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Edition 1402 August 10, 2017

Your new payslip: special four-page guide CENTRE

STRONGER TOGETHER

Exercise Talisman Sabre has projected joint US-Australian

military might on the world stage EIGHT-PAGE FEATURE

August 10, 2017News www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews2

How do you rate Army’s performance on Talisman Sabre?“It was a dramatic demonstration of ADF and coalition partners’ capability.

“It was extremely impressive for me and extremely impressive for anyone who wanted to look at our capability and know we’re very well prepared.

“It was a test of putting the Army in the field and seeing if it could do its job.

“Talisman Sabre shows all our lines of effort knit together to achieve a really outstand-ing effect.”

How are your main lines of effort coming together?“I’m very impressed by Socomd reform, improvements in recruiting, joint and amphibi-ous warfighting and modernisation.

“I’m also very impressed with the work of the 860 reservists participating in Talisman Sabre.

“We can’t yet be satisfied with the steps to improve the retention of our force.

“Seeking to build resilience, rehabilitation and inspire our people to serve and continue to serve, are three components of retention that need continuing work.

“I don’t think we should ever be satisfied. If someone finds themselves injured, or they’re not inspired to serve, or we’re not supporting professional development and rehabilitation of our people, then we’re not getting the full potential of our force.”

How is Army’s recruiting this year?“Our numbers are up to 89 per cent of recruit-ing targets for ARA and Reserves.

“I’m still complaining about the other 11 per cent. I want to acknowledge it’s a substan-tial step forward but it’s a step from which we need to keep moving.

“We have the RFSUs helping enhance Indigenous participation programs.

“Those efforts have seen a substan-tial increase in bringing rural and regional Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders into our Army.

“We respect the service they have offered us for a century, and we gain access to the per-spectives they offer.

“I’m pleased, but I’m not satisfied yet.”

You were recently awarded an AO in the Queen’s Birthday Honours and a Legion of Merit – Commander by the United States. What do these awards mean to you and Army broadly?“I really receive them on behalf of an Army that is taking great efforts to develop its capa-bility; on behalf of soldiers who care for their mates and an Army seeking to improve in many aspects.

“I’m very privileged, but I do see it as more a recognition of the team effort and building relationships between Australia and the US.”

Do you believe Plan Beersheba is delivering? Is the readiness cycle successful?“It’s coming together as a total force capability. We saw Talisman Sabre as the certification of 3 Bde from readying to ready; the use of the

reserves and the use of the commonly struc-tured brigades. I’m really pleased with it.

“The introduction of a tank squadron into 7 Bde from 2018 concludes the project that is Plan Beersheba and it significantly enhances readiness in our Army.”

Why the continued emphasis on connectivity and integration?“When I joined the Army, you could put sol-diers, trucks, artillery pieces, and headquarters together, mix it all around and there’s your bri-gade. Then a signals regiment would provide the radios.

“We’re now seeking to create a digital net-work. In a mature state, all the platforms, vehi-cles and weapon systems are integrated.

“It’s secure, it degrades gracefully under attack and it can rebound.

“You harness every weapon system, every sensor and many layers of control to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

“15 years ago, then CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy announced the Hardened and Networked Army. I think we still have another 10 years to go to achieve it.

“This is a quarter of a century transition from an analogue Army to a network-by-design digital Army.”

What do you think of the new ADF HQ?“The services are components and the CDF is legally in full command of the ADF – that has a good unifying effect.

“I’m very impressed with the manner in which the services all work closely together and this is the next step in building the inte-grated ADF.”

How do you rate the training missions in Afghanistan and Iraq?“What’s most impressive is the degree to which those two partner military forces are keen to have Australian training assistance and support.

“They want it, they’re learning from it and I think they’re valuing it.

“Subject to government direction, I think we’ll be doing this for a little while. Army has the capacity to support it, if it’s in our national interest to do so.”

Following Talisman Sabre, will there be more exercises with international militaries?“I had a recent discussion about building training opportunities between ourselves, US Marine Corps, US Army and Japanese Self Defense Forces.

“I think there will be continuing opportuni-ties to work with partner nations.

“It quietly builds. I wouldn’t say to anyone ‘pack your rucksack today’, but you will see more opportunities as we go.”

What do you think of the Enhanced F88?“I’m an average shot, I’m not a marksman and I haven’t used weapons too frequently for a few years. But the RSM-A and I were able to centre 20 rounds in the upper torso of a Figure 11 target at 600m.

“That is a very good weapon. They’ve come a long way since the SLR when I first joined.”

What are your favourite new projects that are under way?“I like Land 200’s digital-by-design network hub. We need it to be the basis of everything else we do.

“Land 400 is trialling combat reconnais-sance vehicles (CRV) at the moment. That pro-ject will re-equip Army with a modern armour manoeuvre punch, when you combine the CRV, infantry fighting vehicle and Abrams tank.

“I really respect the contribution made by the M113 and the ASLAV but their time has passed.

“The Soldier Combat Ensemble is very effective in allowing a soldier to survive and be aware on operations.

“When you put those together, you’re operating in a network with various protected manoeuvre effects - soldiers will be the most aware and the most lethal agents we’ve ever put on a battlefield.”

How is recruitment of women progressing?“At the moment about 87 per cent of our force is from 50 per cent of the population that are men and only 13 per cent of the force from the 50 per cent that are women.

“I don’t mind how many women join a par-ticular corps or how many serve in total. I want us to get our fair measure of the population and the talents they contain.

“I want to build a solid flow of female recruits, of Indigenous people and those from diverse backgrounds.

“If we don’t, we will be drawing from a nar-rower and narrower sub-section of our popula-tion. We need to remain an Army representative of our entire nation.”

CA always striving for betterCpl Max Bree sat down with Chief of Army Lt-Gen Angus Campbell to discuss his assessment of the year so far.

CA Lt-Gen Angus Campbell meets with soldiers during his visit to Camp Baird in the Middle East Region.Photo: WO2 Andrew Hetherington

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3August 10, 2017 Newswww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 3

Cpl Max Bree

SOLDIERS convicted of domestic violence offences could find themselves without a job if they fail to reform their ways, according to CA Lt-Gen Angus Campbell.

“In the best of worlds, I want the victims support-ed and I want the perpetrators to seek help,” he said.

“I want them to take up pathways that break the cycle and rebuild them as constructive members of society and the Army.

“There will be some people who refuse to see a different future and will leave the Army.

“Others will seek help and, where there’s a genu-ine and demonstrated effort, that will be part of the consideration of their next steps.”

The comments follow the recent release of the “Silence is the Accomplice” video where four sol-diers shared their stories as victims of domestic violence.

It provoked a number of unprompted emails to AHQ from soldiers about their experiences.

“One fellow contacted the headquarters anony-mously to say ‘I watched it, I confronted myself, I am a perpetrator, I’m going to seek help, I’m not going to let this control my life anymore and I’m so sorry for what I’ve been doing’,” Lt-Gen Campbell said.

The CA wants soldiers to be conscious of domes-tic violence and the effects it has on people and mili-tary capability.

“I expect disciplined, controlled, and legal use of violence in battle – and only in battle,” he said.

“The ill-disciplined and illegal use of violence in war is a war crime; the ill-disciplined and illegal use of violence domestically is a crime.

“If I’m going to see people serving on operations where they are physically, mentally and emotionally stressed, I need to know they exhibit in their lives self-discipline, restraint and respect for others.

“Domestic violence is something they should reject and actively work against.”

The fight against domestic violence was about living the Army’s values, according to CA.

“A disciplined soldier at home is a disciplined soldier on the battlefield,” he said.

“I don’t see why I should give an excuse in one direction and turn a blind eye in the other.”

Army has recorded a recent increase in domestic violence being reported on a monthly basis.

“That doesn’t mean there is more domestic vio-lence in the Army, it means there’s more honesty about addressing it,” CA said.

“I think there has been an increase in willingness to report, it seems to now be at a consistent level.”

The CA didn’t believe there was a significant difference in rates of domestic violence in the Army compared with the general population.

“We need to accept that if it’s in Australia, it’s in the Army,” he said. “To my relief, people are starting to talk about it and act upon it.”

Domestic violence offenders to reform or leave, Chief says

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August 10, 2017News www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews4

Sgt Dave Morley and Brent Maher

THE ADF is moving towards a more efficient method of provid-ing encryption during operations for many of its GPS receivers.

An inherent feature of certain receivers enables them to receive Over-The-Air-Distribution (OTAD) of GPS encryption keys, reducing the overhead of manually rekeying.

The ADF will conduct a trial later in the year to ensure that all units that are capable of receiving the OTAD GPS encryption key can do so without error or adverse impact on supported systems.

SO1 NAVWAR Sqn-Ldr Dan Chisholm, of Joint Capability Group, said the ADF was heavily reliant on GPS to provide accurate positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) informa-tion for platforms at sea, on land and in the air.

“GPS receivers can be affected by inadvertent or deliberate interference with the satellite-based navigation sys-tem’s signals, degrading or denying a user’s access to effective PNT,” he said.

“In order to optimise access to GPS signals, there is a requirement to pro-tect the ADF’s GPS receivers against these increasingly sophisticated threats and exploit technological improve-ments when possible.

“Only a properly keyed, military GPS is able to provide an accepta-ble level of protection against these threats.”

Sqn-Ldr Chisholm said the current process required to load GPS encryp-tion keys into a GPS device was time consuming and had to be repeated every month.

“As a result many users choose not to use the GPS encryption capabil-ity and unwittingly expose themselves

Connecting the forces

to these jamming and deception risks which, in turn, can compromise mis-sion effectiveness and/or risk the safe-ty of personnel,” he said.

“Only GPS receivers fitted with the

Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) are able to receive this OTAD transmission.

“Most SAASM-enabled receivers are then able to load the next month’s

cryptokeys merely by having access to a GPS satellite that is broadcasting the OTAD transmission.

“Operational SAASM GPS users will be able to take advantage of the

ADF to conduct GPS trial to improve navigation warfare capability

encrypted GPS signals with less effort than is currently required.”

By using the automated OTAD capability, multiple devices can be updated virtually simultaneously, instead of needing to manually key each receiver separately.

It is planned for OTAD of GPS encryption keys to be in operational use by the ADF from mid-2018.

An executive directive is to be distributed, informing Defence com-manders and personnel managing or using GPS receivers of two activities occurring between July 2017 and June 2018.

Firstly, an ADF-wide GPS receiv-er status review will be conducted to ascertain all GPS receiver types used in the ADF, which in turn will iden-tify those GPS receivers fitted with SAASM that are able to exploit the OTAD capability.

Secondly, an OTAD trial will be conducted on all SAASM-enabled GPS receivers and their supported capability systems to ensure they are capable of receiving the OTAD GPS encryption key without error or adverse impact on supported systems.

This trial is expected to occur from October to early 2018.

Sqn-Ldr Chisholm said all ADF personnel managing or using GPS were encouraged to support the GPS status review and OTAD trial and its successful implementation.

