THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST Defence Reserves Association
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THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST - October 2017 (Official Journal of the Defence Reserves Association) ISSN 1835-694X CONTENTS DRA Office Bearers 2 From the President 4 The Orchard and Big Sky Publishing Prize for Best Articles 6 Call for Contributions and Membership Enquiries 6 Deployed to Iraq during the Battle for Mosul - MAJGEN Jeffrey Rosenfeld 8 Training with the Rifles - LT Elizabeth Normand 11 Profile on the Director General Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves: CDRE Mark Hill 15 Army Reservists on Exercise Reaper’s Run - CAPT Lucy Saaroni 18 Memorial to National Servicemen - CAPT Barry Presgrave (Retd) 19 Book Review - ‘Militia Units of Maryborough 1860 -1901’ - reviewed by LTCOL Nev. Taylor 20 VALE Colonel James Wood 21
Key Presentations from the 2017 DRA National Conference Australian Army Reserve Transformation: A Total Force - LTGEN Angus Campbell 23 Role of the DVA in Providing Assistance to Reservists - Graig Orme 27 DRSC: Working with Employers to Support Reservists - Jane McAloon 30 Current and Proposed Initiatives Affecting the ADF Reserves - RADM Bruce Kafer 32 Reserve Contribution to Navy Capability - CDRE Mark Hill 34 Army Reserve Initiatives and Report on ABCANZ Conference - BRIG Mike Annett 37 Designing the Future Air Force Reserve Force - GPCAPT Tony Hindmarsh 39 Government position on opportunities for the Reserve Forces to improve ADF capability 41
Opposition position on opportunities for the Reserve Forces to improve ADF capability 43
The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the DRA. Contributions and comments or queries regarding the content of the DRA Journal should be directed to the Editor at email: [email protected] or post to PO Box 88, Briar Hill, Victoria 3088. The Journal is published by arrangement with Ontime Publications. Enquiries regarding advertising should be directed to Steve Moxey Mob. 0400473200 or Ph. 02 9643 8314 or via email: [email protected] 01 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
DEENCE RESERVES ASSOCIATION raorau NATIONAL EXECUTIVE National President: MAJGEN Paul Irving AM PSM RFD Immediate Past President: MAJGEN Jim Barry AM MBE RFD ED Deputy-President: MAJGEN Ian Flawith AO CSC Vice President Navy: CAPT Joseph Lukaitis RFD RANR Vice President Army: MAJGEN Neil Wilson AM RFD Vice President Air Force: AIRCDRE Kathryn Dunn Vice Pres. Def Health: MAJGEN Jeffrey Rosenfeld AM OBE CStJ National Treasurer: WO2 Catalina Sankey email: [email protected] Eitorial Committee CMDR Peter Hicks RFD RANR LTCOL Neville Taylor RFD LTCOL Stefan Landherr RFD MAJ Elizabeth Bedggood LTCOL Ian George OAM RFD ED PO Box 88, Briar Hill VIC 3088 email: [email protected] STATE EXECUTIVES NE SOUTH ALES President: COL Graham Fleeton RFD Treas: LTCOL Catherine Lewis psc RFD Sec: WO1 Warren Barnes OAM PO BOX 1065, Singleton NSW 2330 VICTORIA President: BRIG Peter Alkemade RFD Treas: LTCOL Bruce McClure RFD Sec: WO2 David Hardacre PO Box 88, Briar Hill VIC 3088 SOUTH AUSTRALIA President: BRIG Robert Atkinson AM RFD SecTreas: LTCOL Stefan Landherr RFD 20 Grevillea Drive, Banksia Park SA 5091 ESTERN AUSTRALIA President: LTCOL Dick Cook AM RFD Treas: BRIG Duncan Warren AM RFD Sec: CPL David Cooper 21 Wattle Street, South Perth WA 6151 TASANIA President: COL Stephen Carey RFD Treas: MAJ Richard James Sec: MAJ Malcolm McWilliams GPO Box 729, Hobart TAS 7001 UEENSLAND President: COL Chris Cunneen MSt.J Treas: MAJ Peter Jenkins Sec: MAJ Trevor Herrod C- 9 Lapworth Place, MANL WEST 4179 LD NORTHERN TERRITOR President: COL Jeff Dunn CSM RFD Sec Treas: MAJ Jim Wright PO Box 1091, Darwin NT 0801
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RO THE PRESIDENT Reserve orces - Oortunity to Imrove Caability of the AD was the theme of the 2017 Defence Reserves Association (DRA) National Conference held on Saturday 19 August 2017 at the Comfort Inn Airport International at ueanbeyan. The aim of the Conference was to discuss the crucial issues affecting the ability of the Reserve Forces to improve the capability of the ADF. We were fortunate that the Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Defence Personnel, agreed to open the Conference where he spoke about the essential role undertaken by the Reserve Forces as part of the Total Force in providing capability to the ADF, instancing the work of Reservists in disaster relief and the essential role of medical Reservists on operations. The Minister mentioned new opportunities for Reserve capability, including cyber warfare and standing up a Reserve veterinary capability. Importantly, the Minister gave a commitment to ensuring the passage through Parliament of the amendments to the Defence Reserves Service (Protection) Act something that the DRA has been strongly advocating for the past 10 years. The Hon Mike Kelly MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Industry, emphasised the role of the ‘citizen soldier’ and raised questions about how to raise, train, sustain and equip Reservists, the ob satisfaction for Reservists and the need to think outside the square in resolving Reserve issues. He raised the prospect of forming a Civil Defence Corps. Chief of Army, LTGEN Angus Campbell, had a single message one Army focussed on capability outcomes. He advised that the changes involved in the ‘Army Reserve Transformation’, including aligning Army Reserve service with contemporary civilian demands, were being driven by senior Army Reserve leadership, and spoke about moving the Reserve from a mobilisation base and being considered as a separate part of the Army. He also spoke about the study of data from the last census to identify growth corridors with a view to opening new depots and that it requires a recruiting pool of some 1000 persons aged 17 to 29 in order to recruit one Army Reservist. MAJGEN Stephen Porter provided a visual presentation of a day’s activities of Battle Group Canaan on Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 17, outlined the approach to modular training strategies to reduce the wastage in the ‘training pipeline’ and the new role of 8th Brigade in coordinating and managing the delivery of initial employment training throughout 2nd Division. He also spoke about the challenges of improving the retention of Reservists. The National Chair of the Defence Reserve Support Council, Ms Jane McAloon, spoke on the importance of maintaining an effective relationship with employers if we are going to have the highest quality people when they are most needed to serve in the Reserves. Importantly, the Conference provided an opportunity for Ms McAloon to learn about many of the issues affecting the Reserves. MAJGEN Craig Orme (Ret’d), Deputy President of the Repatriation Commission, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), kindly stood in at very short notice to make a presentation on the maor change process being undertaken by DVA in moving from a focus on transactional processing to focussing on the delivery of services to veterans from the veterans’ perspective, by looking at the well being of veterans. He encouraged the DRA to develop a proposal to extend non-liability health care to Reservists. Rear Admiral Kafer, Head, Reserve and outh Division, gave a presentation on positive youth development experiences and the focus on child safety as a result of the recent Royal Commission, work being undertaken with Defence People Group to improve policies affecting Reservists and amendments to the DHOAS Act requiring Reservists to have ‘consecutive’ years of service in determining eligibility to DHOAS. BRIG Mike Annett spoke about the outcome of the recent ABCA conference on Reservists, the commonality in Reservists training regimes and initiatives being implemented to provide alternative pathways for the production of Reserve officers. GPCAPT Tony Hindmarsh outlined the work being undertaken in developing a detailed change management plan to grow the new skills required with new platforms and to transition the Air Force Reserves. MAJGEN Greg Melick provided a detailed update of the Commemoration of the Centenary of Anzac Activities both in Australia and overseas until the end of 2018. Neil James from the Australia Defence Association ably chaired the three Open Forums that provided ample opportunity for Conference participants to raise a wide range of issues affecting the Reserves with both politicians and senior officers on the ADF. As in previous years, presentations delivered at the Conference have been published in this edition of the Australian Reservist and will also be on the DRA website. A special thank you goes to WO1 Warren Barnes for organising the Conference venue and to MAJ Elizabeth Bedggood, who for personal reasons, has had to stand down from the position of National Secretary. Finally, I would like to thank RADM Bruce Kafer, for his assistance and advice on the conduct of the Conference. Planning for the 2018 DRA National Conference is underway and we are looking at holding it on a Saturday in August 2018 at a venue to be advised. We are currently examining avenues in ACT, LD and Vic. For some time, the DRA has been seeking representation on the Ex Service Organisations Round Table (ESORT), which is the main forum of advice to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs, including dialogue between the Military Rehabilitation Compensation Commission, DVA and leadership of the ex-service organisations and Defence communities. Whilst DRA State Branches are represented on five of the eight State or Territory based DC forums, we have advocated that the ESORT would be more effective in its advice to the Minister, if such advice included input by the DRA on issues affecting Reservists.I am pleased to advise that following a review that was undertake by the DVA into the National Consultative Framework, the DRA has been invited to be represented on ESORT and that I, on behalf of the DRA, have taken up this invitation. With my best wishes, Paul Irving
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THE ORCHARD I SK PULISHIN OOK PRIES OR EST ARTICLES
The Orchar Prie : I n order to encourage the submission of high quality and interesting articles, Captain Malcolm Orchard RFD ED (DRA SA Branch) initiated the Orchard Prize for the best published articles. There are potentially two prizes each edition: one for the best article by an Officer and a further prize for the best article by a Non- commissioned Officer or Other Rank. Also the editor-in-chief may award a prize for thought provoking articles.
The i Sy Publishin oo Prie Big Sky Publishing (www.bigskypublishing.com.au) generously offer a book prize for historically themed articles.
The prize winners are chosen by the Editorial committee taking into account the relevance of the topic in promoting Reserves, the overall quality of the article, the issues raised, the topicality and the perceived interest level. The prize winner for this edition is:
aor eneral Jeffrey Rosenfel receives An Unending War - The Australian Army’s Struggle against Malaria by Dr Ian Howie-Willis (Big Sky Publishing) for his most informative article on being deployed to a Role 3 Hospital in Iraq during the battle for Mosul.
CALL OR CONTRIUTIONS The Journal is published twice yearly, in April and October. Our aim is to have a quality publication that promotes the interests of Reservists and the Australian Defence Force. Articles of interest include but are not restricted to: reports from Reservists on operations, issues for debate, Reserve Policy, structural reforms, awards, current events, Reservists in the news, historic articles with links to the Reserve, letters to the editor, relevant book reviews, etc. Articles (preferably in electronic format - Word Format) should be sent to the editor c- PO Box 88, Briar Hill VIC 3088 or if submitting by email send to [email protected] Pictures should be submitted as separate high-resolution JPEG format files or print quality originals. Articles for the April 2018 edition should be submitted by 28th February. Early submission is greatly appreciated. EERSHIP ENUIRIES The Defence Reserves Association is a tri-service organisation with the aim of supporting the Australian Defence Force and, in particular, promoting the interests and safeguarding the concerns of the Defence Reserve component of the ADF. Further information can be found on the DRA website www.dra.org.au Membership is open to all individuals and organisations with an interest in defence. Reservists, both retired and currently serving members, are welcome to oin the DRA regardless of their membership of other associations. Application for Membership should be made through the Secretary or Membership Officer of the appropriate State Branch. NSW: PO BOX 1065, SINGLETON NSW 2330 [email protected] NT: PO BOX 1091, DARWIN NT 0801 [email protected] LD: CAG-NR Victoria Barracks, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane LD 4000 [email protected] SA: 20 Grevillea Drive, BANKSIA PARK SA 5091 [email protected] TAS: GPO Box 729, HOBART TAS 7001 [email protected] VIC: PO Box 88, BRIAR HILL VIC 3088 [email protected] WA: 21 Wattle Street, SOUTH PERTH WA 6151 [email protected]
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P02991 7 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
DEPLOED TO IRA DURIN THE ATTLE OR OSUL aor eneral Jeffrey Rosenfel A OE Royal Australian Army eical Cors Neurosureon to the US 21st Combat Suort Hosital aha Ira Introuction What I really cherish about being an Army Reservist is the opportunity to represent Australia in uniform, deploy on its missions (this is my eighth) and to be able to treat military personnel and civilians in peacekeeping operations and warzones. It is an enormous privilege, along with all the health professionals I work with in the Australian Defence Force to look after Australians, Coalition personnel and civilians who might be inured in these conflicts and be able to help them get back home safely and on the road to recovery. It means an enormous amount to an inured Australian to know that they are being cared for by Australian health care professionals in uniform. Australian Joint Tas orce (JT) 633 Australian Joint Task Force (JTF) 633 is the ADF contribution to the Middle East and Afghanistan Area of Operations. JTF 633 includes about 1,800 ADF Personnel and is currently commanded by Maor General John Frewen AM who is based at the Australian Middle East Headquarters in the United Arab Emirates. The ADF operation in Iraq is but one component of TF 633 and is called ‘Okra’. The mission is to advise and assist the Iraqi forces with training and mentoring. Australia’s Air Task Group is also conducting air combat and support operations in Iraq. Additionally, there is a Coalition Force in Iraq made up of many nations including the USA. The US operation is called Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). I am fortunate to come across individual ADF Reservists embedded in various units here in Iraq. They are indistinguishable from the regular ADF members unless they identify themselves. And that is the way it should be. Embee in the US Role 3 Hosital I have had the distinct honour of being a military neurosurgeon embedded in the US Role 3 Hospital in Baghdad which is the most advanced of the Military Hospitals in Iraq. It is currently the US Army 21st Combat Support Hospital (CSH) from Fort Hood, Texas, supplemented by the 207th Head and Neck Team from 28th CSH (Fort Bragg) who were embedded in the Role 3 facility providing specialist ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), and neurosurgery to supplement the traumageneral surgeons and orthopaedic surgeon so that the team can perform advanced surgery in all the relevant specialties. I am the only Australian surgeon in this hospital. The staff includes emergency physicians, anaesthetists, surgeons, dentists, advanced nursing practitioners, ICU nurses, ward nurses and many others. It has virtually all the capabilities of an Australian or US Trauma Centre. The motto of the 21st CSH is ‘Fear Not’ and the staff certainly live up to this ideal. The Hosital The hospital is set up in air-conditioned tents which is a necessity because the temperatures have been 110 to 120 degrees F every day and are going to get higher as we reach the peak of summer in JulyAugust in Iraq. It has a medical and dental clinicemergency room (ER), intensive care unit (ICU) ward, two fully-equipped operating theatres, radiology with computer tomography (CT) access. a well stocked pharmacy, pathology labs and a tactical Operations Centre (TOC). Casualties arrive by air and are brought to the ER at all hours. If you think of the US television series ‘MASH’ set during the Korean war, it is very much like that setup except it now incorporates the many advances in medicine which have occurred in the intervening years. Joint Theatre Trauma System The US military forces established the Joint Theatre Trauma System (JTTS) in 2002 to improve outcomes after battlefield inury. From 2003 to 2009 JTTS had a database of over 23,250 inured patients admitted to deployed US military treatment facilities. JTTS has developed 43 Clinical Practice Guidelines from this experience that have contributed immensely to the improved survival and outcomes for battle casualties. These guidelines are evidence based and are rapidly updated as lessons are learned by trauma specialists. The Americans are at the top of the game in terms of expertise in trauma management and there is a lot we can learn from their unrivalled experience.
