Our Graduates
10/01 SSUPSPEC Graduates
10/01 SSUPSPEC Graduates
Seven students from the Senior Supply Specialist (SSUPSPEC) course graduated on 23 April 2010 at Base Woodbourne.
This is the final step in their journey to becoming fully qualified Royal New Zealand Air Force Supply Specialists—a relentless journey that has seen them complete a minimum of:
- 17 weeks Primary Trade Training
- 18 months on-the-job training
- a 5-week Air Movements Course at RNZAF Base Auckland, and
- a 9-week residential course at RNZAF Base Woodbourne.
Trainees are required to demonstrate their practical application in areas such as Logistics Warehousing Flight, Logistics Operations Flight, and Supply Chain Management Squadron. Within these areas they are required to engage with Technical Personnel and Supply Staff to further develop their skills as Senior Tradesmen. At the conclusion of this course the students are qualified to load and unload aircraft, process passengers, and also will have gained vehicle qualifications. It is an essential role for all Suppliers and is a gateway to long-term and varied deployment operations. Leading Aircraftsman Travis Colbert was presented with the prestigious Air Commodore Baillie Award for being the most outstanding student from Advanced Trade Training who had excelled throughout the entire assessment period—no mean achievement. Reviewing Officer AIRCDRE Stewart Baillie congratulated all the students on their achievement and wished them well for their future careers.
Never too old to Graduate
Graduation day
Wing Commander Richard Marshall is no stranger to parades. However, there’s a first time for everything, and for WGCDR Marshall, it was participating as a graduate at Massey University’s recent graduation ceremony.
It was a long time coming, but WGCDR Marshall finally graduated with a Bachelor of Business Studies majoring in management—18 years after he took his first paper. He also made the prestigious Dean’s List of students who have an A minus average, or better, for the year. "I have a busy job as Base Commander in Auckland, two young children and my wife, Melissa, worked part-time to make sure I could complete my degree. I’ve had great family support," he said. WGCDR Marshall has travelled the world in his Royal New Zealand Air Force career and has sat Massey exams in Washington DC, Hawaii and Iran. He is proof that you’re never too old to graduate—it just takes perseverance and commitment.