Edition 1375
June 16, 2016
Spr Brett Fletcher, of 2CER,
chats with Malaysian Cpl Wafiy,
of 16 Bn, Royal Malay Regt,
during Exercise Haringaroo near
Kota Bharu, Malaysia.
Photo by Sgt Janine Fabre
CLOSE
BOND
Australian and
Malaysian soldiers
share tactics on
Exercise Haringaroo
P2-3
MOULDING LEADERS LIFT-OUT
HERO HOMECOMING P6-7
2
News
Edition 1375
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Working as one
June 16, 2016
Spr Brett Fletcher, of 2CER,
chats with Malaysian Cpl Wafiy,
of 16 Bn, Royal Malay Regt,
during Exercise Haringaroo near
Kota Bharu, Malaysia.
Photo by Sgt Janine Fabre
 Aussie and Malaysian soldiers share tactics on Exercise Haringaroo
CLOSE
BOND
Australian and
Malaysian soldiers
share tactics on
Exercise Haringaroo
P2-3
MOULDING LEADERS LIFT-OUT
HERO HOMECOMING P6-7
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Cpl Mark Doran and
Maj Stuart Wood
SOLDIERS from 7 Bde joined
Malaysian soldiers for Exercise
Haringaroo near Kota Bharu,
Malaysia, from May 23-27.
Exercise Haringaroo is an annual infantry-based training activity
conducted by 2/30 Trg Gp in which
Australians and Malaysians work
together to develop their tactical
skills and reinforce their professional
relationships.
The 7 Bde soldiers deployed for
close to three months to Malaysia
with Rifle Company Butterworth
(RCB) on Rotation 114.
RCB 114 comprises two troops of
engineers and a headquarters element
from 2CER, as well as one platoon of
infantry from 8/9RAR, with a total
strength of 120 soldiers.
CO 2/30 Trg Grp Lt-Col Steve
Tilbrook said the training built strong
and lasting relationships between
the ADF and the armed forces of
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and
Brunei.
“It allows us continual engagement in a region of primary interest
to Australia,” he said.
“At the tactical level, the training
permits a two-way flow of operational knowledge and builds interoperability.”
RCB has been a standing engagement with Malaysia since the 1970s.
What began as an operational
deployment during the Malayan
Emergency is now primarily a training and international engagement.
Recent operational lessons passed
on to the Malaysian Army include
a series of counter improvised
explosive device (CIED) training
packages.
Lt-Col Tilbrook said the CIED
lessons were the result of the ADF’s
hard-won experience in the Middle
East and passing on some of this
knowledge was hugely appreciated
by the Malaysian Army.
“During a typical RCB deployment a soldier can expect superb
access to a wide range of unrestricted jungle training environments,
an opportunity to become competent on the full suite of combat team
weapons and, often for the first time,
immersion in a foreign language and
culture,” he said.
“The benefits to the individual
and to their home unit are huge and
the experience of an RCB deployment invariably delivers a better
soldier.
“If a soldier can make it work in
the jungle, they can make it work
anywhere.”
Lt Joseph Smith, of 8/9RAR,
said while the Australian company was attached to 16 Bn, Royal
Malay Regiment, they learnt how the
Malaysians worked at the individual
level.
“It’s important as a strategic outlook to have that interoperability,”
he said.
“But it’s also very important to
establish these friendships.”
Sgt Erin Moore, of 2CER,
said early in the deployment the
Australians trained with the Combat
Training Centre – Jungle Training
Wing to help them get up to speed.
“As an engineer I don’t get
a opportunity to do much infantry
training,” she said.
“It was good for my professional
development to work on those infantry skills and put them into practise
while working with the Malaysian
Army.”
Australian soldiers advance
during an ‘attack’ as part of
Exercise Haringaroo near
Kota Bharu, Malaysia.
Photos by Sgt Janine Fabre
Australian soldiers harbour in the staging
area during Exercise Haringaroo.
June 16, 2016
News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
3
in Malaysian jungle
2CER soldiers provide
supporting fire.
Australian soldiers from
Rifle Company Butterworth
patrol across a creek.
AT A GLANCE
2/30 Trg Gp is a unit of HQ 1 Div
and is a permanently located at
Royal Malaysian Air Force Base –
Butterworth.
The CO of 2/30 Trg Gp has tactical control of the Rifle Company
Butterworth (RCB) mounted on a
rotational basis from sponsor formations in Australia.
The training group is the only
Australian Army unit permanently
engaged in international engagement and outside of operations is
the only unit permanently posted
to an overseas location.
2/30 Trg Gp provides command
and control of RCB rotations, of
which there are four each year,
with each rotation lasting three
months.
The headquarters element consists of five long-term Australian
Army staff and four locally
employed civilians.
The unit provides training with a
focus on foundation warfighting in
the tropical jungle environment of
South East Asia.
2/30 Trg Gp also assists the
Australian Army’s International
Engagement Program with
the armed forces of Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.
Spr Brett Fletcher (left), of 2CER, chats with Malaysian soldiers from
16 Bn, Royal Malay Regt.
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4
News
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Command
change
June 16, 2016
Commander Task Group Taji 3
Col Andrew Lowe dismisses
the parade marking the transfer
of authority at the Taji Military
Complex in Iraq.
Photo by Sgt Joshua Powell
 Third rotation of Taji trainers begin Iraq mission
Capt James Hook
ABOUT 400 Australian and New
Zealand Defence Force personnel from Task Group Taji 2 handed
over responsibility for training Iraqi
Security Forces to the third rotation
of the task group on June 3.
The formal transfer of authority was conducted during a parade at
the Taji Military Complex north of
Baghdad, during which Commander
Task Group Taji 2 Col Gavin Keating
handed over to incoming commander
Col Andrew Lowe.
New Zealand personnel from
Rotation 2 left Iraq in May, while the
final group of Australian personnel
from Rotation 2 returned home earlier
this month.
Coalition guests included
Commanding General Coalition Joint
Forces Land Component Command
– O p e r a t i o n I n h e r e n t R e s o l v e
Maj-Gen Gary Volesky, of the US
Army, who addressed the parade and
praised the work of Task Group Taji 2.
“Your objective was to train the
Iraqi Army to a higher standard and get
them into the fight,” Maj-Gen Volesky
said.
“Six months later, that’s exactly
what your team has done.
“We won’t forget the contribution
you have made. You have played an
important role in the history of Iraq
and in the defeat of Daesh.”
Maj-Gen Volesky welcomed the
third rotation of Task Group Taji to the
team.
“It’s a great team; it’s our team,” he
said. “It’s one team, one fight.”
Commander JTF633 AVM Tim
Innes also praised the work of the second rotation, advising members of the
third rotation they had big shoes to fill.
“You have trained, you have prepared, and now you are deployed,”
AVM Innes said.
Col Keating said Task Group
Taji 2’s training teams had trained
nearly 4000 Iraqi soldiers and officers
during the six-month deployment.
“We feel very privileged to have
had this opportunity to work alongside
the Iraqi Army and help enhance its
TAJI BLAST
A BOMB was detonated at a
checkpoint near the Taji Military
Complex on June 9. No ADF
personnel were involved in the
incident or wounded as a result
of the blast.
ability to defeat Daesh,” Col Keating
said.
“I am very proud of the efforts of
all of the task group’s soldiers. We
offer our best wishes to Task Group
Taji 3 as it continues very important
work.”
Col Lowe said he was looking
forward to continuing Task Group
Taji’s contribution to the coalition
effort.
“Our mission is to provide the
best combat training we can, so the
proud Iraqi Army can defeat Daesh,”
Col Lowe said.
The training delivered by Task
Group Taji personnel to the Iraqi
Army is part of a broader international
Building Partner Capacity mission.
The training includes weapons handling, building clearances and obstacle
breaching techniques, as well as training in the tactics, techniques and procedures for squad through to companylevel operations for use in the fight
against Daesh.
Morale boost for soldiers
Capt Adrian Miller
AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand
soldiers from Task Group Taji in
Iraq are enjoying their down time
after donations from the RSL’s
Overseas Forces Fund stocked
their recreation area with welfare
equipment.
The not-for-profit group, with
help from the RSL NSW State
Branch, provided televisions, table
tennis tables, DVD players, and
Playstation and Xbox consoles for
the soldiers to enjoy in their spare
time.
The task group’s welfare area,
named Anzac Cove, was opened
on Christmas Day last year and
quickly became an area of rest and
relaxation.
Task Group Taji Padre Chap
Alamoti Lavaki said the donation
was appreciated by the soldiers.
“It provides the soldiers with a
space where they can hang out with
their mates away from work and
their commanders and enjoy some
down time.
“Without the equipment the
room wouldn’t have had much
appeal, so the donations were excellent in turning the room into a much
used space.”
Within Anzac Cove are two
rooms, each named after a Victoria
Cross recipient from New Zealand
(William Hardham) and Australia
(Hugo Throssell) – both of whom
served at Gallipoli.
From left, WO1 Anthony
Chap Lavaki said the room
Newberry, Chap Alamoti Lavaki
had really developed since it was
and WO1 Terry Hangan stand
opened.
with donations from the RSL.
Photo by Cpl Jake Sims
“The room has welfare phones
and internet, plus a brew point and
satellite TV,” he said.
“The equipment has made the
“It’s become a much loved space
welfare area the perfect spot to sit
and relax,” he said.
the soldiers really enjoy.”
News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
“
5
Key link in air-land ops
 Ground Liaison Officers work with international partners in fight against terrorism
Flt-Lt Eamon Hamilton
GLOs were brought on to provide advice to both
Army and RAAF commanders, and bridge the
language barrier between the two services.
A TEAM of Army Ground Liaison
Officers (GLOs) is playing an essential role in coalition efforts to disrupt
and degrade Daesh’s capability in
Iraq and Syria.
Deployed with Air Task Group 630
(ATG630), the GLO team consists of
two personnel at Australia’s main air
operating base in the Middle East.
GLO Capt Joseph Thomas said the
team worked closely with aircrew flying in ATG630’s Strike Element, which
is currently equipped with six F/A-18A
Hornets.
“The team’s job is to ensure that
aircrew conducting Close Air Support
(CAS), strike and surveillance missions
are fully aware of the ground force
mission and disposition,” Capt Thomas
said.
“With such a broad coalition of
international partners, the GLOs maintain a vital link with air and ground
forces across the Middle East.”
On an average sortie, the Hornets
will either fly strike pre-planned targets, provide direct support to friendly
ground forces manoeuvre with CAS or
conduct intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance for future targeting.
To allow the Strike Element to
effectively perform these roles, the
GLOs who brief them must have a
close understanding of the ground war.
GLOs also assist with ensuring that
information provided by aircrew is
fed back to coalition ground force
planners.
Since September 2014, the GLOs
have helped the Strike Element build
a record of successful strikes against
Daesh combatants, vehicles and weapons caches.
As of May 2016, RAAF Hornets
and Super Hornets have flown more
than 1400 sorties and delivered ordnance more than a thousand times.
GLOs are managed by the Air
Ground Operations Battery of 16 Air
Land Regt, and members are embedded within ground liaison sections of
RAAF flying units.
“GLOs within Air Combat Group
are traditionally gunners who provide
aircrew with ground briefs immediately
before a mission,” Capt Thomas said.
“This allows aircrew to deliver air
support in a way that will complement
a land commander’s concept of operations and scheme of manoeuvre.
“These briefings are an essential
– WO2 Matthew Dawson,
Ground Liaison Officer
Incoming and outgoing Ground Liaison Officers with Air Task Group 630, working at Australia’s main air operating base in the Middle East region in
the fight against Daesh. From left, Capt Joseph Thomas, Sgt Corey Freckleton, WO2 Matthew Dawson and Maj John Burns.
Photo by Cpl Nicci Freeman
element of the GLOs role of preventing fratricide on the battlefield, and
identifying where air assets will be
employed.”
WO2 Matthew Dawson, a GLO
with ATG630, said Operation Okra was
an historic deployment.
“Okra marks the first time GLOs
have been deployed with a RAAF
strike capability since the Vietnam
War,” WO2 Dawson said.
The origins of GLOs are rooted in
WWII, when the need to integrate air
and land forces in a complex warfighting environment first became apparent.
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RAAF aircraft were employed in
CAS roles to support friendly Army
units in theatres such as New Guinea.
The now-disbanded 1st Ground
Liaison Group was established to
provide GLOs to the RAAF in order
to facilitate the synchronisation of air/
ground operations through the creation
of a ground liaison system. Ground
liaison is now a function of 16ALR.
“GLOs were brought on to provide
advice to both Army and RAAF commanders, and bridge the language barrier between the two services,” WO2
Dawson said.
“Army provided GLOs to act as the
conduit between the RAAF and Army
for the provision of air support.”
The ATG of Operation Okra is
operating at the request of the Iraqi
government within a US-led international coalition assembled to disrupt
and degrade Daesh operations in the
Middle East.
The ATG comprises six RAAF
F/A-18A Hornet fighter aircraft, an
E-7A Wedgetail airborne command
and control aircraft, and a KC-30A
Multi-Role Tanker Transport air-to-air
refuelling aircraft.
