DeFeNCe IN THe COMMuNITY · DeFeNCe IN THe COMMuNITY ... Masterchef contestant Poh Ling Yeow prepares a meal onboard HMAS Kanimbla during filming for an episode of the program which

Issue 5, 2009

m a g a z i n e ›

Photo: credit to come

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DeFeNCe IN THe COMMuNITYAbOve: Patrolman Private Manuel brown from the Tiwi Islands catches up with, and camouflages his nephew and niece, eight-year-old Jaque Gebadi and four-year-old Jamieleah Taylor at the 2008 Oenpelli cultural festival, Northern Territory. Private brown is part of a Regional Force surveillance Patrol from NORFORCe’s Darwin squadron that helped celebrate the festival and the local culture. More examples of Defence’s work in the community can be found inside.

Phot

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2www.defence.gov.au/defencemagazine

Defence

magazineeditor: Michael WeaverPhone: 02 6265 7117

Deputy editor: Jack FosterPhone: 02 6265 1949

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Defence Magazine is produced by the Directorate of Internal Communication, Public Affairs Branch.

ISSN 1446-229X

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How to contribute to DeFeNCe MAGAzINe

Contact Michael Weaveror [email protected] Phone: 02 6265 7117http://www.defence.gov.au/defencemagazine/

Contents d e f e n c e m a g a z i n e ›

editorialAt this halfway point of the year, we at

Defence Magazine figured it would be timely

for a nice holiday…of sorts.

This edition treks not only throughout

Australia, but takes an around-the-world

journey to explore Defence’s wide and vital

role in the community, albeit without the palm

tree-fringed beaches.

The Secretary and the Chief of the

Defence Force welcome in the new Ministerial

leadership in Canberra, while also advocating

the importance of Defence’s role in their world.

From there, a member from the

Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department

speaks about his experience of incorporating

niche-community specialists into a large

organisation.

Our cover story takes us into some of

Arnhem Land’s most inspiring landscape and

the heartland of the Defence Indigenous

Development Program where 20 new Army

recruits proudly received their slouch hat

and NORFORCE colour patch during a recent

graduation.

As part of the 2009 Defence OHS Awards,

we speak to Navy engineers in Western

Australia on the merits of their confined space

trainer, which was just one of the innovative

winners now in line for national recognition.

Back on the east coast, the ship’s

company of HMAS Newcastle takes a well-

deserved bow for its efforts in assisting a very

special school in its home town.

In Afghanistan, the 1st Mentoring and

Reconstruction Task Force documents how it is

rebuilding communities, while we also look at

a logistics course for Iraqis in Sydney that will

greatly assist their own defence force.

From there, we transit to Woodside

Barracks in South Australia, sail to HMAS

Stirling in WA, before boarding an Air Force

C-17 for a goodwill visit to Indonesia.

All in a day’s work really.

- Michael Weaver, Editor

Inside this edition

ColumnsSecretary 10Chief of the Defence Force 11

NewsSnapshot 4Snapshot pictorial 12Navy reshapes for New Generation 14Diversity rethink from Washington expert 15Blood-thirsty: Defence rises to blood donor challenge 16

Cover storyNew beginnings: Defence Indigenous Development Program 18

FeaturesPeople Strategy and Policy: OHS champions for 2009 20Navy: HMAS Newcastle walks tall 24Operations: Rebuilding communities in Afghanistan 26International Policy: Logisitics course for Iraqis 28Army: Woodside Barracks opens its doors in SA 30A mayor’s perspective on Rockingham in WA 31Defence Community Organisation: Helping ADF families thrive 32DSTO: Scientists in schools makes connections 34Navy: Tassie program engages Australia-wide 36Air Force: C-17 drops into Indonesia 38The Last Word: Midshipman Clare White 39

PHOTO OF THe MONTH:Masterchef contestant Poh Ling Yeow prepares a meal onboard HMAS Kanimbla during filming for an episode of the program which gives budding chefs the ultimate opportunity to develop their cooking skills, be mentored by the best and ultimately make a change in their lives. Photo: LSPH Phillip Cullinan


news

snapshotAfghan and Australian forces praised against taliban insurgentsThe Commanding Officer of the first Australian Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF–1), Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL) Shane Gabriel, has praised the growing capability of Afghan soldiers following the successful completion of a combined Afghan-Australian cordon-and-search operation.

Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel said the Afghan

and Australian forces recently completed

Operation Zamarai Lor (Tiger Scythe) in the Miribad

region of Oruzgan Province, to the east of the

MRTF’s main base at Tarin Kowt.

LTCOL Gabriel praised soldiers from the 2nd

Kandak of the Afghan National Army’s (ANA) 4th

Brigade, who are being mentored and supported

by Australia’s Operational Mentoring and Liaison

Team (OMLT).

“It was very good to see just how well the

ANA responded to the work that has been done

with them by their mentors. They took great heart

having a platoon of Australian soldiers from the

Combat Team fighting there alongside them,”

LTCOL Gabriel said.

LTCOL Gabriel said he was pleased with the

way that the Afghan soldiers had taken the fight

to the Taliban insurgents, moving forward through

difficult terrain against a dangerous adversary who

used rocket propelled grenades (RPG), machine gun

fire and other weapons.

The four-day mission centred on cordon-and-

search operations within the Sorkh Lez village.

“I don’t think you could ask for a much better

measure of success than to move into an area and

demonstrate to the local people that the Afghan National Army is here to secure the location.”

This latest operation pushed insurgents back further, with the ANA and MRTF–1 soldiers discovering a small cache of weapons on the first day, before the insurgents attacked with multiple engagements occurring during the conduct of the operation.

The combined Afghan-Australian force continued to be engaged with small arms, machine gun fire and RPGs, as the insurgents attacked from multiple positions.

Adding to the difficulty of the conditions was the extreme heat of the Afghan summer, which saw the battle being fought as temperature climbed to near 40°C.

No Australians were wounded during these contacts. One ANA soldier received a minor wound, however was able to continue on with the mission.

Defence nt shaves for a cureThe Leukaemia Foundation of Australia recently announced that Defence NT raised the most funds of any public sector team in the nation during the World’s Greatest Shave held in March.

Larrakeyah Barracks, HMAS Coonawarra,

Defence Establishment Berrimah, Robertson

Barracks and RAAF Base Darwin combined as

Defence NT to raise more than $40,000.

As well as the honour of raising the most

funds of any public sector team in Australia,

Defence NT was also named the highest fund-

raising team in NT and SA and the 14th highest

team in the nation. Robertson Barracks was the

AbOve: Australian soldiers and a bushmaster Protected Mobility vehicle are silhouetted against an Afghan sunrise as they prepare for another day's mission during Operation zamarai Lor. RIGHT: After a long, hot day of patrolling, Corporal William Pittaway and his fellow Australian soldiers move to their overwatch position in southern Afghanistan.Photos: CPL Ricky Fuller

snIPshot100th sADI agreement signed

CAE Australia Pty Ltd has become the 100th

company to sign an agreement under the Skilling

Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) Program.

The SADI Program shares the responsibility for

skills growth and development between defence

industry and Government.

CAE is a leading provider of simulation and

modelling technologies to the ADF.

The Australian Government recently committed

more than $40 million to the development of skilled

resources in the defence industry sector to meet

Defence’s future requirements, with 50 agreements

signed in the past six months.

HMAs Toowoomba farewelled

Royal Australian Navy Anzac Class Frigate,

HMAS Toowoomba, recently departed for a

six-month deployment to the Middle East Area of

Operation before a large gathering of family and

friends at Fleet Base West at Garden Island, WA.

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship,

Senator the Hon Chris Evans, representing the

Minister for Defence, congratulated the Commanding

Officer of Toowoomba, Commander Ivan Ingham, for

the dedication shown by his ship’s company during

the rigorous training program they underwent in

preparation for the deployment.

“Toowoomba has a difficult task ahead of them,

however the ship is well prepared and mission

ready,” Senator Evans said.

During her deployment, the frigate will promote

security in the maritime environment, regional

stability and global trade.

victorian bosses to experience Defence life

A group of 30 Victorian employers recently

spent a weekend at RAAF Base Williams as part

of Exercise Executive Stretch (EES)—a Defence

program designed to allow employers to directly

experience the type of training that their employees

undertake as Reservists.

top fund-raising team for NT/SA, very closely

followed by Defence Larrakeyah, which included

Coonawarra and Berrimah in third place in the

NT/SA.

In a bid to encourage donations, commanders

from each base set a friendly challenge to raise

the most money. The stakes were high with the

commanders of the losing bases having to fly the

winner’s standard or pennant at their yard arm

for a week.

With no holds barred, everyone from the

most junior Navy Seaman to the most senior

Army Brigadier emptied their pockets in the

two-month lead-up to support their commander.

NT businesses, ADF colleagues and friends from

all over Australia and overseas supported the

three teams.

As 1st Brigade’s flag flew from the mast heads

of the other northern bases, Commander Northern

Command, Commodore David Gwyther, graciously

thanked all those who dug deep for the cause.

“I am very proud of you all. It was a

magnificent effort. I congratulate Commander 1st

Brigade and look forward to a rematch next year.

The ADF punches above its weight in the north,”

he said.

Robertson Barracks pipped the others at the

post, by raising more than $20,000 in answer to

Defence Larrakeyah’s efforts of just under $19,000.

Army art on show in wADue to world events, this year’s Army Art Show will move from the usual venue of the Special Air Service Regiment Auxiliary at Campbell Barracks to Leeuwin Barracks in East Fremantle, WA, with opening night scheduled for Friday, 28 August.

The Army Art Show started more than 33

years ago and prides itself on West Australian

art, such as paintings, sculpture, glass, silk,

jewellery etc, which are all produced and crafted

by either established or emerging talented artists

in their fields.

Everything displayed at the Army Art Show

exhibition is for sale. There is an entry fee to

exhibit the work, and if sold, a commission is

deducted which goes towards the donation to the

chosen beneficiary, which this year is GROW – a

community mental health movement organised

and led by people recovering and recovered from

mental illness, or from various other personal

inadequacies or problems of life.

Well known community identity, Police

Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan, will open the

show. The show will remain open on Saturday 29th

and Sunday 30th August for the general public at a

nominal fee of $2 entry.

d e f e n c e m a g a z i n e ›

AbOve: Robertson barracks Headquarters staff with the Leukaemia Foundation shave for a Cure 2009 trophy for raising the most funds in the Northern Territory and south Australia. Photo: LSPH Helen Frank

continued page 7 >


news

snapshot

ADF launches Legacy torch Appeal for 2009Military top brass from the three Services recently joined with Major General (MAJGEN) Jim Molan (Rtd) to help launch the Legacy Torch Appeal for 2009: ‘A Legacy of Leadership’.

Commander Australian Fleet RADM Nigel

Coates, Commander Training Command – Australia

Major General Michael Hindmarsh and Commander

Air Lift Group Air Commodore John Oddie joined

the author of Running The War in Iraq to launch the

Legacy Torch Appeal at the Strangers’ Room in NSW

Parliament House on 10 June.

More than 100 people attended the launch

presided over by Sydney Legacy President John

Bertram and featuring sports commentator Gordon

Bray as the master of ceremonies.

The ADF demonstrated its commitment to

raising much-needed funds for Legacy which

provides vital care for the families of deceased

Australian Service personnel by auctioning three

military VIP experiences.

MAJGEN Molan said the ADF raised $12,000

for Legacy by auctioning a sea-ride for six people

on a RAN warship, a 10-day Adventure Kokoda Trek

and a VIP tour for two people at RAAF Richmond.

MAJGEN Molan said the funds raised from this year’s appeal will help Legacy continue to assist 122,000 widows, 1800 children and a large number people with disabilities Australia-wide, with essential services such as counselling, special housing, medical, advocacy and social support.

MAJGEN Molan, who as the Coalition Forces' Chief of Operations from 2004 to 2005, oversaw a force of 300,000 troops, including 155,000 US soldiers, spoke at the launch about the Australian character, of looking out for your mates, which is Legacy’s core value.

He said the casualties sustained by the ADF on operations in the Middle East, Solomon Islands and East Timor in recent times further illustrated the important role performed by Legacy in providing care for the families of deceased ADF personnel.

Today, in NSW alone, there are 740 dedicated Legatees and 100 Legacy employees delivering programs and services to 17,550 Legacy widows and 465 dependants across the State.