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Deloyin a aor eneral It is most unusual for a Maor General to be deployed as a surgeon to a warzone and I am grateful to the ADF for their approval and support. It is, I would submit, the first time this has occurred. I am fortunate to be physically fit and have been able to meet all the rigorous pre-deployment fitness and training requirements of which there are many. But I am not in Iraq as a Maor General I am in Iraq as a surgeon and I tend to not even wear my rank slide. I I am a member of the medical team here not the command team. In 20045, I was embedded along with a number of other Australians in the US Airforce Hospital in Balad, Iraq during the Falluah Assault, where we treated many inured US Marines and others. The Americans got to know me and my capabilities and were very happy to see me back again working along-side their personnel. Embedding Australians in US military units is very valuable in building trust, respect, friendship, interoperability and understanding between our two nations. I I also have the distinct honour of being one of the very few foreign academics to be appointed an Adunct Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda Maryland USA. This medical school trains American military health professionals and is located on the same campus as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre which Emergency room of the 21st Combat Support Hospital includes the National Naval Hospital. I have got to know some of the staff well and been able to observe the high level of care they provide their inured military personnel. Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre is a Level 4 and 5 facility. osul Mosul is Iraq’s second largest city. As I write this article, the Battle for Mosul which has been going for 8 months is almost over. More than 850,000 civilians have fled their homes since the Battle for Mosul began, but tens of thousands more stayed despite heavy fighting. The Iraqi Army and Iraqi Special Forces are fighting ISIS and are provided with air support by the coalition. The Old City of Mosul has tightly packed houses and narrow alleyways so there has been heavy close quarter combat to clear this part of the city of enemy fighters who unfortunately use civilians as human shields. Recently ISIS destroyed the historic al-Nuri Mosque with its 12th century minaret which has now been captured by the Iraqi Forces. This is a maor setback for ISIS because this was where the Islamic caliphate was declared by the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Bhaghdadi. There are now only one to two 2 square km of the Old City remaining to be cleared of an estimated 300 ISIS fighters, and then Mosul will be liberated from ISIS. The enormous health needs of the displaced civilians are met by the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and a United Nations funded Aspen hospital. There have been many inured Iraqi soldiers who are treated by the Iraqi and coalition hospitals. hy a neurosureon I imagine many of readers of this article would be wondering why a neurosurgeon is even needed in this military operation. The reason is that there are many head and neck inuries in a combat zone and these complex inuries are a distinct threat to life and require a multi-disciplinary approach which includes neurosurgery. If these inuries are not treated in a timely and expert fashion, the inured personnel would rapidly succumb to their inuries. Gratifying recoveries can occur following this emergency surgery. Whilst I have been here almost three months, we have treated many serious inuries due to bomb blasts and
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penetrating gunshot wounds. This involves the head and neck when I get involved, but all the staff have been busy treating inuries to all regions of the body. We have also seen some inuries from motor vehicle and non-battle casualties some of which have involved serious spinal inuries which are also treated by neurosurgeons. The hierarchy of health facilities There is a hierarchy of health facilities in a combat zone which starts with combat medics providing tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) with the casualties then being rapidly transported to the Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) at the most forward point of the battle front. (Note that we had CCSs on the beaches at Gallipoli in WWI.) There is a small team including a surgeon and anaesthetist at the CCS to perform rapid initial surgery to save life and limb. This is often temporizing surgery and is called ‘damage control surgery’. The casualties are then moved to a larger hospital called Role 2E which can do further resuscitation and stabilization surgery if required. (Australia has a Role 2E hospital at Base Tai which is where Australian soldiers are helping train Iraqi soldiers). The casualties are then transported by air to the Role 3 hospital for more definitive and specialised surgery such as the head and neck, vascular reconstructive surgery, orthopaedic surgery or more definitive abdominal and thoracic surgery. All this happens over a 12-to-24 hour time period. The casualties arrive at any time of the day or night and the hospital must be ready to receive them. Once the casualties are further stabilised with further surgery and intensive care, the Iraqi patients will be transferred to the Iraqi Hospitals. The coalition personnel are transferred in aircraft with on-board Readying one of the operating rooms of the 21st Combat intensive care to the US Role 4 Landstuhl Hospital in Support Hospital Germany that also receives coalition casualties from Afghanistan and has the full range of medical and surgical specialists and advanced diagnostic equipment. The patients often require further surgery in Landstuhl and are then returned to their country of origin within a few days. This highly organised trauma system allows for continual reassessment, re-stabilisation and re- operation at each of the levels of care and ensures the most comprehensive and timely care for these inured personnel. Conclusion It is truly amazing to see these hospitals and the military trauma system in action. The dedication and expertise of the staff is very impressive indeed. I am proud and honoured to be a member of the 21st CSH, to be able represent Australia and the ADF here in Iraq and to help the seriously inured Iraqi and coalition soldiers. I am also keen to bring back the experience and lessons learned to both my civilian and military medical colleagues in Australia.
Right - MAJGEN Rosenfeld getting ready for surgery at 21st Combat Support Hospital
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TRAININ ITH THE RILES Lieutenant Eliabeth Norman Platoon Commaner 87 Royal Victorian Reiment
Introuction I enlisted in the Australian Army Reserve in October 2013 and was posted to Melbourne University Regiment to complete my Officer Training. Melbourne University Regiment has a long and colourful history dating back to 1884. In 1910, it became the Melbourne University Rifles and since then, despite being disbanded, re-invigorated and amalgamated with Monash University Regiment, it has maintained its connection to the British Rifles, formerly the Royal Green Jackets. In 2007 a UK Government Defence restructure saw the Green Jackets and Light Infantry combined to form a seven Battalion Regiment, known as The Rifles. The long standing connection with The Rifles has been enabled and continually supported by the Melbourne University Rifles Association (MURA). In the summer of 2017, I graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon and received my commission. Shortly after, I was awarded the 2017 MURA Travel Scholarship. The MURA Travel Scholarship is one of the ways that Australian Reservist Officers are able to connect with and learn from the British Rifles. The last recipient of the scholarship (now CAPT Roberts) trained with the 7th Rifles Battalion on their two week exercise in Cyprus Exercise Lion Star. This provided him with overseas military experience while also observing a comparative example of Reservist training and activities. y eerience My recent experiences were slightly different and I was able to gain understanding and exposure by visiting the 3rd, 4th and 7th Rifles Battalions. As to be expected, there were key differences and similarities between the Battalions. While the aura at some Battalions appeared to be more formal than others, there was no denying the warmth and humour that enables the cohesive and unified Army that I encountered throughout my time in the United Kingdom.
Dreghorn Barracks 25m range
As in Australia, geography plays a key role in generating differences between the Battalions, while also working to foster a healthy competitive spirit. From Australia, I flew to Scotland where I visited 3 Rifles for the first part of the
11 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST exchange. 3 Rifles pride themselves on their football team and enoy the splendid views and entertainments that Edinburgh has to offer. Many of the serving members whom I met considered themselves lucky to enoy their current posting. Despite current defence restructuring which is having a great effect on current numbers and capabilities, 3 Rifles consists of approximately 650 Riflemen who regularly deploy from their base location to other training and operational deployments worldwide. During my exchange there, I enoyed their daily routine, including the ritualistic tea and toast at 10:00 hours, visited ranges, fired their pistol and rifle, and witnessed a demonstration of their use of mortars and the simulation Javelin. eaon hanlin sills It was encouraging to note that the Rifles take the same pride in their weapon handling skills as the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. Weapons are our tools of trade, and although the two armies utilise different systems, the same care and attention to professional mastery at arms is apparent across both. I had ample opportunity to witness this as the 3rd, 4th and 7th Rifles Battalions all engaged in range practices during my visit. I even had the pleasure of visiting the very windy Barry Buddon and partook in the British version of the annual shoot. While Australians use the terms ‘unload’, ‘load’, ‘action’ and ‘instant’ to describe degrees of weapon readiness, the British employ the term ‘ready’ instead of ‘action’. At first, I thought it was British politeness, asking me if I was ready to fire, before realising that the command was actually trying to stimulate a change to the weapon system. Despite this, I was able to successfully complete the shoot while also learning a few new firing positions, which I am keen to test for their effectiveness with the F88 Austeyr.
Mortar Demonstration
Salisbury Plain From Edinburgh, I travelled south toward Salisbury Plain to meet up with the Adutant of 7 Rifles. Previously classified as the British Territorial Army (TA), 7 Rifles form part of the British Reserve Forces with approximately 500 members. They are ‘paired’ with 5 Rifles which also awards them the ability to engage in full-time training and operational opportunities. Despite hearing some conflicting accounts regarding the quality of ARES training, holistically I would comfortably suggest that the initial Australian Army Reserve Officer Training is more comprehensive. Indeed the Reservist Officer Training is more extensive, and certainly has a stronger emphasis on field skills and ‘soldier first’, in addition to the academic aspects of Officer Training. However, this is not to suggest in any way that our British
12 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST counterparts training is left wanting. Indeed the opposite, and 7 Rifles are currently preparing and sitting on the cusp of a training activity in the Ukraine to be conducted this October. Perhaps this serves to highlight different approaches to ensuring a high standard of training, experience and exposure.
The Australian Military Cemetery Salisbury Plain
Alershot From Salisbury I continued my ourney south to Aldershot where 4 Rifles enoy slightly warmer weather, close proximity to London and foster a healthy competitive support for their Boxing team. Due to recent restructuring, 4 Rifles consists of only approximately 250 Riflemen and their key role is to train, advise, assist, mentor and accompany the soldiers of overseas partners in order to help them develop their own capabilities and prevent crisis. Congratulations also goes to the 4 Rifles shooting team for their success in the First Armoured Brigade Shooting Competition. Clearly, the hours spent at the range during my stay were worth it indeed. Aside from the serious business of professional mastery at arms, my visit with the Rifles was truly a remarkable experience. Working with another army that is so similar, yet different, is slightly bizarre, but also very illuminating. While the Rifles salute indoors, run instead of march and have a commitment to ‘tea’ which is highly impressive, many of the other courtesies and characteristics are remarkably consistent with the Australian Army. I would suggest that Australians are perhaps a little louder, bawdier and more aggressive at times, yet at heart, both armies embrace a keen sense of kind but satirical humour. Tour of the estern ront - a ersonal connection Finally, after another ourney south, this time to the Western Front, we come to the final stages of my adventures. I met Phil Hora of Sacred Ground Tours on my first night in Arras, a few hours north of Paris. Phil moved to Arras with his wife eight years ago and developed an interest in Australian World War I history after visiting the battle sites across France and Belgium. He offers a refreshing account of war history through challenging dominant British narratives that often overshadow Australia’s involvement. Phil aims to impress upon visiting Australians the feats of Sir General John Monash and was delighted to learn that I had been a proud member of Monash Company during my Officer Training. This part of my ourney not only had interest from a military history perspective but also on a personal level. In 1916, my great grandfather, Robert ‘Roy’ Casley Normand, oined the AIF to serve in The Great War. At 19 years of age, he
13 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST became a machine gunner with the 4th Machine Gun Coy AIF. His service for our country, including his field promotions to Lance Corporal then Corporal, his further commission as a Lieutenant and his engagements in many notable battles, including Polygon Wood for which he received a Military Medal, are all documented in some 150 letters he wrote home during his tour. These historical artefacts have been stored by various family members for the past century and a few weeks before I left for the United Kingdom they came back into my possession. What ensued was some frantic reading and researching so that by the time I met Phil I was able to provide a brief outline of my Great Grandfather’s wartime experiences. Using the detailed information Roy documented, alongside official war records, I was able to trace my Great Grandfather’s footsteps across the Western Front. Words cannot sufficiently express the emotional significance of this to me. Standing to attention at the Last Post at the Menin Road Gate where a century before Roy had walked through, was perhaps the defining moment for me.
The ‘Cobbers’ Statue - Fromelles Memorial Park A reproduction is in the grounds of the Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne
Conclusion My trip to the United Kingdom has not come to an end. It has merely marked the beginning of something more to come. I have gained some insight into the formation of the Australian Army of which I am a part, but whose origin started in a place far from my home, and my own family military history which began with my great grandfather a century ago. Before I finish, I would like to thank everyone who was involved and enabled this visit to occur. To the Melbourne University Rifles Association who gave me with the opportunity to be part of this exchange, I look forward to a long- standing connection with the Association. Thank you also to Melbourne University Regiment for the role you played in this trip and my training. Thanks also go to to CAPT Jenkinson, CAPT Rowntree and LT Smith who hosted me, and to everyone who contributed to making this a highly beneficial and memorable experience, I look forward to more tea and toast when we meet again.
About the Author LT Elizabeth Normand completed her officer training with Melbourne University Regiment. She graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in February 2017 where she was awarded the Sword of Honour. LT Normand was posted to 87 Battalion Royal Victorian Regiment where she currently serves as the infantry Platoon Commander of 5 Platoon, B Company.
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PROILE ON THE NE DIRECTOR ENERAL AUSTRALIAN NAV CADETS AND RESERVES Commoore ar Hill CSC RANR
Commodore Mark Davenport Hill was born in Adelaide in 1960 and oined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in 1979 before transferring to the RAN. After qualifying as a Seaman Officer he sub-specialised in Mine Warfare and undertook advanced Mine Warfare training in the United States, Great Britain and Belgium. Commodore Hill saw his first sea command as a Lieutenant serving in the Minesweeper Brolga, which included command of the RAN Minesweeping Squadron. He then went on to Command HMA Ships Brunei, (a Heavy Landing Craft) and Rushcutter, (a Minehunter). As a Lieutenant Commander he assumed Command of the newly built Minehunter HMAS Gascoyne and Commissioned the ship. In addition to his sea service, Commodore Hill has served on Operations ashore in East Timor, Iraq and in Afghanistan twice, the latter including a period in Command of Task Group Afghanistan. He was promoted to Commander in 2001 was appointed Commanding Officer of the RAN Recruit School in 2002. He served in this capacity until 2004 when he assumed Command of HMAS Coonawarra, the RAN’s Darwin Shore Establishment. He was promoted to Captain in 2007 and established the position of Director, Navy Personnel Policy. From 2009 to 2011 Captain Hill was Commanding Officer HMAS Cerberus, the Navy’s largest Training Establishment, where he was also the Training Authority- Logistics Engineering and Senior Naval Officer-Victoria. Commodore Hill has held various staff appointments in Canberra and Sydney including Deputy Commander of the Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Force and Program Director of the New Generation Navy (NGN) Program which is effecting cultural reform in the Navy. Commodore Hill was promoted to his present rank in March 2017 and assumed duty as the Director General Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves. For his work at the RAN Recruit School Commodore Hill was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross. A graduate from the RAN Staff College, he has served on the Directing Staff at the Australian Command and Staff College and holds Masters Degrees in Business Administration and Arts (Organisational Communication). Commodore Hill has represented South Australia in rowing and lives in Canberra. The DRA congratulates CDRE Hill on his appointment and looks forward to establishing a close and productive working relationship.
