Tara Enchong
Meriam and Mer Island, Ngati Whatua Tribe NZ, Maori
Corporal
Royal Australian Air Force
Afghanistan Veteran
Medals and Awards
Australian Active Service Medal with clasp ICAT
Afghanistan Medal
Australian Defence Medal
NATO Medal – Multi-Tour Indicator 2
AVM BA Eaton Airman of the Year 2013 – with CAF Gold Commendation
My family has a proud ANZAC military history; both of my grandfathers saw active service in the Army, my grandmother and great-grandmother served as nurses in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as well as many other family members serving across the services for both Australia and New Zealand. I was born in Bowen QLD, the eldest of two children. My father, Mick, joined the Air Force shortly after I was born and still serves. My younger brother Jason enlisted a few months before me and went into the Army. My mother, Trish, also works as an Australian Public Servant for Defence. When we were kids, Mum used to take Jason and me to watch Dad march in various parades, and there was always a huge sense of pride, especially on ANZAC Day, lining the streets, waving our flags and seeing their Dad march past in uniform. I enlisted into the RAAF from Brisbane QLD at 23 years old as a Geospatial Imagery Intelligence Analyst – now called Air Intelligence Analyst (AIA-GEOINT). My recruit training was completed at RAAF Base Wagga NSW, and initial employment training at the Defence Intelligence Training Centre in Canungra QLD. Since completing my training, I have been posted to multiple units at RAAF Base Amberley QLD and RAAF Base Edinburgh SA, as well as an attachment to a United States Air Force squadron in Hawaii and two deployments to Afghanistan. My duties vary with each posting; some of my primary duties have included mission planning for the F-111 jets before they retired, training members for deployments over to Afghanistan, analysing imagery and Full Motion Video from Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and helping to stand up a new Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability within Air Force. I has also participated in multi-national exercises around Australia. I am currently transitioning into a new role outside of my mustering and will be working for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs – Air Force. The biggest highlight of my career was deploying on Operation Slipper in the Middle East and being there simultaneously as my Dad (Force Communications Unit – Al Minhad Air Base) and brother (Mentoring Task Force – Forward Operating Base Wali).