“The introduction of OTAD for the ADF will be a valuable enhance-ment to our navigation warfare capa-bility, a feature that will simplify cryptokey logistics, enhance mission effectiveness and safety, and save valu-able time for all operators, if properly employed,” he said.

For more information on OTAD, visit http://drnet.defence.gov.au/DMO/GPSOTAD/Pages/Home.aspx or contact the OTAD implementa-tion team at OTAD.GPS@defence.gov.au

Sig Thomas Zerna conducts maintenance on a satellite dish at the Hamid Karzai International Airport-North antenna farm during his Operation Highroad deployment as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. Photo: Cpl David Cotton

GPS is critical across the battlespace.

Be a part of the future of ArmyMaj Conway Bown

ARMY Futures Day is the Chief of Army’s sponsored medium for members of the Army, and the wider community, to present ideas relating to the future of our service.

Submissions are being sought from individuals and organisations that are interested in the future direction of Army, in particular those with ideas that they would like to present to Army’s senior leadership.

The Futures Day does not aim to find solutions; rather it is an oppor-tunity to raise ideas for further dis-cussion and investigation.

Contributors may suggest in their submission where further action may be needed.

Submissions are to be no longer than two pages in a Word docu-ment, but can have supporting doc-umentation, flags and audio/visual presentations if necessary.

Submissions should include a concise statement or two on what the idea or suggestion is – the BLUF.

Alternatively, you can submit

a few sentences on the Army’s Collaboration site at the address below where ideas are already being posted and can be reviewed by potential contributors.

The Collaboration site also pro-vides an opportunity for people to further discuss ideas.

Whichever method you choose to submit your idea, the aim is to bring them to the attention of Army HQ where they will be reviewed by a member of the coordination team.

CA will select a number of ideas for consideration by the senior leadership group on Futures Day on September 28 where contributors will have the opportunity to put for-ward their ideas in person.

Ideas not considered as part of Futures Day will be forwarded to an alternative stakeholder such as the Defence Entrepreneurs Forum, Army Innovation day or a Directorate within AHQ.

The guiding principles for the development of ideas include, but are not limited to: Army Culture – who we are

and our relationships inter-nally and externally;

Technology – opportunities and challenges for Army;

Future Warfare – how do we optimise to fight in future conflicts and what those con-flicts might look like;

Force Design – how do we structure Army for future operations, including interop-erability;

Training – how to optimise our training and our people to get the best out of them both;

Human Capacity – how best to use our people and fore-seeing our future workforce needs; and,

Any other aspect of Army you think would be improved by your idea.

If you have ideas that you think will benefit our service, now is the chance for you to present them to decision-makers.

Cut off for submissions is September 12 and further information can be found on the Army website at army.gov.au/our-future/Armys-future/Army-Futures-Day Submissions should have the author’s contact details and be submitted for consideration via the following methods: Collaboration: http://collab.defence.gov.au/army/AHQ/OCA/FuturesDay/default.aspx Email: executivesupport-chiefofarmy@drn.mil.au

5August 10, 2017 Newswww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 5

Another milestone reached in comms upgrade programCpl Sebastian Beurich

THE latest piece of equipment for the Middle East Region (MER) Communications and Information System (CIS) upgrade program has arrived at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East.

The start of the Containerised Data Centre’s (CDC) construc-tion marks another key mile-stone in Force Installation Team 31’s (FIT31) progress refitting Australia’s CIS in the MER.

The CDC is a state-of-the-art deployable, modular data storage and processing facility designed by Datapod, an Australian company specialising in CIS facilities built for harsh environments.

FIT31 team leader Capt Ryan Pitt said the CDC formed one of the key pillars of the project at Camp Baird, Australia’s main operating base in the region.

“The CDC is a modular data centre that enables infrastructure support as a precursor to the deliv-ery of the Enhanced Deployable Local Area Network (EDLAN),” he said.

“It’s all part of the MER CIS upgrade program, which will deliver a bespoke network throughout the MER. It’s like a tree with its roots spreading out.”

Despite being modular, the site for CDC installation has been sub-jected to extensive preparatory work carried out by the JTF633 Engineer Support Element alongside FIT31.

“This can only be done with the support from a number of enabling agencies, and will see JTF633 personnel across the MER using a brand new infrastructure, which runs out of this high-speed data centre,” Capt Pitt said.

The network design and develop-ment has been coordinated by the MER CIS upgrade program man-

agement office, in conjunction with Thales, CASG’s Joint Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Systems Project Office (JC4ISPO) and a number of other agencies.

“The project management office has worked hand-in-hand with personnel from the Defence Communications Master Station Australia and the greater CIOG organisation for strategic support to the wide and base area network,” Capt Pitt said.

“To procure all of the EDLAN equipment, they also worked exten-sively with JC4ISPO and Thales.

“Throughout the whole program we have been liaising with HQJOC Signals Branch and the Head of ICT Operations to ensure everything is on track.”

Building a custom-designed facility that can be transported by either air or sea offers its own advantages over a traditional fixed data centre, but presents challenges as well.

The data centre is able to be moved by tactical aircraft, like a C-17 Globemaster, so everything in the containers needed to be rein-forced to prevent movement during flight.

Datapod’s services manager Richard Blundell said getting the certification for air transportability was a huge effort.

“This is the first build we have flown, so we had to remove all of the cabling and brace all of the cabi-nets before it went on the plane,” Mr Blundell said.

“Once you put some fairly heavy cabinets and uninterruptible power supplies in a container, any move-ment can cause some significant damage.

“We used a fairly substantial amount of steel framing to make sure everything was braced inside of the container.”

The multi-million dollar CDC project has not only taken Datapod outside of Australia for the first time but, according to Mr Blundell, presents “a huge opportunity for an Australian business”.

“For an Australian company to get a gig like this with Defence is huge,” he said.

For the CDC project, 95 tonnes of equipment were flown into the MER.

According to Capt Pitt, that amount of equipment would have taken 10 C-17 Globemasters to move into theatre.

So why not use something a bit bigger?

“The Antonov 124 is one of the largest aircraft in the world, second only to the Antonov 225,” Capt Pitt said.

“HQJOC, the project man-agement office and JC4ISPO, along with the Middle East Joint Movements Control Office, worked an absolute wonder to get that plane on board for the project.

“They managed to fit the entire load of equipment onto it.”

Senior program representatives were on site at Australia’s main operating base in the MER to wit-ness the early stages of the CDC build and meet with members of the specialist installation team.

At the completion of the CDC, FIT31 will move on to setting up the Deployable KU/X Band Earth Terminal satellites at Camp Baird, as well as conduct a number of installations across the MER.

The new satellite terminals make use of Australia’s investment in the wideband global satcom constellation.

Each of the dishes being installed at Camp Baird measure 6.3m across, larger than any other deployable satellite currently in use within Defence.

Cutting-edge data

Force Installation Team 31 logistics officer Lt Ben Carruthers watches as Datapod employees prepare power cabling at Camp Baird. Inset: Soldiers from Force Support Element 6 and RAAF airmen from the Expeditionary Airbase Operations Unit watch as cargo is unloaded from an Antonov Airlines AN-124-100M at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East Region.Photos: Cpl Sebastian Beurich

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August 10, 2017News www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews6

WO2 Andrew Hetherington

A NEW battalion CO and a PTI at Gallipoli Barracks have joined forces, creating a new gym and increasing the fitness of the unit’s soldiers.

Earlier this year, CO 8/9RAR Lt-Col Tony Bennett and 1CHB PTI Sgt Jim Wright shared an idea on how soldiers could train smarter during PT sessions.

OPSO 8/9RAR Maj Brent Hughes said Lt-Col Bennett wanted to make PT more beneficial for his soldiers.

“The CO said he wanted them to train smarter, not just harder,” Maj Hughes said.

“In the past we’ve always focused on PT like slow, long-distance running or just training hard physically.

“He wanted to link the soldiers PT into Army’s new focus on mental and physical resilience.”

At the same time Sgt Wright was vis-iting units in the area pitching his idea of how PT could be smarter.

“My colleague Cpl Tavis Nicholson and I have a passion for this type of training and conducted a high perfor-mance analysis on local units, noticing they were lacking in a few areas of their PT programs,” Sgt Wright said.

“We decided to create a more structured and periodised program to improve soldiers’ high performance physical outputs.

“We then went around to local units and asked them if they wanted to get on board to trial a high performance PT program.”

8/9RAR accepted the challenge and Sgt Wright and Cpl Nicholson then set out to create a 16-week program – the Soldier Optimisation Conditioning Program.

The trial used two groups; a 30-per-son group to follow the program, meas-ured against a second, 20-person control group conducting normal PT.

Thanks to funding from 7 Bde, 8/9RAR purchased the equipment for the trial and future use, creating the unit’s own gym, housed in an existing building at their barracks.

“The trial group, consisting of sol-diers from 8/9RAR headquarters and A Coy, began the first phase, which was

a strength and conditioning program,” Sgt Wright said. “This phase introduced them to the equipment and exercises they would use and follow, they completed baseline testing and their body composi-tion was analysed to see where their fit-ness levels were.”

As part of phase one the soldiers completed three sessions of PT a week, and during both trial phases they indi-vidually tracked their own workouts and performance outputs.

“Soldiers were issued fitness watches with heart rate monitors, so they could track and record their workouts and pro-gress using the app on their phones, as well as writing their results on a board on the gym,” Sgt Wright said.

“Phase two was an eight-week, five session a week program and was tailored to be a more holistic form of training.

“Phase two examined their whole body measurements, their BMI, com-pleted cardiovascular assessment tests which included a battle stress simulation assessment and maximal aerobic speed training to measure if they increased their running speed.”

At the end of phase two Sgt Wright said the structured program improved all of the candidate’s fitness levels.

“They all consistently improved their fitness in the areas of speed, power, agility and their aerobic and anaerobic endurance,” he said.

“Whereas the control group, who completed regular PT, who did the same tests as the trial group, we found they had only ad hoc fitness improvements, where some of the subjects improved, stayed at the same level or dipped lower.”

One of the trial participants was rifle-man Pte James Healy from A Coy.

Pte Healy said he liked the structure and variety of the trial.

“I liked how I could use my initial results from the beginning to measure what I had achieved throughout the trial,” Pte Healy said.

“I also liked how there were recovery sessions, preventing anyone in my pla-toon from being injured.

“I maintained weight throughout the trial, increased my strength, gained muscle and improved my cardiovascular endurance, too, knocking 50 seconds off my 2.4km run in patrol order.”

Training smarter

New 8/9RAR program is getting results

Pte James Healy, of 8/9RAR, during the trial of the Soldier Optimisation Conditioning Program in the unit’s new gym. Photo: Chap Geoffrey Traill

7August 10, 2017 Newswww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 7

Proposed new pay packageA NEW Workplace Remuneration Arrangement (WRA) is being prepared, to be implemented when the current WRA expires on November 1, 2017.

It is proposed that the 2017-2020 WRA will have a 6 per cent salary increase over three years.

Director Military Remuneration Gp-Capt Jay Clarke said it was designed to be fair, reasonable and affordable and, most importantly, there would be no trade-off of conditions of service to fund the proposition.

