RAAF Base Richmond hosts Indigenous Tribal Warrior mentoring group tour

On Thursday, May 16, members of the Redfern-based group were exposed to life within the Air Force as they visited a number of Units on the Richmond base.

Taking part in the tour were 25 Tribal Warrior members aged between 12 and 17 years old, and five mentors from the organisation.

With the Base Indigenous Liaison Officer, Flight Lieutenant Tjapukai Shaw, the group visited airfield firefighting vehicles, military working dogs, and conducted a walkthrough of the C-130J Hercules transport aircraft.

The base tour was part of the Defence Reconciliation Action Plan (DRAP), which provides Indigenous community members an opportunity to have a hands-on experience, with a focus on the minimisation of barriers associated with Aboriginal peoples' understanding of uniformed organisations such as the Air Force.

In the coming weeks, Air Force will conduct a series of C-130J Hercules training flights to regional communities in NSW, with a view towards engaging local Indigenous communities within those areas.

The Tribal Warrior mentoring program is a community, exercise, assistance and referral program designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

The program promotes forming good habits, guiding by example, acknowledging achievements and including everyone, and is run in partnership with the Redfern Local Area Police Command.

The program is designed to help recidivism rates in jail, helping youth stay out of jail through commitment to the program and learning discipline during physical training.