Minister for Defence makes first visit to AfghanistanMinister for Defence Senator the Hon John Faulkner made his first visit to Australian troops in Tarin Kowt, southern Afghanistan on 14 June. The Minister was accompanied by Chief of Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, Defence Secretary Mr Nick Warner and Commander of the Joint Task Force 633 Major General Mark Kelly.

In addition to briefings, Senator Faulkner took

the time to sit and talk with Australian troops.

When addressing the Australian forces at

Tarin Kowt, Senator Faulkner thanked the men and

women on the ground for their tireless work and

dedication in arduous and dangerous conditions.

“I did want to say to you all, how much we

appreciate and respect what you are doing and

thank you for the commitment you all make. The

work that you do is absolutely critical and you all

do your country proud,” Senator Faulkner said.

Senator Faulkner received briefs from the

Australian Headquarters in the Middle East, as

well as Australia’s Mentoring and Reconstruction

LeFT: Commander Australian Fleet RADM Nigel Coates, Commander Training Command – Australia MAJGeN Michael Hindmarsh and Commander Air Lift Group Air Commodore John Oddie joined MAJGeN (Ret.) Jim Molan, the author of Running The War in Iraq, to launch the Legacy Torch Appeal at the strangers Room in NsW Parliament House on 10 June.Photo: Michael Brooke

RIGHT: Minister for Defence senator the Hon. John Faulkner thanks Australian Defence Force personnel based in the Middle east for their continued efforts during a visit in June. Photo: POPH Dave Connolly

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support,

the Hon Dr Mike Kelly, said the program was a great

opportunity to experience first-hand the invaluable

skills that can be gained in the military and

transferred to the civilian workplace.

Activities included team building exercises,

leadership training and physical challenges such

as using a water craft, participating in a simulated

search and rescue activity and being involved in a live

firing exercise.

New name for sydney commandos

Army’s 4th Battalion (Commando), The Royal

Australian Regiment (4 RAR (Cdo)) has has been

renamed 2nd Commando Regiment (2 Cdo Regt) during

a recent ceremony at Tobruk Lines, Holsworthy.

The ceremony, reviewed by Chief of Army

Lieutenant General (LTGEN) Ken Gillespie saw the

march-off of the 4 RAR colours and the unfurling of

the new 2 Cdo Regt flag.

“I am very pleased that 4 RAR (Cdo) is now

nearing maturity as a special operations unit. The

name change recognises this achievement as well as

the skills and qualifications of its members,” LTGEN

Gillespie said.

“The name 2 Cdo Regt more accurately reflects

the roles and capabilities of the commandos and

their command structure, which are distinct from our

conventional infantry battalions.”

The name 2nd Commando Regiment was

chosen as it logically complements the existing

1st Commando Regiment, but more importantly it

reflects the unit’s historical links to the Australian

Independent Commando Companies that operated

in the Southwest Pacific in the WW11.

submarine rescue capability relocates to Australia

The LR5 submarine rescue system arrived in

Australia in early June, after being relocated from

United Kingdom.

Defence Materiel Organisation’s Head of

Maritime Systems Rear Admiral (RADM) Boyd

Task Force and Special Operations Task Group.

This visit followed meetings between

Senator Faulkner and coalition defence

counterparts including the Secretaries of Defense

of the United States and the United Kingdom and

the Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands,

Canada and New Zealand.

CRIs crosses over to Combat support GroupAir Force’s Combat Support Group (CSG) has improved awareness of CSG capability and reduced reporting timeframes, following completion of the Combat Support Coordination Centre’s CSG Reporting and Information System (CRIS) project.

After years of preparation and months of

training, CRIS will deliver unprecedented reporting

capability with its web-based application designed

to replace the current reporting processes.

The new report format will result in improved

awareness, Combat Support Coordination Centre

(CSCC) Senior Operations Officer Squadron Leader

Stephen Lampard said.

“Eventually it will incorporate a search

functionality enabling users to interrogate the

database for trending and analysis purposes,”

SQNLDR Lampard said.

“CRIS maintains a current status of all CSG

elements and Combat Support functions, providing

an immediate visual indication of capability status

to commanders at all levels.”

In July last year the completed CRIS V1.5

software was handed over to CSCC. Following

successful acceptance testing and accreditation by

the Chief Information Officer Group, was deployed

and hosted on the Defence Secret Network on 10

February 2009.


AbOve: The CRIs handover ceremony on 23 July (L-R): Mr Josh Coleman (Managing Director DPRA Australasia), Mr Chris Cox (Project Manager DPRA Australasia), Miss Christie Hatchman (Information Manager CsCC) and sQNLDR stephen Lampard (senior Operations Officer CsCC).

snIPshot

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continued from page 5 >

continued page 9 >


news

snapshot

During the period 26 April-22 May 09, the

CSCC Project Team embarked on a training

roadshow around Australia to train CSG personnel

in the use of CRIS.

Further training is occurring in RAAF Amberley.

More than 150 CSG personnel have been trained

in the use of CRIS, while CSG reporting via CRIS

is anticipated to commence before the end of the

June 2009.

The CSCC was established in early 2007

within CSG to act as the central point of contact

for all combat support reporting, planning and

information/data gathering to improve the Groups’

situational awareness of both fixed airbase and

inherent expeditionary capability.

navy divers monitored

A wrist-mounted computer that monitors a diver’s vital signs from the surface is among seven technology proposals recently announced by Greg Combet, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science.

The projects are a combination of brand-new

technologies and novel applications for existing

technologies which will be developed under the

Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD)

Program managed by the Defence Science and

Technology Organisation.

“I congratulate the seven companies for their

innovative proposals which will be developed

under the Capability and Technology Demonstrator

(CTD) Program managed by the Defence Science

and Technology Organisation,” Mr Combet said.

“These projects are a combination of brand-

new technologies and novel applications for

existing technologies. It is research like this that

helps our ADF maintain their capability edge.”

One of the proposed technologies was

demonstrated at the Sydney Aquarium with a

wrist-mounted computer that monitors a diver’s

vital signs from the surface to enhance safety

during operations.

Other successful proposals include:

• softwaretostreamlineinformationflow

between old and new command and control

systems

• technologytoimproveDefence’sgeospatial

information storage capability

• enhancedsurveillancetechnologyfor

unmanned aerial vehicles

• ahigh-power,low-frequencyunderwater

acoustic system for minesweeping

• asecureharddriveforprotectionand

movement of classified data, and

• asystemtodetectpotentialthreatsfrom

moving and static ground vehicles.

“The selected proposals represent a wide

variety of industry expertise from both small

to medium - sized enterprises and established

Defence contractors,” Mr Combet said.

Further information on the seven new CTD

projects is available at http://www.dsto.defence.

gov.au/ctd13/

Defence leads in financial literacyThe ability to effectively manage

your personal finances, especially

the perseveration and accumulation

of capital, is an important life skill.

But should Defence have any role in

educating its personnel and their families

about their personal finances?

This fundamental question was answered in

September 2006 when Chief of the Defence Force,

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston launched the

ADF Financial Services Consumer Council.

Chairman of the ADF Financial Services

Consumer Council Group Captain Robert Brown

said the key to the Council’s approach to financial

literacy was independence (no product selling or

endorsement) and education (no personal advice).

“This approach is not only good for our people,

it removes the organisational liability that may

have arisen under the previous ad hoc approach

that offered financial seminars of variable quality

on Defence bases or Defence sponsored locations

around Australia,” Group Captain Brown said.


“In many cases, these seminars were

little more than thinly-disguised sales pitches

for investment products, real estate deals and

margin lending.”

The Council’s independent and educational

financial literacy programs are delivered to

all new entrants into the ADF as part of their

induction training. It is an excellent opportunity

to establish good financial habits in all young

recruits – a much more effective technique

than trying to change a lifetime of bad habits in

middle age.

Recruits are taught the basics of budgeting,

saving, investment, credit cards, borrowing,

superannuation and risk. This is delivered in an

entertaining multi-media format, including a

professionally-produced DVD, group workbooks

and discussion.

A similar approach is taken at deployment

(force preparation) and transition (pre-retirement),

where the Council has designed multi-media

programs that cover issues of relevance at those

important stages of ADF members’ careers.

More information about the Council and its

programs is available at the public website www.

adfconsumer.gov.au. You can view DVDs, access

E-Learning modules, read releases and request a free

seminar at your workplace anywhere in Australia.

Robinson said the relocation would improve

response times and allow the RAN to exercise the

new capability with Collins Class Submarines.

“Resumption of the Navy’s annual submarine

escape and rescue exercise ‘Black Carillon’,

presently planned for late 2009, will allow Navy to

exercise its submarine rescue capability,” RADM

Robinson said.

The ancillary equipment for the LR5 suite

arrived in Australia by a chartered 747 last week

and the LR5 rescue vehicle by RAAF C17 Heavy Air

Lift this week. The current Navy support vessels

have already been modified to deploy the LR5

rescue system.

This rescue system complements the

international support which would be available

through Australia’s membership of the International

Submarine and Rescue Liaison Organisation.

Call for Defence technical scholarship applications

Applications for the 2010 Defence

Technical Scholarships are now open, with

1500 scholarships available for Year 11 and

12 students across the country.

Successful students will receive either $2000

if in Year 11 or $3000 if in Year 12.

The former Minister for Defence, Science and

Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, said

the scholarships highlight the importance Defence

places on technical trades while encouraging

students to continue their education.

“Australia is experiencing a shortage of skilled

technical tradespeople across all areas of industry

and the Australian Defence Force is not immune,”

Mr Snowdon said.

Selected Defence Technical Scholarship

recipients will get the opportunity to participate

in Defence experiences, events and visits during

their scholarship year to highlight the many

opportunities available to them on completion

of a trade qualification.

Applications for the 2010 Defence Technical

Scholarships close on 14 August 2009 for all

States and Territories.

Defence mourns Private benjamin Ranaudo

The Australian Defence Force is mourning the loss of Private Benjamin Ranaudo, who was killed by an anti-personnel explosive device in Afghanistan on 18 July, 2009.

Private Ranaudo was a member of the Townsville-based 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. He was a member of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan and was killed while on operations north of Tarin Kowt.

Private Ranaudo was 22-years-old and leaves behind a loving family who are currently receiving support from Defence representatives.

Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston extended his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Private Ranaudo.

“Our hearts go out to Benjamin’s family during this very sad time. We will do everything we can to support them as they deal with their terrible loss."

“Private Benjamin Ranaudo was a professional soldier who served enthusiastically and with distinction. His career record speaks to a young man, very well trained, with an extraordinary array of completed courses. Benjamin was clearly dedicated to his career as a soldier and committed to the profession of arms. He died ensuring that terrorist groups do not have Afghanistan as a base from which they can plan and mount attacks,” said Air Chief Marshal Houston.

Chief of Army Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie extended his condolences to the family and friends of Private Ranaudo.

“Our hearts go out to Benjamin’s family during this very sad time. I hope the knowledge that they are in the thoughts and prayers of so many Australians will be a source of comfort for them.

“Private Ranaudo died while serving his nation and his sacrifice will never be forgotten. This loss is felt heavily by the wider Defence Community, and particularly by members of the Australian Army,” said Lieutenant General Gillespie.

snIPshot

LeFT: The Hon. Greg Combet AM, MP, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and science, and Chief of Navy, vice Admiral Russ Crane,AM, CsM, RAN, observe Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver, Able seaman Dave Wyatt, swim with the wrist mounted computer which is used for the communication of a divers vital signs to the surface.

RIGHT: Private benjamin Ranaudo.



seCRetARy’s CoLuMn

roviding quality, accurate and timely advice and assistance to our ministers is core business for Defence.

I’ve been strongly advocating this

point since I became Secretary two-and-a-half

years ago.

And the appointment of a new Ministerial

team provides the opportunity to remind everyone

in Defence of this important responsibility.

As public servants, it is our role to serve

the Government of the day in an apolitical,

professional, accountable and impartial way.

It’s our role to provide unbiased and objective

advice, which is politically neutral but not naïve.

It’s our role to ensure our advice understands the

implications of the broader policy directions set by

the Government.

And it’s our role to give frank, honest,

comprehensive, accurate and timely advice and to

implement the Government’s policies and programs.

In recent years, we’ve made some

improvement to the quality of our Ministerial

submissions, briefs, minutes and representations

– which total more than 7500 for 2008-09 at the

time of writing.

But the timeliness of our advice is still an

issue. And the quality of our advice is still uneven.