Preparation for the 2017-2020 WRA started in November 2016, with regu-lar briefings provided to the CDF and the Commonwealth, represented by the Australian Public Service Commission.

Progress reports are also provided to the three-member autonomous Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal, who will formally consider the 2017-2020 WRA this month and publish their determina-tion in October.

If agreed upon, the new WRA will take effect on November 2, 2017.

A team from the Directorate of Military Remuneration conducted focus groups in April and May at RAAF Base Edinburgh, HMAS Kuttabul and Lavarack Barracks to find out first-hand which aspects ADF members valued most about their employment package.

Ass is tant Direc tor Mi l i ta ry Remuneration Deon Jooste said feed-back indicated that pay was by far the most important element of the total employment package. Flexible work arrangements were important for ADF members starting a family or for those with young children, as were other considerations when career priorities changed.

“While some people value flex-ibility, others place more emphasis on career development and training oppor-tunities, whereas others closer to retire-ment are more focused on their super-annuation,” Mr Jooste said.

When forming a suitable WRA, the CDF considered a number of elements, including affordability, the Government

wage-setting framework, ADF Your Say survey data, focus group data and the current and forecast economic cli-mate.

As the WRA is exempt from provi-sions under the Fair Work Act 2009, ADF members do not engage in enter-prise bargaining like their Defence APS counterparts, nor can they engage in industrial action by withholding labour or vote on the proposed arrangement.

A team from the Directorate of Military Remuneration and service rep-resentatives conducted 72 information sessions at ADF establishments across

Australia between June and August. Members posted to seagoing ves-

sels, deployed overseas or unable to attend the scheduled base information sessions will be briefed on the proposed arrangement through their chain of command.

Ass is tant Direc tor Mi l i ta ry Remuneration Gavin Mills said mem-bers were well-informed about com-munity salaries.

“They’re seeing what’s going on in other industries and how flat wages have been,” he said.

“Although everyone would like to

get more, there seems to be a lot of realism. It’s the no-offsets in this pro-posal that are the key reason for the level of acceptance we’re seeing.”

He said it was important that ADF pay kept pace with community expecta-tions to benefit recruitment and reten-tion, and for Defence to remain com-petitive.

More information on the WRA road shows is available at defence.gov.au/payandcondi-tions/ADF/WRA.asp. Alternatively, email your questions to the Directorate of Military Remuneration team at WRA.2017@defence.gov.au

The team behind the WRA, from left, Thea Owens, Deon Jooste, Maj Elizabeth Ferguson and Gavin Mills. Photo: Cpl Max Bree

Pay deal being negotiated

Disclaimer: The information provided does not take into account your personal financial needs and does not constitute legal, taxation or financial advice. GST savings are dependant onyour employer’s policy and accounting treatment of GST. Before deciding, you should seek independent financial, legal and taxation advice and clarify your employer’s willingness topass on input tax credits. Terms and conditions can be found at fleetcare.com.au/10cents

9August 10, 2017 Newswww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 9

Leadership and ethicsTHE Centre for Defence Leadership and Ethics will conduct a CDF Leadership Forum in Canberra from August 23-25. The forum presents an opportunity for NCOs and SNCOs to think about their leadership and influence within the ADF. The aims of the forum are to: enable SNCOs and NCOs from across the three services to engage with the senior leader-ship of the ADF; allow senior leaders to engage and articulate their leadership expectations; expose participants to key issues affecting the ADF; and, allow all participants to be exposed to leadership lessons from the knowledge and experi-ence of presenters and from other partici-pants. The forum is aimed at personnel from Cpl to WO2 rank with facilitators at the WO1 level. Nominations will be called for through single-service points of contact. For more information contact WOFF Darcy Henriksen at darcy.henriksen@defence.gov.au

Intelligent graduatesTWENTY-six trainees graduated from their IET course at the Defence Force School of Intelligence at Kokoda Barracks, Canungra, on July 14. They completed eight weeks of training and are now starting careers in combat and specialist intelligence roles. Sgt Matthew Rayner was recognised as the student of merit for achieving excellent results during the course. His brilliant per-formance extended outside the academic sphere and he was routinely observed assisting course peers with their studies and mentoring junior soldiers. Pte Callum Bruun was presented with the academic award. AUSTINT corps is expanding the size of its workforce under Plan Athena to meet today’s operational requirements by graduating increased numbers of IET entrants. If you are interested in employ-ment opportunities in AUSTINT, contact the Head of Corps Cell at HOCCellAUSTINT@drn.mil.au

IN BRIEF

AN EXCITING update to the Cove will soon be launched in Canberra after impressive feedback in its first eight months as Army’s pre-mier professional military education destination.

Since its launch in December, the Cove has welcomed over 250,000 viewers from more than 100 countries.

On August 25, CA Lt-Gen Angus Campbell will launch ‘Break In,’ the next channel of the Cove network.

The Break In channel will unlock more than 150 professional develop-ment content posts across a variety of topics including war, strategy, leader-ship and ethics, military history, tactics and operational art.

Developed in consultation with subject matter and academic experts, Break In caters for a targeted audi-ence of Sgt to WO1 and Capt to Maj. It aims to provide a hub of Australian and international resources to assist in self-study and unit professional devel-opment activities.

The other channels of the Cove will continue to provide content appropri-ate for all ranks and encourage discus-sion, information sharing, collabora-tion and innovation across a broader network.

Director General Training and Doctrine Brig Mick Ryan said Break In covered a range of topics that

Collaborative cove

A NEW recruitment campaign titled ‘The ADF Surprised Us’ was launched on July 28 to attract the best talent from Australia’s diverse population.

The campaign features culturally diverse ADF members sharing their stories to encourage more Australians to consider a career in the ADF.

The ADF members featured in the campaign are from Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indigenous and Caucasian backgrounds, and many serve in science, technology, engineering and mathematics roles.

CDF ACM Mark Binskin said the ADF was respected as a highly skilled and professional military force.

“To be our best, we must recruit the highest quality people from the widest possible talent,” ACM Binskin said.

“As a proud multicultural nation, Australia’s top talent represents a variety of languages, culture and back-grounds. That diversity challenges tradi-tional thinking and produces innovative solutions – qualities that set the ADF apart.”

Defence Minister Marise Payne said Defence’s greatest asset was its people.

“The ADF should reflect the diverse society that is Australia today,” Minister Payne said.

“A diverse workforce provides a greater range of ideas and insights to challenge accepted norms and will help strengthen our capability and our opera-tional effectiveness.”

For more information on the campaign, visit defencejobs.gov.au/family

Harnessing diversityCDF ACM Mark Binskin at the launch of new recruitment campaign ‘The ADF Surprised Us’ in Sydney.Photo: LS Tom Gibson

Cove website to expand

catered to all learning styles – videos, books, podcasts, webinars and pre- prepared lesson plans, available to users at the touch of a button.

“There’s something for everyone, depending on where they are at in their careers,” he said.

RSM-A WO1 Don Spinks said it was fantastic to watch the progress of the Cove.

“Professional military education is important to all of us, regardless of rank or core job role,” he said.

“The Cove provides us with an

opportunity outside the normal profes-sional development career courses, and I think that’s really important.”

Check it out at cove.org.au, on Facebook: The Cove – Australian Army, Twitter: @covetweet or email soldiercove@gmail.com

A new section of the Cove website – the ‘Break In’ – will launch on August 25.

DEFENCE hosted Chinese mili-tary officials during a goodwill visit to Australia from July 15-19.

The Political Commissar, Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Gen Wei Liang, met with CDF ACM Mark Binskin during the visit.

The Chinese delegation also visited Victoria Barracks and HMAS Watson in Sydney.

The meetings between senior Defence officials and Gen Wei Liang provided an opportunity to exchange views on regional issues and Australia-China defence engagement.

“It is important for Australia and China to maintain a posi-tive defence relationship,” ACM Binskin said.

“I had a meaningful discus-sion with Gen Wei and welcomed the opportunity to reinforce the relationship between Australia and China.”

The goodwill delegation’s visit provided an opportunity to strengthen people-to-people links and foster transparency between the ADF and PLA.

Goodwill visit to Australia strengthens links

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WO2 Andrew Hetherington

IT TOOK WO2 Geneen Lord less than five seconds to accept the role as Army’s Blood Challenge Ambassador for 2017.

The medical assistant and CSM of 2CHC at 1CHB in Townsville has seen first-hand the value of what blood prod-ucts can do in her 23-year career of help-ing sick or injured soldiers in Australia, East Timor and Afghanistan.

Earlier this year WO2 Lord took a phone call which changed her year and outlook on donating blood.

“In June Maj Conway Bown from Army Headquarters called our unit look-ing for a volunteer to become the 2017 ambassador and I said yes,” WO2 Lord said.

“I then wondered what I’d got myself into, not knowing what it would involve.

“I accepted the role to do something different and, being in medical corps, I knew a bit about blood products and what they can do.”

D u r i n g h e r d e p l o y m e n t t o Afghanistan in 2013 embedded with US forces in RC South at Kandahar, WO2 Lord had a unique experience dealing with blood.

“We transported blood products around health facilities by air, which were called vampire flights,” WO2 Lord said.

“It was essential patients received this blood and it saved a lot of lives.”

Prior to becoming Army’s 2017 Defence Blood Challenge Ambassador, WO2 Lord had never vis i ted an Australian Red Cross Blood Service donation centre to donate blood.

“After I found out I was the ambas-

sador I thought how can I be in this position and not have ever donated blood,” she said. “So I quickly called the Australian Red Cross blood centre at James Cook University and they said come on down, so I didn’t have time to think about it and went there on the same day with two officers from my unit.

“The funny thing was the person who connected me to take my blood was an ex-Army medic who I knew, which made it easier for me.”

She said the process was not a dif-ficult one.

“It was completely pain free and all it cost me was my time,” WO2 Lord said.

“Afterwards I got a treat too, a sau-sage roll and a cup of tea.

“It was a great feeling afterwards, as I knew I had helped someone who needed my blood.”

WO2 Lord had never before made a donation simply because in the past she didn’t know anyone who had needed blood products.

“I always thought it was something someone else did, because I had no one close who needed blood and didn’t really feel obligated to,” she said.

“But now I’ve totally changed my perspective on donating, as there are so many people who need the products.”

This year WO2 Lord has a plan to spread the importance of Army personnel donating during the blood challenge.

“I’m planning to educate as many sol-diers and their families in Townsville and throughout Army as I can during my time as ambassador on how donating blood products can save lives,” WO2 Lord said.

“I plan to run the odd fundraising morning tea on the base to get the word out.”

The 2017 Defence Blood Challenge will run from September 1 – December 8 and aims to exceed 7000 donations. This year donors are encouraged to donate more than once by donating whole blood and plasma.

Defence personnel and their families are encouraged to book their appointments now for the challenge. For all group bookings coordinators should contact the National Community Relations Line on 1300 886 524; for individual appointments donors should call the National Contact Centre

on 131495, an appointment time can also be requested online at donateblood.com.au/donate#request-appointment

Once you have made your donation, log on to the Defence Blood Challenge page (donateblood.com.au/red25/defence) and register the donation against the relevant group or service.

