Warrant Officer's Criterion.

Two decades ago, the criterion to be a Warrant Officer in the RMAF are as follows:

1. Duly confirmed the rank of Flight Sergeant.
2. Duly attended an RMAF Leadership Course at the Air Force Institute of Technology(ITU), Kinrara.
3. Duly attended an RMAF Instructional Technique Course at Institut Teknologi Udara(ITU), Kinrara.
4. Duly attended an RMAF Warrant Officer's Course at ITU, Kinrara.
5. Duly attended on any course in country and abroad or from other tri-services command will be an advantage.
6. Duly recommended by the unit Commanding Officer.
7. Duly passed an interview for a Warrant Officer's post with a board of selection panel at the Department of the Air Force, Ministry of Defense(MINDEF).

The School for RMAF Warrant Officers

Junior Leadership Course # 26.

Air Quarter Master Course.

AFAITC Lowry AFB, Colorado.

Standing front row from L to R: Self # 4. 

Issued at Lowry AFB,Colorado.

Issued at Bergstrom AFB,Texas.

Sitting from left: Self #9.

Instructional Technique Course # 39

Standing from left: Self #6

Self receiving the Warrant Officer's Scroll from Maj(U) Zainal.

Warrant Officer Course # 5.

* RMAF(Royal Malaysian Air Force) or TUDM(Tentera Udara Di Raja Malaysia).

Military Self Preparatory And Readiness.

As an Alouette III air gunner, there are three things I must ensure:

1. Ensuring readiness checks on my Alouette III gunship helicopter.
2. Ensuring readiness checks on my weapons(MG151/20mm Cannon, M16A1 Rifle, and my 9mm Browning automatic pistol).
3. Ensuring military self preparatory and readiness checks as follows:

          a) Physically fit for duty.
          b) Medically fit for duty.
          c) Spiritually fit for duty.

Self in 1971.

 Self preparatory on physical and spiritual conditioning in 1972.

 The Karate Sparring Session. 

(Self on the left)

The Karate Budokan International Tournament 1975

Staduim Negara, Kuala Lumpur. 

(Photo of self on the left)

Military self preparatory and readiness was compulsory, and Military Callisthenics introduced long ago with an unrecorded history lured everyone in the air force to follow these deadline of callisthenics training, where necessarily  pursuing to higher unarmed combat training schedules. Vast had the opportunity to learn and developed those qualities before or after joining the RMAF. That was to say..."Military Martial Arts" such as Karate, Tae Kwon-Do, Military Survival Courses, Military Unarmed Combat, Seni Silat Gayong, and Seni Silat Lincah were all taught in the RMAF. It's yours to anticipate on any art seriously in order to be called the undeclared "silent warrior". The martial spirit and strength developed among soldiers, would therefore propelled to a higher strategic contribution towards military achievement, which are clearly depicted from most RMAF squadron mottos such as:

"Anywhere And Anything" or in Bahasa Malaysia,"Di Mana Dan Apa Sahaja"

(The Motto of the No 3 Sqn RMAF Butterworth).          

                  

"The Strength To Fight" or in Bahasa Malaysia,"Cekal Berjuang"

(The Motto of the No 7 Sqn RMAF Kuching).

"Fast Interception Fierce In Battle" or in Bahasa Malaysia,"Pantas Memintas Lincah Bersabung"

(The Motto of the No 11 Sqn (Reconnaissance) RMAF Butterworth). 

* The motto translated to English may differ as was not being published.

AQM 1989 Graduation Day At RMAF Kluang, Johor.

As an Aircrew Chief of No.7 Squadron, RMAF Kuching, I have three responsibilities:

1. Operational management of Air Quarter Masters(AQM) for Alouette III, and Sikorsky S61A(Nuri).
2. Training and management of AQMs.
3. Personnel management and administration of AQMs.

AQM 1989 Graduation Day at RMAF Kluang, Johor.

Date: 29th August, 1989.

