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Boss Lift Takes Off
The employers were participating in Reserve and Employer Support Division's Boss Lift program, which on this occasion saw the lucky participants ferried to the Fighter Replenishment Area (FRA) where they climbed aboard what would be an opportunity of a lifetime - one of the final air to air refueling missions being flown by the Boeing 707 from 33 Squadron, which retired on 30 June. The excitement in the aircraft grew as the doors were closed, engines started and the plane taxied to the end of the runway. With faces peering from windows, the aircraft took off and headed for its designated orbit area to await the arrival of F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from Australia and the United States Navy, joining up to take on fuel. Ryan Bright (HR manager for Boeing Australia) described it as “Exhilarating and almost surreal to watch. I’ve never seen air to air refuelling done before”. Ryan went on to say “Boss Lift has given me a greater understanding of what contribution Reservists make to the ADF’s capability and what benefit they really are to Defence and Boeing”. After a first class in-flight meal, it was time to see the first wave of F/A-18 Hornets arrive in formation and take up station on both sides of the aircraft. Amazed faces watched as Hornet after Hornet made the approach to the basket and ‘plugged in’ to receive the vital fuel necessary to continue the mission. For local Ipswich Councillor, Cheryl Bromage, this flight was the icing on the cake. She said “To actually fly in an aircraft when the other planes [F/A-18s] are coming in so close to refuel, it’s just fantastic”. “We [the Ipswich Council] have a very good relationship with the RAAF at Amberley especially now that 33 Squadron will be moving here”. She went on to say “Now that I have seen, first hand, what they [Reservists] contribute, I will certainly encourage more people, and maybe myself if I get the time, to join. I am very excited when I consider what skills and capabilities Reserve service can take back to the civilian workplace." “Boss Lift gives people a chance to see what the Reservist does during his military time,” said Air Commodore Peter McDermott, Director General Reserves-Air Force. “They [Boss lift participants] are amazed at roles that Reservists play and the contribution they make to Air Force capability, especially seeing something like air to air refuelling. However, the biggest eye opener is not the actual jobs that Reservists do but the development of confidence, reliability, team work and leadership that these military activities develop that are then taken back to the civilian workplace. Releasing employees for Reserve service such as this is a real win-win situation.”
 DRS Liaison Officer Conquers Kokoda  Running up and down 23 flights of stairs each day sounds like extreme training – but that’s what Squadron Leader Del Gaudry did to prepare for the gruelling Kokoda Trail.SQNLDR Gaudry, who is the Defence Reserves Support Liaison Officer in NSW and a member of No. 22 Squadron, was determined to attain a top level of fitness prior to taking on the challenge.
“I have been training for more than six months, and am glad I did, as it was certainly a challenge, especially going downhill so much,” she said.
SQNLDR Gaudry took on the challenge of trekking Kokoka for several reasons.
Click here to read more Enterprising Women Experience Defence First Hand  Some of south-east Queensland’s most experienced businesswomen have visited RAAF Base Amberley, west of Brisbane, to learn about the role Reservists play in today’s Defence Force. The group, from the Women Chiefs of Enterprises International Queensland Division, were invited to the base by fellow member and Defence’s Reserve and Employer Support Division Director of Communication Deanna Nott.
It's not every day your employer organisations just 'drop in' for a copy of our Employer Handbook and a coffee, let alone in such a unique way. Members of Mattioli Bros, engaged in repainting Victoria Barracks’ historic 'G Block', knocked on the office window for one of Major Tony Kelly’s (DRS VIC Liaison Officer) famous coffees. What makes this so extraordinary? The office is on the third floor. Seen in the photo is the DRS VIC Office Manager, Mrs Annette Love, making every enquiry a winner - providing our publication as well as two superb coffees. If you would like to visit our office, please call so we can provide an escort at ground level - coffee is free. Employer Support Payment Scheme The Employer Support Payment (ESP) expenditure for the month of May was $1.8 m. To date, $21.2m has been expended in the 2007/08 Financial Year (FY). Of that, $2,715,106 (13%) was in relation to service by Naval Reservists, $16,798,997 (79%) related to Defence service rendered by Army Reservists and $1,762,981 (8%) was in relation to service by Air Force Reservists. The percentage of expenditure by Service has remained unchanged from the previous month. Taxation With the end of the 07/08 FY, it is now timely to remind claimants of their obligations with respect to taxation on receipt of ESP. As stated in the correspondence forwarded to claimants on determination of their claim: 'ESP is taxable in accordance with normal tax requirements. You should note that, from a taxation perspective, ESP is derived by your business and should be included in the business tax return.' The ESP Scheme does not issue Group Certificates as the payments while forming a component of the business income, are not considered a wage/salary. Ensuring the total amount of ESP payments received by an individual claimant is reported to the Australian Taxation Office each FY, is the responsibility of the claimant. Updating of Employer Support Payment (ESP) Claim Forms From time to time the ESP claim forms (listed below) are updated to reflect changes in policy and in an effort to provide a more user-friendly format:
The Directorate of ESP is currently undertaking a review of the content of the claim forms. Any suggested amendments would be welcome and can be forwarded to the following email: esp@defence.gov.au. Responses would be appreciated by COB 31 Jul 08.
Office of Reserve Service Protection Protection issues/cases have continued to be raised and dealt with at both the ORSP and DRS office levels. The State and Territory DRS offices continue to provide a valuable first port of call in terms of providing information and guidance to both Reservists and employers. As the majority of ORSP related issues can be dealt with by providing information, the DRS offices ensure that the issues are dealt with effectively and at the appropriate level. | ||||||
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