Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Squadron Leader Adrian Slootjes had become the temporary commander for the
last two months, until No 2 Squadron was disbanded at the end of July 1982. He
recalled the dramatic change No 2 Squadron and its personnel went through when it
was announced the unit was to be deactivated:

Until it became general knowledge that the Squadron was to cease operations and become part of the history of the RAAF, the effectiveness of No 2 Squadron's air operations  appeared to be at a peak. The tasking board was full and projected work out into the next few years. The Squadron was under pressure to produce. Each available airframe was  working either from Amberley or a deployed location—it was common to have three deployments in progress concurrently. The Squadron had a near-full complement of personnel and everyone had a positive outlook to the future. The external support for continued operations seemed willingly provided by Base Headquarters, Operational Command and Air  Force Office. The sense of security gained from such support fostered the positive unit attitude and ability for which No 2 was known; it provided the basis for making  commitments to the many tasks on our plate. The collective attitude was professional, the Squadron operations room was a no-nonsense place, the flight line seemed to work  without a hitch, the administrators were busy keeping people happy, and aircraft unserviceabiliries were fixed with a minimum of fuss. If a question was asked on any aspect of  the Squadron, someone knew the answer, and if he or she did not, then they would know someone who did. No 2 Squadron was a complete and autonomous unit, employed in the  unique roles of aerial photography, air defence targeting, and training. Our customers wanted what we produced.