(Sitting 3rd from right to left: Self).

AQM top student Sgt.Manoher of No.7 Sqn. (center photo) with a trophy won.
Far left: Flt.Sgt.Tan and Far right: Self.

Following by dinner party at night. 

WO1 Zaid Embong, WO1 Azizan Mat Saman, and Self.

(Photo from left to right)

The RMAF MG151/20mm Gunship's Checklist.

The Alouette III Air Gunner is responsible to carry out all the gunship's cheklists before flight. The checklists are as follows:

1.     Armament circuit breaker check.
2.     Ammo Bin secured and locked check.

3.     Ammo types and quantity check.
4.     Side Missiles if fitted check.  

5.     Ammo bin and flexichute to gun check.

6.     Gun mounting check.
7.     Gun firing mode check.

8.     Gun readiness check.

9.     Gun barrel check.
10.   Barrel fitted to gun check.

11.   Spare barrel check.
12.   Barrel clamp check.
13.   Heavy duty left-hand glove check.
14.   Empty shell link bag check.

15.   Gunner's seat check.
16.   Gunner's bullet proof vest check.
17.   Gunner to pilot intercom check.
18.   Gun checks completed.

Normal on ground checks will take about 10-15 minutes.

The Alouette III Gunship Firing Command.

After a short mission briefing was carried out on ground by the camp commander or the  intelligence officer, the Alouette assault gunships are ready for takeoff to the specified target location. 

In the air, on approaching and identifying the pre assault target at 1500ft in altitude.......

Pilot to Air Gunner:

Pilot:  "Target on 10 o'clock, an LP, Marker "X"ray, you have insight?".

Air Gunner:  "Roger, I have Mkr. "X"ray  in sight".

Pilot:  "To fire HE, 500 yards north from Mkr. "X"ray".

Air Gunner:  "Roger, to fire HE, 500 yds north from Mkr. "X"ray when ready".

On the final approach on a selected low fly path towards north heading and about reaching 500 yds from the Mkr. "X"ray, the command follows.......

Pilot: "Firing when ready!".

Air Gunner:  "Roger, firing now!".

Pilot:  "Cease Fire!".

Air Gunner:  "Roger Cease Fire!"

Gun selected to 'Safe mode'.

XGunship and XNuriPilot.

                                                                                                         

As an air gunner on the Alouette III gunship, escorting numerous Nuris helicopters to their destination merely Landing Pads or Points(LP) safely or either being shot from hostiles areas from 1977-1980 along the border  of Malaysia and Thailand was routine in air operations. Wondering and longing to see again the Alouette III helicopter gunship fitted completely with its original gun and ammo and probably a display at the RMAF Museium are likely to be appreciated by the incoming visitors. 

On the 29th April, 2011(Friday) morning, mark the most important moment of my life when I visited a long lost colleague at his first grand book sale at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium, Alor Setar and drove all the way from Sungai Petani. It was three decades ago since I last saw him, and definitely will recognised him when confronted. Nevertheless all pilots and aircrews survived, many still living with an accountable shape and with a slight difficulties to locate them, and last but not least for those jovial guys who had left earlier peacefully, may God bless em all.

He is one of them whom I used to escort his Nuri helicopter with many others during the emergency days. His name is Major(R) Hj.Nor Ibrahim Bin Sulaiman, ex Nuri pilot of the RMAF, an author of a newly published book named "Coretan Xnuripilot" and also the owner of a blog called xnuripilot.blogspot.com. We enjoyed the long burst of conversations that memories could tell that day and verbally agreed to do more write up. I cordially purchase the two books with his signatures on, thank you and congratulation for your success in publishing it.

Finally, I had to excused myself for the Friday congregation, then having visiting the mosque at Tandop before setting the journey back to my home town, 35miles(56km) away, with a heavy rain all the way to Sungai Petani.

 

From L to R: Maj(R) Nor Ibrahim(xnuripilot) and WOII(R) Mohd Ismail(xgunship escorte).