The Defence Blood Challenge intranet page can be found at drnet.defence.gov.au/AssociateSecretary/MECC/DefenceCorporateEventsandCampaigns/Pages/Defence%20Blood%20Challenge.aspx

Livesavers needed Blood ambassador spreads the message

What you need to know about donating

WO2 Geneen Lord prepares to donate livesaving blood. Photo: Ned Meldrum

11August 10, 2017 TS17www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 11

READY FOR

ACTIONJoint training for Talisman

Sabre creates a potent multinational force

A 5RAR soldier sprints to assist during a contact.Photo: LS Jake Badior

Toll Transitions is ready to assist you.Once you have submitted your Application for Relocation (AFR) and Inventory online you will be assigned a TollTransitions Case Manager who will contact you to get things moving. You are encouraged to complete your AFRand Inventory early in your relocation process, especially if you are relocating during the peak posting period. It isnecessary to answer all relevant questions in your AFR, and to provide essential documents where requested todo so.

Go to www.tolltransitions.com.au/defence to access and complete your AFR and Inventory. If you have anyquestions, or require assistance completing your AFR online call Toll Transitions on 1800 819 167.

Inventory

If you have moved with Toll previously, you have the convenience of being able to access your previous inventories(including motor vehicles) online at www.tolltransitions.com.au/defence and can update and edit them asrequired for your new move.

In addition, once your current relocation has been completed, you will have access to the inventories that weresubmitted with your AFR. This means you will have the ability to update and edit your inventories during your newposting in preparation for your next relocation.

What is a Pre-Removals Visit (PRV)?

The purpose of the PRV is to clarify all of the particular needs of your removal, such as access conditions, whetheritems need special attention, confirming the size of your move, confirming your unpack election, and makingwhatever arrangements are necessary to meet your needs.

Your Toll Transitions Case Manager will let you know if a PRV is required for your relocation – this can normally bedetermined by the information, including family details, you provide in your inventory and AFR.

If your move does require a PRV, a Toll Transitions Consultant will call you to arrange a suitable time to visit yourhome. PRVs are usually conducted during normal Defence working hours. If you are difficult to contact please callToll Transitions on 1800 819 167 so we can help you work out a suitable time. It is very important you makeyourself available for a PRV should your move require one.

Don’t delay, submit your AFR and inventory online today.

Your Posting Order has arrived.What now?

For more informationFreecall: 1800 819 167

www.tolltransitions.com/defence

August 10, 2017TS17 www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews12

EXERCISE Talisman Sabre was action-packed for the members of Battle Group Samichon as they dem-

onstrated Australia’s world-class amphibious capability.

Contributing a large part of the pre-landing force and acting as the ground combat element of the Australian Amphibious Force, the battle group conducted an amphibious ready unit-sized amphibious assault.

Inserting using a combination of small boats, surface assault craft and helicopters, BG Samichon made a near-simultaneous battle group amphibious assault to secure multiple objectives in an uncertain security environment.

It was a significant milestone for the ADF. After seizing the sea point of disembarkation, the battle group then moved into SWBTA and spent a short time as the reserve force before heading to the fight.

CO BG Samichon Lt-Col Doug Pashley, of 2RAR, was proud of his team shifting from joint amphibious operations to joint land combat.

“As one of 3 Bde’s three main manoeuvre battle groups our role was to clear enemy forces from the area of operations,” he said.

“As an infantry battalion we are not always the most agile force, but in concert with the Bushmasters attached to us from 3CSSB as well as our own and with some air mobile operations

we were able to generate some real tempo to pursue challenging targets and opportunities.”

Lt-Col Pashley said one of the battle group’s first missions was to clear the key objective of the Raspberry Creek urban operation training facility or the village in the south.

“The enemy picture was unclear, but we had assets available such as the US AH-64 Apaches and Australian ARH Tigers of Battle Group Pegasus which could provide great situational aware-ness,” he said.

“At long-range they could see what was happening on the ground and relay that to us or if need be engage the enemy forces with direct fire.

“We also used the capabilities of the Australian and US RQ-7B Shadow 200 and the US MQ-1C Gray Eagle remotely piloted aircraft systems which provided us with more indicators and warnings of enemy activities.

Lt-Col Pashley said the battle group moved quickly to seize Raspberry Creek after identifying the enemy pres-ence was not significant.

“The combat teams were exposed to the challenges of a complex human terrain with stakeholder requirements and key leadership engagements along with the sensitivities involved with civil-ian casualties and the allegations of war crimes,” he said.

“Our attached engineers needed to deal with IEDs and we found a bomb fac-

tory which needed forensic exploitation.”BG Samichon was the brigade’s

main effort for the final assault on what turned out to be a well-prepared defen-sive position with armour and troops of 7RAR and the Washington National Guard.

Lt-Col Pashley said from when the brigade issued the orders, BG Samichon only had four-and-a-half hours before stepping off for the dis-

mounted, all-night insertion.“By the next morning we were

where we needed to be and ready for a synchronised assault with the other two battle groups,” he said.

“Our DFSW platoon carried their .50 cal machine guns and ammuni-tion all night to reach the support by fire position through some incredibly demanding vegetation and terrain.

During the assault on the main

defensive position B Coy discovered dug-in armour so the MRF-D L Coy of 200 personnel was pushed forward with their heavier firepower.

Lt-Col Pashley said it was a great hit-out and a fantastic end to the suc-cessful exercise.

“The boys and girls of 2RAR did well and they rose to overcome what-ever challenges were thrown at them to get the job done,” he said.

“It was also fantastic to work with our closest allies as it helped us understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as developing the relationships that will be crucial to suc-cess on operations.”

Lt-Col Pashley said Talisman Sabre may be one of the last opportunities 2RAR had to deploy as BG Samichon.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the members of the battle group achieved in a short period of time,” he said.

“They can all hold their heads high, knowing that through their deeds, they have enhanced the reputation of BG Samichon and made a valuable contri-bution to exercise as a whole.”

From October 15, 2RAR will be a part of the 1 Div’s Amphibious Task Group. While the battalion will remain at Lavarack Barracks it will no longer be a part of the 3 Bde. Instead they will become the division’s specialist amphibious operations battalion and the centre for amphibious operations exper-tise for the broader Army.

Amphibious displayA major milestone is reached as an entire battle group launches ashore, Cpl Mark Doran reports.

2RAR soldiers take part in the final Battle Group Samichon assault. Photo: Cpl Mark Doran

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13August 10, 2017 TS17www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 13

THE US Army’s RQ-7B v2 Shadow 200 remotely piloted aerial system flew in Australia for the first time during

Exercise Talisman Sabre.The Shadow 200s of 2 Sqn, 6 Cav

Regt, and 25 Combat Avn Bde (CAB) based in Hawaii, joined the Australian Army’s Shadow 200s of 131 STA Bty, 20 STA Regt, to conduct reconnais-sance, surveillance and target acquisi-tion missions from Williamson Airfield at SWBTA.

With its airborne infra-red camera, the Shadow can fly day and night operations and allows operators to designate tar-gets or conduct target hand-offs to armed manned or unmanned aircraft.

A highlight of the exercise for the members of 20 STA Regt was observing the US Army’s larger remotely piloted aerial system, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and learning about “unmanned-unmanned teaming”, which consists of a target hand-off between two unmanned platforms.

Battery Commander Capt Phil Williamson, of 20 STA Regt, said the Australian and US Shadows provided tactical support to 1 Div and 3 Bde during the exercise.

“Working with the US Army enabled us to look at training and tactics from a completely different perspective,” he said. “We’re out to refine our procedures based on the way our coalition partners operate, which is exposure we don’t often get.”

Capt Williamson said a main goal of Talisman Sabre was to integrate into a complex airspace with the Shadow sys-tem, which the US did frequently.

“While working alongside the US with their v2 Shadow system, we were able to efficiently integrate our unmanned capabilities into a manned environment,” he said.

“Our junior soldiers are entrusted with a significant amount of responsibility when it comes to operations within the airspace.

“When watching the amount of trust placed in the US soldiers it gave them a good reference for how to interact within the battlespace and assist with de-conflic-tion in a complex air environment.”

For ground units, the Shadow is their eyes. When a convoy is travelling through an area, it can provide reconnaissance and look for possible ambush sites or avenues of approach.

In the air, if a helicopter flies into an area first, it is a risk for making enemy contact. If a Shadow goes first and is shot down, it can be destroyed without putting a pilot’s life at risk.

Platoon Sergeant B Troop, Sgt 1st Class Daniel Vazquez, of 2-6 Cav Sqn, 25 CAB, said the squadron provided near-real-time situational awareness for air assets and ground troops during Talisman Sabre.

“We provide commanders with more opportunities to make clear, educated decisions about what will happen in the battlefield,” he said.

“Our unit and 20 STA Regt, are enforcing our respective procedures and comparing them to see how we can streamline them so we can help each other in the future during actual missions.”

Joint eyes in the sky

AIRCRAFT maintainer LCpl Bradley Rath, of 20 STA Regt, has been with Army for nine years and previously maintained Chinooks and Black Hawks.

He has been working with the Shadow 200 for nearly six months.

LCpl Rath said he was always interested in remotely piloted aerial systems and was looking for a differ-ent role with Army aviation.

“The change was interesting

because the Shadow 200 is a simple aircraft system compared to the heli-copters I’m used to working with in my trade,” he said. “Talisman Sabre was a unique opportunity to take on my new roles as a trade inspector and crew chief, which in an aviation unit only a sergeant can do.”

LCpl Rath said the crew chief was responsible for releasing the aircraft to the operator before launching it for the mission then doing the recovery.

“The extra experience and confi-dence I now have under my belt will potentially allow me to lead the setup and run maintenance shifts for future activities,” he said.

“The best part of my job is work-ing with my hands.

“I was stuck in an office before I joined Army, so I happily left that environment. I wanted a trade, I wanted to get my hands dirty – I haven’t looked back.”

US and Australian Shadow crews team up for Talisman Sabre, Cpl Mark Doran and Sgt Tiffany Edwards report.

Getting dirty hands

LCpl Bradley Rath, of 131 STA Bty, maintains a RQ-7B

Shadow 200 remotely piloted aerial system.

Photo: Cpl Mark Doran

Centrepiece 19August 10, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews14

MULTINATIONAL MISSION

More than 500 troops joined forces during Exercise Talisman Sabre to serve in the largest ever Australian-led aviation battle group, Leut Sarah West reports.

MORE than 500 personnel and 29 helicopters supported the ground warfare mission dur-ing Exercise Talisman Sabre,

serving in the largest aviation battle group ever formed by the ADF: Battle Group Pegasus.

During the exercise, the conduct of rotary wing combat missions and air support was a fully-integrated international affair, with the respon-sibility shared by 1 and 5 Avn Regts, the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s 3 Sqn and US Army Aviation Task Force Diamond Head, all serving together in the Australian-led battle group commanded by Lt-Col Kim Gilfillan, of 5 Avn Regt.

