The Royal Australian Artillery LIAISON LETTER Autumn 2015 The Official Journal of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery Incorporating the Australian Gunner Magazine First Published in 1948 RAA Liaison Letter 2015 - Autumn Edition CONTENTS Editor’s Comment 1 Letters to the Editor 4 Regimental 5 Professional Papers 17 Around the Regiment 47 RAA Rest 71 Capability 75 LIAISON Personnel & Training 79 Associations & Organisations 89 LETTER Autumn Edition NEXT EDITION CONTRIBUTION DEADLINE Contributions for the Liaison Letter 2015 – Spring 2015 Edition should be forwarded to the Editor by no later than Friday 14th August 2015. LIAISON LETTER ON-LINE Incorporating the The Liaison Letter is on the Regimental DRN web-site – Australian Gunner Magazine http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/RRAA/. Content managers are requested to add this to their links. Publication Information Front Cover: Farewell to the 105 mm Hamel Gun and Welcome to the 155 mm M777A2. Front Cover Theme by: Major D.T. (Terry) Brennan, Staff Officer to Head of Regiment Compiled and Edited by: Major D.T. (Terry) Brennan, Staff Officer to Head of Regiment Published by: Lieutenant Colonel Dave Edwards, Deputy Head of Regiment Desktop Publishing: Michelle Ray, Army Knowledge Group, Puckapunyal, Victoria 3662 Front Cover & Graphic Design: Felicity Smith, Army Knowledge Group, Puckapunyal, Victoria 3662 Printed by: Defence Publishing Service – Victoria Distribution: For issues relating to content or distribution contact the Editor on email: [email protected] or [email protected] Contributors are urged to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in their articles. The Royal Australian Artillery, Deputy Head of Regiment and the RAA Liaison Letter editor accept no responsibility for errors of fact. The views expressed in the Royal Australian Artillery Liaison Letter are the contributors and not necessarily those of the Royal Australian Artillery, Australian Army or Department of Defence. The Commonwealth of Australia will not be legally responsible in contract, tort or otherwise for any statement made in this publication. RAA Liaison Letter 2015 - Autumn Edition 1 RAA Liaison Letter 2015 - Autumn Edition 2 RAA Liaison Letter 2015 - Autumn Edition Army Blog Encourages Debate ARMY has launched its first public blog focusing on ideas about land power, security challenges, modernisation and the future of land forces beyond 2020. Director Future Land Warfare Col Andrew Hocking and his team are responsible for the day-to-day running of the blog, which is hosted on the Army website. "The blog presents an excellent opportunity for Army personnel, academics and broader society to connect and engage online," Col Hocking said. "It's a great way for soldiers and officers to contribute their opinions and hard-earned expertise to the land power and modernisation discussion. "Blog pieces and the associated discussion will directly inform the modernisation of Army." The blog is designed to provide a discussion space for informed analysis, commentary, thoughts and ideas among military practitioners, interested stakeholders and subject matter experts. Army welcomes submissions of around 300-800 words on future land warfare issues. Submissions should make an insightful and original contribution in the form of observation, experience, fact or opinion, with enough context to make it relevant and thought-provoking for a wider audience. All Army members are encouraged to subscribe to the blog at www.army.gov.au/Our-future/Blog/Subscribe Further information on Army's future can be found at www.army.gov.au/Our-future You can also follow Future Land Warfare on Twitter: @flwaustralia Army News September 25, 2014 3 RAA Liaison Letter 2015 - Autumn Edition horses and readers will recall that two of these are Messes and related standards and the silent rarely Editor's Comment spoken about subject of mental illness. As a consequence of some recent observations I will Welcome to the latest offer a few thoughts on both subjects. edition of the Liaison Letter. I am extremely This was straight out of pleased to report that members from across 'Facebook' and those devotees the Regiment have made who document everything they do the effort to record their from when they wake until they personal views and / or fall asleep and everything in unit experiences for this between. edition. I thank you all because without your support we would not have a Recently I had the pleasure to attend a mixed professional journal that is the envy of many dining-in night and I stress from the outset it was an throughout the Army. enjoyablenightofcamaraderieaswellasfinefood The 'Professional Papers' section is probably the and wine. What caught my attention as odd were largest and most comprehensive that I can recall the actions of some members during the dinner. I ever having the pleasure