The Gunship Escorte: September 2011

Mas Airport at Sibu, Sarawak 1983.

RMAF Sibu Detachment situated near the airfield with close proximity to civilian Mas Airport Sibu, Sarawak. Adjacent to Mas terminal building were the wooden Army barrack and followed along side the RMAF Sibu Detachment Camp and barrack.We are located inside and guarded airfield parameter with sentries on watch.

Countless military operations with the sustaining emergency requirement to be at Sibu airfield was a must with the rotational of personnels from RMAF Kuching made it possible as to maintain a good air liaison for the ground troops operational support. For this purposes we have several Nuris and AlouetteIII helicopters stationed at RMAF Sibu Detachment as to provide support for the ground troops in most of their military operations.

I was here for a several rotations with rest of the aircrews, technicians, radio personnels and the admin staffs which consolidated the total strength of the RMAF Sibu detachment. Detachment rotation of personnel were rather flexible, as for the aircrew one week basis, whilst the aircraft technician an option of two weeks to a month stay or on permanent voluntary request. The change over of personnels were controlled and coordinated from the parent base of RMAF Kuching.

RMAF Sibu Detachment Camp(wooden barrack) at Sibu, Sarawak.

Accommodation was at the wooden barrack for all personnels with minor discrepancies found everywhere and was never like at RMAF Base Kuching. Working around the clock 24 hours a day, those with flying duties or on standby and the night watch was routine though the situation considered free from emergency threat of which we never simply assumed. Soldiering as an aircrew was a bitter time those days but eventually make oneself understood how hardships endured and tamed within its jurisprudence. I survived through these phenomena remarkably and the so called the intermittent RMAF Sibu Detachment from 1981-1991.