Lt-Col Elizabeth Martin, usually Commander of the US Army’s 2-25 Avn Regt (an assault helicopter bat-talion of 25 Inf Div), served as Deputy Commander of battle group Pegasus and said watching the members of the international team work together was rewarding.

“Lt-Col Gilfillan and his team were instrumental in setting the foundation and structure for this multinational

battle group,” Lt-Col Martin said. “The integration of our aviation

capabilities to affect the ground force in a challenging fight, as a truly com-bined battle group, was impressive. Seeing the pilots, crewmembers, refuellers and staff learning so much from each other – representing their individual countries in a unified sup-port of a common mission – was a significant achievement.

“This integration has been reflect-ed at all levels within the battle group, with a fully integrated and combined aviation command and all three coun-tries planning, briefing and flying mis-sions together.

“It has been an incredible experi-ence to be part of this battle group and to fly alongside Australian and New Zealand crews to get the mis-sion done in support of the ground commander.”

Pegasus was a notably diverse battle group, which was reflected not only in the demographics of its workforce, but also in its capabili-ties – with a broad range of aircraft including ARH Tigers, MRH-90s,

CH-47F Chinooks, NH-90 helicop-ters, UH-60M Black Hawks, AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters, HH-60M Medical Evacuation helicop-ters, as well as Shadow and Grey Eagle remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS).

Pegasus had 42 female personnel within its ranks – significantly more than in any previous Australian-led aviation battle group.

“Diversity brings different per-spectives to the mission and it helps to make any team much stronger,” Lt-Col Martin said.

“We have done a lot to be completely integrated within this battle group, across the national lines of Australia, the US and New Zealand, and across the gender/diversity spaces.

“We have not only strengthened our interoperability and reaffirmed our shared standard operating pro-cedures and techniques, but we have also built relationships that will last a lifetime.”

From top left; Maj Alicia McCraw, Lt-Col Liz Martin, Chief WO2 Amy Fox, Cpl Michelle McGrath, Capt Christina Smith, 1Lts Kacie Ryan and Tiffany Spears. From bottom left; Cpls Philipa Finlay and Betty Latumahina, Lt Bonnie Hunt, Capts Candice Priebbenow and Tarryn Ryan, Cpl Aeron Mellish and Flt-Lt Mel Mikaere.

Two Australian MRH-90s in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Photos: Cpl Steve Duncan

An ATV is guided

aboard a CH-47F

Chinook from 5

Aviation Regt by

the crewman.

ARH pilots prepare to fly at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of Battle Group Pegasus.

Total hours flown for the period was 1140 with a total of 51 missions executed and 1940 soldiers manoeuvred into combat.

Helicopters moved a total of 469,119kg of freight ISO ground and amphibious forces.

RW element executed amphibious operations with a troop of MRH-90 embarked on HMAS Canberra including insertion of a CT (120 pers) and a 100nm night insertion over water of pre landing forces.

BG Pegasus executed 24 medevac missions.

A total of over 700 sorties were flown. There were also a number of activities supported

such as DVIP day, International observers day, Rockhampton Open Day and media which were outside the usual scope of TS17 but assisted with the overall outcome.

Total avtur used during TS17 was 590,353ltrs.Aircraft ISO TS17 as part of BG PEGASUS were;

– Australian 3 x CH-47F 6 x ARH

5 x MRH-90 (4 embarked for the JFEO on HMAS Canberra)

– US Army 4 x Apache AH-64D 6 x UH-60M Black Hawk (troop carrier) 3 x HH-60 Black Hawk MedEvac aircraft 3 x Gray Eagle – Army version of Predator drone

with sensor and weapons package 4 x US Shadow version 2

– RNZAF 2 x NH-90 – similar to MRH-90 helicopters

Talisman Sabre by the numbers

One human resource management and payroll system for One DefenceDefence One

Take Responsibility for Your Pay and AllowancesYou have an obligation to ensure that the pay, allowances, deductions and leave paid each fortnight reflect your personal circumstances. To this end, you should regularly check your payslip. You have a responsibility to report any anomalies you discover in a timely manner through your chain of command, and/or to your supporting administrative staff.

Online: (Internet) http://www.defence.gov.au/payandconditions/ (DRN) http://drnet/People/Pay-and-Conditions/Pages/Pay-and-Conditions.aspx

Defence One PayslipFrom August 21st 2017, Payslips can be accessed in Self Service via the Defence Protected Network – DPN (formerly DRN) or the Home Portal (Internet) at: Employee Self Service > My Pay > My ADF Pay > Payslips ADF

The main Payslip page will display a list of available payslips from the first pay period after Defence One go live, with the most current payslip at the top. For payslips prior to this date, please go to: Employee Self Service > My Pay > My ADF Pay (History) > Payslip ADF

What are the key changes to your payslip?1. Headings, some terminology and layout have changed.

2. A year to date Pay Summary for Gross, Tax, Deductions and Net Pay is displayed at the top of the Payslip.

3. The entire Pay is now displayed in Current and Prior Columns.

» Current Column displays earnings and deductions for the Current pay period. » Prior Column displays earnings and deductions that relate to a Prior period (eg. both positive and negative retrospective

variations).4. Recreation and other forms of leave are now shown in hours and days, and for Long Service Leave in days and months.

Each 8 hours is a day.

5. When a member takes leave in a pay period, the payslip will show the salary component for the working period of the fortnight, and the leave amount in dollars for the leave component of the fortnight.

YOUR PAYSLIP HAS CHANGED: The new Defence One Payslip will display ALL payment information for

the current pay period, including any pay variations. Turn the page to see.

Your current self service payslip

Mapping the changes from the current payslip to your new payslip

1Fortnightly Pay, Allowances and adjustments are now displayed under the Earnings Heading

2Fortnightly Deductions are now split out into the Headings: Taxes, Tax Exemption, Before-Tax Deductions, and After-Tax Deductions

3Adjustments related to a previous Fortnight will now appear under the section Prior for all relevant headings. For example: If the variation relates to an allowance or salary, the adjustment will appear in the Prior column under the Heading Earnings

4There is no longer a Normal Fortnightly Entitlement section

5Fortnightly Allotments and Net Pay Distribution will now appear under Disbursement Details

6Employer Superannuation Contributions will appear under the same heading

7Absence Balances now display the current balance as at the end date of the Pay Period. Amounts are displayed in hours, days and in days and months for Long Service Leave Entitlement

PAY PERIOD: Commencing on payday Thursday (Day 1) and ending on the Wednesday (Day 14).

PAY CENTRE: The Pay Centre number is used for administration purposes to identify the transactor group that administers your pay and assists with pay enquiry referrals. Please quote when making enquiries about your pay or leave.

CATEGORISATION: Categorisation is for the purposes of determining eligibility for certain allowances and where applicable, accommodation charges.

» Member with dependants (MWD). » Member with dependants (Unaccompanied) (MWD-U). » Member without dependants (MWOD)

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EARNINGS: Each earning will be displayed separately for the current and prior period (and total for the pay); for example, salary, leave, HDA/NRP and other allowances. Regularly check these details to ensure salary and allowance payments are correct. If there are any retrospective amounts, these will be displayed in the “Prior” column.

UNITS: The Units column under Earnings shows the sum of each Earning for that period. Units can appear as Hours (112 per f/n) or days (14 max) and is multiplied by the Rate to calculate the fortnightly amount.

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ABSENCE BALANCES: Absence Entitlements are displayed here in the following order:

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Your new Defence One payslip

Where do I go for help for pay queries?Navy & Air Force:

Call 1800 DEFENCE (1800 333 362), email yourcustomer.service@defence.gov.au, or visit your local Customer Service Centre.

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Contact your unit administration staff. For those members serving in the non Army groups, call 1800 DEFENCE (1800 333 362), email yourcustomer.service@defence.gov.au, or visit your local Customer Service Centre.

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QUOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL PERSONNEL

“The Defence One solution increasingly places the member at the centre of their own pay outcomes.” BRIG Leigh Wilton, DGPERS-A said. “This approach increases the responsiveness and accuracy of the member pay process. I am excited by the potential offered with this solution and look forward to members joining me on our Defence One journey.”

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Payslips can be accessed in Self Servicevia the Defence Protected Network – DPN

21ST AUGUST 2017

Scenario Could be due to:

1. My pay is less »» A»period»of»Higher»Duties»Allowance»(HDA)»has»ceased»or»a»new»period»has»been»submitted»late»» Commenced»leave»at»half»or»no»pay»» Ongoing»or»one»off»recovery»/»deduction»from»pay

2. I have no pay »» Bank»account»details»supplied»may»be»incorrect»» Recently»closed»bank»account»where»pay»is»directed»» Ongoing»or»one»off»recovery»/»deduction»from»pay»» Commenced»leave»without»pay»(LWOP)»» Pay»in»advance»being»recovered»» Were»you»due»to»discharge»and»then»changed»your»mind?

3. My pay is more »» Recently»commenced»an»allowance»or»other»benefit»» Completed»a»course»that»moves»you»to»new»pay»/»skill»grade»» Overpayment»recovery»has»ceased»» You»have»been»promoted»or»have»acting»temporary»rank

4. My pay is the same but my payslip displays different descriptions (including DHA)

Defence»One»Payslip»will»display»updated»descriptions»for»some»allowances»and»deductions,»which»will»differ»from»ADFPAY.»Some»examples»are;

»» Language»allowances»will»not»include»language»and»level»details»that»were»previously»displayed»on»the»ADFPAY»Payslip»Members»with»multiple»allowances»will»see»multiple»instances»of»Language»Allowance»on»their»Defence»One»Payslip

»» District»Allowance»will»not»include»categorisation»and»grade»details»that»were»previously»displayed»on»the»ADFPAY»Payslip.»Multiple»instances»of»District»Allowance»may»be»rolled»up»to»display»as»one»item»on»payslips»from»»Defence»One

»» Rental»Assistance»allowances»used»to»be»displayed»with»categorisation»and»location.»In»Defence»One»the»Allowance»component»and»Contribution»component»will»be»displayed»separately»on»the»payslip»without»the»categorisation»and»location»information

»» Living»in»Accommodation»Contribution»description»used»to»display»rank»and»accommodation»levels.»On»the»Defence»One»Payslip,»it»will»now»display»as»one»description

5. I am still in receipt of an allowance I don’t think I am entitled to

»» Posted»from»a»remote»location»(District»Allowance)»» Recently»come»back»from»overseas»deployment»» Posted»from»a»ship»or»submarine»» Recently»returned»from»field»exercises»» Moved»from»a»Rental»Assistance»property»into»own»home

6. I have not received an allowance I believe that I am entitled to receive

»» New»Allowance:»- Have»you»met»the»eligibility»criteria»where»the»allowance»is»based»on»Position,»Activity/Operation»Log»and/or»Location»- Have»you»reached»the»effective»begin»date»where»it»is»based»on»a»posting»to»a»new»location»- You»may»not»be»eligible»based»on»your»rank»or»member»proficiency

»» Existing»Allowance:»- Eligibility»based»on»Position,»Activity/Operation»Log»or»Location»may»no»longer»be»current»- You»have»recently»posted»into»or»out»of»a»position»- You»are»in»receipt»of»an»allowance»that»is»incompatible»with»existing»allowances

7. My tax zone is incorrect »» You»are»in»a»location»that»attracts»special»tax»concessions»» Posted»out»of»area»that»attracts»a»different»tax»zone»

8. My tax deducted is different (Marginal Tax or HELP Deductions)

»» Defence»One»uses»consistent»rounding»rules»across»payroll»and»leave»which»when»aggregated»across»multiple»allowance»components»may»result»in»minor»rounding»differences.»This»may»also»result»in»a»variation»in»the»amount»of»Marginal»Tax»and»HELP»by»up»to»+/-$2»due»to»this»rounding

9. My pay grade is wrong »» Incorrect»skill»grade»recorded»in»Defence»One

10. My increment is wrong »» Increment»not»updated»or»an»incorrect»Increment»applied»in»Defence»One

Policy and business process changes that will impact conditions related to your leave accrual or payChanges»to»some»policies»have»been»made»to»support»the»implementation»of»Defence»One»and»simplify»administration»processes.»Key»changes»relate»to:

Possible payslip differences explainedPossible»reasons»why»your»pay»may»be»different»are»detailed»below»-»there»may»be»additional»reasons»for»the»difference.»»Visit»the»Defence»One»website»for»further»FAQ’s.