This applies across the organisation and is not

confined to one Group, Service or the Defence

Materiel Organisation. Each Group, Service and

the DMO has parts that do well on the advice and

assistance front, and parts that don’t.

What I want is top quality advice and

assistance from every part of Defence, every time. The new Ministerial team is working very

closely together. Given the importance of good

relationships to effective Government, I encourage

you to do the same. If you’ve got a query on an

issue, contact one of the Defence Ministerial and

Parliamentary Liaison Service team members for

their advice.

I also encourage you to use the opportunity of

the winter recess to hone your Ministerial writing

and advice skills.

The Defence Ministerial and Parliamentary

Liaison Service (DMPLS) runs a broad range of

courses to help you do that – from finding out what

the Minister’s office wants, to lessons on how to

write a Question Time Brief. Use this invaluable

resource. You can find details of DMPLS courses

on the Defence intranet site.

still room to improve on ministerial advice

P Develop a productive and professional relationship with your Minister’s office and if you’ve got a query on an issue, contact one of the Defence Ministerial and Parliamentary Liaison Service team members for their advice.

‘‘

’’

Training courses include:

•DefenceGovernmentAwareness•DefenceMinisterialWriting•DevelopingComplexSubmissions•ExternalTraining

•InformationSessions•On-the-jobtraining•OurDemocraticSystemofGovernment•WorkingwithMinisters

Ministerial awareness training The Ministerial Awareness and Training team was established in January 2007 to build a better

understanding across Defence (at all levels) of the need to develop and maintain effective relationships with Ministers – with a particular focus on the roles and responsibilities and the demands on our Ministers – and an understanding of the role of government.


ChIeF oF the DeFenCe FoRCe’s CoLuMn

ou would be aware that we are welcoming a new, and

very experienced, Ministerial team to the Defence portfolio.

Our new Minister, Senator the

Honourable John Faulkner, brings with him a wealth

of Defence knowledge, having been a former

Minister for Veterans Affairs and Minister for

Defence Science and Personnel. Minister Faulkner

has also served as Leader of the Opposition in the

Senate and has a deep personal interest in Defence

and our people. I welcome our new Minister back

to Defence. The Secretary and I look forward to

working closely with him as we maintain our high

operational tempo and implement the Strategic

Reform Program.

Minister Faulkner is joined by two skilled

parliamentarians. We welcome the Honourable

Greg Combet back to the portfolio as Minister for

Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science. Minister

Combet was formerly Parliamentary Secretary

for Defence Procurement. The Honourable Mike

Kelly remains as our Parliamentary Secretary for

Defence Support, having been in this position since

December 2007 following a long Army career.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind

all members of Defence, both military and civilian,

that we serve the nation through the elected

government of the day. Be responsive to our

Ministers and their staff.

Of course, I also wish our outgoing ministry

the very best for the future. I thank the Honourable

Joel Fitzgibbon for his contribution to the Defence

portfolio, in particular the comprehensive White

Paper that was delivered under his leadership. We

also farewell the Honourable Warren Snowdon,

who has moved to another portfolio. I thank both

our outgoing Ministers for their commitment to the

Australian Defence Force and our people.

Afghanistan increase

Our efforts in Afghanistan continue to

progress well. Our immediate focus is on the

pending Afghanistan troop increase, announced

by the Prime Minister in April, which will bring

additional training capacity to the Mentoring

and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF) and extra

security forces to support the upcoming elections.

The first of our two additional Operational Mentor

and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) will arrive in theatre

within the next three months, and our full Election

Support Force will be in place well before the 20

August Presidential and Provincial Elections.

I am very proud of the progress being made

by Australian troops, both in terms of securing the

Oruzgan Province and increasing the capacity of

the Afghan security forces. In terms of security,

I am very pleased with the work of our Special

Operations Task Group (SOTG). Over the past six

months the SOTG have conducted nine major

operations, which have disrupted Taliban activity

in Oruzgan, putting the insurgents at a significant

disadvantage and helping to extend stability and

security in the province. In fact, on 24 May a key

Taliban insurgent commander, Mullah Qasim was

killed during a short battle between insurgents and

the SOTG supported Afghanistan National Security

Forces. Additionally, separate SOTG and MRTF

patrols, in cooperation with their Afghan National

Security Force partners, have discovered 20 caches

of weapons. This has significantly impacted

upon the enemies’ ability to conduct offensive

operations in the region.

In terms of Australian training efforts, the

Afghan National Army 4th Brigade 2nd Kandak,

currently being mentored by the OMLT,

is performing very well. They have effectively

partnered with both ADF and Dutch forces in

cordon and search, patrolling and offensive

operations at the sub-unit level, and they have led,

planned and coordinated company level operations

partnered with MRTF and OMLT elements. In fact,

our MRTF recently completed Operation Zamarai

LOR with the 2nd Kandak. This operation was a

four-day mission centred on cordon-and-search

operations. The MRTF was very pleased with the

performance of the ANA soldiers, who took the

fight to the Taliban insurgents by moving forward

through difficult terrain and engaging a dangerous

adversary who used rocket-propelled grenades,

machine gun fire and other weapons against our

forces. This operation provides an indication of the

success we have had in our mentoring mission.

When we started this mission, the 2nd Kandak

was at an early stage of development, and now,

almost eight months later, the unit is successfully

conducting complex company-level operations.

I have said it before, but it is worth repeating,

that establishing an effective government and

security structure in Afghanistan was going to be

an extremely challenging task. A warrior culture,

a history of conflict, a harsh environment, an

important geostrategic location, complex social

structures and relations, high unemployment and

poverty, and a wide variety of ethnicities and

conflicting religious beliefs all combine to make

this area of operation one of the most complex in

which to effect lasting progress.

Nothing about this is easy—but progress

is being made. I thank all ADF men and women

deployed to Afghanistan for their outstanding

efforts in denying the use of Afghanistan as a base

for anti-western terror groups.

new ministerial leadership

Y

the Month In PICtuRes

RIGHT: 7th brigade Headquarters members get over the wall and make their way through the obstacle course as 7th brigade units went head-to-head as each team negotiated their way through the Gallipoli barracks obstacle course striving for the best time and technique. Photo: Tpr Michael Franchi

LeFT: Midshipman Laura ball

watches a replenishment at

sea between HMAs Success

and HMNzs Endevour from the

winch deck of HMAs Success,

as part of exercise bersama

shield 2009 in the south China

sea. Photo: ABPH Andrew Black

AbOve: seaman Communications and Information systems Richard 'Happy' Mousaco takes charge of the flag bins on HMAs Manoora. Photo: ABPH Morgana Salabert

AbOve: Corporal steve baker, a medic at the Air Force's Control and Reporting

Centre (CRC) in the Kandahar, Afghanistan, with a snake that was found in the

compound of Camp Polomino, where the CRC operates from. Photo: LAC Aaron Curran

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Ron Ritchie (Company sergeant Major HQ JTF633-A) arm-wrestles with one of the children of Hope House, an orphanage that houses up to 100 children a day in Kabul.Photo: Master Sergeant Chris Haylett (USAF)



Army doctor Captain (CAPT) Peter Hanley is quickly shaping up as an artist with the Midas touch following his success as a 2009 Archibald Prize finalist.

CAPT Hanley has proven himself as accomplished with a paint brush as he is with a surgical scalpel.

CAPT Hanley’s Archibald success is all the more remarkable because his entry, Remembering Titian, is the first portrait he has ever painted.

Remembering Titian is a tribute to the renowned Italian high Renaissance painter, which had the distinction of being displayed with 39 other Archibald finalists in the National Art Gallery of NSW.

Remembering Titian, which mimics the Italian artists’ self-portrait, Man With A Blue Sleeve (1512AD), was judged superior to more than 750 other entries from around Australia.

“It’s all a bit of surprise given its my first portrait,” said CAPT Hanley, who has transferred from the Australian Regular Army to the Reserve while he completes a Fine Arts Degree at the National Arts School in Sydney.

CAPT Hanley said he chose the tribute to Titian (pronounced Tishian) because he was mesmerised by the original which he saw in London several years earlier.

Like Titian’s self-portrait, CAPT Hanley sat in

front of a mirror for hours to paint himself, which is

a mirror image of the original, as Titian was right-

handed while CAPT Hanley is left-handed.

Remembering Titian took 75 hours to paint and

is the first portrait CAPT Hanley has painted, although

he has done countless sketches over the years.

“It was only after I completed the portrait that

I thought it looked good enough to enter into a

competition,” he said.

The Archibald Prize for the best portrait painting,

preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in

art, letters, science or politics, is one of Australia’s

oldest and most prestigious art awards.

CAPT Hanley joked he is one of a kind, but

his brothers, twins Mark and Paul, are also Army

captains posted to 1 HSB at Holsworthy, who

think their surgical incisions using a scalpel are no

different to brush strokes on a canvas.

His painting of the Sea King ‘Shark 02’ landing on

the flight deck of HMAS Kanimbla, which was painted

in tribute to FLTLT Paul McCarthy, a friend of his brother,

Mark, now hangs in the Australian War Memorial.

CAPT Hanley said he was compelled to

answer his artistic calling after a decade of

soldiering, because, like his cricket career, he likes

being an all-rounder.

Army’s Archibald Prize finalistBy Michael Brooke

Girlfriend emma and Mum Chris give victorian Cameron

bell a last kiss and hug before he and 18 other new Army

Recruits board the bus and travel to recruit Training

battalion at Kapooka NsW. New Army Recruits participated

in an enlistment ceremony that took place at the Defence

Force Recruiting Centre in Melbourne. Photo: David Grant

AbOve: Flight Lieutenant Marty Young and Jake McKelvie

observe systems onboard an AP-3C Orion as part of an open

day at Royal Malaysian Air Force base butterworth. The

open day gave members and their families the chance to

take a closer look inside the Royal Australian Air Force's

AP-3C Orion and F/A-18 Hornet. Photo: LAC Mark Friend

TOP: Captain Peter Hanley (middle) jokes he is one of a kind, but his brothers, twins Mark (left) and Paul (right), are also Army captains posted to 1 Hsb at Holsworthy, who say their surgical incisions using a scalpel are no different to brush strokes on a canvas. INseT: Captain Peter Hanley's sea King shark 02 landing on the flight deck of HMAs Kanimbla, which was painted in tribute to Flight Lieutenant Paul McCarthy, a friend of Peter's brother, Mark. The painting now hangs in the Australian War Memorial. Photo: courtesy Australian War Memorial

news

avy is undergoing a major revamp of its structure in a bold move to modernise its force and take better care of its people.

The extensive changes are part of the New Generation Navy program, which is designed to re-focus attention on Navy’s people and their training.

The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane, announced the changes after an intensive review of the way Navy operates.

The new structure will include:■ the transfer of all Navy training to Fleet

Command to ensure that one command is responsible for end-to-end training of Navy people

■ the creation of a Head of Navy People and Reputation who reports directly to CN, ensuring a high level focus on people across Navy

■ the creation of a Head of Navy Engineering who reports directly to CN, ensuring a high level focus on engineering, and

■ the consolidation of the Force Element Groups into four forces – the Surface Force, Submarine Force, Littoral Force, and the Fleet Air Arm, with each Force Commander now holding military command of their respective Force. These changes will enable Commander Australian Fleet to focus on leading and managing the Navy’s training effort.

Structural change will be achieved through rationalisation – that is putting the right people into the right jobs. This will allow Navy to assess what it really needs to do.

The movement of personnel will be kept to a minimum and it is expected that the majority of Navy will not be relocated as part of this structure change. Any location changes are expected to be in line with the normal posting cycle. Questions on specific positions should be directed to commanding officers.

New Generation Navy changes in culture, leadership, ethics and structure will lay an outstanding foundation for Navy to meet the challenges of the future and to adapt to the significant increases in capability recently announced in the new Defence White Paper.

The new structure can be viewed on the Navy Intranet web page.

By LCDR Fenn Kemp

Armidale Class Patrol boats leave Darwin Harbour in formation at the commencement of the sea phase of the Minor War vessel Concentration Period. From the front, HMA ships Wollongong, Bathurst, Childers, Larrakia and Pirie.Photo: LSPH Helen Frank

AbOve: HMAs Sydney's embarked helicopter, Tiger 82, and crew conduct fast rope training onto the flight deck of HMAs Ballarat during the Northern Trident 09 deplooyment.Photo: ABPH Karen BaileyRIGHT: From left: seaman boatswains Mate (sMNbM) Haydn zylstra, Able seaman boatswains Mate Margo stanmore and sMNbM Kye Duggan gather around the capstan onboard HMAs Manoora.Photo: ABPH James Whittle

Navyreshapes

for a generation

itselFnew

www.defence.gov.au/defencemagazine

14


Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department diversity spokesman brett Parson addressed a gathering of Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen recently on the importance of incorporating niche-community specialists into the wider organisation.

