The Royal Australian Artillery LIAISON LETTER Spring Edition 2009 The Official Journal of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery Incorporating the Australian Gunner Magazine First Published in 1948 Contents Editors Comment 1 Letters to the Editor 3 Regimental 19 Operations 37 Around the Regiments 47 Professional Papers 55 Take Post 81 RAA Personnel 91 Capability & Training 95 LIAISON Associations & Organisations 111 Next Edition Contribution Deadline Contributions for the Liaison Letter 2010 – Autumn Edition should be forwarded to the editor at his home postal or LETTER emailaddress,bynolaterthanFriday 26th February 2010. ‘Late’ correspondence or submissions after that date should be forwarded to the editor via the School of Spring Edition Artillery or his defence email address. 2009 LiaisonLetterInColourOn-line If you have access to the defence restricted network you can read the Liaison Letter in colour on the Regimental web-site found at:http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/RRAA/. RAA DRN content managers are requested to add this site to their links. Publication Information Front Cover: Top left: 105 Troop Alpha Gun Detachment In Action; Top Right: 105 Troop RA/RAA Flag; Bottom Left: Bombardier T. Grieve and Lance Bombardier J. Cowan on Patrol in Baluchi Valley Insert Left: Bombardier D. Cleghorn & GCS Antenna; Insert Right: Bombardier R.J.P. Ellinghama & FGCS Front Cover Designed 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: Deputy Head of Regiment, School of Artillery, Bridges Barracks, Puckapunyal, Victoria 3662 Desktop Publishing by: Michelle Ray, Combined Arms Doctrine and Development Section, Bridges Barracks, 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 2009 - Spring Edition RAA Liaison Letter 2009 - Spring Edition what message does this send to people (including the public) about preparing for operations. We Editors cannot afford paper but we can waste millions of dollars in other areas and despite lots of huffing and puffing very little seems to change at the coal Comment face! We have all heard the old adage 'If you look after Introduction cents the dollars will look after themselves'. I Welcome to another appreciate that this probably applies in family Liaison Letter. I thank all situations but one has to question if it really works thosepeoplewhohave in a unique organisation like the Army. I think it is taken the time and made unfortunate that we are so ineffective at the effort to contribute. influencing Macro change and making the required In this edition there are a real savings, we have to console ourselves with wide range of articles, Micro tinkering. reports and papers which In my view one of the underlying pillars of this should interest all readers. These include a mid tour problem is the inflexible 'buckets' of gold concept report from 105 Troop RA/RAA as well as an article that is the basis on which the Department of by Captain Andrew Ludlow on his experiences as a Defence conducts business. The other problem is forward observer in Afghanistan. These are one which you only have to pick up a newspaper to supported by some high quality professional papers be reminded of, and that is the waste of funds at and letters to the editor that should form the basis the Macro level. It remains to be seen what long for thought provoking discussion and even debate. term benefits will be afforded by the creation of Forces Command. Unless our leadership has the Feedback courage and political will to make real change we I received some observations on my recent editors will have to continue to content ourselves with comments. The first was that I was turning into a saving reams of printing paper! grumpy old major! For those who know me this claim would come as no great surprise - I have been Exchange IG grumpy (even passionate) about one thing or A long the same theme of short sighted cost another pretty well since I joined the Army in 1979. cutting I find it extraordinary the recent decision to Another observation was that I am too traditional in cancel the exchange instructor in gunnery position my views. I guess this was a polite way of saying I with the Royal Artillery. It is even more difficult to am stuck in the past and not open to the changes fathom when it has been done at the very moment occurring in the Adaptive Army. I am very open to in our history that the Regiment has had the change and have embraced it throughout my career opportunity for the first time since the Vietnam and where appropriate have assisted with its War to send an 'in role' gunline element on implementation. I would argue you can only plan operations with the Royal Artillery. To me the logic and implement meaningful and sensible change if does not add up! Whilst not being privy to the you reflect on what has transpired previously. In rationale behind the decision for cancelling the other words ignore history at your peril. In my view exchange I have no doubt it was based on funding. it is our traditions and heritage that set us apart from other professions. It was these words of Proposed Uniform Changes 'advice' combined with a recent cost saving Continuing the theme of false economies a recent initiative at the School of Artillery that gave me story I have heard ties in with my views on the need reason to pause and think about the 'new' Army. to preserve our traditions and our unique identity both as an Army and Regiment. I understand at the Cost Savings recent RSM-Army conference a topic for discussion The School of Artillery recently placed a was uniforms. In itself this is not surprising, what moratorium on the purchase of printing paper for is, if my feedback is accurate, are some of the ideas two months because they have a short fall of funds being considered in the name of saving money. in their administration budget. Please do not get These include removing polyesters as a form of me wrong I am all for not wasting resources. In fact, dress of the day - I can just see Army Headquarters it annoys me immensely to see waste. My point is, 1 RAA Liaison Letter 2009 - Spring Edition full of DPCU wearing desk bound staff officers. We Conclusion have come a long way since the Commander I again would like to thank everyone who has Training Command in the late 1990s issued a contributed to make this edition as interesting and directive that polyesters was the normal dress of varied as I believe readers will find it. I am sure the day and that DPCU was only to be worn when everyone will find more than enough to spark their conducting field training. Older Gunners will interest. I encourage everyone to keep writing and remember the School of Artillery requirement to recording their experiences, thoughts, views and read the daily program as the dress changed based opinions and most importantly I implore everyone on the daily instruction. Some of the rationale for to share these with the readers of the Liaison being directed to change uniforms was funding (so I Letter. guess nothing much has changed) in that polyesters were purchased using uniform maintenance allowance by individuals, whilst DPCU were exchanged one for one at public expense. I also recall for most of my Regimental service in the 1980s that it was by exception that officers and warrant officers did not wear polyesters to work. To address the concerns immediately we just have to revert back to wearing polyesters instead of DPCU D.T. (Terry) BRENNAN as the norm or heaven forbid take a reduction in Major uniform maintenance allowance. The question I Editor have is this proposal really about saving money or Telephone: 07 4651 0939 (h) have we as an Army just become lazy! Mobile: 0419 179 974 Further uniform points discussed included Email: [email protected] or removing Corps lanyards, berets (expect for a select [email protected] few) but the one that really caught my attention was Postal: ‘Stratford’ BLACKALL QLD 4472 the plan to do away with our uniquely Australian http://www.defence.gov.au/army/RRAA pattern DPCU and replace them with a cheaper http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/RRAA/ computer designed pattern based on the US Army pattern. Where will it stop!!!!!! If we continue on this slippery slope we are at real risk of going down Editor’s Note: Retired or serving Gunners who would like to receive future copies of the RAA Liaison Letter the Canadian Defence Force experiment of all should contact the editor by email or write to the becoming one bland looking organisation. address above with their mailing details. Conversely if you would like your name removed from the mailing RSM Training list please advise the Editor.