Mick Pittman's interview in Newcastle

Mick Pittman served in the RAAF for 21 years, having joined up as a 17 year old in the late 1960s. Growing up in Casino in NSW, Mick remembers that the brother of one of his mate’s was in the Air Force and Mick thought ‘Here’s a way out’, a way to see the world beyond his hometown. Mick absolutely loved his basic training and was first posted to Richmond Air Base just outside of Sydney in a logistics and supply role that he thrived in. In 1970 he was posted to Butterworth Base in Malaysia for 2 years, before moving again to Perth, and over the following years took up many senior Posts, including in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and the USA. While he absolutely loved the work and the camaraderie, the travel and postings were becoming harder on a young family, and once his kids were at high school age Mick and his family settled north of Sydney and soon after he retired from the RAAF. Mick then went on to a broad ranging and successful career in the health sector in NSW.

This interview took place on 14 March 2014 in Newcastle and was conducted by Dr Allison Cadzow with Craig Greene as part of the Australian Research Council-funded project Serving our Country: a history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the defence of Australia.

The interview recording above is made available to be listened to here by permission of the interviewee(s), Mick Pittman. The recording may not be copied, reproduced or communicated in whole or in part without the prior permission of the interviewee(s). Requests for permission for use of this material should be made to the Serving our Country research project: our contact details.

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Updated:  16 July 2015/Responsible Officer:  Director, Serving our Country/Page Contact:  CAP Web Team