Mr Parson was invited to give a guest lecture

by the Australian Defence Gay and Lesbian

Information Service (DEFGLIS) at its quarterly

NSW branch gathering in Sydney on 11 April.

Representatives from NSW Police, Emergency

Services and the Military Police were also present

for the address.

Currently serving as the Commander of the

Special Liaison Unit, Mr Parson reports directly to

the Chief of Police and has responsibility for the

Gay and Lesbian, Latino, Asian, Deaf and Hard of

Hearing special liaison units.

Assuming leadership of the Gay and Lesbian

Liaison Unit (GLLU) in 2001, Mr Parson was

instrumental in transforming the Unit to provide the

full range of law enforcement covering petty theft to

high crime. The Unit integrates seamlessly with the

regular Police Department during cases involving a

member of the gay and lesbian community.

The popularity of a posting to the Unit has

increased during recent years, not only from within

the Washington DC area, but also from surrounding

precincts in Virginia and Maryland.

“The last time I did a vacancy announcement

I got more than 100 applications for one position

which is unheard of for a unit of that type. A lot of

people now look at it as an opportunity to continue

doing police work, working with a community that

really takes care of the officers that take care of

them,” said Mr Parson.

Recognising that the GLLU and other special

liaison units are a mere stepping stone towards

an integrated workforce capable of dealing with

all sectors of the community, Parson is developing

a proposal to increase the number of gay and

lesbian liaison officers throughout the department.

Following training, these liaison officers would be

assigned cases by the GLLU in addition to their

regular assignments.

“In the end, what I would like to see is these

units not exist,” said Mr Parson. “I would like

to see a Police Department where everybody is

capable of handling whatever group it is and that

we treat everyone with professionalism, respect

and dignity and understand their cultures.”

Diversity rethink from Washington expert

DeFGLIs provides an information and referral service for same-sex attracted members in the Defence organisation, focussing on newly-posted members. DeFGLIs also organises events that provide members with an opportunity to connect with their community and the support services available. For more information, please visit http://www.defglis.com.au or e-mail [email protected] to subscribe to the monthly newsletter.

By Squadron Leader Vince Chong



news

By Jack Foster

Defence rises to blood donor challenge

Blood-thirstyMAIN: Caryn Cavey takes time out to give blood at HMAs Stirling's Dental section for the Australian Red Cross blood bank on Read street in Rockingham, Western Australia. Photo: ABPH Lincoln CommaneOPPOsITe: Filling in the pre-donation questionnaire is (L-R) squadron Leader Glen Campbell, Ms Leila Daniels and Warrant Officer Class One Ken Riley at the Australian Red Cross Mobile blood Donor unit located at blamey square, Canberra. Photo: Bryan Doherty


id you know you can save three lives in less than an hour by donating blood?

Every year more than 530,000 generous Australians give blood, helping thousands of people in the treatment of cancer, heart, stomach and bowel diseases, as well as those hurt in accidents or mothers who experience complications in pregnancies and childbirth.

But as we reach the halfway point in this, the official Year of the Blood Donor, Australian Red Cross Blood Service spokesperson, James Aanensan said that more donors are needed if they are to meet their target of 160,000 new donors.

“One in three people will need blood during their lifetime, yet only one in 30 actually donates,” Mr Aanensan said.

“Many people today would not be alive if it wasn’t for Australia’s voluntary blood donors.

“We all believe that blood will be there if we need it, but right now the health of the population is riding on a very small percentage of people.”

While all donations are important, Mr Aanensan said that Defence has a unique opportunity to garner new donors from across the whole country.

“I think the people of Defence have a really great opportunity to build on what are already strong cultures of mateship and comradeship by donating blood together,” Mr Aanensan said.

“The work done by Defence during times of need in Australia is fantastic and I think giving blood just adds another element to this wonderful community support.”

Mr Aanensan said that people who give blood are united by their generosity and the desire to give something back to the community.

“I know from experience that you get so much from it, you feel very satisfied after you’ve donated, and you walk away realising you’re impacting on people’s lives in ways that you would have never known before,” Mr Aanensan said.

The actual taking of blood takes about 10 minutes, with the pinch of the needle the only pain you will feel. If you have ever had a body piercing, chances are you have felt more pain from that procedure than you ever will from a blood donation.

“The rest of the hour is spent during registration taking personal information and health records for your safety as well as others,” Mr Aanensan said.

“Everything comes back to safety when donating blood.”

Harbouring a passion for blood since first donating at 18 years of age, Major (MAJ) Gary Schulz from Defence’s Catering Policy Cell is busy planning a blood challenge for all Navy, Army and Air Force personnel.

“Being in the ADF I’ve always felt that I was healthy and therefore an ideal donor,” Mr Schulz said.

“There are many people who aren’t lucky enough to be as healthy as most Service personnel and so therefore we have the ability to provide our liquid gold to help other people out.”

MAJ Schulz said the challenge will be based on litres donated, and has earmarked the latter part of this year for a start date.

“Going into the holiday season is one of the most critical times for blood demand in Australia,” MAJ Schulz said.

Club RedClub Red provides an opportunity for any

group of people in Defence, be it large or small, Service or APS, to get together and do something special by regularly donating blood.

How to join Club Redselect a Club Red coordinator: this can be

anyone within your team who has the enthusiasm and resources to promote the Program and educate donors within your area. The coordinator could be an existing donor or someone who is unable to give blood but is passionate about the cause.

Register your group: complete the Club Red registration form from www.donateblood.com.au

Ask people to donate together: you will receive a toolkit to help your recruitment campaign which includes:• informationabouttheeligibilitycriteria• promotionalmaterials,and• informationaboutthedonationprocess

Make a group appointment: allow two to four weeks notice if possible; arranging a donation time that is suitable to your group is important to us. By working together the Red Cross will tailor appointments to suit your team’s requirements.

Fast facts• OneinthreeAustralianswillneedblood.

Only one in 30 give blood. • 21000blooddonationsareusedinAustralia

each week. • 160000newdonorsareneededthisyear

alone to meet the growing demand for blood. • Adonationof470mlofbloodislessthan10

percent of your total blood volume.• Eachblooddonationcansavethelivesofup

to three people. • Thedemandforbloodandbloodproductswill

grow by 100 percent over the next 10 years.• Yourbodykeepsdiscardingandreplenishing

blood all the time whether you give blood or not – so you may as well put that spare blood to good use and help save up to three lives as you do it.

• Bloodhasalimitedshelflife,sotheneedforblood is constant.

D


Blood-thirsty


CoVeR stoRy

New beginnings NORFORCE

atMAIN: Community Liaison Officer for the Defence Indigenous Development Program (DIDP) Major John Lotu addresses a class of Ngukurr Primary school students, during a visit to engage the remote indigenous community about DIDP. OPPOsITe: Local Minyerrie men go through some paperwork with Defence Indigenous Development Program (DIDP) Trainer Warrant Officer Class Two Kevin Greaves during a screening process to identify suitable candidates from the remote indigenous community in the Northern Territory.Photos: GNR Shannon Joyce


tanding proud and tall under the fading orange glow of a Darwin sunset, 20 new Army recruits in the Defence Indigenous Development Program proudly received their slouch hat

and NORFORCe colour patch at a graduation parade.

The graduation parade marked the end of the first phase of the seven-month pilot Program, a joint initiative between the Department of Defence, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Northern Territory Department of Education.

At the graduation ceremony, Commanding Officer North West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL) Chris Goldston said he was proud of all the recruits and acknowledged the challenges that each one will face during the remaining six months of the program.

“The DIDP is an exciting program that will give the participants a whole range of skills in many different areas that they can take back to their communities or continue to use if they decide to remain serving in the Army,” LTCOL Goldston said.

The DIDP is an initiative that forms part of the Army Indigenous Strategy and the wider ADF Indigenous Employment Strategy.

The Directorate of Indigenous Affairs in the People Strategies and Policy Group, was formed in mid 2008 to provide a central point of contact within Defence for Indigenous issues. The Directorate takes responsibility for the implementation of the Defence Reconciliation Action Plan and the underpinning strategies for the recruitment and retention of Indigenous Australians to the ADF and the APS.

Director of Indigenous Affairs Soozie Parker was at the graduation ceremony to see how the new recruits were progressing.

“It has been no small step for these young men here and the pride they feel is felt and shared by all those who have worked hard to make this possible,” Ms Parker said.

“The ADF Indigenous Employment Strategy identifies specialised pathways to employment for young Indigenous Australians and various programs are now being trialled around Australia.

“Importantly, the DIDP recognises the importance of developing specific programs for Indigenous Australians from remote areas of Australia’s north. I look forward to sharing the journey with these proud young men,” Ms Parker said.

The DIDP has been designed to ensure that Indigenous participants can develop a wide range of useful skills including military, technical, educational and personal development. These skills are then used back in their communities or to assist them to gain employment in regional Australia. The DIDP will also prepare the recruits for entry consideration into the Regular Army, should they wish to embark on a full-time career in the ADF.

The instructors on the course have been selected for their knowledge and experience with Indigenous culture.

“They will face many challenges living away from home, their country and their family but the instructors we have on the course have a long history of working with Indigenous people. They have an understanding of the culture and they will assist the recruits in every way possible to make a successful go of the course,” LTCOL Goldston said.

When recruiting for the course, DIDP Community Liaison Officers went out to remote communities to meet and conduct assessments on

potential recruits for the Program. DIDP Community Liaison Officer Major

Jon Lotu visited the remote communities of Hermannsburg, Ngukurr, Minyerrie, Borroloola, and Numbulwar to engage councils, community elders, residents and prospective applicants on what the pilot Program had to offer.

“The interest we got from the five remote Indigenous communities that we visited was very positive and if this pilot Program is successful we hope that we will be able to offer it on a much wider scale next year,” he said.

“The people in the communities reacted really positively when they heard that the participants would be under the care of Defence members experienced in training Indigenous patrolmen.

“The fact that it takes into consideration the cultural responsibilities that many of the young men have to their community is really important as they can see we are in it for the long haul.

“One young man from Numbulwar told me he wanted to join the Program to be someone and in the eyes of many of these young men, Defence offers an opportunity to prove their manhood in a sense,” MAJ Lotu said.

The participants have started the Vocational and Technical Education phase which is taught at the Katherine campus of Charles Darwin University. They will spend time on developing their language, literacy and numeracy skills as well as continue with more military training. This phase of the course is designed to assist the participants in improving their employment prospects in areas such as land care management, construction and rural operations.

Defence Magazine will follow the participants as they continue on the course and will catch up with them later on in the year.

New beginnings

sNORFORCEat

By Leila Daniels and GNR Shannon Joyce



2009 DeFenCe ohs AwARDs

Defence OHs champions demonstration of leadership

he 2009 Defence OHs Awards were presented in early June

by vice Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General (LTGeN) David Hurley, Deputy secretary People strategies and Policy,

Phil Minns and Director General OHs Lindsay Kranz.

Director General OHS, Lindsay Kranz said the Awards were an important part of changing Defence’s culture of safety.

“We spend a lot of time and effort reacting to failures, but we now recognise Defence people who have been proactive,” Mr Kranz said.

“They have seen a need, maybe a near miss and they have set out to do something about it. They personify the Defence value of innovation by attacking a risk at the source, thoughtfully, and with an eye on the change that has to be made.

“We use their examples to inspire others to think about the risks that they encounter, throw off the feeling of helplessness, roll the sleeves up and fix it.”

In the five award categories, 24 entries were received – three from Vice Chief of Defence Force Group, six from Navy, nine from Army, three from Air Force, two from Defence Support and one from Defence Materiel Organisation.

All Defence award winners and commendations have been entered into the 2009 Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) Safety Awards.

Defence has been short-listed and announced as finalists with final results to be announced at the gala dinner on 24 September 2009 at the Great Hall, Parliament House.

The winners and commendations of the five award categories are:

Category 1 - Leadership Award for Injury Prevention and Management: recognises demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement in occupational health, safety and injury management performance through the

application of leadership and best practice in the workplace.