to read, review and immediately was annoyed but on reflection perhaps publish. The strength of this section is not only the it is me who has not moved with the times and number of submissions and subject matter but the accepted conduct at dinners can change. Ultimately range of backgrounds, experiences, ages and ranks I will leave everyone to make up their own mind, of those who have contributed. I encourage however I will shine a spotlight on two examples everyone to find the time to read all the papers that but there were more. cover subjects from 'Enabling a Joint Fight in the Land I observed a member take out his mobile phone and Domain' to the 'M777A2 in the Australian Army's Future photograph the meals that had been placed in front Conflicts' and just about everything in between of him and his spouse. This was straight out of including 'Counter Fires Radar in the Combat Brigade'; 'Facebook' and those devotees who document and 'Exploiting Network Digitisation'. everything they do from when they wake until they The 'Around the Regiment' section has been well fall asleep and everything in between. supported with numerous contributions. Topics I then noticed a couple texting, out of eye sight of include the Regimental Conference and Farewells to the dining president, either each other or to other a paper by Lieutenant Colonel Damian Hill, members. Personally I thought the idea of Commanding Officer 4th Regiment, on the attending a dinner was to engage those around you evolution of his Regiment from 2008 to 2015. in conversation. I was left with a feeling the dinner could have been … readers will recall that two of conducted with a little more flare or polish. The old these are Messes and related tradition of members (or their partners) moving standards and the silent rarely after each course but ultimately returning to their spoken about subject of mental original seats for the toasts seems to have been lost illness. somewhere between generations. I always felt this was an excellent way for the members and their I congratulate those contributors who have been guests to get to know each other in a relaxed awarded a 'Big Sky Publishing Incentive Prize'. I thank atmosphere. and acknowledge the generous support provided by Big Sky Publishing and their staff to the Liaison I appreciate my observations are not 'War Stoppers' Letter. I encourage everyone to visit the Big Sky nor are they critical to the delivery of our 'Core' website and view their comprehensive military business of solving the gunnery problem, however I catalogue or alternatively the military section of believe that a fundamental aspect of being a your local book shop and lookout for Big Sky 'Gunner' that sets us aside from other Corps are our Publishing books. standards in all areas including technical, as well as tradition and heritage. It only a small point but Over the years I have been known in my editor's sadly it is the thin edge of the wedge. We are in comments to focus on one or more of my hobby danger of having formal dinners so rarely that those 1 RAA Liaison Letter 2015 - Autumn Edition organising them will have to read a book to know an organisation despite all the resources being how they are 'supposed' to be conducted including invested we do not seem to provide people the the unwritten traditions. tools to deal with a person who has recovered or is Unfortunately I did not see the recent ABC recovering from mental illness when they return to 4 Corners program that focused on veterans the workplace. suffering from PTSD and their treatment by the I believe an individual returning to work does not Australian Defence Force. I did read the public want to be treated any differently to anyone else. statement issued by the Defence Leadership Team Disappointingly my limited observation of these in response to claims made in the program. Whilst I situations is the experience is exactly the opposite. commend the efforts made by Defence to address Instead those around the person often walk on eggs mental illness in recent years, I still feel, as an shells and treat the individual with kid gloves for organisation culturally and empathy wise, we still fear of creating a circumstance where the person do not fully 'get' the problem and therefore how to may relapse. This approach is not healthy for treat those who are suffering both medically and everyone concerned. more broadly socially. Whilst I cannot substantiate this, I truly feel that once an individual has suffered from any form of For those who have recovered mental illness while they continue to serve they are from a mental illness, my never free of the stigma. This shadow will follow observation is they are often them throughout the remainder of their military life welcomed back with a degree of and I am in no doubt it has a detrimental effect on apprehension, wariness and their career progression and path.