the willingness of the Americans to conduct the mission. As a result of the disagreement during the Battle of Long Tan, the personal relationship between Raw and senior Army commanders in 1 ATF was strained throughout the remainder of his time in South Vietnam, though his education of senior Army officers within the Task Force about the constraints affecting helicopter operations led to better working relations. The bravery and skill demonstrated by the RAAF pilots during the Battle of Long Tan also improved matters. Raw was hit by a stray bullet and slightly wounded while visiting the RAAF Medical Centre at Vũng Tàu in October 1966. In November 1966 he took part in Operation Hayman, which was undertaken by Australian forces against Viet Cong forces on Long Son Island. This was the first large airmobile operation 1 ATF conducted into an area not secured by friendly forces, and Raw flew in with the assault troops and remained on the island to direct air missions, including while under sniper fire. At Jackson's farewell parade in January 1967, Raw praised the Army officer. Jackson subsequently told a seminar that No. 9 Squadron had provided "magnificent" support to his force. Clark has suggested that the two men may have had a good relationship by this time. Raw completed his tour of duty in South Vietnam in April 1967 and returned to Australia. In November that year he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his role in the war. The disagreement between Jackson and Raw during the Battle of Long Tan contributed to inter-service tensions regarding the Australian military's battlefield helicopters. Raw's initial hesitance to commit helicopters reinforced the perception among some Army officers that the RAAF was reluctant to support their service in battle. Some members of the Army also wrongly believed that RAAF pilots had refused to conduct the supply mission, and only did so after the squadron was threatened with being withdrawn from South Vietnam and they were spoken to forcefully by Raw. This perception proved to be long-lasting, and led the Army to advocate for the RAAF's battlefield helicopters to be transferred to its control. This occurred in the late 1980s after the Dibb Report recommended that such a reform would improve the helicopters' combat efficiency. Subsequent career Upon his return to Australia, Raw was appointed Director of Operational Requirements at the Department of Air. In 1969 he headed