There were four entries for this category. One winner was selected and two entries were commended.

The winner was HMAS Arunta’s Ship Safety Team; accepted by Commander Stephen Bowater and Sub Lieutenant Rodney Weeks.Commendations were awarded to:• ArmyTrainingCommand-SafetyManagement

System; accepted by Brigadier Mick Moon• ArmyLeadershipCommitmenttoSafety,

Welfare and Rehabilitation, Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; accepted by Colonel Michael Batiste.

Category 2 - best Workplace Health and safety Management system: recognises excellence in demonstrating commitment to continuous improvement of workplace health and safety through the implementation of an integrated systems approach.

There were four entries for this category. The winner was Navy’s HMAS Newcastle FFG Upgrade

(Oct 07–Oct 08); accepted by Commander Nicholas Stoker and Warrant Officer Robert Drew.

Category 3 - best solution to an Identified Workplace Health and safety Issue: recognises excellence in developing and implementing a solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue.

There were four entries for this category. The winner was Navy’s Confined Space Trainer, Fleet Support Unit – Perth; accepted by PO Gavin Truman and PO Daniel Hanton.

Category 4 - best Individual Contribution to Health and safety: recognises outstanding personal achievements in improving and enhancing workplace occupational health and safety.

There were eight entries for this category. No winner was selected and three entries were commended.Commendations were awarded to:• MrRussellPower,OHSandEnvironment

Officer HMAS Cairns• PettyOfficerScottNorbury,Navy• WarrantOfficerClass2BruceFerguson,Army

AbOve: Category winners from the 2009 OHs Awards are joined by vice Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General David Hurley (middle) and Director General Occupational Health and safety Mr Lindsay Kranz (2nd from right). Photo: Grace Costa

By Melanie Chaplin

T


FAsT FACTsNow in its sixth year, the Defence OHS Awards: • recogniseinnovationandexcellenceinthefields

of occupational health, safety and rehabilitation• raisetheprofileandawarenessof

occupational health, safety and rehabilitation programs in Defence

• encouragepeopleatServiceandGroupworkplaces throughout Defence, to develop, implement and evaluate initiatives that help achieve a safer and healthier work environment, and

• providethegatewayintotheCommonwealthlevel Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) Safety Awards and Safe Work Australia Awards where Defence is recognised as an OHS industry leader.

ward winners from the Defence OHs Awards will vie for recognition with Government departments and industry bodies as finalists at the 2009 safety,

Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (sRCC) awards to be announced in september.

In its ninth year, the safety awards recognise and reward excellence in workplace health and safety, rehabilitation and return to work achieved by employers and individuals within the Comcare scheme.

SRCC Chairman Mr Les Taylor said that a record number of entries were received from both private and public sector organisations from across the jurisdiction, with organisations continuing to meet high standards in developing workplace health and safety solutions.

“The high level of innovative entries received from across Australia demonstrates a real commitment from organisations to improving OHS, rehabilitation and return to work outcomes,” Mr Taylor said.

Winners will be announced at the presentation event at the Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra on Thursday 24 September 2009. From there, winners will be nominated for the highest level of recognition at the National Safe Work Australia Awards.

The finalists in each of the five award categories are:

Category 1 Leadership Award for Injury or Disease Prevention and Management

• DepartmentofDefence–TrainingCommandArmy• DepartmentofImmigrationandCitizenship• TNTAustralia

Category 2 best Workplace Health and safety Management system

• AustralianInstituteofMarineScience• AustralianTaxationOffice• NationalGalleryofAustralia

Category 3 best solution to an Identified Workplace Health and safety Issue

• AustralianAirExpress• CSIROLivestockIndustries• DepartmentofDefence• LinfoxArmaguard• NationalGalleryofAustralia• RoyalAustralianMint

Category 4 best Individual Contribution to Health and safety

Sub-category A An employee who does not have responsibility for OHS as part of their duties:• WO2BruceFerguson,DepartmentofDefence• MrTomMcCracken,JohnHollandPtyLtd• POScottNorbury,DepartmentofDefence

Sub-category B An outstanding contribution by a person with responsibility for OHS as part of their duties:• MsJulieBishop,CommonwealthBank• MrRussellPower,DepartmentofDefence• MrDougThompson,BISIndustries• DrAngelicaVecchio-Sadus,CSIRO

Category 5 Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award• AustraliaPost• CommonwealthBank• CSIROPlantIndustry• DepartmentofDefence• TNTAustralia

SRCC Safety Award finalists announcedBy Michael Weaver

More details can be found at: http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/DefenceOHsAwards/2009sRCCsafetyAwards.htm

Category 5 – Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award: recognises demonstrated efforts towards excellence and innovation in rehabilitation and return to work programs for ill or injured employees.

There were four entries for this category. One winner was selected and one entry was commended.

The winner was Vice Chief of the Defence Force’s ADF Rehabilitation Program; accepted by Mr Jim Porteous and Ms Rowena English.

A commendation was awarded to Army’s Royal Military College of Australia Rehabilitation Program, Bridges Company; accepted by Brigadier Mick Moon.

The dedication of these individuals and groups demonstrate the growing commitment to improving OHS performance within Defence.

Nominations for the 2010 Defence OHS Awards will be called for in August 2009. For further information, check out the Defence OHS Champions on the Hall of Fame at http://ohsc.defence.gov.au/DefenceOHSAwards/ (Intranet) or http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ohsc/programs/DefenceOHSAwards/ (Internet). Or contact OHS Communications via email at: [email protected].

A


program that reduces the impact of occupational injury, illness and disease in the ADF is greatly minimising the need for compensation or medical discharge.

Such were the merits of the ADF Rehabilitation Program that it was considered a worthy winner of a 2009 Defence OHS Award for the best rehabilitation and return to work program.

In accepting the Award, Director of Rehabilitation Services Jim Porteous said his hard-working team had managed more than 13,000 referrals since 2006 and achieved a return to work rate of 87 per cent. The directorate confidently costed a recruitment and retention saving of $11.7m over two years.

“Our success can be attributed to the men and women of the ADF. The drive and determination of ill or injured ADF members to return to work has made our program more successful than the Australian and New Zealand average return to work rate of 76 per cent,” Mr Porteous said.

The Program has also received the support of senior ADF officers such as the Chief of the Defence Force, the Secretary and Commander Joint Health Command Major General Paul Alexander to include the Program in the White Paper as a permanent health care and retention initiative.

The Program has achieved excellent results, exceeding the national average return to work rate and a related decrease in the number of members discharged on medical grounds. This is despite the much higher levels of post injury/illness medical and physical fitness required by the ADF when compared with civilian agencies.

In its first year of operation (July 2006 to June 2007), the Program had a successful return to work rate of 88 per cent, which exceeded the Australian average of 77 per cent and Comcare’s rate of 85 per cent. In FY07/08, the return to work rate was

86 per cent as more complex, long-term cases

were managed.

During the first two years of operation, the

number of medical discharges decreased by

166. Of these, 136 were directly attributed to

the rehabilitation program preparing them for

alternative duties or trade within the ADF.

However, the Program’s worth can be

measured well beyond the statistics for Lance

Corporal Robin Dingwall, a Transport Corporal with

21 Construction Squadron, who joined the Army in

1996 and was injured during basic training.

Via the ADF Rehabilitation Program and his

case workers Lucie and Catherine, LCPL Dingwall

achieved his goal of remaining as a member of the

Australian Army.

“With the help and care that I have received

from Lucie and especially Catherine, I have been

able to work towards my rehabilitation goals in a

positive manner and felt confident in the advice

I have been getting, which has made this whole

process not as scary or confusing as it would

have been had I been left to handle this on my

own,” LCPL Dingwall said in a letter thanking the

organisers of the Program.

Rehabilitation program puts workers back on their feetBy Michael Weaver

FAsT FACTsADF Rehabilitation Program’s plans for the future

Defence is undertaking the following activities to improve the Program’s performance:

• modificationofthetriggersforarehabilitationassessmenttoincludemandatoryreferrals for certain medical conditions (e.g. mental health, multi-trauma etc)

• theriskassessmentofpsychosocialfactorsduringtherehabilitationassessment

• improvingtherehabilitationdatabaseandstreamliningworkflowtoproduceefficiencies

• provisionofnon-clinicalaidsandappliancestoimproveourreturntoworkrateandlosttime injury rate, and

• implementingtherecommendationsoftheindependentReviewofMentalHealthCareintheADF and Transition through Discharge conducted by Professor David Dunt.

A

2009 DeFenCe ohs AwARDs

AbOve: vice Chief of the Defence Force Lieutenant General David Hurley (centre) with recipients of the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award from the ADF Rehabilitation Program. Photo: Grace Costa



What’s in the box?Confined space trainer thinks inside the square

By Michael Weaver

When Navy Petty Officers (PO) Dan Hanton and Gavin Truman saw the need to train sailors in confined spaces, the answer was as simple as finding a box big enough to do the job.

To their humble surprise, an idea that literally thinks inside the square has not only won a 2009 Defence OHS Award, but also has many applications well beyond a box with a door.

The first confined space trainer was born out of the Fleet Support Unit’s (FSU) Auxiliary Systems Section in Perth where only the bare essentials were required to bring the idea to fruition.

PO Marine Technical Dan Hanton had come across similar training facilities during his time as chief engineer in the Royal Navy.

“When I transferred to FSU, the idea was there, so I got it up and running which was pretty easy because the materials were already sitting there,” PO Hanton said.

“The containers already had the holes cut in and the lads were using the container to do welding for their competency journals. The bosuns also used it for their spray-painting competencies.”

From there, stickers were made and the confined space trainer was entered in the OHS Awards as the “best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue”.

PO Gavin Truman, who took over the project following the initial construction phase, said interest in the confined space trainer had snowballed, with inquiries already fielded from the Army’s Training Command and the Fleet Support Units in Sydney, Darwin and Cairns.

“Now we’re looking to expand the program to roll it into an administrative training package like at the combat survivability centre, where you would do confined space training along with fire-fighting and damage control training,” PO Truman said.

“For the Defence safety world, it has a very practical application, and also for the outside world. I’ve investigated a couple of facilities near Perth that do confined space training, yet they haven’t got a suitable training facility. We’d like

to see the commercial world come in and pump resources into FSU and get money back for using our facilities.”

In the meantime, more than 150 Navy personnel have completed the relatively simple training procedure, where six to ten people can be accommodated in one session. This has taken the pressure off the need for a ship to provide practical training.

“It’s something that is a simple idea that cost us next to nothing to produce, because we produced it ourselves and the resources were there," PO Truman said.

"We didn’t pay any contractors to build it and now it’s a training facility that is very sought after.”

The air in there:A confined space is something that’s been

sealed from any atmospheric pressure. It generally takes the form of a sealed box and when you open that box, the air that’s been inside has become stagnant and non-breathable.

To get access to the inside of a confined space for inspections, you need go through a set process to identify the contents and how to empty the contents if required.

Once the lid is cleared to open, a gas detector (or impact probe) ensures the atmosphere is safe. And if it’s not, the confined space is vented until the atmosphere is declared breathable.

The confined space trainer project took almost 18 months from inception to completion, with modifications incorporating two tank access points (from above and the side), with appropriate staging to access the top of the container safely.

AbOve: The Navy's confined space trainer, built by the Fleet support unit in Perth.

AbOve: Petty Officer Gavin Truman accepts the Defence OHs Award for best solution to an Identified Workplace Health and safety Issue with the confined space trainer built by Navy's Fleet support unit in Perth. Photo: Grace Costa


laying wheelchair rugby, installing radios, dressing up as santa, handing out awards and putting in garden paths is all in a day’s work for the ship’s company of

HMAs Newcastle when they visit their adopted charity: The Hunter Orthopaedic school in Newcastle.

And it is this type of charity work by the crew of

Newcastle that has been recognised, with the ship

receiving the 2008 Navy League Community Award.

The Award, which recognises Navy service

to civilian communities, was given to the ship in

recognition of its work within the wider Hunter

region and the Hunter Orthopaedic School, a school

for physically and intellectually disabled children -

the ship’s adopted charity for the past 15 years.

“The Federal Council of the Navy League takes

the selection of the winning ship or establishment

very seriously. It is not uncommon to have several

ballots before the winner is selected,” said Federal

President Graham Harris.

“It says a great deal about the quality of the

Newcastle submission that, almost uniquely, in

2008 the winner was a unanimous choice on the

first ballot.