The ATG has personnel working in the Combined Air and Space
Operations Centre, and embedded with
the ‘KingPin’ US tactical Command
and Control Unit.
The ATG is directly supported by
elements of Operation Accordion,
including the Theatre Communications
Group, Air Mobility Task Group and
Combat Support Unit, whose mission is to provide continuous combat
support to sustain air operations in
the Middle East. There are up to 350
personnel deployed, at any one time,
as part of, or in direct support of, the
ATG.
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6
News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Home at last, after 50
A
ustralians brought back to resting places closer to home
Plt-Off Aaron Curran
WITH heavy hearts, the families of 33 Australian personnel
and dependants who were buried in Malaysia and Singapore
watched their loved ones return to
Australian soil after 50 years.
As the dense fog lifted over
RAAF Base Richmond on
June 2, two C-17A Globemasters
touched down at 10.30am to
an eerie silence at the normally
bustling base.
Standing in front of the maintenance hangar were families, dignitaries and military personnel who
were there to witness the fulfilment
of a promise made on May 25, 2015,
by the government to bring the personnel home from cemeteries in
Malaysia and Singapore.
The offer was made to the families of the 27 Australian servicemen
and eight Australian dependants buried at Terendak Military Cemetery
in Malaysia, and to the family of
one buried in Kranji War Cemetery,
Singapore. The families of 33 took
up the offer.
The Terendak cemetery is in
a large operational Malaysian
Armed Forces base and does not
offer the ready access of other
cemeteries where Australians are
interred around the world.
Australia’s Federation Guard
bore the coffins on their shoulders
into the hangar, led by an ADF chaplain and a lone bagpiper playing
Going Home.
Among the witnesses were more
than 60 Vietnam War veterans who
came from far and wide to see their
mates arrive home.
One of them was Noel Darr, 78,
from Richmond. He was a loadmaster on a C-130E and completed 49
return trips from Vietnam between
1968 and 1972.
He said they had the task
of bringing home the dead and
wounded in addition to the regular
passengers and cargo.
After picking up the dead and
wounded in Vung Tau, they flew to
Butterworth in Malaysia and finally
on to Darwin and Richmond.
“I had to do all the paperwork
before we arrived in Darwin and
I read how each poor soldier was
killed,” he said.
“We were only young in those
days and we just saw it as a job we
had to do, but later on in life it got
to me and I get emotional when I see
similar things on TV, especially on
Anzac Day.”
Governor-General Gen Sir Peter
Cosgrove spoke to the families
during a private service inside the
hangar.
“They were, then and now, a precious part of our national community,” he said.
“They were reunited after all this
time with those who mourned their
loss and, in some cases, descendents
who never knew them but sought to
honour their memory.”
Sir Peter said they had been cared
for lovingly and respectfully, but out
of sight and far from home in cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore.
“They stayed in the minds of
their determined, energetic and persuasive comrades-in-arms and loved
ones who were tireless in urging
their repatriation,” he said.
“Although they have been absent,
those soldiers, husbands, wives and
children have always been a part
of the lives and families they left
behind. Their absence has always
been felt.”
A r m y ’s U n r e c o v e r e d Wa r
Casualties Manager Brian Manns
played a key role in the repatriation.
“On average these people have
been buried 50 years in a foreign
country, and for the families there
has always been this sense of
Enoggera
&
Gaythorne
something
missing,” he
said.
“In most
cases it’s the
opportunity
to visit their
loved one in
a cemetery or
just to know
t h e i r l ove d
one is lying at rest in Australia. I’m
pleased we are able to rectify that
for them.
“It’s very important to me from a
professional point of view, it’s what
I do, but also from the fact that I’m
a former serviceman – 25 years as a
soldier – and I know how important
it is for families to be able to lay
their family members to rest somewhere they can visit them.”
The Governor-General thanked
the ADF and the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs for the sensitivity
and care with which they conducted
the repatriation.
After the service, a motorcade of
33 hearses, supported by 17 NSW
Police motorcycles, left Richmond
for their final resting places at
Sydney War Cemetery. As the last
hearse left, one Vietnam veteran said
simply: “Welcome home, boys.”
The coffins at RAAF Base Richmond.
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June 16, 2016
News
7
years
Soldiers from 3 Bde prepare to load a coffin into a C-17A
Globemaster at Subang airport, Malaysia.
Inset: Family and friends mourn at RAAF Base Richmond.
Photos by Sgt Janine Fabre
Personnel from Australia’s Federation Guard carry the coffin of one of the 33 Australian service personnel
and dependants from a C-17A Globemaster during the repatriation ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond.
A soldier stands vigil alongside the
coffins before the reinternment service
at Sydney War Cemetery in Rookwood.
Photo by Sgt Janine Fabre
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8
News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Advice that’s a safe bet
 Afghan security unit benefits from Aussies’ years of experience
WO2 Andrew Hetherington
A RESOURCEFUL team of 11
Army officers with 275 years of
military experience between them is
helping an Afghan unit protect the
country’s capital of Kabul.
The team is the first full-term
rotation of advisers to work with the
Kabul Garrison Command (KGC),
which is responsible for the security
of more than six million Kabul citizens, along with Afghanistan’s parliament and leaders.
It was established last July and
is a melding of the Afghan National
Police, National Army and National
Directorate of Security.
The 11 Australians form the KGC
Advisory Team (KGC-AT) and work
closely with senior Afghan officers
from the unit, advising them on planning security and incident responses
within the capital.
Col Andrew McBaron commands
the team, comprising seven majors
and three lieutenant colonels.
The team was stood up at short
notice just before Christmas and
arrived in Kabul in late February.
“The first group to advise the
KGC was an ad hoc team from the US
and they began the advisory process
in July last year,” Col McBaron said.
“Our team was selected by
the Directorate of Officer Career
Management and I give kudos to them
as they found a team of mature and
experienced officers at short notice.”
He said the team was working in a
train, advise and assist capacity.
“We provide guidance and training
to the commander of KGC, Maj-Gen
Mohammad Salim Ibrahimi, and his
principal staff, consisting of one-star
generals from the police, military and
intelligence services.
“It’s a broad-ranging and diverse
mission, the majority of which is
based in the Afghan KGC precinct
near the Hamid Karzai International
Airport.”
A typical work day for the KGCAT begins with a team sync meeting before advisers pair off with their
respective Afghan counterparts for
daily mentoring.
“We work in three main areas
within the KGC headquarters – intelligence, logistics and operations plans
– to help them with their daily tasks,”
Col McBaron said.
“Our goal is to establish this mission for future Australian KGC-ATs,
Kabul Garrison Command Advisory Team advisor Maj Samuel Lam, right, speaks with the Kabul Garrison Command’s Joint Operations Centre
deputy shift director Lt-Col Utlah.
Photo by WO2 Andrew Hetherington
to ensure they are well prepared for
their time here.
“Most importantly, our ultimate
aim is to enable the Afghan security
forces to operate with a coordinated
unity of command, to be able to close
any gaps in the security of Kabul,
ensuring the city remains safe.”
Col McBaron said he was satisfied with the progress of his team’s
mission.
“It’s a progressive task and we
are doing our best every day to make
things better for the Afghan forces
by advising senior Afghan officers,”
he said.
“We’ve seen them embrace our
advice and integrate it into plans that
are conducted on the ground, such
as security for their new parliament
building.
“Seeing this gave us a sense of
achievement, knowing that the KGC
is moving in the right direction.”
One of the highlights so far was
the strong relationships the team
members had developed with their
Afghan counterparts.
“We quickly built a good rapport
with the key leaders of the KGC’s
Afghan forces,” he said.
“It’s a complex and quite different society from what we are used to
and we’ve quickly forged tight working relationships, which was no small
feat.”
Maj Samuel Lam is one team’s
two advisers to the KGC’s Joint
Operations Centre (JOC) and its
director, Afghan National Army Col
Saida Jan Paktyan.
“I also get called into the JOC if
there are incidents they might need
my advice dealing with,” he said.
The JOC is the coordination hub
for all security information coming
into the KGC.
It is staffed 24 hours a day by
Afghan personnel from the KGC and
a number of other Afghan agencies,
such as the Department of Protective
Services, National Civil Order Police
and the prison system.
Maj Lam has been busy identifying how his Afghan counterparts and
the JOC can improve their work procedures and environment.
“My first month here I was like a
sponge, observing how they operated
and working out what improvements
could be made,” he said.
“So far I’ve been focusing on
increasing the situational awareness
of the JOC and its personnel, and
tightening the way reporting is conducted.
“I’ve also assisted in training
JOC personnel and generated a plan
to improve their computer systems,
training and situational awareness by
implementing large-screen televisions
for effective camera-feed viewing
from around Kabul.”
Commander KGC Maj-Gen
Ibrahimi said his unit’s relationship
with the Australian officers from
KGC-AT was close and he appreciated what they were doing for him
and his unit.
“We are working together to find
solutions to our problems,” Maj-Gen
Ibrahimi said.
“We are happy Australians are
here working with us, shoulder-toshoulder, to help us defeat the enemy
to provide security for Kabul.”
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contingent has joined the US
Navy’s hospital ship USNS Mercy
for multinational Exercise Pacific
Partnership 2016 (PP16).
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This year Pacific Partnership
will travel to Vietnam, Philippines,
Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Indonesia
and Palau, where partner nations
will continue their mission to
improve the lives of people in the
region.
By training together the military
personnel and civilian volunteers
involved will help improve the
capacities of the host nations and
their emergency organisations
to respond to disasters through
opportunities for cooperation and
training.
The Pacific Partnership series is
an annual US Pacific fleet-led multinational humanitarian assistance
and disaster relief initiative and is
ADF participants of
Pacific Partnership 2016
in front of USNS Mercy.
Photo by Sgt Pete Gammie
aimed at strengthening alliances
and promoting multilateral disaster
management resilience. It is held
in alternating years in the South
West Pacific and South East Asian
regions.
Australian contingent commander Lt-Col Michael Abrahams
said the exercise allowed the ADF
to work closely with partner militaries, intergovernment agencies,
host nation civilian agencies and
non-government organisations.
“It’s a chance to further enhance
a collective ability to provide any
humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief wherever it is needed,” Lt-Col
Abrahams said
The Pacific Partnership initiative
was borne from the response to the
Banda Aceh tsunami of 2004 in an
effort to capitalise on the experiences and relationships formed during that disaster.
June 16, 2016
News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
9
Building
relationships
 Australia and Singapore sign key partnership
Vanessa Wong
STRATEGIC POLICY AND INTELLIGENCE GROUP
SINGAPORE will conduct more
training in expanded Shoalwater
Bay and Townsville field training areas under the recently inked
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
(CSP).
SP&I Group was established in
February.
The government made the
announcement on May 6.
Col Kevin Packham, of VCDF
Group, said enhancing defence ties
with Singapore was one of the key elements of the CSP.
Col Packham is part of a taskforce
in the newly established Strategic
Policy and Intelligence Group (SP&I)
spearheading the negotiation and
implementation of the training area
initiative.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)
will be granted access to the areas for
up to 18 weeks a year, up from six
weeks. The number of Singaporean
troops training in Australia will also
increase from 6600 to up to 14,000 a
year.
The taskforce approached negotiations and planning with the ADF’s
LCpl Chris Gagliardi, of 7RAR, and Singaporean soldier Second Sgt
busy exercise and training schedule in
Muhaimin Mezlen conduct a patrol at Shoalwater Bay during Exercise
mind.
“The SAF will have access to the
Trident in November 2014.
Photo by Cpl David Cotton
It comprises:
 International Policy Division
 Strategic Policy Division
 M
inisterial and Executive
Coordination and Communication
Division
 Contestability Division
 Defence Industry Policy Division
 A
ustralian-Geospatial-Intelligence
Organisation
training areas over two periods during
the year, from February to May and
August to November,” Col Packham
said.
“One of our priorities was to
avoid the busy period for the ADF
in the middle of the year. The ADF
will be able to access these areas for
the majority of the year and can couse the areas during the 18 weeks the
Singaporeans will be training.”
Training area access and development is just one of five areas of
Defence cooperation under the CSP.
Australia and Singapore will also
increase Defence science and technology cooperation, expand civilian and
military exchanges, implement new
 Australian Signals Directorate
 D
efence Intelligence
Organisation
Establishment of group was a
key recommendation of the First
Principles Review.
The goal is to strengthen top-level
decision making and the quality of
advice to government, as well as
improve information sharing, policy
formulation and integration across
Defence.
training initiatives, and increase intelligence and information sharing in areas
of common interest.
The taskforce had to work across
SP&I and the whole of Defence to
achieve this significant upgrade of
bilateral defence ties.
SP&I brings Defence’s policy,
intelligence and contestability functions together for the first time and
Col Packham said the taskforce was
able to leverage the expertise of the
group to present a range of Defence
options in the CSP.
“The group’s advice to government
is ultimately acted on by our Defence
personnel, and we owe it to our people
to get it right,” he said.
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News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
Great opportunity
 Fast-tracking skills for reserve soldiers
Cpl Zenith King
A WET and windy day at Muchea
didn’t stop soldiers from Western
Australia’s 13 Bde testing their
weapon handling skills on the range.