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AR RESERVISTS ON EXERCISE REAPERS RUN Catain Lucy Saaroni Public Affairs Officer 4 riae Heauarters
Introuction A ‘team of teams’ the Australian Army draws its strength through cooperation, both in a tactical sense for example, through the use of combined arms and in a strategic sense, with the increasing integration of Army Reservists into the Regular force. orin at a Combat Team Comman Post Lieutenant Travis Gundry was one of a number of Victorian Army Reservists who were assisting their Regular Army counterparts in the Combat Team Command Post during Exercise Reaper’s Run a combined-arms, live fire training activity coordinated by the School of Armour, whilst at the same time obtaining valuable experience. A Cavalry Officer with 419 PWLHR in Victoria, Lieutenant Gundry used his time at the School of Armour’s exercise to hone his own knowledge of the inner workings of a H during combat. ‘Being able to work in a H environment on a tactical exercise of this size is a great opportunity. I have been observing Tank and Cavalry Troop Leaders as they are assessed within a Combat Team construct during the exercise’, Lieutenant Gundry said. ‘In addition to tank and cavalry, infantry, artillery and aviation assets are also incorporated into the battle scenarios. Under the guidance of the Tactics Wing Sergeant Maor, I was also able to leave the CP to view live fire serials in the field, where the combined arms collaborate to combat a Battalion-sized mechanised enemy.’ ‘Exercises like Reaper’s Run are a great way to increase integration and exposure of our Army Reserve personnel into the workings of the Regular Army,’ said Commanding Officer of the School of Armour, LTCOL Josh Gillman. ‘With an exercise of this scale and length, the School of Armour relies on the support of other units to make it a success. The more we can support each other in a training environment, the more trust and shared competencies we bring to oint operations.’
LT unry in the Comman Post (Photo Saer Davi Neberry)
Alinin ith Chief of Armys ten lines of effort LTCOL Josh Gillman’s mindset echoes the third of the ‘ten lines of effort’ outlined by the Chief of Army Lieutenant General Campbell in late 2016. ‘An effective Army Reserve is essential, not optional, to sustaining an Australian brigade group deployed on operations over successive rotations,’ the Chief of Army wrote in his open letter to the Army. ‘Like all who commit to military service, our part time personnel need to be inspired to serve inspired by their heritage, their training and development, their operational service, but most of all by their leaders.’
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EORIAL TO NATIONAL SERVICEEN - A IVE EAR PROJECT TAKES SHAPE Catain arry Presrave OA (Ret) National Servicmens Association
Introuction After five years of planning and development, a memorial to National Servicemen, being a memorial stone and paved walkway, has finally become a reality. The South Australian Branch of the National Servicemen’s Association undertook a mammoth task in fund raising and planning to put together the only memorial in Australia where the names and service details of the 212 young National Servicemen who gave their lives in Borneo and Vietnam are listed individually on the pavers forming the walkway. Some 1000 pavers, 212 gold and the remainder red, have been laid on a walkway leading to a five ton bluestone rock bearing the inscription. T U S This memrial is dediated t the yung Australian men h ere nsrited int the Armed res as atinal seriemen eteen - gae their lies and many thusands ere inured th hysially mentally’ The support of both Federal and State governments, local businesses, our members and the many ex-service groups and RSL Sub Branches made the task easier by providing funding to cover the costs of the pavers and fittings. Deication Day The memorial was dedicated by the South Australian Governor, his Excellency Hieu Van Le AC, on the 17th March 2017 at the headquarters of the South Australian Branch of the National Servicemen’s Association in Surrey Road, Keswick. On the dedication day some 400 people took part in the celebration which was supported particularly by the City of West Torrens, the Vietnam Veterans Association who catered for a magnificent lunch for all, and Coopers Brewery. urther Develoment The South Australian Branch are proud of the end result and are now working with the City of West Torrens to further develop the area with seating, BBs and rose gardens containing our own rose, the atinal ride , developed by Kim Syrus of Corporate Roses. This rose especially developed for the Association will be available next year for our members, ex-service groups and the families of National Servicemen. Appropriate plaques will be placed at each rose as needed and will further enhance the memorial. Seating with family plaques will also be encouraged. The South Australian Governor, his Excellency Hieu Van Le AC The memorial has space for a further unveils the Memorial 200 pavers and interested parties who wish to support the walkway or future rose gardens are asked to contact the Association on [email protected], or 08 8293 6344. Further details and order forms can be obtained from the Proect manager, Barry Presgrave on 0412 066 657 or b.presgrave@optusnet. com.au Ex-National Servicemen from all over Australia especially are encouraged to be part of this piece of Military History. About the Author Barry Presgrave is a former National Serviceman, Army Reservist and active member of the National Servicemen’s Association of Australia. Barry was conscripted in 1956 under the first National Service scheme and trained at Woodside. He went on to serve for 32 years in the CMFArmy Reserve with the 27th Battalion, the 4th Military Police Company and the Adelaide University Regiment. Barry was a Detective Chief Inspector with SAPOL for 35 years. He was the inaugural National Serviceman’s Association President and long serving State President for South Australia.
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OOK REVIE ilitia Units of aryborouh 1860 - 1901 by ichael arnett OA Reviee by Lieutenant Colonel Neville Taylor RD (Ret) Defence Reserves Association - Victoria
This monograph is a companion to the publication ynetn Munted ile rs that was published in 2013. It examined the 150 years of the vol- unteers who served as mounted troops in the Kyneton region of Victoria. As well as the Maryborough unit, this new volume also briefly mentions the other units it trained with, for which histories are yet to be written Daylesford, Lauriston, Maldon, and Malmsbury. An interesting 400-year history of the use of term ‘Maryborough’ in the British Isles and eventually also in Australia, covers both the Victorian and ueensland cities bearing the name. On the world scene the fear of belligerent action by France or Russia in the mid-19th century saw the British stock in Australia more than ready to ensure that the colony did not pass out of the Empire’s control. The Victorian gold rush towns, with populations more than treble their numbers today, were ripe for the establishment of rifle and mounted units. An Act in 1854 approved the raising in Victoria of a Volunteer Corps limited to 2,000 men. A quoted article dated 27th August 1860 in the Mount Alexander Mail indicated that the limit had been raised to 10,000 men and that Maryborough was to ‘renew its application’ for a rifle corps. The Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser of 2 November 1860 reports on one of Maryborough’s first drills. Units appointed their own officers and senior non-commissioned officers. They were also able to design their own uniforms Maryborough’s was ‘invisible green’ with red shako headgear (similar to the tall cylindrical cap of the Hungarian Hussars) that later had black horsehair plumes add- ed. Activities included drills, rifle shooting, exercises, ceremonials and social events. Military reviews were a highlight as it brought local units together for a massed street parade followed by keenly fought military skills events. The townsfolk enthusiastically embraced these weekend reviews, and leant over backwards to demonstrate their hospitality to visiting units and dignitaries. In May 1861 the Maryborough Volunteer Rifles participated in the Grand Review in Castlemaine to celebrate ueen Victoria’s birthday. The event was extensively reported in The Argus (Mel- bourne) and is quoted in full, including the parade, the rifle match, officers’ dinner and theatrical performance. The detail and eloquent description indicates the importance of these events to the communities involved. The Maryborough unit consolidated at 70 personnel. A drum and fife band was established and a mounted troop oined the Prince of Wales’ Light Horse from 1872 until 1875 when lack of numbers saw the troop disband. December 1883 saw the disbandment of most volunteer units because the Militia System was being introduced. In May 1884 Marybor- ough tried to re-establish a militia unit, but with the number of units already allocated, Maryborough had no option but to wait, so instead it established a mounted rifle club. The 80s and 90s saw school children eagerly oining Cadet units Maryborough High School included. Members volunteered for service in the Boer Wars, and Post-Federation saw the establishment of the Australian Impe- rial Force. Smaller local units are also discussed as is the manner in which the slouch hat was incorporated into both Australian and overseas units. This most readable history contains numerous photographs covering the period as well as some current photographs of monuments and buildings that have survived. There has been considerable attention to detail wherever this was available to the researcher, and there is a basis index included. The use of well-selected articles from contemporary newspapers enables the reader to ‘be there’ as well as making us aware of the decline of our written and spoken language in recent times. With Michael’s passion for the recording of the history of his local region, we are sure to see further works on this relatively unexplored element of Victoria’s history in the near future. Militia Units of Maryborough is available from the author Michael Garnett OAM, PO Box 187 ROMSE VIC 3434, or at [email protected] 20 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
Obituary Colonel James oo RD ED (Ret) A (Sy) E (on) A (Hon Kon) PhD (Deain) Commano Citien Solier Eucator Defence ello Historian Avocate 31 January 1937 to 30 June 2017 Jim Wood enlisted in the 1 Commando Company (CMF) in 1957 in Sydney aged 20 qualifying for his Green Beret, as an army parachutist. Promoted through the NCO ranks, he was commissioned in 1960 and served as a platoon commander with the 1st Battalion - (City of Sydney’s Own). He was promoted to Captain and was a company commander with the 1st Battalion until 1966. Jim, wife Colleen and family Erica, Derek and Natasha came to Melbourne in 1967 when Jim was offered a civilian appointment with the Department of Defence. He continued his military service with 6 RVR (the Royal Melbourne Regiment). Over the period 1967-1985, he held a number of civilian appointments with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence in Australia in Melbourne and Canberra and in Asia in Jakarta, Hong Kong and Tokyo. He trained with the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, simultaneously completing a MA in Comparative Asian Studies at Hong Kong University. He then completed his PhD at Deakin University and was the first Reserve officer to be granted a Defence Fellowship resulting in a year on full time service researching Army mobilisation programs, both in Australia and overseas. He summarised his findings in a Department of Defence publication Milisatin - An utline rerd its rigins and eelment in reset t and res 1986. During a posting at 1RVR, Jim commanded the metropolitan company of the specially constituted 3RVR during a maor exercise, with appropriate support conducted during 1971. As 2IC 1RVR, Jim participated in the battalion’s annual camp conducted in the Big Desert and then culminating in a final exercise at Puckapunyal. The logistics for that exercise were as close to perfect as is possible. He served as an instructor in tactics and was appointed CO MUR. Jim was the 21st CO of Melbourne University Regiment over the years 1979-1981, a period of extraordinary change. The regiment was placed under command of 3rd Training Group with a varied role. During this period the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led Government to propose a maor increase in the strength of the Army Reserve. As CO MUR, Jim undertook a vigorous recruiting campaign on university campuses for the first time since the Vietnam period. He re-established links with the University, the tertiary community, Scotch College and Ivanhoe Grammar School. Over 300 new members were enlisted, and training nights were increased to three a week. The size of the regiment doubled, additional camps were arranged, and officers from other corps were posted into the regiment. Annual TEWTs and CPXs for officers and NCOS were reinstituted. The regiment hosted an inaugural six month in- service commissioning course known as the Herring Course that graduated 25 new officers in 1981. Jim introduced a regimental newsletter and the regiment acquired the Powlett Street depot as a useful additional depot. A feature during Jim’s tenure was the emphasis upon the recruitment and employment of female officers and soldiers. The recruiting of 60 service women drew adverse comment from Training Command. By 1981, one company had 75 female members and 2 female officers. Jim was far ahead of his time. It was in 1990 that any official Army restriction on the employment of service women in combat units was dropped, but only in 2016 that women were allowed to
21 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST serve in frontline combat positions. One important innovation was the introduction of the Sir Edmund Herring Lecture series that continues to the present day. The lecture series exposes members of the regiment to the concepts and practice of war and provides talks on military history, leadership and command by leading thinkers and authorities. Early presenters included leading ournalist Denis Warner, distinguished soldiers known for the strategic or leadership skills such as Ted Serong, George Warfe, and Joel Langtry, and academics such as Professor MacMahon Ball. In March 1980, the posted strength of the regiment peaked at 410 and the regiment assisted the newly raised Deakin University Company with advice, instructors and resources. Jim’s regimental officers were a very talented leadership group. It was a dream team of experienced Reserve officers and wonderful recruiters of whom Jim was immensely proud. His pride and affection for MUR was lifelong. Often then and since he would approach the Honorary Colonel about a regimental issue. The Honorary Colonel at that time was Sir Edmund Herring then nearing the end of his 33 years as Honorary Colonel. After his outstanding service as a Commanding Officer, Jim had more great achievements. In 1981, he was appointed SO1 (Infantry) on H 3rd Division. In this appointment he was responsible for co-ordinating career planning for the Infantry officers and SNCOs. He instituted the Corps TEWT, established an Infantry Newsletter and ‘The Thin Red Line’ series of lectures. Following a year on full-time service, Jim was promoted Colonel in 1987 and appointed the Army’s Principal Proect officer for Victoria supporting the 1988 Bi-Centenary Military Tattoo, and employing over 1100 ADF members on a national tour celebrating the bi-centenary. Subsequently posted as Colonel Plans, he was responsible for the conduct of the Commander’s Annual TEWT and the 3rd Division H staff annual camp. His final army appointment was as Proect Officer, Command and Staff College, ueenscliff, where in addition to continuing his studies in mobilisation, he completed a further seminal work entitled C ase Studies in Army Milisatin . He reconstituted the publication of the ueenscliff Papers. He retired on age in January 1992, having served for thirty seven years as a citizen soldier. His love of the Army never faltered. His service did not stop on retirement but continued in a literary and representational form. For over thirty years, Jim contributed numerous articles to the Army (later) the Defence Force Journal including a series of twelve articles known as ‘A letter to a friend’. He made submissions to the Millar Inquiry into the Citizen Military Forces (1974) and many parliamentary and army inquiries and studies. Jim’s first book The rgtten re - The Australian Military ntriutin t the uatin aan - was published in 1998 and launched by the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. His second book hies the Australian Armyigher mmand the Australian Military res - was launched by the Chief of Army in 2006. He also wrote 2 of 3 volumes of a third book concerning the Higher Command during the Gallipoli Campaign which he intended be published by Oxford University Press. Jim also contributed to many articles on Australian military officers to the Australian Dictionary of Biography and many other publications. Jim was passionate about his regiment, its members and its long term pivotal importance in the defence of Australia by producing capable young officers. He was equally passionate about the Australian servicemen who served in Japan numbering at their peak about 12,000. From 1946-52, they occupied a large area of Japan including the Prefecture of Hiroshima when the first atom bomb was dropped. Jim fought relentlessly for ustice for the servicemen and women of this Force. Jim was the quintessential Reserve officer. He was always well researched, articulate, forward looking and as outstanding in military achievement as he was passionate that service personnel should be fully supported and fairly dealt with. He used his pen to safeguard those who must wield the sword. He was a leader amongst us in his intellect and wisdom, his energy and his recognition that the heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future. He was a Life member of the Defence Reserves Association Victorian Branch. VALE