»» Leave»lapsing»»» Living-In»accommodation»-»contributions»in»

shared»accommodation»» Purchased»leave»» Living-In»accommodation»-»notice»periods»» Exam»leave»»» Rent/Bond»advances»under»rental»allowance

»» The»order»of»deduction»from»leave»balances»»» Automation»of»Living-In»meals»and»utilities»

contributions»»»» Post»index»automation

Please»refer»to»the»Fact»Sheets»on»the»D1»website»for»more»details.»These»are»also»available»on»the»Pay»and»Conditions»website:»http://www.defence.gov.au/PayAndConditions/ADF/DefenceOne.asp

Further informationPath:»Defence Home > Groups > For CIOG Staff > CIOG Initiatives > Defence One»Please»provide»feedback»to:»defenceone.r1acommunications@defence.gov.au

DPS:»APR028-17

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Join the family. Call 1800 335 425 or visit defencehealth.com.au

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August 10, 2017TS17 www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews20

BATTLE Group Coral’s “Road to Ready” concluded on Exercise Talisman Sabre.

Over six days it inserted by Air Force C-130 and C17 into the area of operations.

It supported the certification of the Amphibious Ready Element by pro-viding one of the three infantry com-bat teams comprising the Amphibious Task Group for “D Day” and provided a combat team for 3 Bde.

As a light infantry, combined arms, digitised battle group, enabled by over 200 marines of L Coy, 3/4 Marine Regt, 1 Marine Div, BG Coral was tasked to conduct numerous offensive and defensive actions, primarily by night, in terrain and vegetation not conducive to armoured or protective vehicle movement.

CO 1RAR Lt-Col Ben McLennan said Commander 3 Bde tasked a battle group that could find, fix and finish the enemy – achieving surprise and concentration of force via joint and coalition fires.

“The enemy commander said they never worked out where BG Coral was,” he said.

“One of the most encouraging aspects of Talisman Sabre was the advanced close combat skills and behaviours exhibited by the members of the battle group.

“Our men and women are tough, iron-hard, mentally and physically.

“At all stages, the soldiers and officers of the battle group had their eyes up, on target, hands on their weapons and ready.

“I attribute this to Forces Comm-and’s emerging combative/combat shooting training focus.”

Another highlight of Talisman Sabre for CO 1RAR was the effective-ness of digitisation down to combat team level.

Lt-Col McLennan said it was criti-cal for effective command and control.

“It’s essential if you want to think and act faster than the enemy, which is key to mission success,” he said.

“I think the next step is to digitise down to the individual combatant.

“This will be a giant leap forward

for the situational awareness and the command and control of all command echelons from divisional to platoon.”

Lt-Col McLennan said another highlight of the exercise was the seam-less integration with coalition forces.

“The Kiwis, US, Canadians, British and Japanese brought a richness to the activity and significantly enhanced the performance of all involved,” he said.

“Such integration is essential as there is an uncanny trend of us find-ing ourselves operating and fighting alongside our coalition partners at short notice.”

Lt-Col McLennan said the com-bined-arms integration achieved in a light battle group was potent.

“Our joint fires teams, engineers, aviators, medical personnel and logisti-cians transformed the battle group into a formidable fighting force,” he said.

The final encouraging aspect of the Joint Land Series and Talisman Sabre was the superior quality of close com-bat equipment each soldier was pro-vided.

“I firmly believe we have the best equipped soldiers in the world,” he said.

“Our new weaponry, sights, night fighting equipment, uniforms, load carriage equipment and body armour allows us to outperform and outlast anyone.

“It’s giving us a competitive edge over all adversaries – by day and by night, regardless of season, weather or terrain.”

To view more on the concluding activity visit video.defence.gov.au/play/5267#sort=date&group=Talisman%20Saber%202017#sort=date&group=Talisman%20Saber%202017

Battle Group Coral concludes its ‘road to ready’.

Reaching ready

1RAR members take part in the final Battle Group Coral assault. Photo: Cpl Mark Doran

21August 10, 2017 TS17www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 21

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WHEN Peter and his family arrived in Australia in 2008, they were escaping horrific violence in central Africa.

In 1998, a regional war broke out between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government against Ugandan and Rwandan-backed rebels.

About 1.8 million Congolese were internally displaced and more than 300,000 fled to neighbouring countries.

Much of the DRC remains unstable today and it is estimated the conflict has resulted in 5.4 million deaths since 1998.

Peter was born in the DRC and migrated to Kenya with his father, mother, a sister and two brothers as refugees in 2002.

They lived in the refugee camps for about six years before being accepted into Australia when he was 14.

The Congolese refugee is now proud to be an Australian citizen and an Australian soldier.

Pte Peter Soro, of 9FSB, said he started a construction apprenticeship when school was finished but wanted a more challenging career.

“I’ve been invited here, but felt I had a debt to repay, so I joined the Army,” he said.

“I wanted to do something dif-ferent and give back to this country – Australia.

“I’ve never been in a country that feels like it’s my country.

“The best thing about Australia is the freedom. I can go anywhere with-out worries – I always feel welcomed.”

Pte Soro said he was not sure what he wanted to do in the Army, but dur-ing recruitment decided to work as a petroleum operator because of the opportunities to travel.

“The highlight of being a soldier in the Australian Army is meeting new people,” he said.

“I’ve made a lot of friends, more than I’ve made during my entire life.

“I love the lifestyle and the travel-ling – I get paid to train hard and learn new skills.”

During Talisman Sabre, Pte Soro was with a team of nine petroleum operators providing a kerbside refuel-ling point for military vehicles and bulk refuelling for bulk tankers.

“It was great to do my job in the field environment rather than the bar-racks,” he said.

“We were able to do what we always practise and put our training to use on a busy exercise.

“It made me realise how important fuel and the service we provide is for the Army.

“Without us, everyone would be walking.”

Pte Soro said he lived every day by the values of the Australian Army.

“The most important value to me is teamwork,” he said.

“One person can’t do it all – it’s much better working together.”

A SMALL group of motivated soldiers was responsible for keeping tanks, trucks, Bushmasters and cars full

of diesel fuel at SWBTA during Exercise Talisman Sabre.

The team of nine petroleum opera-tors maintained the military capabil-ity during the exercise by providing a kerbside refuelling point for military vehicles and bulk refuelling for bulk tankers.

Cpl Niall Lewicki, of 9FSB, based at RAAF Base Amberley, said his team located near Camp Growl pro-vided diesel fuel while another team at Williamson Airfield provided aviation fuel for the various military aircraft.

“A major part of our job was to

ensure people received clean fuel,” he said.

“Talisman Sabre was an excellent opportunity to share our knowledge of fuel asset maintenance with the bulk tanker operators.

“We don’t get to do as much of the work we did in the field environment of SWBTA at the barracks, so it was a great learning experience for us as well.”

The refuelling point near Camp Growl was capable of storing 408,000 litres of diesel fuel and in the first two weeks of the exercise issued 228,000 litres.

With a pump system capable of pumping 1200 litres per minute, the petroleum operator team could fill four

vehicles and two bulk fuel tankers at once.

Cpl Lewicki said petroleum opera-tors spent about five months learning the safety aspects of managing, dis-tributing and storing fuel products, as well as handling the refuelling itself which could involve hot refuelling of helicopters.

“We’re also trained in quality con-trol and contaminant detection and learn how to store, pack and dispose of hazardous goods,” he said.

“For me it’s a fair amount of respon-sibility with the management of the sol-diers and the fuel as well as the safety aspects of the job, but we work as a small team in an isolated environment and are trusted to do our job well.”

Keeping the team movingWith hundreds of vehicles on the ground during Talisman Sabre, one group is ensuring they kept running, Cpl Mark Doran reports.

New life for former refugee

Pte Shaun Johnson (above) fills a G-Wagon at a kerbside refuelling point for military vehicles and Pte Braiden Bindoff (inset) operates the generator. Photos: Cpl Mark Doran

Pte Peter Soro was a Congolese refugee who settled in Australia in 2008. He joined the Australian Army as a petroleum operator to give back to the country.

August 10, 2017TS17 www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews22

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WHILE diggers fought on the Talisman Sabre frontline, their mis-sion was planned, syn-

chronised and coordinated under cam nets at the 3 Bde Forward Headquarters at various locations in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

There the pressure was on for Australian, US and New Zealand officers and soldiers to make an effec-tive battle plan.

Good decisions at this point were crucial, as New Zealand Army Capt Dale Pyle observed.

“If you don’t have good product at this end, then that will result in potentially a bad plan on the frontline where it counts the most,” he said.

“The more we can get it right here, the more effort we put in it, makes everyone else’s life easier down the road.”

Once the plan was formed and orders delivered, an around-the-clock team of intelligence, joint fires and effects, tactical air control party and

signals staff coordinated and moni-tored the battle space, acting on infor-mation coming from the frontline.

US Army Capt Herbert Jockheck said the headquarters experience was frantic at times.

“It’s always a challenge to stay up to date with all the events coming in and integrating those with future plans,” he said.

“At times it can be stressful and a bit confusing, but it’s definitely fun and more exciting than it looks from the outside.”

Command had to coordinate 11 headquarters and 27 sub-units across 3 Bde, the US Army, US Marines and the NZ Army.

But 3 Bde Commander Brig Chris Field said it meant they had the joint and combined combat power to achieve their mission.

“We found the New Zealanders, the US Army and US Marines all became part of the team,” Brig Field said.

“Teamwork meant we could learn from each other, but also in an

exercise context, advance and close with the enemy in a manner that demonstrates the power of coalition warfighting.”

For 3 Bde, the Exercise Hamel component of Talisman Sabre was important as it was the final hurdle for the brigade’s “ready” certification.

“We’ve been training for our cer-tification for more than 18 months so it was a great privilege to see our soldiers step up when we needed their best efforts,” Brig Field said.