The shoot, conducted to qualify
reserve soldiers on the F89 Minimi,
was a crucial component of the combat arms module – the first module
required to qualify engineers, infantry,
artillery and armoured soldiers in their
chosen role.
The module is one component of
a six-month program run by 13 Bde’s
Accelerated Training Coy to fast-track
the training of newly enlisted reservists, allowing them to become fully
qualified soldiers before joining units
within the brigade.
Sgt Kenneth Townley, Accelerated
Training Coy Pl Sgt, said the early
stages of the full-time program were
designed to set soldiers up for success
throughout each module, regardless
of what stage they were at with their
training.
“While the majority of soldiers
involved in the program had not completed Kapooka, some had so we had
to devise a training program that could
accommodate everyone,” he said.
“We achieved this by developing
two alternative training programs. For
soldiers who had not yet completed
recruit training, we organised a program that involved fieldcraft, first-aid,
fitness, navigation, weapons lessons
June 16, 2016
MAY
TRIAL
RESULTS
OR
Defence Force Magistrate
Soldiers from 13 Bde participate in a range shoot at
Muchea weapons range during the combined arms
module of the accelerated training course.
1 x Assaulting another person in a
public place – DFDA s 33(a)
1 x Assaulting a superior officer –
DFDA s 25(1)
Photo by Cpl Zenith King
The member was accused of
assaulting another person in a
public place, and was also accused of assaulting a superior
officer. The member pleaded
guilty to the charges and was
found guilty of the charges.
The member was sentenced
to 28 days’ detention (with 14
days suspended).
OR
Defence Force Magistrate
1 x Assault occasioning actual bodily harm – DFDA s 61(3) and Crimes
Act (ACT) s 24(1)
and developed skills in team work,
communication and problem solving
– general soldier skills we felt would
best prepare them for Kapooka.
“For soldiers who had completed
Kapooka, we focused on building
skills they had already attained.”
Soldiers participating in the range
shoot at Muchea had all completed
Kapooka and moved onto the combined arms module.
Gnr Alex Longman, of
11/28RWAR, became involved after
seeing a flyer around the unit.
“After seeing the flyer I
immediately spoke with my chain of
command about joining the program,”
he said.
“As a reservist it can take up to a
year or more to become a fully qualified soldier. So for us to be qualified
in six months is a fantastic opportunity.”
Gnr Longman was so motivated
to complete his training he chose to
leave his job as a technical sales representative in order to attend.
“I just felt like it was too good an
opportunity to pass up,” he said.
“Because the course is full-time,
we are able to focus solely on our
training and improving our skills. This
phase of the course has been a highlight for me as it has allowed us to get
the qualifications we need to use all
of the in-service weapons needed my
job,” he said.
From here soldiers will progress
to the second module of their initial
employment training.
The Accelerated Training Coy
scheme will bolster the number of
trained soldiers in the brigade in
preparation for when it rotates into the
‘ready’ cycle next year.
The member was accused of
assaulting another member,
causing physical injury to the
other member. The member
pleaded not guilty to the
charge but was found guilty of
the charge. The member was
sentenced to 28 days’ detention (fully suspended).
All court martial and Defence Force
Magistrate trial results are subject
to command review and appeal. The
results are of trials across the ADF.
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11
News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
3 Bde’s road
to ready
The
artworks
“The Song
Cycle of
the Seven
Sisters”
on display
at Russell
Offices in
Canberra.
 Training focuses on platoon and troop development
SOLDIERS of 3 Bde and international guest units honed their
skills at the Townsville Field
Training Area in recent weeks
as the brigade prepares for the
‘ready’ state next year.
Commander 3 Bde Brig Chris
Field said the collective training
was focused on platoon and trooplevel development.
“We aimed to promote independent action in our junior commanders and give them experience
and skills in working with combined arms,” he said.
The exercise also gave young
soldiers and officers the chance to
work with soldiers of other nations,
with three international exchange
exercises incorporated into the
training:
 Exercise Temple Jade – a Royal
Thai Army infantry company of
80 hosted by 3RAR.
 Exercise Southern Tiger – a
Malaysian Army mechanised
platoon of 30 soldiers integrated
with 2 Cav Regt.
 Exercise Olgeta Warrior – an
annual exchange between 3 Bde
and the PNG Defence Force.
“We find the integration of
these visits into our own exercises
is the most effective way to conduct joint training,” Brig Field
said.
“In this way, we all share ideas
and build relationships that endure
– you never know when you’ll
reconnect.
“We’ve seen excellent cooperation between 3 Bde units and their
international partners. This has
included enhanced interoperability
at the tactical level and improved
levels of understanding of culture,
customs and language.”
The exercises attracted a
number of observers, including Malaysian and senior Royal
Thai Army commanders and CA
Lt-Gen Angus Campbell.
CA was impressed with the
emphasis on the fundamentals in a
training program focused on conventional manoeuvre – defence,
advance, attack and retrograde
operations.
The high tempo of training is
set to continue, with 2RAR heading to Hawaii for Exercise Rim
of the Pacific, and other brigade
assets on their way to Cultana in
South Australia to participate in
Exercise Hamel.
The next few months will also
be a busy time for the brigade’s
sappers, as 18 Combat Eng Sqn
deploys to PNG on Exercise Puk
Puk to assist with construction
projects.
Cpl Sebastian Beurich
DEFENCE’S commitment to inclusion
and diversity is on show for all visitors
to Russell Offices.
The newly unveiled female white
piece of “The Song Cycle of the Seven
Sisters” by artist Anthony Walker, represents the principles and values of diversity, inclusion and the enduring commitment to create an environment where
differences are valued and embraced.
CDF ACM Mark Binskin joined
Chief Defence Scientist Alex Zelinsky
to unveil the indigenous artwork at the
Australian War Memorial on May 30.
The male version of the painting was
commissioned by Defence Science and
Technology (DST) Group, in partnership with Defence People Group, in
2015 and was unveiled on August 31 last
year at the DST Group headquarters in
Canberra.
ACM Binskin said the unveiling of
the new painting during reconciliation
week was fitting.
“The painting depicts the stars
guiding the turtles to their breeding site,”
he said.
“The male version, with the dark
background, signifies creativity and
innovation, while the lighter coloured
female version represents the continued
abundance of the turtles.
“These themes align with our own
hopes for a wider and broader Defence
organisation. We seek to attract an abundance of indigenous talent to capitalise
on their creativity and innovation.”
ACM Binskin went on to explain
how the artwork aligned with Defence’s
Reconciliation Action Plan.
“Diversity is about thought and attitude. If we are open to embracing our
differences we can draw on our diverse
backgrounds, experiences, knowledge
and skills to find innovative ways to
deliver the best results we can,” he said.
“If we value what makes us unique,
we can create an environment where
every member has a fair and equitable
opportunity to contribute.”
Both paintings are now hanging in
the foyer of Russell 1.
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Soldiers of 2RAR, supported by 2 Cav Regt, advance during training at the Townsville Field Training
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News
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Governor-General Gen Sir Peter
Cosgrove meets ADF personnel
during Exercise Vital Prospect.
Workshops reap
the rewards
Stephanie Elwin
PROGRESS of Army’s land materiel
maintenance reform program Plan
Centaur is now being seen on the
ground in the Armoured Cavalry
Regiments (ACR), with improvement projects recently beginning in
multiple locations.
Special guest
 Governor-General tours former command
Maj Kris Gardiner
A VISIT to any headquarters by
a former commander is always a
special occasion, but it’s even more
so when that former commander is
now the Governor-General.
Gen Sir Peter Cosgrove visited
1 Div/DJFHQ in Brisbane on May 19
as members conducted certification
during Exercise Vital Prospect.
C o m m a n d e r 1 D iv / D J F H Q
Maj-Gen Paul McLachlan hosted
the former CDF as he toured the
deployed facilities.
Of particular interest to the
Governor-General was the fully digitised headquarters concept 1 Div/
DJFHQ has embraced.
Maj-Gen McLachlan said the time
with the Governor-General offered
valuable “pearls of wisdom” from a
man who became one of the most
influential Australian military leaders
in the modern era.
“Both the headquarters staff and
I had an opportunity to tap into His
Excellency’s insight and were rewarded with advice that has been tried and
tested during his extraordinary military career,” he said.
Sir Peter thanked the staff for their
warm welcome to his former command and reinforced the importance
of exercises like the Vital series.
“All these simulations pay off
when the chips are down,” he said.
“They take hundreds of years of
past knowledge and turn it into future
practice – today’s scenario is tomorrow’s reality.”
A process improvement pilot
project has started at the 2 Cav Regt
workshop in Townsville, while a
number of unit workshops recently
received standardised fasteners and
consumable items kits to help enhance
productivity and reduce choke points.
The project, which will finish in
late July, aims to incorporate ‘lean’
best practice in workshops to standardise maintenance practices and
identify and implement productivity
improvements.
2 Cav Regt personnel have undertaken training in LEAN fundamentals
as part of the project.
ASM 2 Cav Regt WO1 Paul
Kitching said undertaking the training was worthwhile for workshop
personnel.
“Simple things like setting out the
workshop in a logical manner and
establishing simple visual control
methods are going to assist not only
the maintenance personnel but the
equipment owners as well,” WO1
Kitching said.
“The changes we make are going
to improve maintenance turnaround
times and the quality of work we
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produce. It is scary how much time
and effort is wasted each day when
you actually observe how we go about
things.
“The staff from Plan Cantuar
have been great in the way they have
engaged with us – engaging with the
workers at the coal face and enabling
them to make improvements is fundamental to the success of this activity.”
The fasteners and consumables kits
received by 2 Cav Regt, 3CER and
3CSSB workshops maintain a regular stock of items such as common
nuts, bolts, split pins, electrical wire,
as well as cleaners and lubricants.
Funded by the Commodity Reform
Project, the kits have already proven
to be a success with maintainers.
Cfn Ash Bathurst, of 2 Cav Regt,
said the new Wurth cabinets in the
workshop had made his job easier.
“By always having a range of consumables at hand I don’t have to wait
for the system to supply simple things
like nuts and bolts, split pins or even
cleaning products that I use to repair
vehicles,” he said.
“I am now more productive doing
maintenance instead of wasting time
looking for simple bits and pieces.
“The frequent resupply by the contractor means we always have what
we need with no wait times and if we
identify a new product that we need,
all I have to do is ask.”
Another crew maintenance support trial project will launch shortly in
Townsville.
14
US officer 2Lt Tyler Nelson, left, and Bdr William
Mortimer look out from their observation post.
Soldiers fire
the 84mm
Carl Gustav
recoilless
rifle.
RISING TO
THE TASK
Warfighting elements come together for a show of combat prowess
at Shoalwater Bay, Capt Anna-Lise Rosendhal reports.
B
RISBANE’S 7 Bde is at the
pinnacle of readiness according to Brigade Commander
Brig Anthony Rawlins following Exercise Diamond Sprint from
May 16-30.
The two-week exercise at the
Shoalwater Bay Training Area north of
Rockhampton was one of the brigade’s
last before moving to the reset phase of
the force generation cycle in August.
“It was one of the best exercises
in which I’ve been involved in my 32
years in the Army,” Brig Rawlins said.
“It was designed for us to remediate
some of our conventional warfighting
skills in a peer opposition environment,
in a conventional setting and as a defensive exercise it went extraordinarily
well.”
Centrepiece
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Brigade members were tested in
combat team live-fire scenarios and
urban operations culminating in a
12-hour live-fire defensive battle across
37 sq km of terrain against a fictional
enemy.
OC Spt Coy, 6RAR, Maj Jan
Koudelka said most of 7 Bde’s weapons
systems and assets were used during the
final battle.
“We saw ASLAVs integrate with the
infantry, we had infantry small arms
fire, machine gun fire, javelin weapon
systems, 84mm weapon systems, 66
rockets – every system you can image
all the way from the grenade to the
bayonet,” he said.
“It tests not only the soldiers but all
the way to command level because it’s
very difficult once we have offensive
support on a position, machine gun fire
and heavy weapons fire across a position, to identify and understand what’s
going on.”
7 Bde will now play enemy against
1 Bde at Exercise Hamel later this
month before handing over its ‘ready’
tag to 1 Bde.
“What I saw on this activity is that
we will give 1 Bde a difficult problem
set, which is exactly what they want
and what they will expect and we
will stretch them to their limits,” Brig
Rawlins said.
Exercise Diamond Sprint was held
in conjunction with Exercise Southern
Jackaroo, a trilateral activity between
Australia, US and Japan enabling participants to train together and share
skills.
Soldiers from 105 Bty, 1 Regt RAA, prepare to
reload an M777 155mm howitzer.
“
15
Soldiers from 2/14 LHR (QMI) drive their
ASLAV into action.
Australian and Japanese soldiers work
side-by-side during a clearance of the urban
operations training facility.
It was designed for us to remediate some of
our conventional warfighting skills in a peer
opposition environment...
– Brig Anthony Rawlins,
Commander 7 Bde
Australian soldiers clear a roof top at the urban
operations training facility at Shoalwater Bay.
Left: US marines provide
covering fire during a
clearance of the urban
operations training facility
at Shoalwater Bay during
exercises Southern
Jackaroo and Diamond
Sprint.
