Adam Bryan

 

Adam Bryan always dreamed of joining the Royal Australian Air Force.

“I guess it was something that I always strived for, growing up,” he said. “My uncle is a pilot in the air force so I guess I always aspired to be like him.”

Adam’s uncle, Paul Bryan, was a member of the air force’s aerobatic display team, the Roulettes. He also flew the Caribou when it was in service, as well as the RAAF’s VIP aircraft, Challenger 604, at 34 Squadron in Canberra, and the air-to-air refuelling aircraft, the KC-30, based at Amberley in Queensland.

“Apparently when I was a toddler, I would look at the planes,” Adam said. “And any plane that flew past in the sky, I would point at it, and say, ‘Paul plane’.”

He still remembers visiting the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for the first time as a child.

“I was in Year 5 or 6 in primary school,” he said. “We went through the War Memorial and I remember looking at everything that was in there, and hoping that one day that was going to be me.”

Adam joined the air force cadets at school, and enlisted in the Air Force in March 2008.

He began as an airfield defence guard and re-mustered in 2009 as a crew attendant on the Challenger 604 aircraft in Canberra.

“It was really interesting,” he said. “I flew a lot of VIPs, heads of state and dignitaries, but flying Prince Harry when he was here about four years ago was definitely one of the highlights. Getting to meet him and fly with him personally for about a week was really special. He was in his uniform, but he treated the crew like we were at the same level. He didn’t put himself on a pedestal or anything like that. He was very, very genuine, and just lovely; a real pleasure to fly.”

He has been working in personnel for the past two and a half years and was recently offered a commission to become a logistics officer. For Adam, it’s a dream come true.

“It’s the values that the Air Force and the ADF as a whole pride themselves on, and the uniformity and the discipline that come along with it that I love,” he said. “It continuously drives you to achieve more, and not to settle for anything less, but to just keep aiming high.”

Earlier this year, Adam deployed to the Combined Air Operations Centre in Qatar.

“It was amazing, to be honest,” he said. “It was probably the best five months of my career.

“I was the Australian operations liaison officer, or watch keeper, and the role of the watch keeper is basically to note all of our current ADF assets and operations in the Middle East, and be the main point of contact with HQJOC Air Command Australia and Commander Air Task Group.

“I learnt a lot about air power, and to see it in a joint environment, and to see military organisations coming together and working towards the one direction to achieve a mission or a task. How they lean on each other in that regard was really interesting to see; it’s a really well-oiled machine.”

Having served overseas, he believes it’s important for the Memorial to tell the stories of modern conflicts and the sacrifices that young veterans make.

“One hundred per cent,” he said. “It’s definitely something that should be recognised and brought to light. I definitely think that recognition, not only of the past, but the present is important.

“At the end of the day, in both times and eras, lives have been lost, and family members have made sacrifices. I think it’s great that the Memorial doesn’t just stop in the black-and-white TV age. It’s a continuing timeline, and it’s important that these stories are told.”

Today, the Memorial still holds a special place in his heart.

“It’s just such a beautiful place,” he said.

“It’s a place for not only Australian service members to go and reflect, but for all Australians, and for people from other countries, who have a connection, through their family or a family friend … to pay their respects; the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier is a perfect example of that.

“It’s just a really peaceful place, and it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, the door is always open for you to walk in and educate yourself on the history of the ADF and past conflicts, and to see where we have come as a nation.

“So I think it’s a great place, no matter what age or demographic you place yourself in.

“As a uniformed member, I feel like I have a sense of belonging. When I go there, it’s just really special. It’s definitely a place for me to pay my respects to some of my friends who I know have passed in conflict, or friends of friends, and vice versa, because at the end of the day we are all brothers and sisters in arms serving in uniform, so we share that connection.

“I actually live just down the road from the War Memorial, so I drive past the War Memorial every day when I drive to work. When I’m driving up Anzac Parade, and I see all the memorials on the left and right side, and I’m in my uniform driving to work, there’s that sense of pride and it sets me up for the day.”