“We need junior officers and sen-ior NCOs, who will be tomorrow’s leaders of the Army, to see this exer-cise as one way of combined arms planning and warfighting.

“Warfighting is difficult to perfect. Therefore, on each exercise we seek to improve our systems, our interop-erability and ourselves.

“So when our people are senior NCOs, warrant officers, company commanders, battalion commanders or brigade commanders we seek their enhancement of Army’s strong tradi-tion of planning and training.”

Planning for successMultinational forces worked together to coordinate an effective battle plan, Capt Anna-Lise Brink reports.

RSM-A WO Don Spinks is updated by

Capt Chris Nelson at 3 Bde Forward

Headquarters. Inset: Military assets

from the Australian Army, US Army, US Marines and NZDF at the Intermediate

Staging Base at Shoalwater Bay.

Photos: Cpl Mark Doran and Capt Anna-Lise Brink

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August 10, 2017 Featureswww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 23

AFTER a gruelling two-day, three-night event in inhospi tab le weather, the South Queensland

Australian Army Cadet (AAC) team took out the prestigious CA Cadet Team Challenge for 2017.

Nine teams representing each AAC brigade and battalions from around Australia vied for the most signifi-cant annual award at the Puckapunyal Military Area in Victoria.

The cadets were assessed on a raft of skills including field navigation, weapon skills and knowledge, use of radios, first aid and patient manage-ment, obstacle course, field engineer-ing, water obstacle, leadership and problem-solving.

Each cadet team was comprised of 10 young men and women and were drawn from units across their state or territory. The cadets underwent rigorous military style training in their units before their participation in the challenge.

CA Lt-Gen Angus Campbell reviewed and presented awards at a parade of more than 500 cadets.

He said Army was proud of the wider application of the cadet program and he had one word of advice for the cadets as they went through life: “Whatever you choose to do, do it at the best of your ability and when you do, you’ll enjoy it,” he said.

Cadets are put through their paces, Lt-Col Christopher Holcroft reports.

Junior Leader Course student of merit: Cdt-LCpl Jake Morrow, 30ACU

Senior Leader Course student of merit: Cdt-Cpl Marlize Wessels, 305ACU

CUO/WO student of merit: Cdt-Sgt William Phillips, 312ACU

Instructor of merit: CUO Mark Thornton, 305ACU

Signals student of merit: Cdt-LCpl Jackson Kompler, 37ACU

First aid and navigation student of merit: Cdt-Cpl Joni Grundy, 301ACU

Robotics student of merit: Cdt-LCpl Cailum Mazzanti, Beacon Hills College ACU

Rising to the challenge

During the parade , Lt -Gen Campbell presented awards to the par-ticipating teams and students of merit for the each of the courses.

The AAC is a leading national youth development organisation, with the character and values of the Australian Army, founded on strong community partnership.

For more information, visit armycadets.gov.au

High achievers

Left: Cadets build a pathway as part of an engineering activity.Below: The winning team with CA Lt-Gen Angus Campbell (fourth from left) and RSM-A WO Don Spinks (right). Cadets from left, Cdt-Cpl Kodi Delaney Leech, Cdt-Cpl Lachlan McGee, Cdt-Sgt Jack Morton, CUO Mahala Karan, CUO Travis Mahon, CUO Kurtis Sankey, Cdt-Cpl Riley Pryor, Cdt-Sgt Alistair Matthews and Cdt-Cpl Oliver Lindsay-German.Photos: Sgt Brian Hartigan

A cadet crosses a water obstacle.

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A 100-year-old Rising Sun badge carved into the side of a hill near the Salisbury Plain village

of Codford by WWI diggers was the subject of a combined work-ing bee on July 1.

Army members on exchange in the UK and their families teamed up with English farmers and vil-lagers to cut the grass, remove the weeds and re-chalk the AIF symbol.

Tom Thornton is the chairperson of the Codford Badge Committee, which oversees the maintenance of the badge. He said no other village in England had anything similar with the Rising Sun.

“It’s what makes our village unique,” he said.

Mr Thornton and the villagers coordinated with the local Army legal exchange officer, Maj Jim Blackwell, to pull a team together on the first Saturday in July to work to preserve the badge.

Maj Blackwell, who is posted to nearby Warminster Camp, said his grandfather, Les Blackwell, served in 5 Div Motor Transport Coy on the Western Front.

“He spent time in this area before being repatriated to Geelong in 1919,” he said.

Exercise Long Look contingent commander Capt Carla Gallwey said she volunteered to become involved in the badge’s clean-up because she saw it as a great oppor-tunity to help with the yearly main-tenance and enjoy the beautiful English countryside.

“Participating in the Codford maintenance day was the highlight of my time working in the UK,” she said.

“It is a unique opportunity to represent the Australian Army, and a rewarding experience.

“After 100 years and still going – the local community and Australian soldiers still get out and get their hands dirty.

“It’s important to support the

IN THE days before risk assess-ments and budget managers, CO 13 Trg Bn was stationed at Stockton House in the UK when he looked out his window and decided to leave Australia’s mark on the English countryside.

The mark, measuring 53m by 45m, was carved in chalk by Australian soldiers stationed at Salisbury Plain in 1917.

Exercise Long Look contingent commander Capt Carla Gallwey said the Codford Badge was an important artefact of the Anzac presence and the troops who served during WWI.

“The local community is proud of the Anzac heritage in Codford, and many of the volunteers are regulars each year, so they are always thankful to be supported by the Australian members and their families,” she said.

Australian exchange officer Maj Jim Blackwell said Salisbury Plain was very much part of the Anzac story.

“Thousands of diggers staged through the area, learning trench warfare tactics and preparing for the Western Front, or recovering from wounds or illness in one of the field hospitals,” he said.

“The Codford Badge stands as a living memorial to those

men and the lasting relationship between the Australian Army and the village of Codford.

“The badge was embedded with brown, green and clear bot-

tles to make it shine, but over the years the bottles have sunk into the chalk.

“Maintenance of the figure was often carried out as a pun-ishment by the defaulters, so it became known as ‘Misery Hill’.”

Maj Blackwell said an Australian exchange officer, then-Capt David Kilcullen, contacted the Codford Parish Council in 1999 in an attempt to rekindle the relationship between the locals and the Australian Army in the UK at that time.

“Romy Weyth, a local his-torian, was on the council and, along with other villagers, they established the Codford Badge Committee, starting the annual event of maintaining the badge,” he said.

“There are hundreds of Anzac graves in villages such as Sutton Veny, where there is an Anzac chapel in the St John the Evangelist Church.”

English villagers and Australian soldiers work side-by-side to honour the Anzacs, Sgt Dave Morley and Maj Garrath Williams report.

Keeping history alive

enduring cause of maintaining the Codford Badge and to preserve Australian military history, espe-cially as the badge is on the side of a hill that can be seen several kilo-metres away – it’s quite a remark-able landscape.”

Capt Gallwey said the activ-ity provided ADF members the opportunity to conduct local com-munity engagement, represent the Australian Army and maintain a unique piece of the Anzac tradition.

“It also allows current and ex-serving ADF members to repay the local community for their continuous efforts and dedication

to preserve a significant piece of Australian military heritage,” she said.

“Many of the local volunteers have lived in Codford their entire lives and to have Australians work with them for the same cause is worthwhile.

“After the hard work was done, everyone gathered at the Codford hall, where locals kindly prepared a hearty lunch, which was well received by the work party.

“The relaxed social atmosphere provided ADF members and locals a chance to catch up, kick a football and enjoy the afternoon together.”

Above: Exercise Long Look contingent commander Capt Carla Gallwey helps conduct maintenance on the Codford Badge (right) in the UK.

Our long-standing friendship with a small English town

Australian soldiers and English villagers work together to maintain the Codford Badge.

Cpl Sebastian Beurich

DEFENCE’S philanthropic personnel are well known in Australia for show-ing up at the opportune moment of an exercise to provide a brew to soldiers in the field.

For Kapooka’s philanthropic mem-ber, Assistant Commissioner George Thomas, there is not much change in the role while deployed on Operation Accordion, but the temperature of the drinks has switched from hot to cold.

Mr Thomas is part of Everyman’s Welfare Service, one of the major phil-anthropic organisations that support ADF personnel, alongside the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Defence Services.

“Our role is to connect with ADF personnel at all levels, as well as their families, and provide a level of support and welfare that is outside of the formal system,” he said.

“Because we understand the system, but we’re not part of the rank struc-ture, service personnel are often more relaxed about connecting with us on the day-to-day issues that come up.

“It can be as important as something quite personal causing concern, through to sharing something they enjoy.”

Mr Thomas was impressed by the professionalism displayed by many of the deployed Australians after his work at Kapooka, the ‘home of the soldier’, for a number of years.

“They’re working very hard in quite difficult circumstances, but they are

more concerned about their mates and others around them than they are about themselves,” he said.

“Particularly impressive were the soldiers who escorted me in Afghanistan. They were very profes-sional, gave very good briefings and were right on the money making sure I was safe.”

Although primarily seen as sup-porting Army units, the support of CDF enables them to support all three services.

“I had a chat with the CDF when he was here for Anzac Day, and his words to me were that the philanthropics are a very important part of the support sys-tem in Defence,” Mr Thomas said.

“It’s an interesting situation – phil-anthropic organisations are accredited through the ADF Support Services in Canberra, then the members are screened through both the organisation and the ADF to ensure they are suitable for the work.

“We are technically Defence civil-ians, but we are eligible for Defence housing benefits, and wear the same ID cards as members of the ADF, both of which are benefits only philanthropics are given.”

Above all, Mr Thomas is proud of the Australians who are serving their country overseas.

“Having the privilege to be here and serve alongside some service personnel who are almost my age, and others who are young enough to be my grandchil-dren, is immense,” he said.

Above and beyond the call of duty

Everyman’s Welfare Service Assistant Commissioner George Thomas hands an icypole to an ADF officer on a hot day at the range at Australia's main operating base in the Middle East Region. Photo: Cpl Sebastian Beurich

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August 10, 2017www.defence.gov.au/news/armynewsFun26

No day at the beach

IN CO-PRODUCING and direct-ing Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan has created a masterpiece.

He set out to keep dialogue to a minimum with very few actors – not even Harry Styles of boy band One Direction – having more than a few lines.

The music of Hans Zimmer brings the emotion to a head and the sound of the director’s pocket watch – synthe-sised throughout as a relentless beat – evokes a countdown to doom with each passing minute.

The movie is nonlinear, that is to say it does not follow a straight time-line. It moves between the story of the soldiers that takes place over the course of a week; the story of one of the small boats that takes place over the course of one day; and the story of a fighter pilot, that takes place over the course of one hour.

The movie moves between each story and this can initially be confus-ing, but now, dear reader, you are pre-pared for it and you will find it helps in understanding.

Dunkirk does not engage in

Hollywood heroism. It portrays real-istic heroism: the civilian boat owner who quietly goes about saving dozens of servicemen; the desperation of some soldiers trying to get home; the quiet ‘get on with it’ of the senior officers; and the methodical professionalism of the fighter pilots.