Right: Pte Callun
Crittenden, right, looks
through the sight of
an 84mm Carl Gustav
recoilless rifle as Pte Roley
Gittins watches for the
‘enemy’.
Australian and Japanese soldiers
and US marines advance through
the urban operations training
facility during exercises Southern
Jackaroo and Diamond Sprint at
the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.
Photos by Cpl Dan Pinhorn
Features
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
17
Above and beyond
 Soldiers awarded Queen’s Birthday Honours for distinguished service and devotion to duty
OFFICER IN THE
MILITARY DIVISION OF
THE ORDER OF
AUSTRALIA
Maj-Gen Simone Wilkie
For distinguished service
to Defence Education and
Training as Director-General
Training – Army and Commander
Australian Defence College.
MEMBER IN THE
MILITARY DIVISION
OF THE ORDER OF
AUSTRALIA
Col Craig Dobson
For exceptional service
as Staff Officer Grade One
Military Strategic Commitments,
and for contributions to Career
Management – Army.
Brig Christopher Field
For exceptional service to
the Australian Army as the
Chief Operations and Plans,
Queensland Reconstruction
Authority in 2011, and as the
Chief of Staff of HQ Forcomd
from 2012.
Col Stephen Gliddon
For exceptional service to
the Corps of Royal Australian
Engineers as the CO 6ESR and
the Force Engineer.
Brig Matthew Hall
For exceptional service
as Commander Career
Management Agency – Army and
Director-General Operational
Intelligence, HQJOC.
Brig Roger Noble
For exceptional service to the
Australian Army as DirectorGeneral Land Development and
Commander 3 Bde.
MEDAL IN THE
MILITARY DIVISION
OF THE ORDER OF
AUSTRALIA
Maj Wayne Giddings
For meritorious service
as Staff Officer Grade
Two Soldier Combat Ensemble
and Engagement, Land
Systems Division, and as Staff
Officer Grade Two Separations,
Directorate of Soldier Career
Management – Army.
Maj Peter Grant
For meritorious service as the
OC and Music Director of the
Australian Army Band – Kapooka
and the Australian Army
Band – Melbourne, and as the
Staff Officer Grade Two Reserve
Training at the Defence Force
School of Music.
WO1 Michael Johnson
For meritorious service as the
RSM of the School of Artillery,
1 RTB, 4 Bde and the Combined
Arms Training Centre.
WO1 Andrew Platt
For meritorious service as the
Regimental Quarter Master
Sergeant of 2 Cdo Regt, 1 Cdo
Regt and 5RAR.
WO1 Colin Watego
For meritorious service to
Indigenous Affairs in the ADF.
DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE CROSS
Maj-Gen David Mulhall
For distinguished command and leadership
in warlike operations
as Commander JTF636
and Deputy Chief of
Staff Support HQ International
Security Assistance Force,
and HQ Resolute Support
on Operations Slipper and
Highroad.
DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE MEDAL
Major K
For distinguished leadership in warlike operations as OC Cdo Coy
Group with the Special
Operations Task Group on
Operation Okra in Iraq.
COMMENDATION
FOR DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE
Corporal L
For distinguished performance of duty in
warlike operations as
a Joint Terminal Attack Controller
with Special Operations Task
Group 632.
BAR TO THE CONSPICUOUS
SERVICE CROSS
Col Timothy
Connolly
For outstanding achievement as
CO 6 Avn Regt.
Col Glenn Ryan
For outstanding achievement as
CO 1 RTB.
Col Charles Weller
For outstanding achievement
as Commander Australian
Contingent and Senior Military
Liaison Officer – Jonglei State,
Operation Aslan, UN Mission in
South Sudan.
Brig Georgeina Whelan
For outstanding achievement as
Director-General Garrison Health
Operations.
CONSPICUOUS
SERVICE CROSS
Lt-Col Troy Francis
For outstanding achievement as CO and CI of
the Warrant Officer and
Non-Commissioned
Officer Academy.
Lt-Col Bede Galvin
For outstanding achievement as
CO 20 Surveillance and Target
Acquisition Regt.
Lt-Col Craig Jolly
For outstanding achievement
in the Counter Improvised
Explosive Device Task Force.
Capt R
For outstanding achievement
as the senior communications
officer on Operation Augury.
WO1 Paul Richardson
For outstanding achievement as
the RSM in the Office of VCDF
in the area of Ceremonial and
Protocol.
Lt-Col Tamara Rouwhorst
For outstanding achievement
as the Staff Officer Grade One
Cultural Reform in Army HQ.
Lt-Col Corey Shillabeer
For outstanding achievement
as the Staff Officer Grade One
Strategic Force Generation
within Strategic Plans Branch,
Army HQ.
Col John Simeoni
For outstanding devotion to duty
as CO Combat Training Centre
Live and Commander Combat
Training Centre.
Col Jeffery Squire
For outstanding achievement as
Director Information Activities in
Military Strategic Commitments
Division.
Col Katherine-Anne Stewart
For outstanding devotion to duty
as Australia’s Defence Attaché
to Baghdad, in support of
Operation Okra.
CONSPICUOUS
SERVICE MEDAL
Maj Jonathan Abundo
For meritorious devotion to duty as OC
Proof and Experimental
Establishment – Port
Wakefield.
Maj Joanne Baker
For meritorious devotion to
duty as a Specialist Recruiting
Team – Health member in
Defence Force Recruiting.
Lt-Col Andrew Behan
For meritorious achievement as
Chief of Staff of RMC.
WO2 Michael Carroll
For meritorious achievement as
CSM of the Ready Combat Team
and Operations Warrant Officer
of the Ready Battalion Group,
1RAR.
Maj Aaron Cimbaljevic
For meritorious achievement as
a UN Military Observer in the UN
Truce Supervision Organisation
on Operation Paladin.
Maj Luke Condon
For meritorious achievement as
OC Force Support Element One
on Operation Accordion in support of ADF operations in the
Middle East region.
WO2 Shane Doevendans
For meritorious achievement as
the Regimental Training Warrant
Officer of Norforce.
Maj Craig Fallshaw
For meritorious achievement as Staff Officer
Information Management
within the Directorate of
Projects and Standby Reserve
Management – Army.
Cpl Rhys Griggs
For meritorious achievement
as the Electronic Technician
Systems Corporal, Joint Logistic
Unit (Victoria) Short Range Air
Defence and Radar Workshop.
Cpl J
For meritorious achievement
as the Senior Instructor of the
Military Working Dog Cell, SASR.
Cpl Broderick Naunton
For meritorious achievement as
the Acting Platoon Commander,
Mechanised Platoon, Support
Squadron, School of Armour.
Maj Fiona Peden
For meritorious devotion to duty
as a Senior Career Advisor
within the Directorate of Soldier
Career Management – Army.
WO2 Timothy Pimlott
For meritorious achievement as
the Operations Warrant Officer at
HQ 9 Bde.
Col Andrew Plant
For meritorious achievement as
the Director of Operations and
Chief of Staff of HQ JTF633,
Middle East region.
Maj Kelvin Seabrook
For meritorious achievement as
the Staff Officer Grade Two, Joint
Fires, HQ 2 Div.
Maj Maryanne Thomson
For meritorious achievement as
the OIC of the Soldier Recovery
Centre – Brisbane.
Reflection on
the team
Cpl Mark Doran
AN AUSTRALIAN military medal had
to be sent to the US to be awarded to a
soldier serving in the Mohave Desert.
WO2 Michael Carroll, of the US
Marine Corps Tactical Training Exercise
Control Group, based at Twentynine
Palms in California, was named as
Queen’s Birthday Honours recipient on
June 13.
He was awarded the Conspicuous
Service Medal for his meritorious achievement as CSM Ready Combat Team and
OPSWO Ready Battalion Group (RBG),
1RAR.
WO2 Carroll joined the Army in 1997
after a stint in the Navy, and was CSM
A Coy, 1RAR, when the company was the
Ready Combat Team in 2013. In 2014 he
became the battalion’s OPSWO.
WO2 Carroll said it was humbling to
find out he was to be awarded the medal.
“I was fortunate to work with some
great officers and soldiers in 1RAR,” he
said.
“The command relationships formed
with Maj Clarence Hovell, OC A Coy,
Maj Dave Gandy, OPSO, and Maj Scott
Holmes, OC Spt Coy, made for an enjoyable time in each position within the
battalion.
“I also had extremely good sergeants,
excellent corporals and outstanding
privates.
“When working in such an environment it’s easy to do a good job.”
WO2 Carroll said it was a pleasure to
be a member of the RBG, especially with
of the amount of enabling assets available
to the battalion from across Army.
“It was surprising to go into the
OPSWO role and learn how fast-paced
and mobile the job was,” he said.
“The position required me to think on
my feet and the amount of tasks coming
across my desk was mind-boggling.
“I had the freedom of action to work
with the battalion to enhance our skills
and I saw the successful deployments
to Afghanistan of the first three Force
Protection Elements.
“I am very proud of the efforts of not
WO2 Michael Caroll demonstrates
explosive breaching at the urban
live-fire village of the USMC Tactical
Training Exercise Control Group,
based at Twentynine Palms in
California.
only of 1RAR, but the Army as a whole.”
WO2 Carroll is employed as an infantry weapons officer and marine gunner
with the US Marine Corps during his
exchange posting.
“My role includes responsibility for
the safety aspects of a live-fire range with
direct, indirect and offensive fire support,”
he said.
“I work alongside some talented
Marine Corps gunners who are showing
me the ropes and how to incorporate all
the combat arms to enable manoeuvre.
“The job changes day-to-day, but we
can be working with a platoon through
to battalion or even a regimental sized
marine air-ground task group, with close
to 5000 marines conducting a live-fire
activity.
“By proxy, part of my role in the US is
an ambassador, not only for 1RAR, but for
the ADF as well.”
WO2 Carroll finished his time with
1RAR as CSM Spt Coy in 2015 before he
was posted for two years to Twentynine
Palms.
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18
Features
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
WO2 Joanne Davey, of Australian Army
Band Headquarters, is this year’s Army
blood challenge ambassador.
Photo by Lauren Larking
June 16, 2016
Roll up
your
sleeves
Army’s 2016 Defence Blood Challenge
ambassador is calling on all soldiers to get
involved this year, Cpl Max Bree reports.
A
WO2 Davey to keep going back.
FTER reaching a milestone
“It does become a habit,” she said.
of more than 200 donations
“But for me it was something I
last year, WO2 Joanne Davey
has landed the role of Army’s could do, being in Defence, that I could
take with me wherever I got posted.”
blood ambassador heading into the
WO2 Davey said bringing a friend
2016 Defence Blood Challenge.
WO2 Davey, of Australian Army
Band Headquarters, began donating
blood with her band mates about 16
years ago.
“I was posted to the Army Band
in Sydney when the blood bank truck
came to Victoria Barracks and a few
of us went to donate – it started from
there,” she said.
Over the years WO2 Davey has
donated whole blood and platelets but
said she was mostly called on to donate
plasma.
“I was giving whole blood and the
band had just returned from TimorLeste,” she said.
“Because of my time overseas they
said they could only use my blood for
plasma.
“So I said I might as well just donate
plasma and over the years I’ve given
them whatever they asked for.”
Being able to donate blood wherever
she was became part of the appeal for
DEFENCE BLOOD CHALLENGE
 The 2016 Defence Blood
Challenge will run from
September 1 until December 8.
 Army won last year’s challenge,
but the employee participation
rate was: Air Force 7.9 per cent;
Army 5.7 per cent; Navy 4.6
per cent; and Defence APS
3.2 per cent.
 The challenge is seeking at least
7000 donations this year.
 The blood you donate can be
made into 22 different medical
treatments.
 Plasma can be donated twice a
month and can be used for:
cancer, blood diseases, haemophilia, anaemia, heart disease, stomach disease, kidney
disease, childbirth, operations,
blood loss, trauma and burns.
 One donation can save up to
three lives.
 It only takes 15 minutes to
donate and the entire appointment usually takes 45 minutes.
Once the challenge begins, ADF
and APS members and their
families can register at
www.donateblood.com.au/red25
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was a great way to encourage others to
donate.
“A lot of people don’t think about
going unless they know somebody
who’s already doing it,” she said.
“If they can see you’re making the
commitment that’s the best way to
encourage them.
“Another way is to go as a team,
make it a group activity and book in
when the van is at the unit.”
With Army’s repeated victories in
the challenge, WO2 Davey said a win
was likely to happen again this year.
“Obviously we have more people
than the other services but it’s still good
for us to have a win,” she said.
“Competition is great but it’s really
about lives being saved and looking
after our mates. It’s also about carrying
on the tradition of serving our nation
and our local communities.
“It’s the gift of life and it’s a good
feeling to give it. I’ll stick with donating for as long as I can.”
Features
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
19
In the spirit of service
Reserve battalion gives three sisters
the chance to view their grandfather’s
WWI service medals in Toowoomba,
Capt Aaron Oldaker reports.
A
N UNUSUAL set of WWI
medals were seen for the
first time by three granddaughters of a member of
the First AIF thanks to soldiers from
25/49RQR.