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Australian Army Reserve Transformation - A Total orce Lieutenant eneral Anus Cambell AO DSC Chief of Army Introuction Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I want to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the great land on which we are gathered, the Ngunnawal people, and pay my respects to their elders, past and present. I would like to thank Maor General (Retd) Paul Irving AM, PSM, RFD, president of the Defence Reserves Association for the opportunity to speak to you today. The history of the Australian Army is one of citizen soldiers serving alongside each other, in full time and part time service. Over the 116 year history of the Australian Army, the components of our Army have had various names: Militia, ‘permanent’ forces, the First and Second Australian Imperial Forces, Citizen Military Forces and ‘Regular’ Army to name ust a few. For more than half our history, part time soldiers made up the bulk of our force serving, sacrificing and contributing to the development of our proud record. This pathway of service has given us some of our greatest wartime leaders, at all levels: from Monash and Chauvel, to Albert Jacka and Charlie Green. It has also given us some of the humblest but most remarkable soldiers. Men such as Private John Carroll of the 33rd Battalion, 3rd Division, 1st AIF. John was a labourer and railway worker when he enlisted in Western Australia in 1916. The son of Irish immigrants, John was an athlete and a prominent member of the Kurrawang Aussie Rules Club. A taciturn man, he was sometimes referred to as ‘Referendum Carroll’ because he rarely said anything other than ‘yes’ or ‘no’. In the AIF, Carroll’s mates called him ‘The Wild Irishman’. For his actions in the battle of Messines Ridge, fought 100 years ago last month, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. During the battle he rushed an enemy trench and bayoneted four men, then rescued a comrade in difficulties. Later in the same advance, he attacked a machine gun crew, killing three men and capturing the gun. Then, in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun fire, he dug out two of his mates who had been buried by a shell explosion. Private Carroll missed the first three dates for his investiture at Buckingham Palace. Rumour has it that he found certain other establishments in London more convivial. He finally received his VC on the fourth attempt, after he had to be sent for. John was quickly returned to his battalion in Belgium after discovering that, as a VC holder, he could ‘turn out the guard’ at the Palace. Whether a feted leader like Monash or an ‘everyman’ like John Carroll, our citizen soldiers have made extraordinary contributions. They are inextricably a part of our Australian Army story. Part time soldiers have taken part in all of our campaigns from the high veldt of South Africa to the dust of Iraq and Afghanistan. Theirs has been a consistent contribution to, and an enrichment of, the ANZAC heritage they created. Toays Army Today, the Australian Army is a highly trained and professional force of 45,000 soldiers. We are an integrated ‘total’ force of some 30,000 full time and 15,000 part time citizens. Our Army is focussed on delivering capability outcomes, rather than dogmatic adherence to a particular process to develop and deliver that capability. By embracing different pathways to capability, the Army gains from a broadening of our skills base, attracting a range of generalist and specialist experience to our modern force. The commitment of all our people is the same: to serve our nation in peace and war, as duty requires. The only difference being their employment flexibility, in training but not on operations, associated with full time or part time service. This means service in our contemporary Army is characterised by people who, across their career and as their circumstances and needs change, move between various service categories. The service of my brothers and I is indicative. The three of us have variously served in a range of categories: from full time service in conventional and special force units, to active, inactive and standby service. And for two of us, back to full time service: at least for now Of course, the very great maority of our Reserve personnel do the opposite, oining in a part time capacity,
23 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST with some then offering periods of full time service. The nee for chane Change is underway to ensure that our Army, including the Reserve as an indivisible component of our Army, continues to deliver the capability required of us by Government. With regard to the Reserve component, the Reserve is driving this process: it is their ideas, suggestions and planning we are moving out on. Let me be very clear this is not a case of a Regular Officer telling the Reserve what’s good for it. Rather, senior Reserve leaders have said they want and need from change: Change that acknowledges the significant strategic challenges of our times Change that better supports the training and development of our people, especially young adult Australians Change that aligns Army service and contemporary civil employment demands and Change that appreciates the opportunity and complexity of modern land force materiel. A key change concerns the way in which we think about the wider utility of the Reserve. For some decades we have been moving away from the strategic rationale of the Reserve purely as a mobilisation base. Moving away from thinking of it as a separate part of the Army, or even a separate Army, whose purpose was only to generate capability in extremis. In the ‘total force’ model the Reserve contributes to capability in all of our endeavours to defend Australia and secure its national interests. The contribution of the Reserve is particularly notable in our efforts in the Middle East and elsewhere. Between 2004 and 2014, 2,400 Reserve soldiers deployed on operations, with Reserve officers routinely holding significant appointments. 2016 is illustrative: Brigadier Kathryn Campbell was the Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force 633 on Operation ACCORDION Brigadier Michael Annett commanded Task Group Afghanistan on Operation HIGH ROAD and Brigadier Michael Bond commanded the Australian Service contingent on Operation ASLAN with the United Nations in South Sudan. The pattern continues this year. Lieutenant Colonel Tony Hoyer is currently the Commanding Officer of the Australian Contingent at the Afghan National Officer Academy in argha, while Colonel John Brennan will deploy very soon to Operation ASLAN as the Commander of the Australian Contingent. Whether providing reinforcements to deploying battle groups, embeds to coalition headquarters, niche specialist capabilities or entire contingents, the operational experience of today’s Reserve is extensive. Total orce Aroach an Reserve attle rous This will continue to develop. In February this year, I issued a directive, the ‘Total Force Approach for Operational Deployments’. The directive mandates a review of all current and future operational deployment documents. Through this mechanism, some positions on all operations will be made available to Army Reserve soldiers who undertake contingent force preparation thereby embedding a ‘total force’ approach to our operational deployments. Our Reserve now generates significant collective capability every year. This is most evident in the ‘reinforcing battle group’ of around 850 soldiers provided to the ‘ready’ Army brigade during our maor exercise period. Battle Group Cannan, made up of soldiers from the 11th and 13th Brigades, deployed this month to Shoalwater Bay. While there, the Battle Group supported the 3rd Brigade on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2017. I had the opportunity to visit the exercise last month and was very impressed by what I saw. Battle Group Cannan, ust like Battle Group Jacka before it in 2016, demonstrates the commitment, current capability, and the extraordinary potential of our Reserve soldiers. Battle Group Cannan was 810 strong, with an additional 50 personnel from 11 and 13 Brigades embedded as specialists throughout 3 Brigade and Headquarters 1st Division. They were well equipped and supported by 3 Brigade, indistinguishable from any other soldiers on the exercise. When I asked how they got EF88s rifles and the latest Battalion Headquarters C3 kit, the Commanding Officer explained that the 3rd Brigade had provided them. The Brigade Commander followed on to note that he needed the capability, so he wanted it to be the best our collective resources could make it. Now that’s an integrated force in word, spirit and deed Through this battle group training the Reserve is developing considerable expertise in the essential and enduring tasks of rear area security and stabilisation. This is lifting their skills and reducing the training time required to prepare them for operations, whether that is humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, security and stabilisation or conventional warfare. The importance of this contribution cannot be overstated. In any sustained operational deployment of an Australian Army brigade group, Reserve participation in successive rotations is likely to rise from an initial 10 of the first deployment, to 30, and then 60 of the third rotation. There are many paths to service in the Australian Army and many levels of readiness across units, full and part time, subect to respective roles and responsibilities. But there is only one path to deployment: our ‘operational generation’ process. This provides assurance, on my behalf, of the preparedness of all forces. This process is designed 24 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST to certify, or not, individuals and units as ready to deploy. Full or part time in origin, all our people on operations are prepared and ready for those operations one team, working for Australia. Contribution of the Reserve Of course, the contribution of the Reserve is far broader than ust operational deployments. For example, in 2016, while the Army had 100 Reservist deployed on operations, we had 600 on Continuous Full-time service and 500 on short periods of Defence Act Section 26 service. Reserves also figure prominently in the Australian Army’s many domestic roles: from disaster relief to special events, such as the G20 or the Commonwealth Games. We could not achieve what the Government asks of us without the ‘total force’. uilin an Sustainin the Reserve Whatever the roles and tasks assigned to the Reserve, it is a simple truism that to have a viable and effective Reserve component we must have enough suitable people. Demography is destiny in this regard: We know that if we have 30 people parading we can generate efficient, effective and progressive training that builds capability while also meeting our necessary governance, safety and management responsibilities We know that if we have 90 effective soldiers on the books, we can reliably anticipate 30 soldiers will attend training in any given period and We know that we need a pool of 1,000 people aged between 17 and 29 years old in order to attract and recruit 1 soldier. Extending this logic, we need around 90,000 to 100,000, young adult Australians, living within a reasonable distance of a Reserve hub, in order to offer a progressive training experience. These numbers are all well-established and affirmed by similar experience among our allies. et our current disposition does not always support this reality. Australia is one of the most urbanised nations on earth. et many of our current hubs are located in rural and hinterland areas where, disaggregated, demography does not and cannot support the capability development we need. This is also true in some urban areas, where Reserve depot locations reflect Australia’s demography in 1917 rather than that of 2017. Accordingly, we are studying the data from the 2016 Census to help determine where we need to be opening new depots. Any Australian can oin the Reserve and I want them all to consider doing so. We keenly want the hard working quiet stoicism of young rural Australians as much as the inner city worker and everyone in between. So, in order to facilitate a better way of connecting to them, wherever their home and associated depot, we are increasingly adopting, for city and country alike, a modular or block training approach to building capability. In doing so, we seek to aggregate people for training so that the experience of Reserve service is worthy of the commitment of young Australians. Remember, they are a very discerning generation who readily vote with their feet. leible trainin This is about creating the opportunity for any Australian who volunteers and passes the entrance requirements to serve. Soldiers who live in urban areas often have more flexible training attendance options, due to simple proximity. These range from weeknight weekday options, through to weekends and modular blocks of training. For rural, regional and remote soldiers, many of whom may be hundreds of kilometres away from their unit’s hub, such options are neither feasible nor desirable. An example of modular training may see up to 3 x 9 day blocks (weekend, workweek, weekend) and 5 x weekend blocks within a training year. This means that city, rural, regional and remote soldiers - we want them all - can now all access a participation model that works for them. Recruitin an retention an trainin The Army has also renewed our focus on recruiting for our Reserve. And it is working. Two years ago we were barely recruiting 900 reserve soldiers a year. We are now recruiting 1,400 a year and this number is rising. We have also addressed retention and wastage rates in the training pipeline. In doing this, the Army is changing patterns of training and service to meet the flexibility required of the modern Australian workforce. While training standards remain the same, the Army realises that there are many paths to achieving them. An example is the trial of new 35-day and 28-day, part-residential, Army Reserve Recruit Training Courses. Another focus for recruiting and development concerns getting more tradespeople into the Reserve. This target group includes the traditional ‘trades’ - our need for diesel mechanics, plumbers, electricians, cooks and carpenters is not going away any time soon. But it now also includes newer and emerging civilian trades, such as cyber experts, software developers and computer programmers, social media and communications experts, electronic systems technicians, UAS operators and technicians, to name only a few. Like doctors and lawyers, the skills we require from these people in uniform are the ones they have mastered in their civilian employment. We are looking at ways we can attract and retain the right people from these professions, so that the employment offer is attractive, predictable and mutually beneficial. One initiative we are looking at is developing a simple course to induct them into the military so that their skills can be accessed quickly. 25 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
An important and related initiative, happening right now, is the re-roling of the Sydney-based 8th Brigade to support the development and delivery of individual training to the Reserve. 8 Brigade’s task is to deliver trained individuals (soldiers and officers) through innovative and practical combinations of modularised, residential and distributed regional training, as well as individual e-learning pathways. As well as changes in recruiting, training and participation models, change is underway with respect to equipment. Modern land platforms, such as the armoured vehicles being acquired for the Army in Proect Land 400, are highly capable. They are also highly complex and costly. Due to the complexity of these vehicles they will not be crewed by Reserve personnel. This is a factor of the number of training days per year necessary to establish and maintain crew proficiency. The high cost of this capability also makes it unlikely that our nation can afford more than a number sufficient to equip our full time brigades. Of course, the Reserve will utilise Land 400 Armoured vehicles, as Cavalry Scouts for the Armoured Cavalry Regiments and as reinforcements for the infantry battalions of the 1st, 3rd and 7th Brigades. And our Reserve infantry soldiers will continue to be trained and employed in dismounted roles, such as stability operations and operations in close or complex terrain environments. A comarison ith the ast Our citizen soldiers have come a very long way from the assessment made by Maor General Stanley Savige when he oined the 3rd Division in 1942. He wrote in a letter: When gt a as really si at heart hen sa the unreal utl and ert hih uld nly term as athering mushrms and hasing raits ullshit malingering sial amitin and ugger all in the ay getting n ith the ere in ull ry’ Whether fair or foul, this divided view marred too much of our Army’s history. Today’s citizen soldiers are highly-trained and motivated part-time professionals. They are ready and relevant. The Reserve’s role to support the generation of directed operational capability by the total force of 45,000 is ‘locked in’ to the design of the contemporary and future Army. Conclusion As I have outlined, this has involved change for all parts of the Army. It is a change for good. Change initiated, requested and driven by the leadership of the Reserve. The tenets of these changes are flexibility, modularity, world class training and a relentless focus on generating land forces for the defence of Australia and its national interests. I am proud of the fact that our current reservists have embraced these changes. And like the example offered by John Carroll, they are quietly, competently and modestly getting on with the ob at hand. After his adventures in the UK Private Carroll VC went back to his unit and was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1917. Severely wounded during the second battle of Passchendaele in 1917, he returned home to Western Australia in August 1918 and resumed work as a Railway Guard on the Kurrawang Line. He married Mary Brown in April 1923, and they moved to arloop a few years later. He lived a quiet life working as a labourer and railway employee, attending the centenary of Victoria Cross celebrations in London in 1956. John Carroll VC was 80 years old when he passed away in the Perth Repatriation General Hospital in October 1971. Our contemporary reservists follow in John Carroll’s footsteps. They are hardworking Australian men and women, offering service to the nation beyond that which they already give as citizens in their daily lives and frequently achieving extraordinary things in both careers. The Reserve transformation underway in our Army demonstrates our commitment to them and respect for their service and the capability they deliver. There are many paths to service in today’s Australian Army, but we are one Army. a ‘total force’, united under the rising sun. About the resenter Angus Campbell entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1981, receiving a commission as an infantry lieutenant in 1984. Initially assigned to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as a platoon commander, he later passed selection for the Special Air Service Regiment, with which he served as troop and squadron commander. Campbell commanded the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in East Timor as part of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, for which was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003. He served as Chief of Staff to General Peter Cosgrove and later Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston during their respective tenures as Chief of the Defence Force. In 2005, he left the full-time army and assumed a senior civilian appointment as First Assistant Secretary in the Office of National Security within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Campbell was later promoted to Deputy Secretary, and served as Deputy National Security Adviser for a period before returning to the army in 2010. He was promoted to the rank of maor general and appointed as Commander Joint Task Force 633 in 2011, responsible for all Australian forces deployed in the Middle East, including Afghanistan. For his command in Afghanistan he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He was appointed the Chief of Army in May 2015.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Role of the DVA in Proviin Assistance to Reservists Presente by Crai Orme DSC A CSC Deuty Presient of the Reatriation Commission Det of Veterans Affairs Introuction The focus of this presentation will be on the services and support provided for Reservists under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). All members of the Navy, Army and Air Force Reserves with service on or after 1 July 2004 are covered under the MRCA, whether they are on part-time service or continuous full-time service.
