No. 27 Squadron RAAF

No. 27 Squadron RAAF
Active	1981–current
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Air base support, reserve recruitment and training
Current base	RAAF Base Townsville
Motto	"In Readiness"

No. 27 Squadron RAAF is a Royal Australian Air Force reserve and ground support squadron located at RAAF Base Townsville. The squadron was formed on 1 July 1981 to recruit and train RAAF reservists in the Townsville area and in July 2010 took on the additional role of providing support services to RAAF Base Townsville.

Squadron history

No. 27 Squadron was formed at RAAF Base Townsville on 1 July 1981 with a strength of three Permanent Air Force personnel tasked with recruiting RAAF reservists. During its first year 60 reservists joined the squadron and it eventually reached a strength of over 100 permanent and reserve personnel. The squadron received its crest in 1988 and in 1991 was granted the Freedom of the City of Townsville.^[1] In May 1988 the Squadron began operating the RAAF Townsville Museum.^[2] During its period as a reserve squadron its personnel worked alongside members of the Permanent Air Force during exercises, operations and day-to-day activities.^[1] These duties included a focus on maintaining RAAF aircraft based at Townsville and the squadron also maintained a radio network to support participants in the RAAF's Combat Survival Training School.^[1][2]

On 1 July 2010 No. 27 Squadron's role expanded to include the provision of support services to RAAF Base Townsville when it was merged with No. 323 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron.^[3] This formed part of a reform across the RAAF in which the reserve squadrons were merged with local combat support units or expeditionary combat support squadrons with the goal of improving the provision of air base support services. Under the new arrangements the commander of No. 27 Squadron has also received the responsibilities of the senior Australian Defence Force officer at RAAF Base Townsvile.^[4]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} "No 27 (City of Townsville) Squadron". Royal Australian Air Force. http://www.airforce.gov.au/Units/27sqn.aspx. Retrieved 1 August 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 30
3. ^ MacDonald, Emily (5 July 2010). "Two RAAF squadrons become one". Townsville Bulletin. http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/05/151451_news.html. Retrieved 1 August 2010. 
4. ^ Lineham, Paul (24 June 2010). "Building up our cities". Air Force. http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?xml=defencenews_airforce.xml&iid=37407. Retrieved 1 August 2010. 

References

• RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service. ISBN 0-644-42796-5.