After 39 years of full-time service in the Royal Australian Air Force, Warrant Officer Peter Ranson is retiring after a career defined by dedication, adaptability and, above all, people.
With a longstanding interest in aircraft and aviation, Warrant Officer Ranson joined the Air Force in January 1987 as an aircraft technician. At the time, the mustering was divided into airframe fitters and engine fitters, and he chose to specialise as an airframe fitter. His first posting came in 1988 to RAAF Base Richmond, NSW, with 38 Squadron, then operating Caribou aircraft, and when the squadron relocated to RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, in the early 1990s, he moved with the unit, beginning a long association with both bases.
Returning to RAAF Base Richmond, he was posted to 486 Squadron, which at the time conducted centralised maintenance for the C-130 E and H models. When Air Force returned maintenance capability to the flying squadrons, Warrant Officer Ranson joined 36 Squadron, working on the C-130H. In 2004, he posted to the Air Lift Systems Program Office and, in 2006, became involved in the introduction of the C-17 Globemaster capability, completing maintenance training in the United States before returning to 36 Squadron for a further five years.
He joined 6 Squadron in 2011 during the introduction of the Super Hornet, further broadening his experience across platforms.
'The common factor in every posting is the people. It's the people you work with that make the difference.'
Seeking new challenges, he submitted an expression of interest to become a safety advisor with the Airfield Defence Guards at Amberley, posting first to 2 Airfield Defence Squadron before being promoted and moving to 84 Wing. He later returned to 36 Squadron as the Warrant Officer Engineering, an appointment he describes as particularly rewarding, having been involved in the C-17's introduction years earlier.
His final postings included Canberra in an administrative sanctions role, handling sensitive matters at a strategic level, and Richmond as Squadron Warrant Officer for 37 Squadron.
"I have enjoyed my career, had opportunities to meet and work with outstanding people in every job I have had," Warrant Officer Peter Ranson said.
"The common factor in every posting is the people. It's the people you work with that make the difference."
Warrant Officer Ranson's operational service was a defining feature of his career. He deployed to the Middle East in 2003 with the C-130 fleet and later spent six months in Kabul, Afghanistan, embedded with the United States Air Force, advising on helicopter maintenance. In total, he spent nearly a year deployed to the Middle East, an experience he counts among his proudest achievements.
Throughout his career, Warrant Officer Ranson completed humanitarian missions, numerous exercises, postings and international deployments.
As a warrant officer, he believes leadership is about setting future generations up for success, and his advice is simple.
"Choose to be happy. Enjoy the good and the bad. There's always something to learn," he said.
After nearly four decades of service, Warrant Officer Ranson leaves having witnessed enormous change, and with enduring pride in the Air Force and the people who make it what it is.
