Captain Brendan Malone:
If there is a job to be done, Tony is just as likely to be doing it, whether it is cleaning the toilets or anything else… I, personally, like him. He is just one of the boys, he just gets on and does it. He’s what I call a real person…Former captain Warren Cree:
There is that satisfaction of doing something that actually matters, contributing to the greater good. I know Tony draws a lot from that, too.
It’s a personal thing that he’s passionate about and hasn’t wanted to publicise. He’s actually in the service for all the right reasons. It’s not a political stunt. It’s not something he has put out for general knowledge. He values being just one of the blokes, like anyone else who walked in off the street…
[Abbott] only stood down as deputy at the annual general meeting in April and it was obvious that it was quite a sacrifice. That was understandable. He really likes it and the brigade does go out of its way to protect him…
Give me a crew of Tony Abbotts. He’s a damned hard worker.
