The Australian Defence Force Academy
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Australian Defence Force Academy on Display
30 August 2008
The Australian Defence Force Academy held its 2008 Open Day on Saturday 30 August, putting on a fantastic show for Australian secondary school students and the Canberra community.
More than 9,000 people attended the Open Day, taking advantage of the opportunity to see a range of exciting military displays, explore the campus, and get first hand accounts of training and academics from the midshipmen and officer cadets who live and study at ADFA.
Air Force Officer Cadet Alex Barbaro, the ADFA Sports Coordinator, organised more than a dozen fundraising stalls and displays by sporting and extra curricular groups on the day. He said, "Open Day is a great chance for people to come and see what ADFA is all about, have a look at the academic study opportunities available, and gain first hand information on the military and leadership training program.
“Few universities can boast the diverse range of extra curricular activities that ADFA has to offer, and Open Day was a great chance for the clubs to show the community that there’s more to life here than military training”.
Hundreds of midshipmen and officer cadets, and Defence and University staff welcomed visitors to the Academy, leading tours and talking about military and leadership training, and the degree programs available through the University of New South Wales (UNSW) at ADFA. Defence Force Recruiting staff were also on hand to provide careers and course information and help with applications to join the Navy, Army and Air Force.
Brigadier Wayne Goodman, Commandant ADFA, said “Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for students, parents and the local community to visit the ADFA campus, learn about life in the military, and talk with our midshipmen and officer cadets.
“Our three year training program develops the professional abilities, qualities of character and leadership skills that young officers need to meet the many interesting and varied challenges of their military careers.
“It is a challenging and diverse program, and the displays our current midshipmen and officer Cadets have produced have certainly demonstrated that today”.
The ADFA Open Day is the only tri-Service open day in Australia. Navy, Army and Air Force members brought helicopters, vehicles, weapons and a clearance diving tank to demonstrate the career opportunities available through the Australian Defence Force, particularly to officers who attend ADFA. Midshipmen and officer cadets also demonstrated the above pool obstacle course, physical training demonstrations, weapons skills, abseiling and rock climbing, infantry tactics, military drill, military bands and military self defence.
The next ADFA Open Day will be held in Canberra on Saturday 29 August 2009.
