No. 29 (City of Hobart) Squadron is a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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(RAAF) reserve
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
located in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
, Tasmania. The squadron was formed in September 2001 and has the role of training Tasmanian RAAF reservists for air base protection tasks.
History
No. 29 Squadron was formed in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
on 1 September 2001 as part of the Royal Australian Air Force's
Combat Reserve Wing. Prior to this date the only RAAF presence in
Tasmania
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was the Senior Air Force Officer, Tasmania, who was supported by a small staff.
It was hoped that establishing the squadron would encourage more Tasmanians to join the RAAF Reserve, and its formation meant that the RAAF had a reserve unit located in each of Australia's state and territory capital cities.
As of January 2005, No. 29 Squadron had a strength of 55 reservists and was aiming to reach a strength of 75 personnel.
On 1 January 2006 the squadron's parent unit was redesignated Reserve Training Wing RAAF.
No. 29 Squadron was granted the
Freedom of Entry to Hobart by the
Hobart City Council
Hobart City Council (or City of Hobart) is a local government body in Tasmania, covering the central metropolitan area of the state capital, Hobart. The Hobart local government area has a population of 53,684 and includes the suburbs of West H ...
in a ceremony held on 16 September 2006.
At that time it was the only RAAF unit located in Tasmania.
The current role of the squadron is to prepare reservists for air base defence tasks, and to provide personnel for the reinforcement of other RAAF units when required. As there are no RAAF bases or aircraft in Tasmania, the roster of No. 29 Squadron does not contain any aircrew or aircraft maintenance personnel.
The squadron also provides parties for ceremonial events in Tasmania, including commemorations of the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
at
Hobart Cenotaph
Hobart Cenotaph (usually The Cenotaph, also referred to as Hobart War Memorial) is the main commemorative military monument for the Australian state of Tasmania. It is located in the capital Hobart in a prominent position on the Queens Domain, o ...
and commemorative services for individual personnel. No. 29 Squadron is currently based at
Anglesea Barracks
Anglesea Barracks is an Australian Defence Force barracks in central Hobart, Tasmania.
The site was chosen in December 1811 by Lachlan Macquarie and construction began on the first buildings to occupy the site in 1814. It is the oldest Australian ...
near Hobart's central business district.
References
{{List of RAAF Squadrons
29
Military units in Tasmania