Zilla McAuliffe, Katharine Heath
and Sylvia Ferguson are the granddaughters of Lt Richmond Cornwallis
Eather, a member of 25 Bn during
WWI.
The sisters were recently reunited in Toowoomba to visit the Spirit
of Anzac Centenary Experience and
members of 25/49RQR took the
opportunity to invite the sisters for a
private viewing of the medals.
WO2 John Swenson, of 25/49RQR,
said the medal set was unusual
because it contained an award for gallantry that could only be issued to
officers and an award for bravery that
could only be issued to soldiers.
“Lt Eather’s exceptional service
during WWI saw him qualify for
both,” he said.
According to his records at the
Australian War Memorial, Lt Eather
enlisted as a private in June 1915 and
saw action at Gallipoli, then in 1916
fought in the Battles of Pozières and
Mouquet Farm.
As a corporal, Lt Eather was
awarded the Military Medal for his
conduct between August 11-14 during
the Battle of Pozières for maintaining
lines of communication under heavy
artillery fire.
He was promoted to sergeant in
September 1916 and sent for officer training. He was commissioned in
March 1917.
On the evening of June 10, 1918,
in northern France, Lt Eather passed
through artillery and machine gun fire
to retrieve wounded soldiers, maintained lines of communication after
the signals officer was wounded, and
continued to perform his duties as the
battalion’s intelligence officer.
The next day he continued to perform the duties of signals officer to
maintain communication lines under
heavy artillery fire. For these actions
he was awarded the Military Cross.
He was later awarded the Bar to
Uncovering the
personal stories
at Fromelles
ARMY has confirmed the identification of a further six Australians from
the 250 Australian and British WWI
soldiers recovered from a mass burial site at Pheasant Wood in France
in 2009.
The soldiers newly identified
are 2Lt James Benson, Pte Justin
Hercules Breguet, Pte Clifton
Sydney Brindal, Pte Sidney Broom,
Pte William Burke and Pte Robert
Thomas Maudsley.
The recent identification was
facilitated by the Unrecovered War
Casualties Fromelles project team.
The identification brings the total
number of named Australians to 150
and contributes another important
piece to the history of the Army in the
Great War.
DCA Maj-Gen Rick Burr said the
identification honoured the service
and memory of our soldiers.
“The Battle of Fromelles is an
important part of our Army’s history
and our nation’s history, and it is a
story we want to complete,” Maj-Gen
Burr said.
“We have been fortunate to have
the interest and cooperation of the
Australian community to connect 150
of the soldiers lost at Fromelles with
their descendants.
“Together with the relatives of
those who fought at Fromelles, we
hope to collect more information to
identify the 100 soldiers who remain
unknown.
“The assistance of the community
helps us to commemorate our soldiers
in the most respectful way, while also
connecting current generations of
Australians with their military
heritage.”
HONOURING
OUR WAR
DEAD
THE Unrecovered War
Casualties Unit is collecting information about First
Australian Imperial Force
soldiers who fought in the
Battle of Fromelles, whose
date of death is listed
between July 19-20, 1916,
and whose grave is listed
as ‘unknown’.
Anyone with a relative who fits this
profile should register with the
Australian Fromelles Project by
emailing army.uwc@defence.gov.au
The Battle of Fromelles was the
first major battle fought by the AIF
in France and is recognised as one
of the worst periods in Australia’s
military history, with 5 Div suffering
more than 5500 casualties killed and
wounded.
The identification of soldiers
killed has been made possible by the
Fromelles Project team establishing
a register of more than 3000 relatives
and descendants of Australian soldiers
killed at Fromelles.
For more information, visit www.army.gov.au/
Our-work/Unrecovered-War-Casualties-Army/
Fromelles/Remains-Identified-2016
Further information about the Fromelles
project is available at www.army.gov.au/
Our-work/Unrecovered-War-Casualties-Army/
Fromelles
From left,
Katharine
Heath, Zilla
McAuliffe and
Sylvia Ferguson
view their
grandfather’s
complete WWI
medal set for
the first time
at 25/49RQR’s
barracks in
Toowoomba,
arranged by
WO2 John
Swenson, right.
the Military Cross for his actions on
October 3, 1918, when he sought, and
was granted, special permission to
accompany an attack on enemy lines.
According to the recommendation for
the award, he “displayed great energy,
courage and initiative, and set a fine
example to all ranks”.
According to the Australian
Dictionary of Biography , in 1918
Lt Eather married Mary Jane
McFarlane Longmore, a British
Army nurse. They moved to Australia
where they eventually became station
owners before retiring to Warwick,
Queensland, in the 1950s. Lt Eather
died at Warwick in April 1966.
“My sisters and I are happy to
see his medals now in the care of
25/49RQR,” Ms Ferguson said.
After their visit to Toowoomba
for the Spirit of Anzac Centenary
Experience, the medals were returned
to battalion headquarters in Brisbane
for safekeeping.
The Spirit of Anzac Centenary experience will
be at the Brisbane Convention Centre from
June 17-30. Tickets are free and can be booked
at www.spiritofanzac.gov.au
20
Features
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Worthy adversaries
“
Staff cadets from RMC-D went from tropical heat in North Queensland to snow-covered terrain in New York to
compete in West Point’s annual military skills competition, SCdt Sarah Wilson reports.
A
TEAM of 11 staff cadets
from RMC-D travelled to
the US Military Academy
(USMA) at West Point in
New York to compete in the annul
international military skills competition from April 8-9.
The annual event, known as the
Sandhurst Competition, comprised 59
teams from 12 countries. While 47 of
the teams entered were from USMA
and other US military academies, other
teams came from Mexico, Canada,
Germany, South Korea, China, Japan,
UK, Chile, Latvia and Turkey.
Following the first competition in
1967, the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst presented West Point with
a British officer’s sword. The sword
was offered as a perpetual prize for
the competition among the American
Corps of Cadets, promoting military
excellence.
The event has expanded over
the years to incorporate various US
military academies and international
teams, however, the competition is
only open to officer training institutions.
This was the fifth time RMC-D has
participated in the competition, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
event.
The RMC-D team, comprising
first-class cadets and one second-class
cadet, were selected to take part in the
competition for their physical aptitude
and academic performance.
The event also included attendance at the Modern Warfare Institute
Conference – a day of lectures and
panel discussions where staff cadets
listened to ideas and debated opinions
on various topics.
Section Commander SCdt
Wes Walsh said it was an exciting
opportunity.
“It was great to see the differing
approaches from across the globe
to meet the various demands of the
battlespace,” he said.
The team then stepped into the precompetition training, first with familiarisation on the USMA confidence
course.
The training week also included
training in care of the battle casualty,
chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear defence, grenades, land navigation, WTSS, all-arms call for fire,
zeroing and a section defence range.
The sky’s
the limit
Never
Stand Still
– SCdt Wes Walsh,
Section Commander
Staff cadets from RMC-D
compete in West Point’s
international annual military
skills competition in New York.
Day one of competition included
nine events over 38km, each individually assessed for points, and four night
tasks. Day two was an 18km race for
best speed and skill at completing a
further five events.
The team from RMC-D stepped
off on day one last in order of march,
alongside a favoured team from
Sandhurst and two USMA teams.
From the beginning it appeared
the UK would continue their tradition
of a top place finish in the competition, however, much of the training the
RMC-D staff cadets had put in during
countless early morning and late evening PT sessions put the team in good
stead as day one drew to a close.
While the Australian team finished
just outside the top three overall, they
placed in the top 10 in shooting and
third in the night vehicle push.
“One thing we did learn is that running in marching order is always an
option,” SCdt Walsh said.
The unseasonably cold weather
and mid-Spring snow made the competition bitterly tough and suited the
northern hemisphere cadets well.
As day two of the competition
dawned, the Australian team was
paired to start with the Sandhurst
team, again last in the staggered start.
Over the final kilometres of the
competition, the team gave an impressive display of determination when
confronting the challenges of each
event.
“It was a challenging event, particularly for most of the team coming
off a three-week exercise in Townsville
in 30+ degrees to the zero degree temperature and snow-covered operations
in New York,” SCdt Walsh said.
“Tackling the 56km of competition
track, with more than a dozen graded events in between, was certainly
a challenge in marching order, particularly adjusting to navigating in the
northern hemisphere, which resulted
in wet feet and an even longer day, but
nothing we couldn’t handle.”
For many of the staff cadets, it was
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
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It was a challenging event, particularly for most of the team coming off a
three-week exercise in Townsville in 30+ degrees to the zero degree
temperature and snow-covered ground in New York.
RMC-D staff cadets in action at West Point.
experience life at USMA, interact with
and compete against teams from 12
countries.
“It was an exciting opportunity to
work with teams from the US and all
four corners of the world,” SCdt Walsh
said.
“These interactions are critical to
preparing junior officers for a coalition response to international security;
issues we’ll likely encounter.
“The team thanks the men and
women of the C4 Cowboys of USMA
for their hospitality in accommodating
RMC-D for the week and for being
worthy adversaries in such a challenging competition.”
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22
Features
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
“
June 16, 2016
Medics shake-out
Realistic training scenarios prepare medics for the worst, Cpl Max Bree reports.
P
ANIC greets the first medic on
the scene of a car accident.
“My arm hurts! What are you
doing? Why won’t you help me?”
But the medic from 5 Health Coy
decides to deal with the unconscious driver and front seat passenger before worrying about the stressed woman in the back.
An extra medic is called and casualties are evacuated to the company’s role 1
facility down the road.
The trauma team sets about stabilising the two serious cases while the young
lady with a non-serious arm injury stops
yelling after being given the painkilling
“green whistle”.
Capt Kyle Bender was the trauma
team leader during the exercise and is
a surgical registrar in his fourth year of
training to be a general surgeon.
“Coming from a well resourced environment, you see how hard it can be to
manage with limited resources,” he said
“You have all the limitations of being
in the bush, like limited kit, but a good
team really helps pull you together.
“Our main job at a role 1 is to get the
patient to somewhere else where there are
more resources available.”
It was the first company exercise conducted in a number of years and involved
medics treating head injuries, illnesses
and infectious diseases.
“We managed to fall into our roles
pretty well,” Capt Bender said.
“There’s enough external civilian
experience and internal military experience to put together a pretty good team.”
The company has a spectrum of civilian health professionals including a cardiologist, anaesthetist and trainee surgeons.
In addition to combat medical assistants, the company has a number of nursing officers who work in theatre, intensive
care and emergency.
As team leader, Capt Bender said he
structured the team to take advantage
of the different skills within the trauma
team.
“I’ve learned to keep hands off and
let them do their job and they’ve shown
they’re able to do that,” he said.
New company OC Maj Jane Currie
said the shake-out helped identify some
areas for improvement.
“At the moment we’re less familiar
with the equipment than we need to be
but these are things that are easily remedied through training,” she said.
“You never doubt their clinical capability, it’s more about looking at the military capability; how well do they know
the equipment; how well do they know
radios and things like that.”
Maj Currie said the company was likely to conduct similar activities later in the
Pte Tyrone Sutton, left, fits a neck-brace to a ‘casualty’ during a
5 Health Coy field exercise at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney.
– Capt Kyle Bender,
trauma team leader
year, possibly in collaboration with other
units.
“I’m always struck by the enthusiasm
of the people around me,” she said.
“A lot enjoy coming out field and
spending their weekends with other likeminded people.
“People feel there’s a sense of philanthropy in giving back to your country and
using the skills you have.”
5 Health Coy, part of 5CSSB, will
cease being part of the ready brigade this
year and move into the reset phase of the
force generation cycle.
They will pick up tasking as the
offline brigade, before moving into their
readying phase next year.
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Above: 5 Health Coy medics carry
a ‘casualty’ during a field exercise.
Left: Pte Rene Bos, left, Lt Mel
Robson, centre, and LCpl Cath
Solmon treat a ‘casualty’.
Below: Capt Kyle Bender, left,
Pte Tyrone Sutton, centre, and
Pte Triston Scott treat a ‘casualty’
in the role 1 medical facility.
Photos by Cpl Max Bree
Fun
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
23
Toy soldiers
teach tactics
 Wargaming comp has something for everyone
Worth waiting for
Cpl Sebastian Beurich
THE soldiers charged up the hill,
their heavy armour slowing them
down, but a steely determination
pushing them forwards. When
they got to the top, they stopped,
stunned – in front of them was an
enormous orange alien.
These were familiar scenes
for participants of the Anzac Cup
from May 28-29, where both serving members and civilians gathered
at the Sleeman Sports Complex in
Brisbane to battle it out with their
scale model armies.
The 110 players participated in
six different game systems over the
weekend.
With game systems ranging
from science-fiction games about
spaceships, to realistic WWII
simulation games, chairman of
the ADF Wargaming Association
(ADFWGA) Maj David Hill said
the competition had something for
everyone.
“Some people like the simpler
style of the X-Wing miniatures
game, where they are just controlling a couple of ships and the games
are over relatively quickly,” he said.
“Others prefer to immerse themselves in developing an historically
accurate army, or exploring what the
effect of different factors would be
on historical battles with the game
Bolt Action.”