DVA Suort entitlements Under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) Reservists are entitled to the same support as full-time ADF, if they suffer inury, disease or death that was: Sustained while travelling between a member’s place of residence and place of employment, including Reserve parades, camps etc or Materially contributed to or aggravated by Reserve service. This support includes: Compensation and income support payments Gold card eligibility Compensation for dependants and Rehabilitation services through Defence or DVA Rane of Services an Suort to Reservists In general terms, all ADF members can receive the same range of benefits and support. However, eligibility is dependent on the type of Reserve service. The Government, through DVA, provides a range of services and support to Reservists who have suffered a loss that is directly related to an accepted service inury or illness. These services and support include: permanent impairment payments incapacity payments household services and attendant care aids and modifications access to VVCS access to the Military Rehabilitation Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) Education and Training Scheme and vocational rehabilitation. The MRCA also provides a range of benefits, depending on particular circumstances and needs of the person. Where compensation is payable, a needs assessment is conducted so that the Reservist receives all the benefits to which they are entitled. Compensation for dependants may also be provided in the event of a Reservist’s death. Regardless of the circumstances of the Reservist’s death, compensation for funeral costs may also be available. Comensation an Income Suort The MRCA covers all ADF service (including Reserve) from 1 July 2004. Reserve service prior to this is covered by the SRCA. Reservists are covered for inury, disease or death sustained while travelling between a member’s place of residence and place of employment, including Reserve parades, camps, etc to which Reserve service on or after 1 July 2004 has made a material contribution or that was aggravated by Reserve service. Under the MRCA, all ADF members can receive the same range of compensation and income support, including permanent impairment compensation and incapacity payments. The only difference for Reservists relates to the calculation of incapacity payments. This is to ensure that Reservists receive incapacity payments that fairly reflect the earnings they have lost. Incapacity payments are provided as compensation for loss of salary due to an incapacity for work or service because of accepted inury or disease. Incapacity payments normally cease at Age Pension age. Incapacity payments for all ADF members are based on the difference between the person’s normal earnings (NE) before the inury or disease occurred and his or her actual earnings. For a Reservist, NE is based on: a choice of either their full time ADF wage, or their full time civilian income and their part-time Reserve
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income if the Reservist was rendering continuous full-time service (CFTS) at the time of the inury or contraction of the disease or a combination of their civilian income and their part-time Reserve income if the Reservist was inured or contracted the disease whilst performing part-time service. Where the full-time ADF wage is taken into consideration and the person has discharged, a remuneration loading is added to NE to compensate for the non-salary benefits enoyed by serving CFTS reservists. Eliibility for the DVA ol Car Former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Reservists and Cadets who have conditions for which liability has been accepted under the MRCA are eligible for a Gold Card if they: have permanent impairment from accepted conditions assessed at or above 60 points or have a permanent impairment from accepted conditions assessed at 30 points or above, and the person is receiving any amount of Service Pension or meet the criteria for the Special Rate Disability Pension (SRDP) even if they have not chosen that pension. Comensation for Deenants of Reservists Compensation for dependants under the MRCA may be provided in the event of a Reservist’s death where: the death is accepted as related to service on or after 1 July 2004 the Reservist was entitled to the Special Rate Disability Pension under the MRCA at some point before his or her death or the Reservist was entitled to the maximum rate of permanent impairment compensation immediately before his or her death. Rehabilitation services available to Reservists throuh DVA Defence has the responsibility for providing rehabilitation support for Reservists through the Rehabilitation for Reservists (R4R) Program. However, DVA has the flexibility to organise a transfer of rehabilitation authority, where it may be more beneficial to Reservist. For this to occur, DVA must have accepted liability for a service related inury or disease and agreement must be reached by all parties. DVA may also provide assistance to Reservists while they continue to receive rehabilitation support from Defence which may include vehicle modifications household services attendant care services and adaptive equipment in those cases where alterations may not be able to be provided through the R4R program. eical treatment For Reservists, both the ADF and DVA provide medical treatment. To access DVA support and compensation, the Reservist must lodge a claim. If they wish to do so. Those Reservists covered under MRCA can submit their claim through MyService. Once liability has been determined, compensation can then be paid. The MRCA also provides payment of medical costs for an accepted inury or disease for part-time Reservists when they are not undertaking Reserve service and for former Reservists. In some instances, treatment is provided for all conditions, whether accepted as service-related or not. While I realise that Reservists do not technically ‘discharge’, the post-discharge GP health assessment is available to all former serving personnel. This includes those who have left the permanent force and are now in the Reserves, and those who have left the Reserves. There are no time restrictions for accessing this one-off assessment. DVA will fund the assessment through the usual DVA health card arrangements. If the person getting the assessment is not a DVA client, a Medicare rebate is available. Their GP can also choose to bulk bill the assessment at no cost to the veteran. However, if the GP charges a fee that is higher than the rebate, the veteran will need to pay for the gap. Any GP can conduct this assessment. Non-liability health care Under this program, which is one of the most important initiatives DVA has developed in recent years, DVA can pay for treatment for any mental health condition whatever the cause, not ust service-related as long as they have served at least one day in the full-time ADF. The program also covers cancer (Malignant Neoplasm) and Pulmonary Tuberculosis. There have been two maor updates to this program since it was established in 2014. In 2016 eligibility was reduced from three years full time service to one day, and this year it was expanded to cover all mental health conditions. Before that only the top five mental health conditions suffered by DVA clients were covered. The key restriction on accessing non-liability health care is the requirement of serving one day in the full-time ADF, or having rendered continuous full time service. This means that many Reservists are ineligible for this important program. In fact a recent estimate from Defence is that 23,000 Reservists who have rendered service utilising Reserve Service Days (RSD) since 1 July 2004 remain ineligible for NLHC.
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This situation is at odds with the access available to all Reservists under the Veterans’ and Veterans’ Families Counselling Service (VVCS). That is those who have rendered Defence service such as involvement in domestic disaster relief operations andor border protection operations or those who have been involved in a training accident that resulted in serious inury to any person. Further, the current NLHC eligibility arrangements are inconsistent with Defence’s recently-introduced Total Workforce Model that does not rely on any sharp distinction between Reserve and Permanent service. Successive Governments have used the ADF to support whole of government responses to natural disasters and that Reserve units often play a large role in such activities and are exposed to traumatic scenes. While a considerable element, if not the maority, of the Air Force and Navy Reserve is comprised of former permanent ADF members, the Army Reserve, which is often called out for such events, has a large component of members who have never had permanent service. Given that the new NLHC arrangements will provide life-time access to NLHC to a recruit who leaves at the end of the first week of training because they qualify as an ex-member of the permanent forces (albeit for a short time with no effective service), it does seem inequitable that they would be eligible for cover but not a Reservist who had provided years of effective part-time service. To address this inequity, Defence and DVA are currently considering expanding non-liability health care to cover all Reservists with service since 1 July 2004. DVAs Transformation I will now go into a little detail about DVA’s ‘Transformation’ the work we have been doing over the last couple of years to overhaul the way DVA does business, and put veterans at the centre of everything we do. As part of our transformation, we have undertaken a large amount of research, interviewing currently serving and former ADF members. Now I will be the first to admit that many of these veterans are more frustrated with DVA than they are with the ADF. However, if you look at the situations these people are in, you have to admit that we do not have any easy ob ahead of us. The people that come to us looking for support are often broken, extremely vulnerable, and in need of immediate help. We currently cannot offer that immediate help, although that is our goal for the future. Of course, to implement this transformation we require the funding to do so. Another important cost of military service is financial not to the veteran, but to the government. To give you an example: I recently became aware of a 35 year old DVA client. This client has a large variety of severe conditions, and has been receiving daily physiotherapy for the last six years, which is being used, in conunction with morphine, to treat his chronic pain. DVA is paying for this, along with over 20 other accepted conditions. This person has been discharged for at least 6 years. The ADF had him for maybe 10 years, DVA will be taking care of him for the rest of his life. We must accept the impact that Defence service has on some members who later become clients of DVA. It should be noted that Defence does not contribute funds towards the costs of supporting and treating inured veterans. The uture DVA is nearly 100 years old. For nearly a century, our fundamental mission has been to support those who serve, or have served in the Defence of our nation and commemorate their service and sacrifice. This remains core. DVA is currently in a period of significant change, and there are many reasons for this transformation. Of our current clients, around 170,000 of are 65 years of age or above. Around 150,000 are widows or dependents over the age of 79. 450,000 have served since Vietnam and we aware of 1-in-3 of these. For those who have served since 1999, we are only aware of 1-in-5. We are seeing more clients from modern conflicts, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, who have different needs and expectations and in 2020 our client numbers are expected to be 243,000. While our dedication to our clients and the veteran community cannot be understated, our systems and business processes are complicated and stressful to navigate. Transforming DVA is about putting veterans at the centre of everything we do. Not claims-based. Not paper-based. Through this transformation, our clients will receive a better level of support based around their needs and expectations, rather than our complicated legislation and systems. Transforming DVA is a complex process we have outdated ICT systems, complex legislation, hundreds of thousands of paper records, (which we are looking to digitize), and a geographically dispersed workforce. The Australian Government has acknowledged that a significant investment needs to be made in order to foster long-lasting, effective change. Conclusion DVA is committed to engaging with veterans, their families, current ADF and other members of the veteran community going forward with our transformation efforts. We are still inviting these groups to give their ideas on what DVA does right and what it does wrong. We’ve engaged with over 500 clients and their family members since starting our transformation efforts, and that is going to continue. This is called ‘co-design’ and it is the reason why products like MyService are so successful at every stage of the ourney we are talking to the people who are actually going to be affected by our new initiatives to get their opinions, rather than assuming anything.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION DRSC - orin ith Emloyers to Suort Reservists Jane cAloon Chair Defence Reserves Suort Council Introuction - ere all about eole I have come recently to the role of National Defence Reserves Support Council Chair as a business leader who is passionate about the role of Defence - and Reservists in particular - in protecting and serving our national interests. I served on the Australian War Memorial Council and I still serve on Bravery Trust, a Veterans’ Charity, helping inured veterans in financial difficulties by providing a safety net when they often need it most. I sometimes find myself at events with many distinguished members of the Defence Force Permanent and Reserve. Given that I don’t have a Defence background I sometimes feel my experience is not as relevant to the work of Defence as it could be. But then I stop and remind myself that whatever business we’re in, wherever we work, whatever our purpose is, whatever we do we’re all about people because we can do nothing without them. Defence is about people the civilian world is all about people but the Reservist world is even more so about people because Reservists choose to work in a civilian role and also to serve the country in a Defence role. As employers and Defence we actually share them. We share their time, their loyalty, their professionalism, their commitment, their skill, their leadership and, critically, we share their families. And we’re all proud of them because they make us more than we would be without them. The DRSC is all about eole In fact it’s the only thing we’re about. We are a national, state and regional organisation supported by Defence designed purely to engage with employers and the community. We are the only organisation tasked to do this. Put simply We hel eene hae the highest uality ele hen they are mst needed t sere as eserists t d their est r Australia That’s it. Nothing more and nothing less. It’s not that we do this by ourselves. And it’s not that we think we play any greater role than anyone else. It’s ust that what we do is play a different role. Ours is about employers. We help Defence have the best Reservists when they need them by engaging with employers, by supporting, by explaining, by interpreting, by educating, by exposing them to Defence activities, by thanking and by acknowledging their contribution. And if we do that well we will have met our purpose. I reckon in anyone’s books that counts towards success. ho are the Emloyers Employers come in all shapes and sizes. While a large number of Reservists are also Defence civilians, the rest are self-employed or work for civilian employers both in the public and private sector. So who are they In the Public Sector they include government departments, emergency services, police and fire services, schools, hospitals, water, road and postal authorities, community services and local councils. And in the Private Sector we find hospitals, schools, medical clinics, and construction firms, logistics and transport companies, technical services groups, manufacturers, retailers, miners, telecommunications, road builders, aviation and shipping companies. Given that we have a shared workforce between Defence and civilian employers we need to understand the business of civilian employers and what sharing their people means to them. Because ultimately this is about a partnership in Australia’s interests. Sometimes I think we forget that but we never should. This special partnership means that Defence has the highest quality people when they are most needed to serve as Reservists to do their best for Australia. Let’s take a closer look at this. While it varies between the services, we know from the 2015 Defence Census that almost 80 of Reservists work for a wage or salary in a permanent full-time role. We also know that those same Reservists are working as a professional, a community and personal service worker, a manager, or a technician or trades worker. It’s interesting to note the numbers by service with Army representing a greater proportion of community and personal service workers as well as trades persons. We know that the Reservist’s employer is likely to be large. However 20 of employers have less than 20 people, 30 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST including medical and health professionals. We know that over half of all Reservists are working in: Public Administration Safety (which includes Defence) Healthcare and Social Assistance Professional Scientific and Technical Services Education Training Transport Logistics or Construction. The rest are scattered in small numbers across disparate industries including mining, retail, IT, financial services, agriculture, manufacturing, arts, accommodation and food services, repair and maintenance. When we overlay our own Supportive Employer numbers they show the same story. Having said that, we also know that Reservist skill sets are changing and the areas Reservists currently come from will change and include, for example, financial, IT and professional services. We need to prepare for that. And on worklife balance, we know that Reservists work hard and long hours in civilian employment in fact on average 43 hours a week. Finally, in terms of taking leave to meet Reserve commitments, we know that four out five Reservists use at least one form of leave or flexible work arrangement. While almost half take special paid military leave, the rest work either outside hours, take unpaid leave or use holiday leave. So hat oes this all mean It means that we have to use the 8020 rule in engaging with employers. There is no doubt that Defence retains a strong commitment to employer engagement as a matter of respect and as a matter of core business. However resource constraints face all of us and we need to do more with less. Given what we know about the industries Reservists work in, and we know who our 2500 supportive employers are, the DRSC can work a lot more effectively. As the DRSC network better understands the approach of Service Chiefs and the skills being sought, the more we can effectively engage with the appropriate employers. We would expect that the same people employing Reservists are also being approached to employ veterans. So if we focus our efforts and we engage employers in the sectors that employ most Reservists, in a way that works for them, we should achieve more. It’s good to understand that non-Defence employers use a different language but it’s still all about values and people. When large employers see their employees they don’t see Reservists first. But through the State and Regional DRSC networks and programms such as Boss Lift and Executive Stretch they get to see what having Reservists brings to their organisations. They our Reservists as people of integrity, commitment, leadership and broad experience that build culture and align with values and build the type of organisation we all want to work for. Reconisin Emloyers Because when we look outside we see something different to many. We see special people who choose to give of themselves between Defence and civilian employers. While others see the doctor and nurse at Hackham Medical Centre in South Australia as ust that, we also see them as Army Reservists. Dr Sandhu followed the lead of his practice nurse into the Army Reserve because Australia has been good to him. He won the DRSC National Small Business Supportive Employer Award this year. We see the five employees in charge of security at Commonwealth Bank in Sydney as Army Reservists - the CBA see them as equally valuable employees. Those guys agree that CBA really gets behind Reservists and as a result CBA won the DRSC National Large Employer Award. Likewise across Australia, thousands of Navy, Army and Air Force Reservists are to e found in many businesses including DRSC’s 2500 Supportive Employers. ou will find them at Mystique Jewellers in ueensland, Leed Construction in South Australia, TT Building Services in ueensland, Executive Risk Solutions in WA, SMEC in the ACT, Sun Water in ueensland, Cavpower in South Australia, City of Ballarat in Victoria, Department of Parliamentary Services in Canberra, SA Ambulance, WA Health, NT Police, NSW Homicide Squad, NSW Police, Gladstone Regional Council, Indigenous mining services company Ngala, WA, and the NT Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Territory Education. All of these employers were nominated by their employee Reservists to be considered for a national award in May and all of them deserve recognition for the service they provide to Australia. Conclusion The DRSC has a task ahead of us and, with people like yourselves, we will deliver it because it matters. We believe in the importance of what we do to help Defence have the highest quality people when they are needed most to serve as Reservists to do their best for Australia.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Current an Proose Issues Initiatives Affectin the AD Reserves Rear Amiral ruce Kafer A CSC RANR Hea Reserve an outh Division Commaner AD Caets Introuction Defence’s Reserve and outh Division (RD) has undergone significant changes in the past six months, including a change of name from Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division. However its key roles and functions in support of ADF Reservists have not been altered or diminished. hy the chane to RD AD Caets Heauarters The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse held its Defence Case Study in June 2016. The Royal Commission highlighted that Defence had to improve its policies and practices to prevent and better respond to child sexual abuse, both within its internal programs involving young people and within the three Services’ Cadets organisations. Almost concurrently, in July 2016 amendments were made to the Defence Act 1903 that invested much greater authority in CDF and VCDF for the administration of the ADF Cadets program. Consequently, in October 2016 the Chiefs of Service Committee (COSC) confirmed the requirement for a single point of accountability for the ADF Cadets child safety regime, and other common aspects of the ADF Cadets ‘enterprise’ (Commander ADF Cadets). COSC also agreed to an extensive reform program known as ne adet . hat has has not chane The ADF Cadets Headquarters was formed on 1 February 2017. As a result some senior military staff are ‘dual-hatted’, including the Head Reserve and outh Division Commander ADF Cadets and the Deputy. The Commander ADF Cadets plays a greater role in governance of the ADF Cadets program, particularly in the common aspects such as youth safety, where a consistent methodology is required. However the Service Chiefs remain responsible to CDF for the administration and day-to-day operations of the three Cadet organisations. However, as indicated earlier, there have been no changes in the rolesfunctions of the Reserve and Employer Support Directorate ‘business as usual’ has been maintained. Current RD Initiatives Activities in suort of AD Reservists Reserve Service Protection Amendments to Reserve Service (Protection) legislation are imminent. The Amendment Bill has progressed through the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee and we are now awaiting the passage of the amended legislation through Parliament. The Office of Reserve Service Protection (ORSP) has continued its sterling work. In F 201617 ORSP: provided administrative support for changes to legislation managed 1,300 enquiries (800 from Reservists and 500 from employers) signed 10 new MOUs with large employers and renewed 9 MOUs delivered 21 awareness sessions and assisted 21 companies with formulating leave policies and worked with the Defence People Group to improve policies affecting Reservists. Employer Support Payments Scheme The new ADF Reserve Employer Support Payments Scheme Manual and Guide have been published, for use by the Services. The new ESPS Manual supersedes Defence Instruction (Personnel) 05-42, which has now been cancelled. HRD collaboration with Services HRD liaises regularly with the three Directors General (Reserves) within the Joint Reserve Working Group (which meets quarterly). The Joint Reserve Working Group’s membership also includes the Surgeon General ADF Reserves, and the Director General ADF Legal Services. These officers also brief each meeting on employment of the many legal and medical ADF Reservists. The Defence People Group is represented in the Joint Reserve Working Group by the Assistant Secretary Personnel Policy and Employment Conditions. HRD also liaises directly with the Deputy Service Chiefs on Reserves issues when required. The Joint Reserve and Cadet Policy Committee (chaired by VCDF) meets 6-monthly HRD and the Deputy Service 32 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
