The life of Air Vice-Marshal Alan Reed AO is one that could read like a<br/>'boy's own adventure'. From humble beginnings as a National Service<br/>trainee in Perth in 1952, Alan's career took him all the way to the rank<br/>of Air Vice-Marshal and in command of over 12,000 people within the<br/>RAAF Support Command organisation. Along the way Alan flew a wide<br/>variety of RAAF aircraft, including the maritime version of the Lincoln,<br/>the Canberra bomber, the F-4E Phantom and the F-111. His experiences<br/>included fortuitously being removed from a doomed Lincoln flight that<br/>crashed into Mt Superbus in South-East Queensland, a 24-day aroundthe<br/>world trip in a Canberra formation, and his opportunities to fly both<br/>the Phantom and the F-111C in RAAF service.<br/>Alan was also privileged to be one of only six RAAF pilots to fly Phantoms<br/>on exchange with the USAF during the Vietnam War, where he flew over<br/>100 reconnaissance missions during a 179 temporary duty assignment,<br/>receiving the USAF Distinguished Flying Cross.<br/>Alan passed away on 24 July 2021, not before he had the chance to<br/>reminisce with many of his compatriots at the Air Force's centenary<br/>commemorations on 31 March 2021.<br/>This book draws upon the content of Alan's autobiography, also entitled<br/>Invited to a War, and presents the episodes of Alan's life in the RAAF. It<br/>tells the story of a man who dedicated his life to the RAAF and, despite<br/>the highs and lows of any service career, never lost his passion for flying.