Maj Hill said the ADFWGA also
used their events as an opportunity
to raise money for people who support current and ex-serving members
of the ADF.
INSTAGRAM: CODEYS_ART DIKKO Doom
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: Windows, Playstation 4,
Xbox One
Release Date: May 13
RRP: $89
Reviewer: LAC Matthew Dippel
Rating: 4.5/5
A battle scene from the ADF Wargaming Association’s annual
Anzac Cup.
“In the past, we have supported
Legacy and now we are supporting
Soldier On and the good work both
of those organisations do.
“During the event we raised just
under $5000 for Soldier On, which
goes towards our total of more than
$7000 raised this year.”
7RAR’s LCpl Scott Livori said
the game he played – Warhammer
40,000 – is set in a futuristic universe featuring genetically modified
super-humans, aliens and forces of
evil.
“I’ve been playing Warhammer
40,000 for almost 20 years now.
One of my friends in primary school
played and I got into it as well,” he
said.
“There are a couple of people
I’ve known for a long time who
go to the Anzac Cup – it’s a good
chance to catch up.
Maj Hill said the ADFWGA
filled a number of purposes for its
members.
“When our people move from
one location to another, we can help
provide them with connections to
other Defence gamers in the area, so
they’re not isolated,” he said.
“We have also built links
with local civilian groups across
Australia, which gives our members a community with which to get
involved.
“It also helps with our employment – the hobby itself is effectively
conducting the military appreciation
process. The players almost need to
do a centre of gravity construct to
apply their armies strengths to the
opponent’s weaknesses.”
The ADFWGA’s next event is Herocon, held
in December this year in Townsville. For
more information, search ‘ADF Wargaming
Association’ on Facebook or visit the
Association’s website at www.adfwga.com
By Pte Codey Anderson
By SSgt Bob Dikkenberg
THE hordes of hell were unleashed on
the world in 1993, causing panic and
controversy, while shaping the world
of video gaming as we know it.
Twenty-three years later, the invasion
begins again with a reimagining of the
terrifying invasion of Hell’s forces.
Bethesda and id Software have
teamed up to release 2016’s rendition of
the classic game Doom.
Featuring ultra-fast gameplay with a
variety of new and remastered weapons
and power-ups, you play as the Doom
Marine, who is activated to do one thing:
stop the hordes of Hell in any way
possible.
Being a fan of the original games and
waiting an eternity for a new title in the
series, I jumped into this game with no
hesitation.
I anticipated what would essentially
be the original Doom, but with a brand
new engine, visuals and lots of new
content.
And it was worth the wait.
The first thing you will notice are the
levels. They are maze-like and detailed –
much like the original games – but with
a fresh take on their design. Remember
to use the mini-map to make navigation
easier.
As expected, the enemies are horrifying, deadly and numerous. If you take on
20 zombies, expect 10 more imps and a
Hell Knight to come running to their aid.
The best part of the game is the
weapons – they make the game worthy
of the same title as its predecessors.
If the satisfying blast of the Super
Shotgun mowing down demons isn’t
enough, the BFG (Big Fraggin’ Gun)
will surely cater to your destructive
needs.
Melee combat is a necessity in this
iteration of Doom, with a new ‘Glory
Kill’ mechanic awarding health and
ammunition when executed correctly.
Power-up runes, weapon and armour
mods have made their way into the
game, and they play a vital role in
your success or failure as you progress
through the levels.
Prepare for a ride if you choose
to play the game on ultra-violence,
nightmare, and the newly added UltraNightmare difficulty – this is a very
combat intensive difficulty, where even
the slightest hesitation will see a Hell
Knight stomping on your head.
Keep a look out for the secret areas
and references to Bethesda and id
Software’s older titles, as they are very
well hidden around the maps.
If you want a game that brings old
school to the new masses of the gaming
community, do not pass this up. This is
highly recommended.
24
People
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Left: Maj Belinda Allen
deployed as part of the
Health Task Element in Task
Group Taji 2.
Right: Cpl Kenneth Bright
provides communication
support for Task Group
Taji 2.
Bottom right: Pte Alex
Ogilvie, left, and WO2
John Craig provide force
protection at the Taji Military
Complex.
Bottom left: Lt Tristan Ross
provides communication
support to Task Group Taji 2.
Photos by Cpl Jake Sims
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before making any decisions about the product.
June 16, 2016
Pte Nicholas Farallo is deployed
to Task Group Afghanistan HQ
at Hamid Karzai International
Airport in Kabul.
Photos by WO2 Andrew Hetherington
People
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
25
Pte Chris Di Florio is a
member of the 8/9RAR
Force Protection Element
working in Kabul.
Cpl Cassandra Rice works
in the ADF post office on
Operation Accordion.
Above: Chap Andrew
Osborne is deployed
to Kabul on Operation
Highroad.
Left: WO2 Megan White
is deployed to Task Group
Afghanistan HQ as the
admin clerk supervisor
at Hamid Karzai
International Airport in
Kabul.
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26
Health
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Nothing to
sneeze at
Trap your flu germs
with tissues – and
then dispose of
them wisely.
The flu virus can be nasty and dangerous, so
Cpl Bill Solomou looks at ways to avoid it.
W
INTER might have been late
to set in this year, but it’s not
too late to get your influenza
vaccination.
Joint Health Command has provided
tips to help you avoid catching the flu.
A highly contagious virus, flu is
spread by fluids from coughing and
sneezing, which can be picked up directly or via surfaces they have settled on.
There are three types of flu virus –
influenza A, B and C – and the virus has
the ability to change its surface structure.
This means your immune system might
not be able to fight the new version that
circulates each season (seasonal flu).
This can cause widespread illness
(known as epidemics and pandemics),
so it is important that people who are
at risk of complications be immunised
each year. Most cases occur within a
six- to eight-week period during winter
and spring.
The first step in flu avoidance is good
personal hygiene:
• Cover your cough.
• Dispose of your used tissue in a plastic-lined bin.
• Wash your hands with soap and
water or an alcohol-based product
after you cough or sneeze.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or
mouth, as germs spread that way.
• If you have a cold, try to avoid contact with others (eg. stay at home).
Some important points to remember:
•The flu is more than just a bad cold
and can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. It can even be a killer for some
people.
•Older people and others most at risk
should be immunised every year.
•Seasonal influenza vaccination is
recommended for all Defence members.
•Protection from the flu takes 10-14
days to develop after immunisation.
For further help: visit your local ADF Health
Centre and read more on seasonal influenza
outbreak management at http://intranet.defence.
gov.au/home/documents/DATA/ADFPUBS/
DHB/HB06_06.PDF, or Health Directive No.
287, Seasonal Influenza Immunisation in the
Australian Defence Force at http://intranet.
defence.gov.au/home/documents/data/ADFPUBS/
HPD/HD287.PDF
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Q. I received a flu shot last year, do I
still need to get one this year?
Yes. Immunity decreases over time and
flu vaccination is needed each year to
ensure you continue to be protected
against the different strains that appear
each year. While vaccination is recommended in early autumn to allow time for
immunity to be strengthened, it is not
too late now. The seasonal influenza vaccine available in Defence is the quadrivalent, which means it can protect against
four strains of the influenza virus.
Q. Can I get seasonal flu even though I
had a flu vaccine this year?
Yes. There is still a possibility you could
get the flu even if you are vaccinated.
The ability of flu vaccine to protect you
depends on various factors, including
your age and health, and also the similarity, or “match”, between the viruses used
to make the vaccine and those circulating in the community. If the viruses in
the vaccine and those circulating in the
community are closely matched, vaccine
effectiveness is higher. If they are not
closely matched, vaccine effectiveness
can be reduced. However, it’s important
to remember that even when the viruses
are not closely matched, the vaccine can
still protect many people and prevent
flu-related complications. Even if you received a flu vaccination towards the end
of the last flu season, you should still be
vaccinated again this flu season.
Q. Is it safe for me to have a flu shot if I
am pregnant?
Yes. The flu vaccine can be safely given
during any stage of pregnancy. Pregnant
women are at increased risk of severe
disease or complications from the flu.
Vaccinating against flu during pregnancy
not only protects pregnant women but
can provide ongoing protection to a
newborn baby for the first six months
after birth.
27
Cricketers set
to take on Brits
Spr Mitchell Adams in action during
the interservice surfing competition.
Sport
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Photo by Jacqueline Llanos – LCP. Global
Cpl Max Bree
Hunting for
the swell
 Army comes second to sailors in interservice surfing
SURFERS from across Army
packed their boards and converged
on the surfing mecca of Ulladulla
for the Interservice Surfing
Championship at Bendalong
Beach in early May.
Upon arrival, Team Army met
with its Air Force and Navy brethren
to address the question that is often
on the mind of every surfer: where
are the waves?
After pouring over swell maps
and picking the brains of locals,
the service presidents decided on
Bendalong Beach as the most likely
location to attract the swell needed
to hold the contest.
After a night spent mulling over
the apparent lack of waves, the competitors arrived at the competition
site as dawn broke. In a display of
the intimate connection to Mother
Nature all surfers share, the service
presidents had managed to find
the only beach for 500km that had
excellent waves.
President of the Army Surf
Riders Association (ASRA)
Maj Myles Conquest said the
waves were perfect for the diverse
nature of the competition.
“After checking every spot in the
Ulladulla area the previous day, our
hopes of finding decent swell were
pretty low. When we came over the
hill at Bendalong we were blown
away by the perfect conditions,” he
said.
In crisp pealing waves around
the three foot mark, the competition
kicked off. Although Army had a
smaller team than in previous years,
it was still represented in the standup paddle board (SUP), long board,
short board and women’s open
categories.
Strong surfing performances
in all three categories continued
throughout the day with competitors
from Army qualifying for the semi
finals across the board.
Despite the high quality waves
earlier, the lack of swell began to
be felt towards the end of the day.
Unfortunately, this swell drought
proceeded into the next day and, as
a result, a lay day was called.
Always on the search for waves,
Team Army set out and found a few
hidden gems in the Lake Tabourie
area.
The swell returned the following
day with conditions much the same
as the first day. Due to the time lost
because of the lay day, the competition became condensed to 15 minute
heats. This made for high-impact
and exciting surfing.
Cpl Brad Newby, Lt Dylan
Storrie and Spr Mitchell Adams
made the finals for the SUP, long
board and short board respectively.
Cpl Newby, having only been
introduced to the SUP on the morning of the competition, put in an
excellent effort in the SUP final. He
took down some veteran SUP riders
from the Navy and Air Force, placing fourth overall.
After extracting a tooth when
his face collided with a surfboard
during the competition, Lt Storrie
performed a combination of classic, modern and downright bizarre
GET YOUR LETTER IN PRINT
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needs addressing or a great
idea to share with the rest of
the Army?
The Army letters page
is a great place for soldiers
to engage with key decision
makers and have their issues
heard.
It’s also a chance for all
Army personnel to read about
the issues that matter most to
their colleagues and find out
what’s being done to resolve
them.
Letters should be kept
below 250 words when
possible and include the
letter writer’s full name, unit
and contact details.
To get your letter in print, write
to the Editor at armynews@
defencenews.gov.au
manoeuvres to seal a fourth-place
finish in the long board final, proving that ‘headstands’ and ‘coffin’
manoeuvres may not score highly,
however, they do draw the attention
of the crowd.
Once the SUP and long board
finals were completed, the waves
turned on for the spectacular short
board final.
Spr Adams went head-to-head
with the most talented surfers from
the Navy and Air Force in a battle
that saw great rides from all competitors. His highly energetic style,
combined with his ability to land
critical manoeuvres, saw him placed
third overall in the short board main
event.
After the individual elements of
the competition had finished, Team
Army competed in the tag team surf
event.
After a solid tactics discussion
headed by ASRA veteran WO2 Brad
Prowse, Team Army decided speed
was key.
“The team event was all about
getting out the back, catching two
waves and getting in as quickly as
possible so we could capitalise on
the points bonus for finishing first,”
WO2 Prowse said.
Although Team Army displayed
its superior fitness by finishing 40
minutes before the end of the event,
it was not enough to knock Navy
out of the top position.
Lt Matthew Worrad claimed the
Mathew Carr award for being instrumental in ensuring that the competition ran smoothly.
Australian Army
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moves around a lot more and overall
the cooler atmospheric conditions are
a bit like playing in Tasmania or New
THE first ADF women’s combined
Zealand,” he said.
services cricket team to tour interna“For our skilled players, it’s not that
tionally is heading overseas from
they can’t adapt, it’s just about how
July 8-29.
quickly they’re going to adapt.”
Along with the men’s combined serThe tour will centre around London
vices side, they will tour the UK playing
and Portsmouth, with the final men’s
against Defence-related cricket clubs and game being played at Lord’s, the “home
British military teams.
of cricket”.
Tour CO Lt-Col James Brownlie said
“UK armed forces are allowed a couit would be difficult to gauge the strength ple of games at Lord’s each year because
of their competition until they started
of their connections going back more than
playing.
a 150 years,” Lt-Col Brownlie said.
“We know from the UK women’s
“They’re playing on the nursery
sides that were out here last year they
ground but it’s still in the Lord’s complex,
have quality players with bat and ball,”
so we’re extremely honoured to be given
he said.
the privilege.”