Chiefs are members of that committee. Current actions include standardisation of Reserves’ management processes and terminology across the three Services. International Engagement Liaison RD staff maintain ongoing liaison with senior NZDF staff responsible for management of Reservists, and one oint meeting is held each year. HRD and RD staff also participate in the NATO National Reserve Forces Committee (including participation in Working Groups and Staff Officers’ forum). NATO nations are currently considering broader roles for Reservists in internal security and cyber operations, and are working on a proect to better prepare Reservists for military operations. RD represents Defence at the two-yearly meetings of the International Conference on Employer Support for Reserves. The next meeting is occurring in October at which RD staff will deliver a paper, and the Chair of the Defence Reserves Support Council (Ms Jane McAloon) will be attending. Reviews of outcomes - 2017 ‘our Say Reserves’ survey and 2016 Active Reservists’ Employment Package survey The reports from both surveys will be analysed by RD to determine where tri-Service advocacy might be required. ADF Total Workforce Model (Proect SUAKIN) Issues have been encountered with SERCAT 6 implementation however SERCAT 6 (Interim) went live on 24 August 2017. A model for SERCAT 6 in its mature state has been considered by the Chiefs of Service Committee. The Services are now assessing the resource impacts of the SERCATs framework particularly SERCAT 5 which requires a longer-term financial commitment. The Proect SUAKIN Team is now working with the Services on cultural and behavioural changes needed for the Total Workforce Model (TWM) to be fully effective. Responsibility for further implementation of the TWM is to transition to Director General Workforce Planning (probably in December 2017). Employment of ADF Reservists in Cyber Employment of Reservists in cyber operationssecurity is currently being considered by Head Information Warfare, Maor General Marcus Thompson, as part of a broader review of Defence’s future cyber workforce. DHOAS Legislation Amendments to the Act are currently Category B status for consideration by the current sitting of Federal Parliament. orceNet Statistics an uture Enhancement 34,900 ADF personnel are now registered users: Navy: 9,100 Army: 18,500 Air Force: 300
Registered users by nature of Service: Permanent: 14,400 CFTS: 600 Reserve: 19,900 New functionality coming on line: Families Proect rollout in early 2018.
Potential proects - future enhancements (F 201718): - Mobile device applications (iOS and Android) - Infrastructure review and upgrade - Low bandwidth ForceNet - Enhanced obs search functionality - PMKeyS interface enhancement (increased HR data capture).
About the resenter Rear Admiral Bruce Kafer oined the Royal Australian Navy as a Cadet Midshipman in 1977. After initial seaman officer training he specialised in hydrographic surveying and, on completion of his basic survey course, served in hydrographic survey ships of the RAN and Royal Navy. He saw active service in the Arabian Gulf on two occasions: initially during the IranIraq War, when he participated in mine clearance operations whilst with the Royal Navy and in 2008-09, when he commanded two coalition maritime task forces. He served for four years as Hydrographer of Australia and Commander of the RAN’s Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Force Element Group. More recently he was the Chief, Combat Support Group in Fleet Headquarters. Between December 2009 and December 2013 he was the Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy. He transferred to the Naval Reserve in January 2014, and in November 2014 he assumed duties as Director General Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in December 2016 and appointed as Head Reserve and outh Division and Commander Australian Defence Force Cadets. 33 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Uate on the RANR - Reserve Contribution to Navy Caability Commoore ar Hill CSC RANR Director eneral Australian Navy Caets an Reserves INTRODUCTION In this presentation I will provide an update on Australian Navy Reserve (ANR) matters and in particular focus on three key areas: a strategic overview of the Naval Reserves an update on the ANR Review and the Navy Reserve contribution to capability. OVERVIE O THE RANR Reserve Strenth The shape and size of the Reserve force has changed in the last two years as a result of the ANR Contact program. At the end of the last Financial ear, the ANR strength stood at 6,751 comprising: SERCAT 3 - 2,490 SERCAT 5 - 42 SERCAT 3 5 Active Reserves currently serving - 1,815 SERVOP C (Continuous Full Time Service) - 287 SERCAT 2 (Standby Reserves) - 4,008 A total of 2,102 Reserves rendered service during F1617 ranging from ust a few days to working nearly 200 Reserve Service Days per year and those on Continuous Full Time Service. In raw figures, that is ust over 15 percent of the Navy’s trained work force. The work they performed was equivalent to 710 full-time Navy personnel or about 6 percent of the trained workforce. Navy’s reliance on the Reserve workforce to deliver an output is significant to say the least. This is further demonstrated at the ‘sharp end’ or in current operations. 2,144 Reserve Service Days have been used in support of Operation RESOLUTE. 24 ANR members were posted to 60 separate engagements to supplement the manning of Armidale Class Patrol Boats. 31 ANR members are currently deployed on operations in the Middle East Region. The demand for Reserve personnel remains at an all time high. Funding allocations for the last two years have been utilised fully and Reserve funding for this financial year is marginally more than last year. The bids from Navy and the Non-Service Groups for short term Reserve work were three times greater than the allocation. For that reason, Navy has re-introduced self-funding which will enable unsuccessful bidders to rebid using their own salary funds. NR Contact Proram Phase 2 The Reserve workforce has been ‘verified’ through the Naval Reserve Contact Program initiative which started several years ago. This reshaped the Active and Standby Reserves to more accurately identify those who were looking for work and those who are happy to remain on the ‘stand by’ list. Just on 1,327 Reserve personnel were separated from the Reserve as the result of the initiative. Follow on work has now commenced with a focus on ust SERCAT 2 (Standby Reserve) noting that almost 1000 Reserve members in this group have not rendered service during the past 10 years or greater and their Defence skills are likely to have eroded. These people have been informed that Navy is considering terminating their service, but has invited submissions from members who have maintained currency or obtained other skills that might be useful to the Navy. PROJECT ASS (ANR REVIE) Navy has now commenced implementation of the recommendations emanating from the Review of the RAN Reserve. The Review’s final report, which made 45 recommendations, was endorsed by the Navy Capability Committee and approved for implementation by DCN on 2 October 2016. A detailed article on the Australian Naval Reserve Review and all the recommendations was published in the April 2017 issue of The Australian eserist . During the Review, a number of findings resulted in early recommendations that were subsequently implemented rather than waiting for the conclusion of the report. These were: a. The issue of CN’s Strategic Intent for the development, management and utilisation of the ANR b. The compulsory registration on ForceNet by all SERCAT 3 and 5 c. Establishment of a One Star Steering Group to oversee implementation and d. The creation of Captain level position to implement the Review’s actions. 34 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
Proect Status Phase 1 and Phase 2 actions are now complete with the Terms of Reference issued and a Proect Plan established. The Proect Implementation Plan was agreed with lead agencies and endorsed by Navy Capability Committee on 14 March 2017. Phase 3 Implementation is well underway with 12 recommendations closed and 24 others in various stages of implementation. Enhancin orforce Caability The Naval Reserve workforce is being shaped around capability delivery and expanding commitments. Future requirements may include: Cyber Warfare, Operations Support and Continuous shipbuilding. These are covered in further detail later in this presentation. The Reserve Establishment will be aligned with Plan Pelorus, the Navy Strategy 2018 (NS2018) as well as changes flowing from Proect SUAKIN and the Total Workforce Model. This will see further NR integration to be managed as part of Navy’s Total Force. The permanent Force will be responsible for managing the outcomes delivered by the ANR. The Reserve workforce capabilities will be brought under Navy’s force generation cycle. Development and promulgation of the Reserve Workforce Capability Statement will define Navy’s requirement of the Naval Reserve to support Future Navy as an operational and strategic Reserve Force. Enhancin Peole Caability People capability is critical to make workforce capability a reality. Implementing a structured career management and progression framework is essential to deliver a structured career. All Reserve members will be managed as one integrated Navy people capability alongside their permanent colleagues. There will be greater ownership by the permanent Navy of ANR career management and development. There will also be an increased focus on Reserve skills and professional development through flexible training delivery. This will require blended courses to provide classroom learning and modularized distance learning modules. Work has already commenced on the LCDR Promotion Course. There will be greater harnessing of Reserve civilian skills and experience that will fill voids in the current permanent force. This will be a challenge when the qualifications, skills and experience of a member do not match the rank structure of the Reserve. Finally, more active management of SERCAT 2 Standby Reserve is required to ensure that the Standby force has the necessary skills and experience to meet surge capability should it be required. Summary In summary, the Reserve workforce structure and employment is being shaped to meet Navy’s future requirements. Organisational designs will be structured to ensure the Reserve is fully integrated and aligned to Plan Pelorus. There is now a more definitive strategic management approach in place for Reserve workforce capability requirements rather than mere reliance on ex-permanent members filling workforce gaps. Overall improved management of the Reserve will increase its utilisation, continuity and availability of individual Reservists and this will be further strengthened through improved career management for Reserve members. RESERVE ORCES CONTRIUTION TO NAV CAPAILIT The ongoing broader integration of the Reserve workforce will result in an increasing use of Reserve members in the generation and sustainment of Navy capabilities, including: Maritime Operations Health Unit Fleet Battle Staff Maritime Trade Operations Task Group Operations Support Cyber Warfare and Supporting the Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Plan. aritime Oerational Health Unit (OHU) The MOHU is a deployable unit which is at 48 Hrs Notice to Move to deploy for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR), Joint Amphibious OperationsExercises and other Maritime deployments as may be directed. The MOHU can provide, with appropriate manning, a Maritime Role 2 Enhanced Capability (MR2E). This provides Operating Theatre, Emergency Resuscitation, Intensive Care Unit, Inpatient care, AME Capability Allied Health (pathology, radiology, mental health) services. The total number of Medical personnel required to sustain this capability for one LHD for a 24 hour surgery capability is substantial. Most positions are filled by Joint Health Command personnel however, Reservists are an integral part of this capability. Recently during Talisman Sabre 17, MOHU was required to source ten Reserve Medical personnel in order to stand up a single LHD MR2E. 35 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST
aritime Trae Oerations The Maritime Trade Operations Team 1 (MTOT1) is a key warfighting enabler supporting maritime military operations and exercises. By leveraging its diverse workforce, MTOT1 is able to provide niche CIVMIL skills which do not reside elsewhere within Navy. MTOT1 is a Navy Reserve only capability that has a call outNotice to Move obligation in the CDF Preparedness Directive to support requirements across a range of contingency operationsactivities. Through its CIVMIL relationship with the maritime industry, MTOT1 is also able to: facilitate a unique training environment, at considerable cost savings to Fleet Command facilitate and support Navy and Special Forces training and provide merchant vessel familiarisation. The delivery of required effects in support of oint and combined operations and exercises, along with MTOT1’s ongoing engagement through regional fora such as the Pacific and Indian Oceans Shipping Working Group and the Five Eyes community, helps promote Navy’s interoperability with allied capabilities. leet attle Staff The Australian Fleet Battle Staff (AUSFBS) is the Royal Australian Navy’s Standing Deployable Command Staff and reports to Commodore Warfare (COMWAR). AUSFBS is co-located with the ADF Operational level Command at the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters in Gallipoli Barracks Enoggera, ueensland. The AUSFBS primarily supports amphibious capability and will grow to accommodate a range of new functions that will span the operational spectrum. Fleet Command identified in 2012 the need to augment and support the permanent AUSFBS and rolled out a programme to recruit Reservists. The success of the Reserve AUSFBS initiative has seen the pool of staff grow to around 30 members of different specialisations and this may expand. Key task for the Reserve FBS are the maor exercise series Talisman Sabre and RIMPAC along with command post exercises at DJFH. The predictable nature of these exercises suits Reserve service as this aids planning for absences for Reservists with civilian employers. uture Navy Caabilities Plan Pelorus sets the strategic direction for Navy and specifies the aspirations for Navy’s workforce of 2018 and beyond. Essential to the delivery of Future Navy is a fully integrated Naval Reserve workforce that operates across the maritime environment to deliver warfighting effects as a component of Navy’s Total Force. The recommendations emanating from the Review of the ANR are designed to deliver this outcome. The Reserve workforce capability is being aligned to Plan Pelorus and shaped around capability delivery and to meet the Defence White Paper 2016 and associated Integrated Investment Plan. The broader integration of the Reserve workforce will result in an increasing use of Reserve members in the generation and sustainment of Navy capabilities, including: Cyber Warfare where Navy’s Cyberspace Capability Realisation Plan 2016 draws on the specialist capabilities in the Reserve to deliver cyber operations as an integrated component of Navy’s cyber capability identifying vulnerabilities or potential vulnerabilities. The continual naval shipbuilding context where, to meet its governance and capability management obligations, Navy will draw on skilled and experienced personnel within the Naval Reserve who have knowledge and understanding of shipbuilding. Reserve Operations Support for Task Group Commanders where Navy will draw on appropriately trained and experienced Reserve members to augment the Fleet Battle Staff capability. CONCLUSION The current Reserve workforce is already well positioned to meet current workforce demand. However, the ANR Review provides greater clarity of the Reserve capability requirement and details the required improvements of its associated management processes. Generation and sustainment of future Navy capability presents opportunities to import skills and expertise through the Naval Reserve and improve Navy’s Reserve workforce capability. The future demands on the Reserve workforce will increase in size and scope with a commensurate requirement for greater training and professional development opportunities. The ANR is well placed for the future.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Army Reserve Initiatives an Reort on the ACAN Conference riaier ichael Annett CSC Director eneral Reserves - Army Introuction In this presentation I will discuss some key initiatives that are being implemented within the Army Reserve and also report on the ABCANZ Reserve Conference. Part 1 - AR RESERVE INITIATIVES Total or orce oel Total Workforce Model initiative is currently being implemented throughout Defence. This model is designed to assist with the transition between service categories and make it easier to move between Regular and Reserve components. Currently the Army Reserve has soldiers serving within SERCAT 2, 3, 5 and SERVOP C. Importantly, the Total Workforce Model will make transfers easier and this can be seen through personnel now regularly transferring between the Reserve and the Regular forces. Figure 1 (left) shows the percentages of ex-Regular force members serving in the ARES. Army Reserve ranks now contain approximately 30 of ex-Regular soldiers. This benefits the Army Reserve by bringing greater experience to the organisation. The other benefit of the Total Workforce Model is that improvements in the transfer procedures for personnel moving into the Regular Army will again provide experience to Reserve members that may not have been as readily accessible under the previous systems. ulltime Army Reserve Officer Proram One initiative that has been implemented to reduce training times is the Fulltime Army Reserve Officer Program. The program takes currently serving (‘in-service’) Officer Cadets and develops them into fully qualified and employment-ready Lieutenants for the Reserve force, within a period of 12 months. It is a fulltime accelerated training and mentored employment continuum that runs over a calendar year. Officer Cadets are employed on Service Option C (the old ‘Continuous Full Time Service’) for the duration of the program. They complete the ARES First Appointment Course training blocks and non-residential training requirements in the first half of the year via the Sydney University Regiment, and graduate from RMC as Lieutenants in July. They are then subsequently posted for employment to an ARA unit (currently allocated within 7 or 3 Bde) to understudy and be mentored by ARA unior officers. During this time, they also complete their Officer Basic Course. At the end of the program in December, they subsequently transfer to an ARes unit fully qualified for employment. The program provides the Reserve force with a cohort of fully trained and qualified Lieutenants for immediate employment. It uses existing training courses and fills spots historically vacant on course panels. It progresses participants through training in an accelerated method, thereby removing them from the existing pipeline and minimising the chance that they will drop out of training. Through its design and implementation, it increases the qualified unior officer personnel capability. AD Veterinarian Caability I would now like to talk to a new capability that has been generated from the Army Reserve and this is a 12 person Veterinary Team staffed by Army Reservists. The Army has not had a formalised veterinary capability since WWII (the Australian Army Veterinary Corps was disbanded in 1946) and lessons learned from contemporary operations suggest that appropriate support is critical to MWD capabilities deployed within operational environments. In the case of NATO operations, ‘whenever possible, veterinary care should be provided by the country sending the animals on the deployment’. To meet these requirements, a body of work has been conducted to raise a dedicated Reserve element that can support the ADF’s veterinary capability requirements. This team of vets was first deployed on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2017 and personnel were drawn from current serving members of the Army Reserve who hold a civilian accredited veterinary qualification. This is a good example of support 37 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST that the Army Reserve can provide Defence, which has been drawn from existing civilian employment qualifications, that may take significant time (and resources) to establish in the case of a Regular soldier or officer. The Army Reserve provides a base of nationally accredited personnel in streams from plumbers to neuro-surgeons that can be harnessed to provide capability to the Army and ADF.
