A Political Compromise A study of the origins, structure and performance of the Australian Defence Force Academy Klaus D.H. Fe_l_sche Master of Defence Studies University College, University of New South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy Northcott Drive CAMPBELL ACT 2601 September 1991 -1- Contents Acknowledgements •••••••••• 11 Disclaimer •••••••••• 11 Abstract •••••••••• 111 Abbreviations .•••.••.•• IV Chapter 1: Degrees for Officers .......... 1 Chapter 2: The Tri-Service Academy .......... 15 Chapter 3: The Armed Forces University .......... 31 Chapter 4: The Compromise- A University College .......... 51 Chapter 5: The Effects of Compromise .......... 57 Epilogue .......... 70 Bibliography .......... 74 Annex A: Student Wastage Rates .......... A Annex B: Casey University- Australian Defence Force Academy Bill .......... B Annex C: Agreement Between the Commonwealth of Australia and the University of New South Wales ........... C -ll- Acknowledgements In writing this sub-thesis I am indebted to the assistance and advice offered by many at the Australian Defence Force Academy. In particular my thanks must go to Professor Peter Dennis who kindly agreed to supervise this work and offered much sound advice, to which, I must confess, I have probably not done justice. Special mention must also go to Dr Hugh Smith for his initial advice and encouragement and the many pieces of research I was able to build upon. Additionally, I must thank Veronica Selinger for checking my final draft and Geoff Colson who patiently read two early drafts. Geoff's helpful comments contributed greatly to the final structure of this sub-thesis. Disclaimer The views expressed in this sub-thesis are my own and should not be interpreted as representing the official views of the Australian Defence Force Academy, the Australi­ an Defence Force, or the Department of Defence. Certificate I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of a university or other institution of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the sub-thesis. Klaus D.H. Felsche -lll- Abstract This sub-thesis traces the stages which led to the establishment of the Australian Defence Force Academy. The origins of the Academy are to be found in the 1950s. The perceived need for highly qualified technical officers to handle the technological demands of the future was complemented by a perception that officers with degree­ level education would be better equipped to make decisions and provide strategic advice to government than their less educated counterparts. The emergence of the tri­ Service Academy concept is discussed in some detail to highlight the constantly increas­ ing involvement in the proposal by people and organisations from outside the defence community. The struggle between the three Services, eager to retain control over their officers' education, and the Department of Defence with its ambition to rationalise common defence functions, is described. The heated debate over the proposal to estab­ lish an armed forces university resulted in the rejection of the proposal by the Parlia­ mentary Standing Committee on Public Works. The response from the Government and the Department of Defence was a modified proposal, acceptable to most of Casey University's critics, but flawed in its basic structure. Some aspects of the Academy's performance are described and compared to the per­ formance and experiences of the Australian single-Service colleges which preceded it and some comparable overseas institutions. The paper concludes by revisiting some of the proposals presented as alternative models for the Academy during the Public Works Committee hearings in 1978/9. These may well provide a sound basis for the future development of the Australian Defence Force Academy. -IV- Abbreviations ADF ........................................... Australian Defence Force ADFA ........................................... Australian Defence Force Academy ANU ........................................... Australian National University ARA ........................................... Australian Regular Army ARes ........................................... Army Reserve (formerly the CMF) A VCC ........................................... Australian Vice Chancellors' Committee CAS ........................................... Chief of the Air Staff CCAE ........................................... Canberra College of Advanced Education (now UNIC) CDF ........................................... Chief of the Defence Force CDFS ........................................... Chief of the Defence Force Staff (now CDF) CGS ........................................... Chief of the General Staff CMF ........................................... Citizens' Military Forces CNS ........................................... Chief of the Naval Staff COS ........................................... Chief of Staff FAUSA ........................................... Federated Australian University Staff Associations PWC ........................................... Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works RAAF ........................................... Royal Australian Airforce RAN ........................................... Royal Australian Navy RANC ........................................... Royal Australian Naval College RANEM ........................................... Royal Australian Navy Emergency Reserve RMC ........................................... Royal Military College, Duntroon RMIT ........................................... Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology UNIC ........................................... University of Canberra (formerly CCAE) UNSW ........................................... University of New South Wales -1- Chapter 1 Degrees for Officers There is "an insufficient number of officers, middle to senior levels, in all three Services with the intellectual basis upon which to analyse issues and contribute to policy." -Sir Arthur Tange, Secretary, Department of Defence 1 Introduction The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a uniquely Australian institution, formed by the Australian political an<?_ military environment and contrasting sharply in structure with its non-Australian counterparts. No other nation has attempt­ ed to establish a military academy without a mechanism for governing the whole institu­ tion internally, and without a formal mechanism to resolve conflicts between the differ­ ent components of that institution at the highest levels within the institution. Few military colleges have been allowed the degree of academic independ­ ence granted to the University College of the University of New South Wales. Few outsiders would understand how a military academy, fully funded by the Department of Defence, could exist with only minimal input from Defence into the structure and content of the academic courses offered. Most foreign military academies have such mechanisms built into their very constitutions; the Australian military's input is restrict­ ed to advice offered on subordinate advisory bodies and through informal channels. 2 1. Cited by H. W. Smith, "Educating the Guardians: The Politics of the Australian Defence Force Academy'', Politics, vol19 no 1 (May 1984) p 33. 2. Air Vice Marshal RJ. Bomball, Overseas VISil Repon: Commandam, Defence Academy 21 April-15 May 1991, unpublished, pp 2-4. -2- The constitution of the Academy is not laid down in legislation. The Acade­ my is established and governed primarily by a contract between the Commonwealth of Australia and the University of New South Wales. 1 A Chief of Defence Force Staff 2 Administrative Instruction established ADFA as a Joint Service Unit under Section 32C of the Defence Act. 3 Several other subordinate instructions and agreements 4 exist but the Academy's existence as a military academy is primarily based on the agreement with the UNSW. The essential aims ·of the Academy, as specified in the Agreement, are: (a) to provide military education and training of officer cadets for the purpose of developing the professional abilities and the qualities of character and leadership that are appropriate to officers of the De­ fence Force; and (b) to provide for officer undergraduates and, by way of founda- tion for their careers as officers of the Defence Force, officer cadets a balanced and liberal university education in a military environment. 5 The aim of this paper is to describe and to examine the processes which brought about this unique institution. This development will trace the origins from the Services' desire to obtain degree-level education for some of its officers from the late 1940s; the subsequent early attempts at centralising key defence functions in the mid 1. The contract is the Agreement Berween the Commonwealth ofAustralia and the Universiry ofNew South Wales to Establish a University College Wuhin the Australian Defence Force Academy (Canberra, 7 May 1981 ). A copy is attached at Annex c. 2. The Chief o[ the Defence Force Staff(CDFS) held that title at the time the agreement was signed. He is now called the Chief of the Defence Force (CD F). A number of major changes to the ADF structure have provided the CDFwith command functions not held by the CDFS. 3. Air Chief Marshal N.P. McNamara, CDFS Administrative Instruction 1/1984 (Canberra: CDFS