“We don’t know what their combined
Team physios have designed programs
services women’s team is like, but if it’s
for the players to try and turn their “milibased on their Army women’s side, they’ll tary” fitness into “professional sports”
be strong.”
fitness to handle the heavy workload of
English weather could likely be a
the constant stream of games they will be
factor in the Australian’s performance,
playing.
according to Lt-Col Brownlie.
“I’m pretty confident that by the time
“Pitch conditions are generally a
we get to the key games we’ll really be
bit softer. They use a different ball that
hitting our stride,” Lt-Col Brownlie said.
Hitting their stride in
lead-up to selection
Leut Kirsti Burtenshaw
THE ADF Rugby Union women’s
team are preparing to take on
Australia’s best women’s teams in
a bid for victory and international
Wallaroo selection.
The team will initially compete
in Pool A of the Australian Rugby
Union (ARU) National 15s Women’s
Championships at Lane Cove in Sydney
from June 24-26. Sharing their four-team
pool is Victoria, WA and Sydney, which
will be their first hurdle at 8.30am on
June 24.
Australian Wallaroo and ADFRU
player Cpl Mollie Gray said last year
at the ARU 7s they showed the rest of
Australia they were a force to be reckoned with.
“With a top four result in 2015 in the
7s and having not entered that competition in 2016, the 15s Nationals are going
to be our chance to go one better,” she
said.
The opportunity to shine individually
is also not lost on the ADFRU women,
with ARU selectors taking a keen interest
in the Nationals as they look to finalise
the Wallaroo squad for the 2017 Women’s
World Cup.
Seven ADFRU players are part of a
squad that may be added to before being
whittled down to the final player group,
which will head to Ireland in August next
year.
ARU Wallaroo squad member and
ADFRU player Lt Sharyn Laws said
“with seven players from our team (six
of them from Army in the current ARU
Wallaroos training squad), and the rest of
the team oozing with talent and drive, we
have the ability and drive to succeed in
this competition”.
“The 15s Nationals also provide an
opportunity to show what we have got to
the rest of Australia and the ARU selectors. Those of us who are in the current
training squad are determined to stay
there and the rest of us are champing at
the bit to get there.”
The ARU 15s Nationals also provide
fantastic preparation for the ADFRU
team leading into their proposed tour to
the US in October.
For more information and to keep up to date
with the results from the Nationals, visit www.
rugby.com.au and “ADF Rugby” on Facebook.
SPORT
June 16, 2016
Lt Dylan Storrie, of 2CER, catches a
wave in the long board finals of the
interservice surfing competition on
the NSW South Coast.
Photo by Jacqueline Llanos – LCP. Global
SURF’S UP
Army’s surfing fraternity heads to
Ulladulla for interservice comp
Page 27
NEW ENEMIES FOLLOW OUR veterans HOME
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trained to fight. DefenceCare helps them with these battles.
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Claims Manager,
DefenceCare
To give $5, please text ‘CARE’ to 1990 11 11. fightingnewenemies.com.au
Peter Hartung
German WW2 Veteran
Pte Lindsay Martin, of 8/9RAR,
tackles the obstacle course
during Exercise Kokoda – the
resilience training phase of
Subject One for Corporal – at
Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera.
SPECIAL LIFT-OUT
Photo by Cpl Mark Doran
MOULDING
LEADERS
AT WONCO-A
2
WONCO-A
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Culture of innovation
 The Warrant Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer Academy plays a key role in Army’s people capability
Cpl Mark Doran
“AT ALL times the academy strives to
lead, mentor and train.”
The staff and instructors at the
Warrant Officer and Non Commissioned
Officer Academy (WONCO-A) have an
important mission – to deliver specified all-corps soldier training continuum courses to enable the Land Warfare
Centre to deliver training, education and
educational services.
Close to 10 per cent of the Army’s
soldiers, NCOs and WOs receive training at the five wings across Australia
each year.
These wings are located at Kokoda
Barracks (Canungra), Gallipoli Barracks
(Brisbane), RAAF Base Edinburgh
(Adelaide), Robertson Barracks
(Darwin) and Lavarack Barracks
(Townsville).
CO/CI WONCO-A Lt-Col Michael
Scott said the academy was a professional organisation and a centre of
excellence in the delivery of all-corps
soldier training.
“The academy aspires to a culture of
innovation where individuals are enabled and empowered to achieve excellence in all that we do,” he said.
“Trainees who attend our courses are
challenged and extended.
“They are readied and prepared for
the opportunity, responsibility and privilege of serving as junior leaders and
appointment holders within the Army.”
OC Canungra Wing Maj Ben
Gallacher said a sub-unit command
at the academy was a rewarding
experience.
“However, working with Army’s
senior warrant officers and sergeants to
deliver first-class leadership training to
Army’s future leaders is not without its
challenges,” he said.
“An intimate understanding of the
all-corps soldier training continuum is
essential, as well as the ability to support instructor development, the career
management of instructors, foster a
positive learning environment and drive
innovation.
“The work we do is important and
supports Army’s management of its people capability.
“Without effective residential professional development courses, Army
would not continue to be at the forefront
of leadership training and development.”
Sgt Megan Walker, of WONCO-A South
Qld Wing, supervises trainees conducting
a task during Exercise Kokoda – the
resilience training phase of Subject One for
Corporal – at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera.
Photos by Cpl Mark Doran
CAREER
MILESTONE
Army asked the Directorate of Soldier
Career Management Army about the
benefits of a posting to WONCO-A.
Lt-Col Mick Say, of the Career
Advisor Group, said a posting to the
academy was a key milestone in the
career of a senior soldier and warrant
officer.
“Hard-earned knowledge and
experience can be transferred to the
next generation,” he said.
“Army can also make an assessment on the performance and potential of a sergeant, WO2 and WO1 in
the all-corps environment, relative to
their peers.”
Soldiers seeking a posting to the
academy must be recommended by
their assessing officer as suitable
for an instructional posting on their
annual report.
Check out www.facebook.com/WONCOA for
more information and images of the academy’s activities. Access WONCO-A SharePoint
at http://legacy/TeamWeb2010/ARMY/
forcomd/RMCA/Training%20Centres/LWC/
WONCOA/Sites%20Pages/WONCO-A%20
HOME.aspx
It is rewarding as an instructor to see
the growth of soldiers as they develop
their leadership skills and personal
motivation during the eight-week course.
– Sgt Megan Walker,
WONCO-A South Qld Wing
June 16, 2016
WONCO-A
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
3
moulds best leaders
Give back as an
instructor and reap
the rewards
Cpl Mark Doran
INSTRUCTORS and staff at
WONCO-A are given a unique opportunity to “give back” as they share
their experiences and hard-earned
knowledge with the next generation
of soldiers.
The 154 staff with WONCO-A train
about 2100 soldiers each year, although
this can fluctuate depending on the
directed training requirement from
Forcomd.
There are many opportunities for
reserve staff at WONCO-A and nearly
120 reservists are trained each year.
Instructors are also given an opportunity to develop professionally in preparation for their own future appointments
within Army.
Sgt Megan Walker, of South Qld
Wing, said she was offered a position as
an instructor to increase her profile as a
sergeant ready for promotion.
“I’m glad I took the offer because I
definitely enjoy it here,” she said.
“WONCO-A is a collective of
SNCOs and officers who work together
extremely well to produce the best training we can for our troops.
“It is rewarding as an instructor
to see the growth of soldiers as they
develop their leadership skills and personal motivation during the eight-week
course.
“I would recommend a posting to the
academy, especially for anybody who
enjoys watching and being involved in
the development of soldiers, along with
Sgt Brendon Hope,
of WONCO-A South
Qld Wing, instructs
trainees on Subject
One for Corporal.
developing their own skills and harnessing their own knowledge.”
Sgt Brendon Hope, of South Qld
Wing, said communication was the most
vital skill an instructor required.
“We need to be able to adjust our
message and tailor it to our audience,”
he said.
“The instructors at WONCO-A come
from varied backgrounds and it can be
beneficial to have an instructional background, but the academy runs mandatory
training each year for the new staff to
ensure they can deliver drill, weapons
and theory lessons.
“A good instructor is firm, but fair,
and able to make independent judgement
calls. They need to be able to communicate their message well and identify with
the younger soldiers.”
Sgt Andrew Ballantyne, of Canungra
Wing, said the challenge faced by
instructors at the academy was how to
generate effective leaders from a wide
and varied experience level within the
all-corps environment.
“All soldiers have different methods
and a view on what makes a good leader
and some styles of leadership are more
successful than others,” he said.
“I believe a strong leader doesn’t just
demonstrate one style for all scenarios,
but assesses the situation, is flexible and
adapts to produce positive outcomes.
“At WONCO-A, we don’t always
advise what’s best – we create discussion to guide trainees and give them the
tools and opportunities to discover what
will make them the most effective soldier they can be.”
4
WONCO-A
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
TEST OF
RESILIENCE
5
Soldiers on Subject One for Corporal attempt the
‘Spiders Web’ challenge during Exercise Kokoda.
Subject One for Corporal is a defining moment in a soldier’s career, Cpl Mark Doran reports.
S
UBJECT One for Corporal
is classed as the most crucial
course of a soldier’s military
career.
WONCO-A instructor Sgt Megan
Walker said the course was extremely
important because it was a soldier’s first
step for a future of leadership within the
ADF.
“Trainees face two main challenges,”
she said.
“The first is the physical challenge
because they didn’t prepare themselves
for the toughness of this course, while the
second is mental.
“A lot of students come to the course
without having the experiences of field,
drill, delivering lessons or navigation
because their corps do not participate in
these activities on a regular basis.
“Preparation for the course includes
having the self-motivation to improve
their personal qualities and leadership
skills and having the initiative to speak to
someone to improve skills in which they
may be lacking.”
Pte Chad Phillips, of 6RAR, who
had a break for three years after his first
enlistment term, has been an infantry soldier for a total of five years.
He deployed with 1RAR to Malaysia
in 2009 as a member of Rifle Company
Butterworth.
Pte Phillips said his main
challenges on the course
were the drill lessons.
“It was hard to
memorise the 40-minute lesson plan, but
the instructors gave us
enough time to prepare
for the formative and
summative assessments,” he said.
“I now have the
lesson blueprint
firmly ingrained in
my head.”
Pte Phillips said
the adult learning
environment at
WONCO-A taught
him how to be a
proficient junior
leader and
gave him the confidence to step-up when
needed.
“The instructors are professional and
focus on the important skills required as
an NCO,” he said.
“They have a wealth
of experience and the
desire to pass on their
knowledge.
“I’m enjoying the course
and looking
forward to
returning to
6RAR
to use
my
new
skills.”
Pte
Sarah
Bowland, of
7CSR, joined
the Army in 2011
as a driver specialist
with RACT.
She
deployed with 9FSB to the Middle East
in 2013 on Operation Slipper.
Pte Bowland said although the promotion course was challenging, she had an
advantage because she performed a section commander’s role within her unit.
“It’s important for students to brushup on the core soldier skills they may
have not touched for a while, such as
navigation, communication and infantry
minor tactics,” she said.
“Learning something different for the
first time in a short time before an assessment is always challenging and puts us
under a lot of pressure.”
Pte Bowland said the WONCO-A
instructors were approachable and
encouraged the trainees to think for themselves.
“I’m enjoying the course because it
has given me an opportunity to meet and
work with a range of people from various
corps and backgrounds,” she said.
“Some of the training took me out of
my comfort zone, but once I passed the
assessments I felt a sense of accomplishment.”
Three muesli bars;
three days – and not
much sleep
Right: Pte Jessica
Clune, of 1 MP Bn,
climbs over the cargo
net during the obstacle
course on Exercise
Kokoda.
Cpl Mark Doran
Far right: Pte Steven
MacDonald, of
8/9RAR, fills his
trousers with air
for flotation during
Exercise Kokoda.
Pte Christina Eyles, of the
Army Personnel Administration
Centre in South Queensland,
tackles the obstacle course
during Exercise Kokoda.
Right: Pte Sarah
Bowland, of 7CSR,
studies on her
laptop during
Subject One for
Corporal.
Above: Cfn Paul Henrich, right, of 2/14 LHR (QMI),
instructs a member of his blindfolded section during
the Exercise Kokoda resilience training phase of
Subject One for Corporal.
Left: Pte Samuel Wride, of 8/9RAR, makes his way
through the bayonet assault course.
Photos by Cpl Mark Doran
experiences made the challenges of
Exercise Kokoda easier, it was also
a good opportunity for him to learn
A POWERFUL tool used at
WONCO-A is a test of resilience in from the other trainees.
“I didn’t enjoy not eating, but not
which the trainees are required to
sleeping for three days was the hardperform tasks and push through
est part,” he said.
without sleep and limited food for
“The resilience training put us in
three days and nights.
an unfamiliar, stressful environment
Three muesli bars, water and
and built upon the quality of the
Staminade were all the rations
mateship within our section.
allowed during the recent Exercise
“I definitely learnt a lot from the
Kokoda at Gallipoli Bks, Enoggera.
experience.”