Figure 2 (left) shows the veterinary capability on Ex Talisman Sabre in which, Veterinary Assistant Private Trefyn Francis, of the 3rd Health Support Battalion, and Veterinarian Private Sean Griffiths, of the 5th6th Battalion Royal Victoria Regiment, check on Air Force explosive detection dog ‘King’ at the veterinary treatment facility attached to the 2nd General Health Battalion Role 2E Hospital at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Part 2 - KE INDINS RO THE ACAN RESERVE CONERENCE The orce eneration Cycle Amongst the ABCANZ nations there is commonality throughout as it relates to the initiatives and readiness cycles of each nation albeit slight differences in the time taken to train for a ready cycle and degree of notice. American National uar The Australian Army Force Generation Cycle is similar in nature to the American National Guard readiness milestones but the Australian cycle uses a shorter cycle by one year. Notably, readiness and training requirements in both nations are based on similar days of Reserve service to achieve individual and collective training milestones. The ARNG Collective training events build or sustain decisive action proficiencies throughout the four year cycle and their training emphasizes readiness post capstone training events. Again, this training model can be seen in the Australian context within the Reinforcing Battle Group ‘Readying’ and ‘Ready’ phases of the Force Generation Cycle in which progression to the ‘Ready’ phase is linked to an evaluation against directed training levels and standards. This activity is conducted on Ex Talisman Sabre Hamel in July or August of each year. UK The degree of readiness for the UK Reserve forces is again an area in which we can see similarities. Reservists are not expected to deploy in the first push but are expected to maintain contingency operational readiness and maintain collective capability at required training levels to support mission preparation. Similarities can be drawn with the Australian model where the Reserve is expected to provide an increasing percentage of the follow-on-forces in maor sustained operations. Canaa Initiatives similar to the Australian Army Reserve component are also occurring in two of our partner nations, Canada and the United Kingdom. Increases in size, shortening the recruitment process, creation of agile service models that support the transition between full and part-time service and revising employment regulations to make it easier to transfer between the Regular and Reserve Forces are all initiatives, or parts thereof. that both nations are commencing. Linkages to the Australian Defence Force adoption of the Total Workforce Model , and Army Reserve Transformation are seen throughout the ABCANZ partner nations indicating that Australia is keeping pace, if not leading the way with the development of initiatives designed to provide greater capability and readiness. Ne ealan Whilst the NZDF Army Reserve does not share a great number of the initiatives that the Australian Army is progressing, a key contribution that the NZ Army Reserve will provide under their Future Land Operating Concept 35 is the augmentation of Regular forces. This concept can be seen with the integrated workforce that is resident amongst a number of the Army formations such as 17 Combat Support Brigade, specifically the Army Reservist health specialists that support operations, exercises and daily operations of the Australian Army. uture Conferences Although future ABCANZ Reserve annual meetings have been cancelled, all nations present recommended that it be retained as a Reserve component forum nested under the ABCANZ Armies’ Program banner. Discussion at the conference indicated that the forum is a good vessel for coordination between the Five Eyes nations’ armies and it also provides a forum for coordination, issue resolution, and sharing of information, best practices and lessons learned. Engagement of this nature not only facilitates sharing of information and maintenance of communication channels, but allows for issues resolution and inection of pertinent information into individual armies at the highest levels. From a strategic perspective, therefore, separating the Reserve component representation from ABCANZ would be detrimental to operational output.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Desinin the uture A Reserve orce rou Catain Tony Hinmarsh Director Reserve Interation - Air orce Introuction The Defence White Paper details an ambitious program for Air Force to bring into service and integrate multiple new systems and platforms, while developing the optimal people capability to best exploit the potential of these new capabilities and systems. The AF Strategy 2017-27 is very clear in describing this future put simply AF must develop as an information-age Fifth Generation air force to maintain its capability edge, simultaneously continuing to successfully deliver current capability outcomes, and transforming within its assigned resourcing. The challenge for AF, and the AF Reserve in particular, is to turn these words into meaningful actions. The AF Strategy 2017-27 describes a total workforce approach for AF to both transition year by year and simultaneously transform itself through the introduction into service of new platforms, systems, doctrine and, most importantly, its people. Total orforce oel Defence has invested heavily in conceptualising the new Total Workforce Model. To better understand how this may work, I will briefly describe the benefits to AF Reserves from embracing the Total Workforce Model and operationalising it as a fully functioning and functional total workforce system. In parallel, the characteristics, composition and preferences of Australia’s current and future workforce continue to move away from our more traditional conceptions of employment, duration of commitment, the meaning of a career, and linkages to family and social groups. The future force structure can build on the current trends to more closely integrate permanent military, Reserve elements, Defence civilians and contractors, leading to a significant shift in the composition of AF capability. These characteristics allow AF to restructure the workforce requirement to offer employment opportunities to not only the relatively small pool of better-educated, and more highly skilled prospective recruits but also to the pool of people with the aptitude and potential to develop to meet operational needs. Retaining people in this increasingly competitive employment environment will demand personnel policies aligned with the Australian population’s emerging expectations. Flexible employment options such as Total Workforce Model potentially offer the desired balance between paid employment, changing lifestyles and domestic responsibilities. Employment options and personnel policies must also factor the following, potentially conflicting set of expectations: the workforce will display a preference for employment mobility while retaining an option to pursue a career the influence from working spouses will increasingly place demands on greater locational stability and predictability of relocation people will expect more flexible work practices to balance work with both lifestyle expectations and family demands the intrinsic rewards of work will gain greater importance and, the shift to lateral movement between permanent and Reserve elements, along with Defence civilian and contractor employment streams, will cause a shift from the current emphasis on oining the military only through entry level permanent force positions. In short, a marked cultural shift will be required to maintain a contemporary relevance for service in the military the ADF has the opportunity to draw on the unique, intrinsic benefits of military service while ensuring employment conditions align with the expectations of the future Australian population. The Total Workforce Model now offers Air Force a means to both capitalise on the true nature of its current Reserve force and offer attractive options for prospective recruits. On this basis, AF has potential to give more options and greater flexibility to recruit and retain Reservists, and thereby remain competitive in attracting, recruiting and retaining the best talent and delivering Air Force capability. It will also enable Air force to retain personnel talent, skills and experience across time by freely enabling movement across Service Categories over time, as an individual’s circumstances change, reduce AF’s overhead costs such as recruiting and training by expanding the pool of trained people available to draw from, capitalise on and more readily access those with leading edge civilian skills
39 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST and knowledge such as cyber, HR, engineeringlogistics and other emergent skill groups that AF has yet to identify or necessarily understand. enefits of the Total orforce oel The key benefit for AF is a degree of freedom in not only designing the permanent AF and, more importantly, AF as a total workforce system AF has potential to capitalise on the future expectations of the Australian workforce for every employer, to offer greater flexibility across a working life. To exploit this opportunity, Air Force can investigate how it could redesign the concept of Air Force ‘work’ and make it as flexible as possible, in all senses, without compromise to Air Force’s core capabilities. It could include: flexible hours and days in a working week, flexible weeks and months across a year, flexible periods in the workforce across a working life, and flexible work and training attendance using technologyfor example, working remotely. Air Force will then be better able to maximise and stabilise its workforce supply, give its workforce the desired flexibility and deliver the people element of AF capability outcomes with less risk. Options under the Total Workforce Model allow Air Force to: consider workload as hours of work instead of people posted to full-time roles redesign work as workload fluctuates across time use flexible workforce supply sources to best match and optimise workforce resources to fluctuating workload (and work hours) and, apply ‘released’ people resources to best meet emergent priorities and get best return for the Defence people budget. Of course, this flexibility comes at a cost. AF will need to develop better tools and capability in managing workload over time and best applying the scarce people resource to this work. This intellectual challenge is not foreign to the maority of the Australian workforce and its adoption in AF could be readily supported through incorporation of contemporary HR and resource management concepts. Similarly, for AF to consolidate growth and change under the Total Workforce Model, the methods of intake and training, workforce planning, career development and training will also need to evolve in a deliberate manner to maximise potential. Some ractical eamles To now give some very practical examples of this design opportunity. In future AF could use its Reserves to sustain its capabilities during their phase-out and thereby enable early release of permanent resources to new capabilities being introduced into service. In parallel, AF could assign niche capabilities to the AF Reserve because it will likely have a particular opportunity to attract and retain highly perishable skills needed in the AF but more aligned and better supported in civilian industry be it health, IT or cyber-related. AF cannot be more definitive at this time as the planning under the Defence White Paper, AF Strategy 2017-27 and Plan Jericho are in the infancy of understanding and describing the future workforce needs. What AF does know is that some of the current workforce elements will continue to evolve and adapt, others may recede in priority and relevance, and others are yet to be fully understood. Moreover, AF has identified the key organisational and personal characteristics necessary to thrive in the uncertain environment. The role of the AF Reserve will be to best supply capabilities in line with this transition and transformation as it unfolds. The nee for aility The uncertainty in technological development and the international environment coupled with complexity and pace of change in the AF operating environment will require a highly flexible, adaptable and agile set of workforce skills. Albeit, these adectives may be dismissed by the cynics as mere buzzwords and not grounded in the reality of delivering military capability. In contrast, the AF recognises that it is these skills coupled with military skills and knowledge - that will support an ongoing capability edge in this ever more rapidly developing complexity and uncertainty. The challenge for AF is to ensure these adectives are not mere buzzwords but these capacities can be readily incorporated into the future AF. The true design freedom from Total Workforce Model for the AF Reserves is that it provides a planning model that breaks the long-standing, long lead-time ab initio model for developing advanced knowledge and skills within a Service. By embracing and encouraging multiple points of entry into and movement of AF personnel across the various modes of permanent full-time, permanent part-time and Reserve flexible service over a working life, while retaining their linkages with civilian industry, AF can capitalise on a much healthier, more current and larger pool of people over time to better and more freely access knowledge, skills and experience from across the total Australian workforce. Conclusion The challenge for AF overall, and for the Reserve in particular, is to discern early the demand for emergent skills and personal capabilities to meet the increasing speed of change in the military environment. The opportunity for AF is to exploit the freedoms offered by the Total Workforce Model to design and deliver the AF Reserve it needs to sustain AF capability, as it simultaneously transitions and transforms, as and when it is required mindful of but unhindered by custom. To quote Alfred Whitehead, ‘the art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order.’ Through deliberate design decisions the AF Reserve can underpin both order and change.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION overnment Position on Oortunities for the Reserve to imrove Caability Dan Tehan P inister for Veterans Affairs inister for Defence Personnel Introuction It is fantastic to be here today, at the 2017 Defence Reserves Association National Conference, to speak on the ‘Government’s position on opportunities for the Reserve Forces to improve capability of the ADF.’ Our Reserves are an essential part of our ADF capability. Their contribution is significant, their numbers are significant. I note we have 38,000 reservists on the books in different capacities including 733 undertaking full time service. For those of you in the room who have contributed to our nation in a Reserve capacity, thank you. Let’s start by acknowledging the important roles Reservists make to the ADF across all three Services. I will then talk to some exciting initiatives that will enable growth in Reserve capability. Reserve contributions Reservists are valuable and versatile and serve at home and overseas. They are deployed to the Middle East and across our region. I got to see this first hand when I recently travelled to Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq I met a number of Reserve doctors and nurses and got to understand their roles. In Afghanistan I also got a brief from a Reserve signaller on our electronic counter measures. Another great example is our Naval Reservists deployed on border security operations. Naval Reservists supplement the crews of our patrol boats and are an integrated force alongside their permanent Navy counterparts. There are also members of the Army and Air Force Reserve who have served, and continue to serve, in the Transit Security Elements on board Naval ships undertaking these maritime security operations. Our Reserves also contribute here at home such as in response to domestic challenges where they can be quickly deployed and be first on the ground. For disaster relief we can call on our dispersed Reserve force to support the relief effort prior to reinforcements arriving. Our Reserves are also capable of contributing and supporting maor international events such as G20 Summit, APEC and Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and our Reservists will be supporting next year’s Commonwealth Games, and the Invictus Games. Having a well-trained and committed Reserve capacity has proven to be essential and will continue to be essential. During July, Reserve supplementation to specialist elements in our Joint Operations Command was vital during Exercise Talisman Sabre. Without Reserve supplementation specialist elements of the Headquarters could not have continued to meet their day to day operational function. Reserves provide capability and without them we could not maintain our Regional Force Surveillance Units the RFSUs in northern Australia. RFSUs contribute to the Government’s border protection operations and are predominately manned by our capable Reserve members. The Regional Force Surveillance Units also allow us to harness indigenous capability. Our indigenous members and other Reservists are essential to maintaining our security and surveillance presence across remote northern Australia. We cannot take our Reserve force for granted we must invest and grow this capability. Supporting our domestic responsibilities will continue to be an important role for the Reserves. uture oortunities Cyber Security I would like to talk about a great opportunity for the Reserve force of the future. The 2016 Defence White Paper articulated the growth of our Defence Cyber capability. Part of this growth is our Cyber Reserve. We are looking to engage the private sector and business to recruit Cyber specialists into the Reserves, from top universities, banks and telcos. These members will bring a wide range of skills and provide a supply of experts we can call on when needed. They will be provided with some military training, receive a tax-free Army salary and be required to work 20-100 days a year, like other Reservists. We acknowledge Defence is competing with the private sector so while there will be some minimum requirements an open minded approach will be taken to elements like fitness testing. We want those specialists to keep their high-paid private sector positions but also have the opportunity to contribute to their nation and to the security of Australia. I saw first-hand on my visit to London the success story of the UK Cyber Reserve program. The UK established this program in 2013 and now employs 500 specialists in a Reserve capacity. The program is working well and we need to consider a Cyber Reserve as a valid option to supplement our Cyber capability. The establishment of the Cyber Security Centres in addition to existing Defence Infrastructure provides a great opportunity for these Reservists to have a local place of work. Their contribution will complement the establishment of the Information Warfare Division, the full time establishment created to defend Australia against Cyber attack.