“On behalf of the League I am delighted to

offer my congratulations to the ships company of

HMAS Newcastle on an outstanding program of

community work.”

The Principal of Hunter Orthopaedic School,

Ms Alison Sellers, knows only too well that the

benefits for the school are immeasurable.

P

nAVy

TOP: The-then Commanding Officer HMAs Newcastle, Commander Nick stoker and Commissioning lady, Mrs Margret McNaughton, with the team of walkers and ship's company from HMAs Newcastle. The 10-day walk in February 2008 went from sydney to Newcastle to raise money for the ship's charity Hunter Orthopaedic school. LeFT: The-then Commanding Officer of HMAs Newcastle, Commander Nicholas stoker, plays a game of wheelchair soccer with children from the Hunter Orthopaedic school in Newcastle in December 2007. RIGHT: Able seaman Communications Information systems Mel Hardy presents Hunter Orthopaedic school student Haylee with her year’s work and certificate of achievement. Photos: Able Seaman Andrew Black

HMAS Newcastle walks tall


Mrs Margaret McNaughton

ship’s LadyOne member of the Newcastle community

that is no stranger to the charitable work of HMAS Newcastle, is Mrs Margaret McNaugton, the Ship’s Lady. Mrs McNaughton was Lady Mayoress of the City of Newcastle for nine years and was present at the 1993 commissioning of the ship. She continues her work for charity in the Newcastle community and maintains a very close relationship with the ship and the Hunter Orthopaedic School.

“I am absolutely ecstatic and very proud of HMAS Newcastle receiving the Navy League Community Award. I want to congratulate the entire ship’s company for their tireless work in our community,” she said.

The Great North Walk that the crew undertook last year, brings back fond memories for Mrs McNaughton.

“What really impressed me was that the crew was so giving of their time, the amount of people that volunteered was fantastic,” Mrs McNaughton said.

“I farewelled the crew at Garden Island when they started the Great North Walk and I think some of them thought it might have been a nice little stroll!

“The work that the crew do when they visit the school is just amazing. When they host the school on board everybody pitches in. I have seen the young sailors lift the children out of their wheelchairs and put them in the Captain’s seat – the children absolutely love it.

“A marvellous bond has been formed between the ship, the city and the school and I know that this will continue into the future. I just get goose bumps whenever I hear of anything to do with HMAS Newcastle, particularly when I heard that they were the very deserving winners of the Navy League’s Community Award.”

“The relationship between the school and the ship means so much for the students, parents and staff here,” Ms Sellers said.

“The fact that a huge ship would want to be a part of our tiny little school is amazing. Obviously the financial benefits are very welcome but also emotionally, we are really proud to be associated with the Navy.”

In 2008, the crew of the Newcastle conducted a fundraising activity that saw them trek the Great North Walk from Sydney to Newcastle with the aim of raising money for much needed equipment for the school. Ten days, hundreds of leeches later and $10,000 richer, the team made it to Newcastle where a civic reception was held to celebrate the achievement and to hand over a cheque for funds raised.

“With the generous effort of the crew we were able to buy a Motomed, a piece of equipment that lets the children exercise their bodies while still in their wheel chairs,” Ms Sellers said. “It has been wonderful to have and plays an integral role in the children’s physio activities.”

The Commanding Officer of Newcastle, Commander (CMDR) Justin Jones, was quick to deflect credit for the award.

“I took command two weeks after the Great North Walk was completed so essentially I have inherited this award. It definitely belongs to the ship’s company,” CMDR Jones said. “The crew don’t do these things to get recognised, it is just what they do. It is one of the most meaningful awards that a ship can be given in its time.”

Apart from regular fundraising activities throughout the year, the crew also visits the school when they can, to conduct any maintenance work that needs doing.

“The crew has helped us by laying paths so

the children can get to their hydrotherapy pool,

planting donated trees, installing power points and

putting radios in our school buses and this sort of

support is so appreciated, “ Ms Sellers said.

The ship's yearly fundraising program is

the domain of the Welfare Committee, which

gets together to brainstorm ideas for the ships

charity work.

“The ship’s company get very involved and

some people get quite passionate about it – I love

it when that happens because you can let them

take the lead on thinking about how they want to

approach it,” CMDR Jones said.

Encouraging his sailors to get widely involved

with the community is very important to CMDR Jones.

“I am really focussed on Navy’s broader

engagement with the community,” CMDR Jones said.

“We try, as much as possible, to spend time

with other members of the community and I say to

my crew to feel free to invite them onboard to see

how the ship works.”

“We have hosted Victorian bushfire victims

(in addition to raising $1500 for the Victorian

Fire Appeal), talked to school delegations about

leadership, and we regularly keep in touch with the

cadet units that we sponsor.”

So, what has Newcastle got planned for their

major fundraising effort for 2009? CMDR Jones is

keeping his cards close to his chest on this one.

“We are still yet to finalise the details but

let me say, this is going to be bigger and more

ambitious than we have ever undertaken and I am

looking forward to seeing the results,” he said.

HMAS Newcastle walks tall By Leila Daniels


joInt oPeRAtIons CoMMAnD

Rebuilding communities duringOperations

Captain James scott (left) and soldiers from the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force patrol through the Mirabad region of southern Afghanistan, during a mission to inspect reconstruction works and inspect the locations of future projects.

Rebuilding communities duringOperations he Works section of the 1st

Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF 1) based in Tarin Kowt are nation builders.

They conduct the design, management and contracting to local Afghan construction

companies for all Australian reconstruction within Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

Project Engineer with the MRTF 1, Captain (CAPT) Mick Thompson said the Works Section team are the only technical reconstruction component of the deployed Australian and Dutch forces, and concurrently manage about 25 projects worth about US$10.4 million each year.

“We have completed more than 35 major projects completed in Uruzgan Province in the two and a half years since the 1st Reconstruction Task Force (RTF 1) started,” CAPT Thompson said.

“None of the projects are incredibly impressive in their own right, but what is significant is that the projects have all been achieved in a reasonably short period of time in an environment of extreme adversity, insecurity and suffering.”

At present there are few Non Government Organisations (NGOs) working in Tarin Kowt. Contractors continuously face inconsistent supply of materials over dangerous routes. Convoys bringing workers and materials from Kandahar to Tarin Kowt only travel approximately once per week and have a high associated security cost.

“Sometimes these convoys are attacked and vehicles, equipment and loads destroyed. Truck drivers have been intimidated and killed for the belief that they are bringing supplies to support

international reconstruction projects,” CAPT Thompson said.

MRTF 1 Works Section (the fifth rotation of Works Sections) deployed during the period September 2008 to June 2009 and comprised only seven military engineers plus two interpreters:

ª Project Engineer: Captain Mick Thompson (BE (Civil)) – 1 CER

ª Project Engineer: Captain James Scott (BE (Civil)) – 1 CER

ª Works Manager/Works Supervisor (plant): Warrant Officer Class One Neil Goodbun – 19 CE Works

ª Works Supervisor (plumbing): Sergeant Rick Morris – 22 Const Regt

ª Works Supervisor (building): Sergeant Phil Lawlor – 19 CE Works

ª Surveyor/Works Supervisor (building): Corporal Mark Tennent – 1 Topo Svy Sqn

ª Architectural Draftsman: Lance Corporal Darren Bath – 19 CE Works Crucial components of the Works Section are

the two highly skilled quad-lingual interpreters. They have spent up to 29 months in Afghanistan interpreting for the Works Section—developing significant skills in construction management and ably assist in the construction supervision of reconstruction projects.

“They allow smooth and effective interaction with the local Afghan contractors as well as with the provincial ministry officials and the governor for the inception of new construction projects,” CAPT Thompson said.

“MRTF 1 Works Section is also the first Works Section to mentor a local national Afghan Draftsman as part of the Works Section.”

Projects are designed to Australian standards and managed by the Works Section to ensure compliance with the drawings and specifications. The majority of tenders are open to encourage competition and build capacity of the local construction industry.

To promote local involvement in all Works Section projects, the contracts that are developed demand that all of the unskilled labour used is from the immediate area of the project, with half of the skilled labour coming from Afghanistan (Tarin Kowt as a priority).

“This serves to encourage the training of locals in construction techniques to progress them from unskilled to skilled labour,” CAPT Thompson said.

“Construction gives the local Afghans a choice other than supporting criminal elements like the Taliban in destabilising Afghanistan or farming poppy for opium. This is one of the major aims of the Works Section; to build the capacity of the local construction industry to allow the provision of quality major infrastructure.”

All of the Works Section reconstruction projects in Afghanistan were designed and managed by the MRTF 1 Works Section and previously deployed RTF Works Sections. A majority of current projects were established by or involved these previous rotations of Works Sections. MRTF 1 Works Section was very lucky to inherit a number of major construction projects handed over in all stages of management. MRTF 1 Works Section continued the previous good work to ensure the reconstruction efforts did not stop.

LeFT: Operational Mentoring and Liason Team, Warrant Officer Class 2 Matthew Henderson, instructs comrades from the Afghan National Army in the use of M-16 rifles supplied by the united states at Forward Operating base Locke (Chora valley, Afghanistan). MIDDLe: A team from the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team survey their surroundings from an overwatch position above Forward Operating base Locke (Chora valley, Afghanistan). Left to right, Officer Commanding Major David McCammon, Lance Corporal scott Tampalini (front), Captain Tom Drew and private James smith (right). RIGHT: Lieutenant Colonel shane Gabriel (left) and Lieutenant Jacob Kleinman (centre) take a knee with brigadier John Caligari (right) during a foot patrol through the sorkh Morgab region of Oruzgan Province. With the officers is the Regimental sergeant Major of the incoming 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force, Warrant Officer Class One Darren Murch (rear). Photo By: Corporal (CPL) Ricky Fuller



27


s Australia’s commitment in Iraq draws to a close, the Defence Cooperation Program is now becoming the centrepiece of Australia’s defence

engagement with Iraq.

The Desert Journey logistics course, a

three-week pilot course recently held in Sydney

for members of the Iraqi Armed Forces, is a new

initiative within the Defence Cooperation Program.

A vital step in re-building capability across

the Iraqi military, logistics has been described

as one of the “biggest challenges” by Iraqi

Defence Minister Abd-al-Qadir, and an area of

key importance to the future success of the Iraqi

Armed Forces.

Commander Joint Logistics (CJLOG), Major

General Grant Cavenagh, welcomed the 17

participants who ranged in rank from Captain to

Lieutenant Colonel.

“Improving security and stability in Iraq

has enabled Coalition partners like Australia to

substantially draw down their forces,” Major

General Cavenagh said.

“Defence is enormously pleased to offer this

Australian-based pilot logistics course that is

tailored specifically to Iraqi requirements.”

An added benefit for the participants was that

the course was taught in Arabic, removing any

requirement for fluency in English.

Three translators from the Navy and Army and

an instructor from the ADF School of Languages

assisted with translating the lessons and group

presentations.

Private Fadi Jabbori said that participating as

a translator was an interesting experience that he

would recommend to other translators when the

opportunity arose.

“It is fantastic that the course is taught in

Arabic as it allows more people the opportunity to

come and learn whether you speak English or not,”

Private Jabbori said.

The course covered a wide range of

theoretical and practical aspects of logistics

relevant to circumstances that the Iraqi Armed

Forces may experience.

In the latter part of the course, group

exercises allowed the participants to demonstrate

their learning to senior reviewing officer, Brigadier

(BRIG) David McGahey.

The group worked on solutions to a logistics

scenario, requiring the participants to plan the

movement of a brigade from Baghdad to Basra,

countering insurgent attacks along the way.

With extensive experience in his role as

Deputy Commanding General Joint Headquarters

Advisory Team, Multi-National Security Transition

Command-Iraq , BRIG McGahey said he was

extremely impressed with the presentations.

“I am pleased with the work that the

participants have completed so far, and

encouraged by what I have seen today,” BRIG

McGahey said.

“Participants have demonstrated their ability

to produce very good quality plans, and in my view,

InteRnAtIonAL PoLICy

A

Logistics CourseDesert JourneyBy Leila Daniels



have produced some very good outcomes at a

number of different levels.”

International Policy Division developed the

pilot course in consultation with the Australian

Defence Attache Baghdad and funding was

provided jointly with the US-led Multi-National

Security Transition Command – Iraq.

