The King's Birthday long weekend marked a homecoming few would miss in the north-west NSW town of Brewarrina, on the banks of the Darling River.
As the C-130J Hercules that Flight Lieutenant Tjapukai Shaw co-piloted flew over the heads of his friends and family at Brewarrina Airport, he couldn't be blamed for the beaming smile on his face.
When he disembarked the aircraft to cheers and applause, Flight Lieutenant Shaw described the feeling of getting to reunite with his community in such a special way.
"I'm really happy we had the opportunity to share this experience with my mob," he said.
"Bre never gets opportunities like that and to be able to go back to my mum's country and do this is really special.
"We were so well received by the local community and we had a lot of help with getting the word out, and they even did a barbecue for everyone."
Scattered among the crowd, Australian Army members participating in Exercise Greenskin also felt the importance of the reunion and how it symbolised what they had achieved in the week before the visit.
Exercise Greenskin is an Australian Army initiative aimed at connecting with Army's cultural traditions and building a better understanding of the reasons for serving and how family, and communities support that service.
The town of Brewarrina has a special significance as nearby Murrawarri country was the home of Privates Harold West and George Leonard, two Indigenous soldiers who served in World War 2.
Private West is nationally recognised as a symbol of forgotten Indigenous service and the poem called 'The Coloured Digger', by Sapper Burt Beros, is based on Private West's story.
'It was amazing to have four Murrawarri uniformed personnel present in Brewarrina for this activity, but especially touching to have Flight Lieutenant Shaw, a RAAF Murrawarri pilot, born in Brewarrina, fly a Hercules into town.'
Officer in Charge of Exercise Greenskin, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph West, articulated that both the exercise and C-130J visit allowed ADF members to connect with Indigenous culture and an opportunity to recognise the courage of Indigenous servicemen and women.
"Exercise Greenskin saw a selection of senior Army leaders interact with Country and the Murrawarri community over a seven-day period to learn about the proud military service in the area and the unique challenges that Indigenous service personnel like Privates West and Leonard faced," Lieutenant Colonel West.
"It was amazing to have four Murrawarri uniformed personnel present in Brewarrina for this activity, but especially touching to have Flight Lieutenant Shaw, a RAAF Murrawarri pilot, born in Brewarrina, fly a Hercules into town. The first RAAF aircraft to land there since the 1974 floods, according to the locals."
By combining tradition and culture with the inspiration provided by young leaders, Flight Lieutenant Shaw hopes that more Indigenous Australians will look towards the career pathways provided by the ADF.
"I know we have had a really positive impact out there, hopefully we can continue to have that impact in other locations as well," he said.
More information on Pathways for Indigenous Australians.