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The Total orforce moel The Cyber Reserve fits in with another great opportunity for Reserves, a more flexible contemporary workforce model developed under Plan SUAKIN. The development of the ‘Total Workforce Model’ increases opportunities for ADF Reservists. Reservists will have more ready access to flexible employment options and potential ob-sharing opportunities with permanent ADF members who are undertaking part-time work. The Total Workforce Model enhances opportunities for Reservists to serve in a range of capacities. By offering flexibility for Reservists to serve and move between full-time and part-time service we can better retain their experience. The flexibility of this model also empowers our Reserve force and it reinforces the value Reserves hold. Providing more opportunities to serve allows Reserves to enhance their contribution to ADF capability. For Navy the investment in capital acquisition and the associated generation and sustainment of future capability presents opportunities for Reservists. Defence requires a highly capable and competent workforce as new capabilities come on line. This includes the Reservist as a critical component of Navy’s total workforce. This Reserve workforce capability is being aligned to Navy’s Plan Pelorus, meeting Navy’s expanding commitments under the 2016 Defence White Paper and the associated Integrated Investment Plan. It is wonderful that Chief of Army is a proponent of an integrated ‘total’ force. I note he recently directed that, ‘some positions on all operations will be made available to Army Reserve soldiers’ and that numbers of Reservists on sustained operational deployments is expected to rise significantly. Army Reservists provide capabilities not able to be covered by the Regular force. Medical and Legal professionals are a specific example. These individuals provide service to their country by foregoing high salaries for periods in order to provide professional skills to their nation. A new opportunity in the Army for Reservists is Army’s establishment of a Reserve Veterinary capability. Twelve Veterinary positions will provide military veterinary services in support of ADF operations. Air Force also recognises that the future Australian workforce expects every employer to offer greater flexibility across an employee’s working life. The Total Workforce Model offers Air Force a means to utilise this flexibility and Air Force are now using the model to lead a redesign of work. Reserves provide essential capability to Air Force. Air Base Protection is a great example as it is primarily a Reserve employment group. When required to deploy at short notice, the Reserve Airmen Air Base Protection elements can be used to release or replace permanent force members, who can then deploy elsewhere. Each of the three Services use Reservists in different ways and they are all part of the essential ADF capability. Defence Reserve Service Protection Act I am proud of the enhancements we have introduced to the Defence Reserve Service Protection Act as these enhancements contribute to the Reserve capability. The Defence Reserve Service Protection Act provides for the protections for Reserve members in their employment and education and facilitates their return to civilian life after Defence service. A review of the Act in 2008 indicated that while the Act was working well and achieving its key obectives a number of enhancements to the Act were recommended. We have worked hard to ensure these recommendations were implemented. We have already introduced these enhancements into Parliament, and are anticipating the changes will soon become law. An example of the enhancement is an extension of the employment, partnership and education protections in the Act so that they apply to all types of Reserve service. This means that in the future all Reserve service will be protected which will provide certainty for Reservists as they resume their civilian employment. Veterans Emloyment Proram I wish to mention briefly another portfolio-related matter, the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program. The key aim of this initiative is to raise awareness in the private sector of the unique skills and experience our former ADF personnel, including Reservists, can bring to business. We want to encourage businesses, large and small, to take a closer look at our veterans and realise their skills can help a business grow and succeed. As a result of this initiative, we have seen an excellent response from Australian businesses and ex-Service organisations wanting to help our veterans find meaningful obs that utilise their unique skills, and I encourage more business leaders to register their interest in the program. A key feature of this program is the Industry Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment which will develop and provide advice on practical measures to embed veterans’ employment strategies into the recruitment practices of Australian business. Conclusion Reservists are an integral part of the capability that the ADF delivers to Government, and will continue to be so. They contribute to maintaining capabilities the permanent force is not capable of providing, they allow us to access private sector expertise such as Cyber and they supplement the Permanent force in managing operational and exercise commitment both here at home and overseas. Reserves are critical to our ADF capability and the criticality of Reservists will only increase. Today’s ADF Reserves are unquestionably an operational Reserve. They, you, we, are all part of the same highly capable team, and we could not achieve what we do, without each other.
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NATIONAL CONERENCE 2017 PRESENTATION Oosition Position on Oortunities for the Reserve to imrove Caability Dr ie Kelly A P Shao Assistant inister for Defence Inustry an Suort Introuction I first wish to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respects to their Elders, past and present. Thank you for the warm welcome and let me thank and recognise all the people who have already been identified here, and the many friendly faces here who I worked with in my first stint in Parliament. I had ADF Reserves as part of my Defence portfolio responsibilities in my first term and it is great to see so many people here who have kept their involvement up over the years, it’s an outstanding example of the general citizen’s support for our men and women in uniform. I acknowledge the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel, Dan Tehan and the effort he has put into the portfolio. However, I do have to note that I think he’s been given too much to do by the Turnbull Government. There should be a dedicated Minister for both Veterans and Personnel. It is a widely held view that this Government has too few people in the Defence portfolio at the present time and the Ministers workloads are too high, which is bad for Defence. I have been asked to talk today about the Opposition position on opportunities for the Reserve Forces to improve capability. My family goes back through the history of the various different forms of Reserve service in a tradition of the citizens’ soldier, which is what we are really talking about here. It has been a feature of our national history, and in fact some of the most revered moments of our military service have been the story of our citizen soldiers. Arguably our finest general, Sir John Monash, was an engineer and lawyer and the most successful commander in the First World War and that translation of civilian skills and broader perspectives into operational outcomes is what I want to focus on today. Increasin comleity If we step back and look at the world we are living in at the present time, it is increasingly complex. Defence is dealing invariably with multidimensional operational environments and rapidly changing technology it is within these two sphere’s that our Reserve Forces can be used to improve capability. We talk a lot about the conventional threat that we face, and the material that we need to meet these threats, but we live in a world with people, and that population is growing, it will reach nine billion by 2050, and one of our obs in the defence force is to deal with people. Somalia 1993 Sometimes that mission can be personnel-intensive in its own right and a lot of the operational environments that the ADF deploys to involve obs that are often considered as not being core business, but as Dag Hammarskold famously said about peacekeeping, many of these tasks in the context of the environment are obs only the military can do. The first example of this that I personally experienced was in Somalia in 1993, when we were moving into a situation that had deteriorated beyond a normal lineal civil war construct. It was a situation that effectively had heavily-armed criminal gangs roaming around the countryside with M48 tanks, APCs and heavy calibre crew served weapons, not the sort of threats that a policeman is going to be able to manage. It was only the military that was capable of completing the mission to secure the environment for the distribution of humanitarian relief. This kind of context is typical of the counter insurgency environment that the ADF has been operating in since the end of the Second World War. uite successfully we have broached a lot of those environments at the tactical level through Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq, East Timor and Afghanistan. orin ithin comle environments uite often Australia has been given responsibility of a discrete province as a tactical area of responsibility and we have done exceptionally well to establish order in these areas. However, in many cases the overall strategic picture has not been great and sometimes our efforts are not as successful as they could have been because of the faults in that strategic management. These challenges really force us to ask questions about how Defence is trained, structured and equipped to work within complex environments. How we work with organisations like the international organisations and NGOs, local actors and military coalition partners. We need whole-of-government campaign planning, effective multi-agency input, specifying what is the holistic end state that we needed to achieve, determining how each agency can bring the effects they can generate to the table to deliver an outcome by working cohesively and coherently. Reservist brin a rane of civil sills Reserve Forces have a big part to play in these kinds of operations. We now have the triangular framework with our multi-role Brigade concept. The 1st, 7th and 3rd Brigades backed up by six Reserve Brigades and one of the things that is a real benefit of 43 THE AUSTRALIAN RESERVIST the Reserve input into these complex environments, is that they bring a range of civil skills, broad perspectives, life experience and maturity. It has been a common experience in Australia and like countries that older Reservists have a greater ability in coping with the civilian interface. The skillsets they can bring to complex environments where governance and civil administration has disintegrated or is badly degraded is extremely valuable. We have evolved through Vietnam to Afghanistan with our civil affairs capabilities to where this is now a serious element of the concept of operations and in planning for and dealing with operational transitions. We have also relied heavily on Reserves for large-scale disaster response or low-level security at maor endeavours such as the 2000 Olympics. As a perfect illustration of this our Reserves have effectively and successfully owned the RAMSI mission from an ADF perspective in close cooperation with our civil police colleagues. One of the problems I identified both while serving and having responsibility for the Reserves in Government, was the lack of a data base mapping and recording of the civilian skills held by our Reservists. It had been said to me that Reservists don’t sign up to do their day ob, but I am acutely aware that if you offer a Reservist the opportunity to deploy to at least in part employ those skills they will ump at the chance. Australian Civil-ilitary Centre To acknowledge and enhance this reality the last Labor government established the Australian Civil-Military Centre ACMC which was tasked to coordinate and build the capacity of government agencies to contribute to our national security interests in conflict and off-shore disaster relief. This includes through better civil military planning, interoperability activities (including with international partners), facilitating the harnessing of Reserve skills and contributing to the enhancement of key relationships in the region and beyond. This last feature meshes with the recent addition of the concept in military doctrine of Phase Zero. This phase is about shaping the environment to either avoid conflict altogether or to better place us to succeed where an operational commitment of the ADF may be necessary. This is something I have been passionate about ever since my first deployment to Somalia. The ACMC is administered by the Department of Defence and staffed and supported with and by officials from government departments and agencies including Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Federal Police, and Emergency Management Australia. It is these integrated planning processes that the ADF engage in during peace and stabilisation operations but they have been a common feature of the conventional operational environment as well. For example the combat manoeuvre phases in the Iraq War and Afghanistan very quickly evolved into a counter-insurgency and stabilisation situation. The process of dealing with combat and stabilisation as summarised in the US Marine Corps concept of the The Block War, places a premium on what the Reserves can bring to the table in achieving a holistic end state and will only increase in importance going forward. Nee for fleible structures It is also critical that the ADF come to grips with the increasingly high level of technical sophistication in the contemporary threat environment. It has been an ongoing challenge to enable Reservists to come to grips with our own systems. We will need to find ways to find flexible structures to reflect varying levels of commitment that may be demanded of Reserves to achieve readiness standards. In defending the nation against cyber threats, the massive amount of data mining now required and dealing with the increasing use of end to end encrypted social media platforms by transnational and domestic terrorist threats, all of our agencies are feeling the human resource pressure to keep up. Cyber Sills The encryption capabilities that used to reside only at the State level, are now ubiquitous people can sit in their bedroom with manuals, or go on ouTube and design algorithms themselves, creating an increasing plethora of encrypted communication apps and platforms that are now sitting on people’s smart phones. It is these very skills that are going to be increasingly in demand in the general economy and our agencies will not be able to compete on the wages that will be on offer as industry places more of a premium on the skill sets of those who are able to rapidly develop the algorithms we will need to constantly develop and evolve to process data and counter cyber-attacks. What we do have going for us is the motivation and ob satisfaction that comes from national service. In this context, we need to think creatively about the national capability in this highly technical space, and the human resources that we are going to need to bring to bear. It might be that we are going to have to think about a Civilian Defence Corps that could support not only the ADF but the AFP, ASIO, ONA and other national and State civilian agencies, where we don’t expend money on unnecessarily putting these people in a uniform or trying to squeeze them within a very expensive military framework that might require peripheral training and fitness standards that would be a waste of time and resources. We could reach out to cooperative employers to support the loaning of this talent in exchange for recognition as a company contributing to national security and having acknowledgement awards and perhaps training support for the individuals who make these commitments. Evolvin technoloy Increasin Automation We are also increasingly moving into the automated space on our conventional weapons platforms. The JSF may well be our last crewed airframe of its type our future submarines to be developed by Naval Group may well be the last crewed vessel of its type. Increasingly we will have people sitting in shipping containers, or mother ships delivering operational outcomes. These obs equate quite well to the skills of the digital native generation. This technological leap will also require rethinking Reserve support and structures but it may also make our human resource issues easier in a nation that has always had to focus on quality over quantity. Conclusion Labor is committed to doing everything we can to ensure that we are identifying the opportunities where our Reserve Forces can improve the capability of the ADF. Handling complex conflict situations, the civilian interface and drawing technical skills into the ADF are clear areas where our Defence Forces will need critical and creative thinking going forward.
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