‘Guys & Girls’, the ‘Master Lock’ and ‘Full’ with Entree only

            The guest students – there were seventeen of us from outside Australia (New Zealand-four; USA, Canada & UK-two each; India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea – one each) were called a month earlier so as to familiarize with the Australian climate, language and culture. The officer who welcomed us through a formal address in the college, called us “Guys n girls” which was a marked departure from the formal “Ladies and Gentlemen” that I was used to.  That was when I realized that there could be informal ways of doing things even in the armed forces – which our British system based Army somehow shunned and still does.

            After his formal address, the officer left us at the mercy of a few NCOs to take care of some formalities. The Mess Sergeant spoke to us and requested us to give our food preferences as he would be required to cater for our meals during various training events. When I told him about my having no issues except with beef & pork, his interesting riposte was, “Sir, you don’t eat beef, you don’t eat pork! Then what the hell do you eat?”

            All the guest students were soon dispatched to Laverton, a suburb of Melbourne where there was a Language School inside an Air Force Station with Hercules C-30 transport aircraft based there. Although the Language School was commanded by a Major from the Education Corps, it was virtually run by Master Sergeant Ken Tut. In his own words, “Sir, the major don’t know the difference between his front and back sides. It is me who is in charge and gets things done here.” He took me to my accommodation which was a four room suite with a common lobby, showers and toilets. There were four keys – one with the occupant of each room. All the four keys could open the lobby lock but only a specific room lock. I was amazed by this strange combination and asked the Master Sergeant as to how that was possible. His simple reply was that the lobby door was fitted with a ‘Master Lock’.