There are many other untold stories of bravery surrounding the actual event and some artistic licences were taken. Nolan has not indulged in the use of CGI and has painstakingly remained true to his craft of making do with what is available such as his use of real antique boats and a retired vintage French destroyer made to look like a British destroyer.

Perhaps a little CGI would not have gone astray to aid in a realistic portray-al of the massive numbers of civilian boats – more than 850 – and the 30 or more Royal Navy warships that were actually part of the evacuation. But the balance of the film far outweighs these minor omissions.

Aviation enthusiasts will enjoy the scenes of the Spitfires and the scream-ing of the Stuka dive bombers that had

Like any good operation, you must be prepared before you deploy. The same applies to the movie Dunkirk, arguably one of the best war movies ever made, Maj Conway Bown writes.

sirens on their landing gear to increase the fear of those on the ground. Watch out for the eerie scene towards the end when all the soldiers’ eyes look up at a lone Spitfire. Pilots will be able to

identify with the fuel management issues of the Royal Air Force pilot and the doubt and tension this creates while he makes his decisions during combat.

For those that are tired of Hollywood war movies, this brooding film is the one for you. If you only see two movies this year, see Dunkirk – twice!

May 23, 1940: German Army sweeps through Holland, Belgium and France pushing the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to the French coastal port of Dunkirk.

May 24: Hitler halts his Army to allow the British and French to reach the coast. Luftwaffe given the task of destroying the British trapped at Dunkirk from the air. Belgian Army continues to fight a defensive action buying time for the BEF. French Army defends their cit-ies and holds a defensive cordon around Dunkirk.

May 26: Operation Dynamo – the evacuation of BEF – begins in the evening.

May 27: 7700 troops rescued on day 1. Dunkirk har-bour all but destroyed by Luftwaffe.

May 28: Belgian Army surrenders. May 30: Bad weather grounds Luftwaffe. May 31: French rear-guard action collapsing – 35,000

French troops taken as POWs. Number of evacuations from Dunkirk increases each day as more and more vessels join and complete several return trips over the week. 68,000 troops evacuated on this day.

June 1: 31 vessels sunk by Luftwaffe including four destroyers.

June 2: BEF evacuated. Allied troops and civilians continue to be evacuated.

June 4: Operation Dynamo complete. 338,226 per-sonnel evacuated. 240 ships and other vessels sunk including nine British and French destroyers. 84 RAF aircraft shot down.

(Courtesy Royal Navy’s Admiralty Section via Encyclopedia Brittanica)

Dunkirk evacuation at a glance

Image courtesy warnerbros.com

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August 10, 2017 Peoplewww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 27

LCpl Meaghan Ustariz (left) and Cpl Penny Dukes

facilitate training during the Army Aboriginal

Community Assistance Program in Toomelah, NSW. Photo: Cpl Nunu Campos

From left, Pte Samantha Regan, of 5RAR, Cpl Anthony Silva, of MRF-D, and Pte Rebecca Shipley, of 8/12 Regt RAA, at the Mount Bundey Training Area Scale A Camp during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Photo: Cpl Mark Doran

Left: Sig Daniel Russell, of 3CSR, checks his communications equipment in an ASLAV while attached to Battlegroup Eagle at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Photo: Cpl Mark Doran

Above: Soldiers of 5RAR plan the next phase of their mission at the Mount Bundey Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre Field Training Exercise – North. Photo: LS Jake Badior

Right: LCpl Cha Mu Wah Naw Nyo, of 5RAR, maintains a watch for threats at Mount Bundey Training Area. Photo: LS Jake Badior

Lt Edward Wright, of 5RAR, makes a radio call during a contact at the Mount Bundey Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Photo: LS Jake Badior

Pte Douglas Taylor, of 1CHB, scans the area following an airborne insertion by US aircraft on Exercise Talisman Sabre. Photo: Cpl Mark Doran

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123August 10, 2017 Healthwww.defence.gov.au/news/armynews 29

Best footwear forwardAvoid serious injury by choosing the correct footwear to suit your training and posture, PTI Cpl Jeffrey Langdon writes.

‘Remember, your joints need to last

a lifetime, so spend the money on a quality training

shoe, and replace them at least twice

a year.

APPROPRIATE footwear is commonly overlooked and is not considered to be important. However, just the opposite is

true. The right footwear should support

your posture and the type of training you’re undertaking, and a little bit of knowledge in this area can help you maintain a healthy body.

There are a few things you need to consider when choosing a pair of shoes.

First and foremost, what is the main purpose of use? Do I need more than one pair of sports shoes?

If you plan on doing a lot of running but also conduct regular cross training activities, the answer to this is probably yes.

Picking a shoe by brand or its looks – unless you’re very lucky – is likely not going to be the right fit for you.

Well-conditioned runners and lighter-built personnel may have more options when it comes to shoe selection, such as minimalist and lightweight running shoes.

Typically these types of shoes require a transition phase to avoid injury.

It’s easier when it comes to cross training.

Static or semi-mobile activities such as resistance training, circuits, bal-ance or agility work will benefit from a lower profile heel. The one exception is platform-lifting shoes that are specifi-cally designed to aid the user in certain Olympic lifts.

There is one thing above all else that is essential – identifying which of the following best describes your posture at the ankle joint:

pronation, where the ankle leans inward;

supination, where the ankle leans outward; and

neutral, where the centre mass of the lower limb and ankle remain in line with the base of the heel.

A small amount of pronation is opti-mal as it aids in efficiency as we move.

However, as a rough guide, a shoe that supports you well close to the neu-tral position is a good place to start.

Failure to do so can bring about or exacerbate a variety of issues such as lower back complaints, joint and muscle pain, muscular soreness, or stress disor-ders like compartment syndrome.

Of course, if you’re experiencing problems in these areas, report to the medical centre at your base.

Remember, your joints need to last a lifetime, so spend the money on quality training shoes, and replace them at least twice a year.

Wearing the wrong training shoes can lead to serious injury. Photo: Cpl Bill Solomou

Guide to buying sports shoes Look for shoes that are specific to

the activity, for example: running, cross training, weight-lifting, walking or hiking.

Be willing to try different brands to find the best fit.

Sports shoes are an investment, so you may have to spend more money to get quality.

Get professionally measured.

Know what arch type you have. Shop for shoes in the afternoon

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Remember that most people have feet that are different sizes – measure both.

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August 10, 2017Sport www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews30

Cpl Bill Solomou

AS AUSTRALIA’S latest basket-ball sensation Patty Mills was sign-ing autographs in Canberra, ADF personnel were inspired to reach great heights competing in the ACT/Wagga Defence Interservice bas-ketball Competition at ADFA from July-29-30.

More than 40 ADF personnel representing Army, Navy, Air Force, ADFA and RMC were fast breaking across the court to showcase their skills.

The aim of the tournament was to select players for the men’s and wom-en’s teams to represent ACT/Wagga at the 2017 Australian Defence Force Basketball Association (ADFBA) championships, to be played at RAAF Base Edinburgh from December 1-10.

The female final was played between Navy and a combined Air Force and Army team. The combined team dominated the first half, with the Navy girls putting up a late challenge to lose by three points.

Army/Air Force coach Sqn-Ldr

Janeter Turnbull said she thought the girls went brilliantly considering the short lead-up to the event.

“Everyone performed better each game they played and in the end it was a really close competition,” Sqn-Ldr Turnbull said.

The much-anticipated men’s final between Army and the young ADFA team saw a rough, tough and entertain-ing game.

Army went into the final undefeat-ed and maintained that winning streak by taking out the final by five points.

Army playing coach WO2 Chris Grant said their tactic was to go hard at the ball.

“We tried to get physical early and to dominate the rebounds,” WO2 Grant said.

“To their credit they had the edge on us early in the game, we dug deep, re-focused and we came out with the game.

“It was a great team effort.”

For more information about Interservice com-petitions in your state see the ADFBA website adba.basketball.net.au/ and follow them on Facebookfacebook.com/adba.basketball

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Cfn Tomasz Wieczorek shoots a basket during the ACT/Wagga Defence Interservice basketball Competition grand final.Photos: Cpl Bill Solomou

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Sportwww.defence.gov.au/news/armynewsAugust 10, 2017 31

Cpl Max Bree

YOU might expect to find pin-ups of bikini models in a typical workshop, but at 6ESR, it’s the muscle-bound physique of Cfn Luke Anderson on the wall.

He was pronounced “Mr Brisbane” after winning the International Natural Bodybuilding Association Queensland state championships last year, and went on to be crowned “Mr Oceania” by Australian Natural Bodybuilding in May.

“Those titles are funny thing to tell people about,” he said. “They boys have now gone around at work and put posters of me up around the place.”

Cfn Anderson’s crowning glory came in June when he travelled to Italy to flex his muscles in the International Natural Bodybuilding Association’s world champion-ships.

“I was scoping out my competi-tion on social media beforehand and trying to win the mind games,” he said.

“At the end of the day I kept telling myself there was nothing more I could’ve done. It was dedi-cated training over 22 weeks with no cheat meals and no days off.

“I was a big step up from last year; I was bigger and a lot healthier.”

He impressed the judges to finish first in the junior and open classes and narrowly missed out on coming first overall.

“There were a couple of big boys who’ve competed for more than ten years, then there’s me who’s been competing for under two years,” he said.

Cfn Anderson’s coach didn’t travel with him, but provided a

Craftsman flexes his muscles

detailed routine going into the con-test. “There are certain timings and certain foods you have to eat before a comp; then you have to do your pump-up routine,” Cfn Anderson said.

“The plan came unstuck a bit when I couldn’t use my own fake tan and had to use what the sponsor was providing.

“It wasn’t the best but you have to do what the rules say.”

Despite not taking top spot, Cfn Anderson, 22, was confident about having another shot.

“The guy that beat me had a bit more muscle mass and that’s something you can only develop with time, so I have plenty of years to work on it,” he said.

Following the flex-off in Italy, Cfn Anderson was offered a pro card allowing him to compete in

professional competitions.“I’m not going to accept that

just yet, I’ll have a think about that next year and see if I could balance that with work,” he said.

International Natural Bodybuilding Association runs a Defence and Emergency Service competition, but it is not recognised by Defence as a sport; meaning Cfn Anderson relies on the support of 6ESR.

“It has a stigma around it, but natural bodybuilding is controlled by federations,” he said.

“I’ve been steroid tested three times because they’re trying to maintain a clean environment; test-ing during competition and in the off season.”

Cfn Anderson’s next goal was to have a shot at the “Mr Olympia” title in Las Vegas.

Natural bodybuilder going from strength to strength

Cfn Luke Anderson did both Australia and Army proud when he competed in Italy for the International Natural Bodybuilding Association world championships.

Cfn Luke Anderson has been crowned ‘Mr Brisbane’ and ‘Mr Oceania’ in natural bodybuilding competitions.

© Image courtesy of Department of Defence

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August 10, 2017

SPORT

SHOOTING HOOPS

Men undefeated on the basketball court

P30Cfn Tomasz Wieczorek goes for a lay up as his opponent moves in to smother during the ACT/Wagga Defence Interservice basketball Competition grand final.Photo: Cpl Bill Solomou