“CDF felt that as we draw down our

operational presence in Iraq that this type of

training is a useful way for Defence to assist the

Iraqi armed forces to take charge of their own

operations and to support the development of the

modern state of Iraq,” Director Iraq - International

Policy Division, Mr Pat Burke said.

“While this was a pilot course, our intention

is to hold this course again and so, over time, we

aim to make a contribution to the development of

a professional cadre of logisticians within the Iraqi

armed forces, staff and headquarters.

“For a pilot course, we have been very happy with

the size of the group, how they have performed and the

lessons that they will take back to Iraq.”

For the majority of the participants, travelling

to Australia was the very first opportunity they had

to travel on a plane. In their down time, the group

experienced the sights and sounds of Sydney as

well as touring Defence establishments such as

HMAS Manoora and DNSDC Moorebank.

BRIG McGahey said that the importance of

the Defence Cooperation Program could not be

underestimated.

“Having Defence cooperation targeting niche

areas like logistics gives us a lot of bang for our

buck because the outcomes greatly outweigh the

investment,” he said.

“Something like this is an area that really

assists the Iraqis because of their lack of capability

in this area.

“Because the participants are spread right

across the Army, Navy and Air Force, the beauty

of that is that they will take this knowledge with

them and apply it to a range of issues. I can see

this course having utility for some time to come.”

LeFT: senior reviewing officer bRIG David McGahey with some of the first logistics course members.

CeNTRe: Mr Pat burke, Director Iraq – International Policy Division congratulates a course member after the final presentation.

RIGHT: A member of Overwatch battle Group (West) - Three assists with logistics training in Iraq.

‘‘Defence is enormously pleased to offer this Australian-based pilot logistics course that is tailored specifically to Iraqi requirements.’’– Commander Joint Logistics,

Major General Grant Cavenagh

Logistics Course


Public penetrates Air Defence Regiment in South AustraliaIn 1996, the 16th Air Defence Regiment was granted Freedom of entry to the local township of Woodside in the Adelaide Hills of south Australia.

On 6 June this year, the Regiment again exercised that Freedom of Entry as part of the Regiment’s 40th anniversary celebrations. An open day for the public, which was very well received, also capped off the day.

The 16th Air Defence Regiment has a long association with the local community. Woodside Barracks has a history pre-dating WWII and has been home to not only air defence units, but also infantry battalions and units conducting training prior to deploying overseas on operations.

Commanding Officer of 16th Air Defence Regiment Lieutenant Colonel John McLean said the barracks also housed many unit war memorials and continues to be a place that attracts veterans and widowers for remembrance and reunions.

The base also becomes a local focal point for the community on Anzac Day with the Dawn Service, Gunfire Breakfast and obligatory game of two-up open to the public, all attracting bigger crowds each year.

“Many Army members serving at Woodside Barracks are themselves local South Australians and many have established their own families locally,” LTCOL McLean said.

“The resultant strong Army presence at several local schools has led to increased ties between the barracks and the schools with the donation of annual trophies and official attendance at award ceremonies and sporting events.”

The 16th Air Defence Regiment also provides significant support to the local Army Cadet unit – a long and successful tradition in the area – and to local sporting clubs.

“Over the years the barracks has had a relationship with the local community in times of need such as support during flash floods and the Ash Wednesday fires,” LTCOL McLean said.

ARMy

‘‘Many Army members serving at Woodside Barracks are themselves local South Australians and many have established their own families locally.’’– Commanding Officer of 16th Air Defence Regiment Lieutenant Colonel John McLean

MAIN: Commanding the parade was the Commanding Officer of the 16th Air Defence Regiment, LTCOL John McLean. TOP: Ms Jacqueline Killian and LT Jeremy satchel of the 111th bTY Woodside inspecting an old Rapier Tracking unit on display. MIDDLe: Gunner John bradford of the 111th Air Defence bTY and Trooper Paul Jones of the 16th Air Defence Cssb. bOTTOM: situated in south Australia’s picturesque Adelaide Hills, the 16 Air Defence Regiment celebrated its 40th birthday and exercised its Freedom of entry to the township of Woodside on saturday, 06 June 2009. Photos: Lance Corporal Glenn Power


It is not until you stand at the water’s edge at Rockingham, Western Australia, that you really get a sense of Navy’s importance to this once sleepy coastal town.

Now a bustling city with a population of about 100,000, Mayor of Rockingham Barry Sammels said HMAS Stirling was and continues to be an integral part the community’s growth.

“It’s amazing the amount of people who ask ‘what’s that over there?’ when they are looking out at HMAS Stirling,” Mayor Sammels said.

“With about 4000 personnel, Navy’s presence in our community isn’t a dominant one, yet they are still such an important part of Rockingham’s identity.

“It has been fantastic to see the Navy grow over the years from a smaller presence back in the 70’s and 80’s, to be the size they are now. I think the people of Rockingham have really captured that.”

Officially, Stirling’s primary purpose is to provide operational and logistics support to the Navy ships, submarines and aircraft based in Western Australia. Since its commissioning, Stirling has expanded enormously within its existing boundaries. Notable additions include a helicopter support facility located on the southern end of Garden Island, and a new, cutting-edge Submarine Escape Training Facility—one of only six in the world.

But as Mayor Sammels explains, Stirling also provides critical support to local businesses as well as fostering a sense of community between Defence and the local population.

“We have a close involvement with the commanding officer and he sits on one of our committees in relation to economic development in the area,” Mayor Sammels said.

“But it’s not all about jobs and money, we like to share the feelings of the families of those

Defence people when they leave to go overseas and defend our country. I think the Rockingham community is really in touch with that side of what happens at Stirling.

“Events like Anzac Day and Remembrance Day are really quite special here because of Stirling.

“We also have a fantastic war memorial built in recent years, we really appreciate the Navy band coming down and playing in the march, and outside of Perth we’re probably the largest march pass on Anzac Day.

“I guess all in all, it is a fantastic relationship and something that we’ve seen grow over the many years as more and more ships are based at Stirling.”

Sterling partnership:

– Mayor of Rockingham, Barry Sammels


‘‘I guess all in all, it is a fantastic relationship and something that we’ve seen grow over the many years as more and more ships are based at Stirling.

’’

AbOve: Friends, family and Navy personnel all gather on Diamantina Pier at HMAs Stirling to welcome HMAs Arunta back home from the Persian Gulf in May last year. Photo: ABPH Lincoln CommaneTOP: Mayor of Rockingham barry sammels says HMAs Stirling continues to be an integral part the community’s growth in Western Australia.

A mayor's perspective on the community of Rockingham, WA.By Jack Foster


he Defence Community Organisation (DCO) is

providing hands-on support to ADF children who are transitioning into new schools as one measure in a range of

programs that help ADF families to thrive within their communities.

Director General DCO Michael Callan states the role of the DCO is to provide advice and practical assistance to ADF members and their families through a combination of professional social-work services and national and local-level programs, ranging from childcare, education and employment support to family days, information sessions, command liaison and deployment support services.

Through the DCO, Defence provides hands-on support to ADF children in transitioning into new schools though Defence School Transition Aides (DSTAs) who are employed at selected primary schools that host significant numbers of Defence children.

“Primary school DSTAs, and Defence Transition Mentors in secondary schools, support students as they post in and out of a school, as well as supporting them through all aspects of the ADF lifestyle, providing an important resource to service families,” Mr Callan said.

DCO also provides direct support to communities through financial grants under the Family Support Funding Program (FSFP).

Mr Callan says the intent of FSFP is to encourage ADF families to engage with, and be supported by, the communities in which they live, fostering a culture of self-reliance and independence.

“Each year, the FSFP receives bids for funding

from community-based organisations for projects

and initiatives that support Defence families.

These projects and initiatives routinely include a

wide array of community house and interest group

activities. FSFP funding is also available to arrange

services such as internet access or administrative

support for community groups,” Mr Callan said.

Applications for funding under FSFP in 2009

closed on 30 April, however information on how

to lodge bids for 2010 is available on the DCO

website.

DCO is also committed to a long-term strategy

of enhancing and building the innate self-reliance

already demonstrated by so many Defence

families. Mr Callan said an initiative to embrace

the opportunities of community capacity building

was endorsed by the White Paper and is currently

under development.

“Over time, this approach will seek to

encourage greater connectivity and integration

both within the Defence community and also into

local communities.

“The DCO’s self-reliance strategy aims to

foster an environment where Defence families

not only survive service life, but seize the many

opportunities made available to them to help them

thrive in their communities,” Mr Callan said.

In addition to its national headquarters in

Canberra, the DCO has integrated teams in area

offices located on or near Defence establishments

all around the country. ADF members and their

families can visit these offices to seek advice or

assistance, as well as finding a wealth of family

support information and useful links on the DCO

website: http://www.defence.gov.au/DCO/

Defence Community Organisation helping ADF families thrive

DeFenCe suPPoRt

T

MAIN: ADF families enjoy the sunshine and the sounds of the Australian Army band - brisbane during National Families Week celebration in brisbane on 17 May 2009. RIGHT: ADF families in Canberra celebrated National Families Week at HMAs Harman on 16 May 2009. AbOve RIGHT: Chasing ducks was just part of the fun as ADF families celebrated National Families Week at HMAs Harman on 16 May 2009.


Defence Community Organisation helping ADF families thrive

The Defence Community Organisation’s (DCO) role is to contribute to the operational effectiveness of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) by providing a range of services and programs that enhance the wellbeing of ADF personnel, their families, and their communities. These measures aim to assist Defence families to balance their needs with the demands of service life.



DeFenCe sCIenCe AnD teChnoLoGy oRGAnIsAtIon

or many scientists, a day at the office is spent in the clinical, functional surrounds of a laboratory. but a growing number of their peers are swapping

lab coats for chalk sticks, as participants in Australia’s scientists in schools initiative.

Scientists in Schools began in 2007, an initiative of then Chief Scientist Dr Jim Peacock, in the lead-up to National Science Week.

Its organisers envisaged the possible formation of 100 partnerships by Science Week. Today more than 1100 are connecting scientists with schools, including 32 staff from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation working with students and teachers across Australia.

The program aims to create and support long-term professional partnerships – promoting a greater understanding of the value and practical applications of science.

Scientists in Schools’ Project Director Marian Heard said the program’s flexibility means students can get the most from their experience in or out of the classroom.

“Ultimately the direction of engagement between scientists and schools is negotiated between both parties. The scientist and teacher

decide what and how to teach, according to their respective commitments, expertise or school curriculum,” Ms Heard says.

Accordingly, a selection of showcase partnerships from the Scientists in Schools website (www.scientistsinschools.edu.au), are as diverse as they are inspiring:■ An Antarctic scientist emailing regular

updates about his research to a primary school in Townsville

■ Students in Esperance producing climate change information for their local community, with support from scientist based in Canberra, and

■ An oceanographer studying coastal erosion with students at their adopted beach in Hobart.

Dr Francis Valentinis from DSTO’s Maritime Platforms Division, visits students at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School in Pascoe Vale, Melbourne. His visits are proceeded by occasional letters from students seeking answers to additional questions or detailing their own discoveries.

While his work as part of DSTO’s unmanned underwater vehicle project is technical and specific, Dr Valentinis says the School’s program is a way of portraying scientists as everyday people with everyday jobs.

“By broadening students’ access to scientists, and providing a varied curriculum, the program encourages children, especially those who may already have an interest or an innate scientific skill,” he said.

FScientists in Schools initiative makes connectionBy Stephen D’Arcy

Back to the drawing board



Dr Valentinis facilitates a discussion with students and their teacher about the science behind some of the work that supports Australia’s defence. He is accompanied by Wyamba, the experimental unmanned underwater vehicle – a potential undersea navigation and surveillance capability, and discusses how science helps it operate.

“Students display a sense of relief at the opportunity to talk with a scientist. Some asked: "what do you do when you go to work, or do you enjoy your job, and do you wear a lab coat all day?”

Across town at Ruyton Girl’s Schools in Kew, Christina Athanassiou, a chemistry defence scientist from DSTO’s Human Protection and Performance Division, is discussing forensic science with Year 7 students.

The class is brainstorming television programs containing forensics and genetic science in their plot (the list is impressive and includes CSI, The X Files and even Neighbours).

“Programs like NCIS provide an example of the work scientists conducts. Students are familiar with Abby Sciuto, one of the crime drama’s forensic technicians, and can identify the instruments she uses. So they really appreciate a little inside information about how those instruments work in the laboratory, in the real world,” Ms Athanassiou says.

