Brent Irvine
Wiradjuri Man
Leading Aircraftman (LAC)
Royal Australian Air Force
Medals
Australian Operational Service Medal – Greater Middle East
Australian Defence Medal
I joined the Royal Australian Airforce in 2008 as an Aircraft Life Support Fitter, and after my basic and employment training, I was posted to 37SQN at RAAF Base Richmond NSW from 2009 to 2012. As a member of 37SQN, I conducted Aero Medical Evacuation (AME) and survival training and participated in Exercises Pitch Black, Taipan Strike, and Aces North. In the years following my posting to 37SQN, I was posted to 1SQN at RAAF Base Amberley from 2012 to 2015. In this squadron, I participated in Exercises Pitch Black, Aces North and Aces South. In 2015, I remusted to become a member of Air Force Security (AFSEC) as a Military Working Dog Handler (MWDH) and was assigned to the 11-month-old Military Working Dog Tobruk. Upon graduating as a MWDH, I was assigned to 3 Security Forces (3SECFOR) at RAAF Base Edinburgh and deployed to the Middle East on Operation ACCORDION in 2017. In 2018 I was appointed as the 3SECFOR Indigenous Liaison Officer (ILO) and represented my squadron in the Indigenous Youth Program as a mentor, along with participating in the Catafalque Party for the Aboriginal Veterans Commemorative Service and the NAIDOC celebrations as well as the 2018 GARMA festival. In 2020, I was posted to Defence Force Recruiting (DFR) Albury as the first member of the Specialist Recruitment Team – Indigenous for the Albury area. This position brought me a number of challenges as I encountered members of the defence force who did not comprehend our culture or best practices when dealing with communities and with the passing of MWD Tobruk, I discharged from the RAAF in 2022 as a result of these challenges. As a result of my service, I was awarded the Australian Operational Service Medal – Greater Middle East and the Australian Defence Medal in 2017