments have united the Australian community in admiration for the work that is done by the men and women of Australia who wear the uniforms of our three armed services.
I do not know a time since I have been in public life when there has been greater esteem for the individual men and women who serve in our military forces, and that speaks well for the professionalism, it speaks well for the commitment and the dedication of the members of the ADF, and it also speaks well for the support that they receive from their families. I';m very conscious of the strain that service life can from time to time place on family units, and we try at a Government level, and I know the Army, the Navy and the Airforce try very hard at a service level, to ensure that there is as close as possible support and as close as possible consideration of the concerns and the interests of family members, as well as the concerns and interests of the men and women who actually serve in uniform.
But it is a time when there has been a focus, but it';s a focus of national pride in what you do, it';s a focus for respect, respect for your courage and professionalism, and I take this brief but important opportunity here at East Sale to say thank you to all of you for what you have done, what you are doing, and what you represent in the best traditions of the armed services of the Commonwealth of Australia. Thank you, I wish you well, and I appreciate very much the courtesy that you have extended to me this morning.
Thank you.
[ends]