23 April 2025
This Anzac Day, project engineer Flight Lieutenant Zac Pattison will reflect on those who served before him and the role he plays while deployed in the Middle East region on Operation Accordion.
From overseeing airfield upgrades to managing infrastructure projects, Flight Lieutenant Pattison has found a sense of purpose in seeing work through from planning to completion, contributing to a legacy of service in his own way.
“It’s very rewarding. You get to see a project from start to finish within six months, which you don't often get back home,” he said.
That sense of progress, and working alongside a dedicated team, made Flight Lieutenant Pattison’s deployment meaningful.
“There’s a lot of hours in a day here, and I’ve had time to do the things I want to do. I love what I do and the people I get to work with,” he said.
Flight Lieutenant Pattison said if he had the chance, he would ask past veterans what service was like in their era and whether the camaraderie felt the same.
“I just want to understand if it was a similar sort of life back then and what their experience would have been like,” he said.
A highlight on deployment was receiving a personalised quilt and laundry bag from home – a reminder of his partner that gave Anzac Day deeper meaning.
“Every time I wash my clothes it reminds me of my partner back at home,” Flight Lieutenant Pattison said.
In Australia, he usually takes part in the catafalque party at dawn services, but this year he’ll mark the occasion while on watch duty at headquarters.
“I’m doing things a lot of people wouldn’t get the chance to do and that’s something I’m really proud of,” Flight Lieutenant Pattison said.
“I do it for the people I love back home and for the country I love.”