Fatigue and hunger add to the
Instructor Sgt Brendon Hope said
challenges of physical training, menthe
resilience training at WONCO-A
tal exercises, route marching, water
activities, including military flotation was an important phase of the course.
“As a society we probably live too
and the high-wire course, as well
comfortably and have lost our toleras the obstacle and bayonet assault
ance for suffering,” he said.
courses.
“If we want good leaders on the
WONCO-A instructor Sgt Megan
battlefield who can develop resilient
Walker said Exercise Kokoda was
soldiers, they need to be shown an
designed to push soldiers to see how
example of challenging training.
they performed and led under ardu“Exercise Kokoda is a physious conditions in a stressful environcal activity, which means students
ment.
“We assess it by whether the train- need to be physically ready and have
refreshed their basic military skills.”
ees have the right attitude and motiPte Jason Twinkler, of 8/9RAR,
vation to push through the mental
and physical demands of the exercise enlisted in 2009 and deployed to
Afghanistan in 2012 and 2015, and
and what they achieve at the end,”
has been to Malaysia as a part of
she said.
Rifle Company Butterworth.
“Having the right attitude means
He said Exercise Kokoda was simithey follow Army’s values by respectlar to previous challenges he faced
ing themselves and their section,
while using their strengths and weak- during his infantry training and on
operations.
nesses to pull each other through.
“The lack of food and sleep did
“It also means not allowing their
wear us down after a couple of days,
own mind to defeat themselves.”
but we knew we just had to keep
Cfn Paul Henrich, of 2/14 LHR
going and push through,” he said.
(QMI), joined the Army in 2009.
“The highlight was the opportuHe deployed to Afghanistan
nity to work with soldiers from differon Operation Slipper in 2012 and
ent corps and units and form a bond
Operation Highroad in 2015.
He said although his operational
with them.”
6
WONCO-A
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Moving into positions
“
 WONCO-A has high expectations of soldiers on promotion courses
Cpl Mark Doran
At WONCO-A it is likely people will
meet senior soldiers with varied operational experiences and all-corps proficiencies in combat, combat support
and combat services.
And that’s not just the instructors.
Sgt Andrew Ballantyne, of
WONCO-A, said the aim of instructors
was to share the diverse expertise and
knowledge to assist others to grow as
soldiers within the Army.
“Ensuring all trainees complete the
subject courses with the most current
and practical knowledge is paramount,”
he said.
“Although our training is doctrinebased, it is a guideline, as our experiences of real-world situations are also
given to the trainees to inform them of
what are best practices.”
Bdr Elton George, of the School of
Artillery, is a lateral transfer from the
British Army in which he served for 25
years.
He joined the Australian Army as a
joint fires observer in 2015 and, after
completing his induction and trade
courses, became an instructor at the
school.
Bdr George, who was a WO1 in
Britain and served on operations in
Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and
Afghanistan, said although he completed
all his promotion courses in England,
the training in Australia was very different.
“I had to memory-dump a lot of my
British Army training to take up my new
role within the ADF,” he said.
“The instructional techniques are
similar, but there are differences in the
drill, words of command, tactics and
procedures.
“This course taught me how to tailor
my instructions to an audience and how
my Pommy colloquialisms don’t translate very well to the Australians.”
Bdr George said a highlight of his
time at WONCO-A was to see the level
of maturity of the staff and the respect
they gave the students in what was an
adult learning environment.
“At the start of the course we were
told we would be treated as if we
already held the next rank, which made
us want to demonstrate that extra authority within our group structure,” he said.
“What stands out for me is by the
second week of the course I had met
every member of the WONCO-A staff
from the CO down, who all engage with
the students and ask how they are going.
That’s a big thumbs-up for me.”
Bdr George said preparation was
important before beginning Subject One
for Sergeant at WONCO-A.
“We are not just learning to be sergeants, we are also learning subject matter topics we may have not touched for a
while,” he said.
“A trainee’s chain of command
should be behind their soldiers to give
them the time to prepare for the course,
because it’s not just a reflection on the
soldier; it’s also a reflection on the unit.
“My advice is students can set
themselves up for success or failure
dependant on the amount of effort and
study they put in before and during the
course.”
A sergeant normally supports a lieutenant commanding a platoon or troop
and usually has the role of administration, discipline, training and the maintenance of standards.
Sgt Rob Gillespie, of Canungra
Wing, said he expected corporal trainees
to have good general military knowledge
and a desire to learn.
“We expect our students to have the
fortitude to get in there and get things
At the start of the
course we were told
we would be treated
as if we already
held the next rank,
which made us want
to demonstrate that
extra authority within
our group structure.
– Bdr Elton George,
Sub 1 for Sgt trainee
done without holding back,” he said.
“Fitness and drill should be at a reasonable standard, as should their understanding of military law, operations and
delivering orders.
“I have found the students’ level of
enthusiasm is high at the start of the
course, though they do have added pressure as the work load increases.
“It’s fantastic to watch a trainee who
is not so competent in a specific area
achieve the required standard at the end
of the course and even be surprised with
themselves.”
Cpl Kellie Richter, of ADFIS HQ
Northern Region, joined the Army in
2008.
She is an operator supply in RAAOC
and deployed to the Middle East on
Operation Slipper in 2010 and Operation
Kruger in 2011.
Cpl Richter said her pre-course study
included brushing-up on her referencing
skills for military manuals and remembering where to look for information.
“It’s only early days for my
course, but the staff and instructors at
WONCO-A are very approachable and
quick to offer advice,” she said.
“The classrooms at the academy are
well equipped and it’s a good time of
the year to be training in the Gold Coast
hinterland.
“This is my last subject course for
sergeant, though I’m not sure when I’ll
be promoted.
“I’m a career soldier, so this is an
important stepping stone for my future
career.”
Cpl Cameron Baldwin, of 1RTB,
enlisted in 2006 as a cavalry trooper and
deployed to Iraq on Operation Kruger
in 2010.
He is currently a member of 1RTB’s
Training Support Coy and instructs
recruits on marksmanship at Kapooka.
Cpl Baldwin said his time as a 1RTB
instructor gave him a good understanding of what the WONCO-A instructors
and trainees needed to accomplish during their lessons.
“It also gave me an advantage when
it came to drill instruction and preparing
a lesson,” he said.
“The pre-course study provided
by the academy was helpful and the
research needed for the effective speaking task taught me more about my role
in the Army.
“This is my first promotion course
for sergeant, so it will be a while before
I am promoted.
“The Kokoda Barracks gym facilities
have been great to use in my down time
and the food in the mess is excellent.”
Bdr Elton George, of the School
of Artillery, practises delivering
a presentation to his section
during Subject One for Sergeant.
WONCO-A
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
7
of command
Cpl Cameron Baldwin, of 1RTB, and Cpl Kellie
Richter, of the ADF Investigative Service,
during the Subject One for Sergeant course
conducted at Kokoda Barracks, Canungra.
Photos by Cpl Mark Doran
Training the next generation
of Army’s sergeant majors
Cpl Mark Doran
A WO2 position is a senior management role focused on the training,
welfare and discipline of a company,
squadron or battery of up to 200
soldiers.
“
The sergeant major is the soldier
with the most influence at the sub-unit
level.
CSMs, SSMs, ASMs and BSMs are
often the calming influence over the
directives from the commander through
to the digger on the ground.
They act as senior adviser to the
commander of a sub-unit and are also
employed in more senior logistics and
technical trades in most corps of the
Army.
A sergeant major also manages individual soldiers who are ready to move
forward in their careers.
WO2 Scott Chivers, of WONCO-A
Canungra Wing, is an instructor with
the warrant officer training team.
His experience and passion as an
instructor comes from time posted to
1RTB and the School of Artillery.
WO2 Chivers said his role was to
prepare sergeants with individual training for the knowledge, skills and attitude to be a part of the next generation
of Army warrant officers.
“Academic knowledge and selfawareness are required for this promotion,” he said.
“This includes the ability to understand military publications, reference
documents and how these can support
decision making.
“Other skills include networking and
communication.
“Warrant officers also need to be
able to advise superiors and subordi-
If I don’t take personal responsibility
for training the younger generation,
then I have no excuse if we deliver
a poor product.
nates so they can align to their intent
and support the chain of command.
“Attitude can come from taking
what is seen in other warrant officers and melding it with their personal
strengths to build a unique image.”
WO2 Chivers said extensive preparation was required before the course
to ensure trainees were at the high
standard expected of a senior sergeant
at WONCO-A.
“Trainees have obviously been identified as having skills, but they need
to ensure their basic skills are up to
date, such as drill and service writing,”
he said. “Before the course they may
also need to learn more about military
operations in an all-corps environment
to prepare them to be Army’s next warrant officers.”
WO2 Chivers said the biggest challenge as an instructor was to provide
individual training across a course’s
large student body.
– WO2 Scott Chivers,
WONCO-A Canungra Wing
“We need to find the middle ground
to ensure that when we instruct we are
not insulting a student’s intelligence or
teaching at a level they may struggle
with,” he said.
“I enjoy the instructional side of my
career and believe it is every soldier’s
duty to move forward and reach back to
bring other people forward.
“It would be a disservice to sit here
with my skills and not pass anything
on.
“If I don’t take personal responsibility for training the younger generation,
then I have no excuse if we deliver a
poor product.”
WO2 Chivers said if a company,
battery or squadron had a good commander and a good sergeant major, it
would have good results.
“If the sergeant major is poor, the
unit will not be able to perform,” he
said.
A soldier practises
delivering a
presentation to
his section during
Subject One for
Sergeant.
WO2 Scott Chivers, of
WONCO-A Canungra
Wing, is an instructor
on the Subject One
for Warrant Officer
course held at Kokoda
Barracks, Canungra.
8
WONCO-A
www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews
June 16, 2016
Far-reaching lessons
 WONCO-A’s international focus creates relationships for the future
Cpl Mark Doran
WONCO-A employs one US Army
instructor and trains 25 to 30 international students each year across all
promotion courses.
The Northern Territory Wing
recently started to provide training
for the Marine Rotational Force –
Darwin, assisted by US instructors.
International trainees originate
from Malaysia, Papua New Guinea,
Tonga, United Arab Emirates, Jordan,
United States and Singapore.
US Army instructors are posted
to WONCO-A for 18 months to two
years and deliver their most up-todate training methods, particularly in
the area of military operations and the
military appreciation process.
WONCO-A instructor WO2 Scott
Chivers said the US Army instructors
provided valuable insight into larger
forces’ capabilities and limitations.
“They give us a good understanding of how our major ally would
conduct themselves on the ground,”
he said.
“At the same time they are crossloading information, much like our
international students.
“They have proven themselves to
be experienced, reliable and valuable
instructors.”
Sgt Ridzwan Fadzly Rospiluji,
of the Malaysian Army, completed
Subject One for Warrant Officer at
Canungra Wing in early May.
After attaining top marks for the
ADF English Language Profiling
System test in Malaysia, he was sent
to the Defence International Training
Centre at RAAF Base Laverton in
Melbourne.
While there he completed a twoweek linguistic and familiarisation
course before starting his subject
course at Canungra.
Senior Instructor WO1 Andrew
Stuart presents Malaysian
trainee Bdr Mohd Shariff Kamal
Bin Robani with a certificate of
completion after finishing Subject
One for Sergeant.
Sgt Ridzwan said the opportunity to attend the course in Australia
was a dream for every soldier in the
Malaysian Army.
“It was hard for me at first because
I don’t have a lot of experience in
the fundamentals of infantry or land
warfare tactics, techniques and procedures, as my main role is in cyberdefence,” he said.
“The language barrier sometimes
made it hard for me to understand
what was being conveyed in class,
but thankfully I had a lot of friendly
course mates who always helped me
to understand the lessons and the
WONCO-A instructors were very
patient.
“The international student
exchange is the good way to keep
the ongoing relationship between
Malaysia and Australia under the Five
Power Defence Arrangements.”
Fellow trainee Sgt Dhiraj Sinha, of
138 Sig Sqn, said it was a steep learning curve for Sgt Ridzwan because
the differences between Australian
and Malaysian procedures, military
justice and drill were vast.
“However, his eagerness to learn
and instant rapport with his Australian
peers set him up for success,” he said.
“Sgt Ridzwan brought a fresh
dynamic to the course by offering
an international perspective, which
added a depth of learning.
“The mutual learning was
enhanced by his excellent English
vocational skills and his ability to
articulate the Malaysian perspective.
“Sgt Ridzwan will leave Australia
with a wealth of experience and
knowledge, which will help foster the
relationship between our countries
and hopefully be a stepping stone
to future collaboration between our
nations.”
Pte Chad Phillips, of 6RAR, practises
conducting a weapons lesson with
soldiers from his section during
Subject One for Corporal.
Pte Chris
Holden,
of 6RAR,
navigates his
way across
the over-water
obstacle
course during
Exercise
Kokoda.
Pte Ryan
Stephenson, of
8/9RAR, prepares
to run the
obstacle course
during Exercise
Kokoda.
Tpr Jacob Watkins, of the School of
Armour, and Cfn Justin Marsh, of
6RAR, practise their water-crossing
skills during Exercise Kokoda, part of
Subject One for Corporal.
Photos by Cpl Mark Doran