“Linking entertainment with science at work, encourages students’ understanding of the possibilities of science.”

Julia Carins, from DSTO’s Scottsdale facility

in Tasmania, who is working to improve soldier’s

nutrition and ration packs, hosted a science expo

at Scottsdale Primary School last month.

“Each class was divided into groups and

students attended six different stalls where

parents spoke about how they use science at

their work. Children saw a wide variety of science

applications and reported back to their classmates

about what they learnt,” Ms Carins says.

Scientists in Schools is open to scientists,

engineers, related post-graduate students and

professionals in affiliated fields. Its coordinators

stress the importance of police checks as part of

the registration process and detail the kind of

support provided to participants, including:

■ tips for working with students and teachers

■ useful learning materials, and

■ periodical, free professional development

workshops.

Marian Heard says that participants’ own

enthusiasm for science is often enhanced through

increased contact with schools.

Ms Carins agrees and encourages other

scientists to participate in the program.

“It can be rewarding to interact with the next

generation of scientists and experience just how

easily young people are intrigued by what you do,”

she said.

For more information about the Scientists

in Schools program, or to register visit: www.

scientistsinschools.edu.au .

Additional information about research

conducted by Defence Science and Technology

divisions detailed in this report is available at

www.dsto.defence.gov.au

AbOve and RIGHT: Prof. Rodney seppelt from DsTO's Australian Antarctic Division with primary school children in Townsville.


avy is reaching out to the community through its innovative Community engagement Program which is managed by the Directorate of Navy

Community engagement (DNCe) in Navy Headquarters, Hobart.

The Navy Community Engagement Program (NCEP) offers a unique opportunity for Navy personnel to promote the Navy to their local and regional communities through a broad and diverse range of activities that showcase naval people, their lifestyle, and what it is like to be a part of the Navy Family which also achieves strong and productive ties with the community.

The program has 11 regional event and activity coordination teams based at naval establishments all around Australia. Fleet unit participation is managed by Fleet headquarters, Potts Point Sydney.

Commander (CMDR) Henry Finnis and his small team at DNCE manage the Program from a cosy and bright office at Anglesea Barracks in Hobart.

“DNCE is responsible for directing and developing the Navy Community Engagement Strategy and Program,” CMDR Finnis said.

“In close conjunction with Navy Reputation Management in Canberra we develop long-term strategies for engaging with the community and providing advice to Deputy Chief of Navy, Fleet and Naval Systems Commands.

“The Directorate also provides assistance and advice on developing and implementing Navy’s ongoing engagement with the community.

“The Directorate provides strategic advice on community engagement priorities, programs and opportunities.

“There are numerous aspects to the job; my team and I at DNCE are kept extremely busy.

“We all love doing this work for the Navy and derive excellent job satisfaction from it – it’s great for people like us to have been given the opportunity to help the Navy in a very practical way."

CMDR Finnis said the Program demonstrated what highly motivated Reserve personnel can do for Navy.

“Apart from our small core group based in Hobart, many are Reservists, as well as a number of Permanent Navy and Defence civilian personnel all involved in coordinating and running NCEP activities across Australia,” he said.

During this financial year the Program has conducted, or participated in, more than 120 different events and activities.

NCEP coordinator at HMAS Penguin, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Wayne Gobert organised a Youth Leadership Forum to be hosted at the establishment for school principals and the top four student leaders from each school.

The invited principals, students, public figures and speakers were selected for their capacity to positively influence Navy’s reputation and leadership in the local community.

The day included talks from Australian Rugby League and Balmain Tiger legend Wayne (Junior) Pearce, Australian cricketer Michael Bevan and Rear Admiral Peter Jones.

In the west, HMAS Stirling participated in the annual two-day Rockingham Musselfest in March this year. This was a major NCEP event with more than 45 000 people attending the festival.

The RANR Band WA detachment provided lively entertainment as a backdrop to the many displays on offer for the public to peruse.

Navy chef, Leading Seaman Dean Gilchrist was involved in a cook-off with a local restaurant chef that was greatly appreciated by the crowd.

In March, Lieutenant (LEUT) Jade Garland, along with NHQ-Tas Commanding Officer Commander Tony Vine, hosted the ADF Vocational Education Training (VET) induction ceremony for Claremont College students.

Navy program engages Australia-wideBy SBLT Carolyn Docking and LCDR Bill Canna

nAVy

Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers from Australian Clearance Diving Team One, put on a physical training display for the launch of Men's Health Week 2009 at Garden Island in sydney. Photo: LSPH Brenton Freind

HMAs Sydney in the Port of Toulon, France, during the second leg of Northern Trident 09.Photo: LSPH Nadia Monteith



Navy program engages Australia-wideBy SBLT Carolyn Docking and LCDR Bill Canna

“This is a particularly worthwhile NCEP program as it runs the whole year and covers each service in the defence force and gives these students a real taste of what they may experience for themselves in the future,” LEUT Garland said.

NHQ-South Queensland has hosted recent ship visits from HMAS Launceston and HMAS Hawkesbury, both of which conducted tour groups on board.

NHQ-SQ also joined with SIDS and kids on a trek through Central Queensland.

“This unique initiative creates Navy exposure outside areas where the Navy would normally be seen by the community, as did our participation with DFR in the Navy’s alliance with the Australian Surf Rowers League for the first time this year,” CMDR Finnis said.

“NCEP teams attended not only State-based championships but organised the naval presence at the Australian finals held at Broulee on the NSW South Coast.

“Events such as these provided a strong media interest at both the national, regional and local level."

The Clipsal 500 kept NHQ-SA busy with a non-competing Navy-branded Formula V car owned by a Naval reservist that the crowds flocked to see, as well as support from the Naval Aviation Prospects

Scheme who gave the public a taste of flying Navy helicopter simulators.

Activities during the past few months also kept the NCEP teams on their toes, interacting with the public and promoting the Navy in a positive way.

Four HMAS Coonawarra personnel undertook separate trips to Gove and Elliot in the Northern Territory on a combined schools and Anzac Day participation exercise.

The NCEP team from HMAS Albatross attended Blessing of the Fleet celebrations in Ulladulla on Easter Sunday accompanied by an A109E helicopter from NAS NOWRA.

The highly-successful Naval Gazing Program, run by HMAS Cerberus NCEP Regional Coordinator, Leading Seaman Katherine Mulheron, continues to provide a highly interactive day for Victorian high school students. The Program allows students to interact with the various schools and departments at the base.

CMDR Finnis said awareness of this program, both in the community and within Navy, was growing and it now enjoyed a high level of support across the commands.

“The Community Engagement Program shows the public what personnel in the Navy do, what the lifestyle is really like and how the Navy contributes

to national security and to the community itself,”

CMDR Finnis said.

“We have an outstanding highly motivated

team out there doing things that few members of

the Navy normally have opportunities to do on an

ongoing basis.

“Our team is a true workforce mix of Reserve,

Permanent Navy and APS personnel.

“My entire team does an outstanding job in

achieving the outcomes required for this program and

in supporting their respective Commanding Officers.

“This program, while establishing new

supportive networks within the community,

provides members of the public opportunities

to take a glimpse into the huge array of career

opportunities the Navy has to offer, which is one

reason why we work so closely with Defence Force

Recruiting.”

CMDR Finnis said feedback received about

the Program from all around Australia had been

enormously positive.

“I certainly hope this scheme continues well

into the future,” he said.

“We’ve been doing some good things for

the Navy and everyone in this program is totally

committed to the work that we do”.

HMAs Childers and Canadian ship HMCs Winnipeg at station Pier, Melbourne to mark the 125th anniversary of the arrival of Her Majesty's victoria ships in Melbourne. Photo: LSPH Nina Nikolin

Able seaman Communications and Informations systems specialist Rebecca Tuckerwell as HMAs Sydney approaches Toulon, France, during the second leg of Northern Trident 09. Photo: LSPH Nadia Monteith

Members of the Royal Australian Air Force’s No. 36 squadron proved model ambassadors for Australia when they displayed their C-17A Globemaster in Indonesia recently.

The aircraft and crew were visited by more than 200 local school children, as well as members of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), during a goodwill visit to Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta.

Commander of RAAF Air Lift Group Air Commodore (AIRCDRE) John Oddie joined the crew in meeting counterparts within the TNI-AU.

“This visit provided the Indonesian Air Force

with a better understanding of the extra capability

that the C-17s bring to the Australian Defence

Force,” AIRCDRE Oddie said.

With the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami still a fresh

memory, the impact of Australia’s C-17A in the field

of airlift is not lost on our regional neighbours.

Loaded with humanitarian relief cargo, it can

fly direct from its home of RAAF Base Amberley to

most regional centres in Indonesia.

AIRCDRE Oddie was one of the senior ADF

Officers who deployed as part of Operation

Sumatra Assist, and TNI-AU officers he met during

that effort were on hand to meet him again with

the C-17A at Halim.

The visit further strengthened existing airlift

ties between the two air forces.

Exercise Rajawali Ausindo, an air mobility

exercise between Hercules aircraft of RAAF’s

No. 37 Squadron and TNI-AU, is one of several

cooperative exercises for Australian and Indonesia.

Previously held at RAAF Base Richmond in

2006 and Halim in 2008, Rajawali Ausindo is next

scheduled for Halim in July.


38

AIR FoRCe

By FLGOFF Eamon Hamilton

LeFT: A member of the TNI-Au gives his thumbs up to 36sQN's C-17A during a recent goodwill visit to Jakarta. CeNTRe: High school teachers from the Halim suburb of Jakarta with a 36sQN C-17A at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base. RIGHT: sergeant Adam Carter, a loadmaster with No. 36 squadron, demonstrates to senior Indonesian Air Force officers the ease with which the C-17A's cargo handling system can be configured.

RAAF’s Indonesiadrops intobIG bIRD


he Australian Defence Force Academy’s (ADFA) Foster

Family scheme is designed to assist Midshipman and Officer Cadets who are in their first year at the Defence Academy

in coping with the transition from civilian to military and Academy life. Defence Magazine caught up first-year cadet, Midshipman Clare White to talk about her experience.

Where have you moved from and why did you decide to join the Navy?

In February 2008 I joined the Navy and moved

to HMAS Creswell in Jervis Bay, NSW. The first

18 years of my life prior to joining the Navy were

spent at my family residence in the small country

town of Allansford in South West Victoria.

My father served in both the RAN and the

Royal Navy for 20 years, leaving two years before

I was born. This wasn’t a strong influencing factor

in my decision to join the Navy, but it was helpful

in determining what a career in the Navy would

be like. What initially prompted me to apply was

a visit from a recruiting team to my school, who

were promoting careers in the Navy, specifically

the advantages of attending the Australian

Defence Force Academy.

Were you enthusiastic to take up the offer of having a foster family?

I jumped at the chance of having a foster

family believing that it would be a good

opportunity to get to know a family outside of

ADFA who I could relate to. As I didn’t know

anyone in Canberra besides my colleagues at

ADFA, I thought the chance of having another

family who I could relate to who were also from a

military background, was a really good opportunity.

What is the best thing about having a foster family?

The best thing about having a foster family

is knowing that if something goes wrong or if you

need advice on anything military or otherwise, they

are always there to bounce ideas off.

How does having a foster family help with your studies at ADFA?

My foster family lent me gear for academic

trips and came to support me at events such as the

Chief of Defence Force Parade which my family back

home couldn’t travel the long distance to attend.

What sort of things do you do with your foster family?

They invite me over for meals at their home

and I am able to spend time with their children.

It is a nice break away from the academic and

military lifestyle of the Academy, which I have

found to be very rewarding and useful.

How do you see your future in the Navy?

I see my future in the Navy as one which will

bring me a variety of opportunities. I hope these

will include travel and overseas experience, as

well as identifying and learning what I believe

a good officer is and modelling myself upon

those qualities. Obviously I would like to find a

specialisation which I enjoy and can excel in. I

believe I will enjoy a future in the Navy, and I hope

to gain skills which I can then transfer and use in

other areas of my life.

the LAst woRD

One of the many to benefit from the Australian Defence Force Academy's foster family scheme is first-year Cadet Midshipman Clare White.

T

Fosteringfamily connectionsBy Jack Foster

m a g a z i n e ›

Documents

DeFeNCe IN THe COMMuNITY · DeFeNCe IN THe COMMuNITY ... Masterchef contestant Poh Ling Yeow prepares a meal onboard HMAS Kanimbla during filming for an episode of the program which