More Defence news: 25 February - 02 March 2008
| Tour brings taste of home to Solomons | Chief Scientist puts farewell in the equation | Search begins for HMAS Sydney II | New Air Force campaign 'accomplished' | Aussies fight off Taliban attack | Performers humbled by Solomons tour | Exercise Sea Lion under way | Defence appoints new senior leaders | New commander of Middle East forces appointed | Key figures address ADM conference | Initiatives to boost Australian industry | RTF engineers inspect local works | Concentration the key for Navy exercise | HMAS Newcastle puts best foot forward | John Williamson heads tour to Solomons | HMAS Glenelg commissions | |
Tour brings taste of home to Solomons
Country music icon John Williamson and daughter Ami, Nicki Gillis and Jed Zarb spent their last day being interviewed on local radio, while also performing over the radio waves to troops across the islands. “Singing to the lads is a pleasure and an honour - to feel their appreciation is a great reward and a great experience,” said singer John Williamson, before playing his iconic song True Blue. Performing for small groups of personnel was a sensational experience for both the troops and the entertainers. The singers, along with Mike Goldman of ‘Big Brother’ fame, brought some Australian cheer to the troops. Ami Williamson said: “It is a very moving experience to see a strong soldier gulp because he is so emotional”. The same sentiments were shared by Nicki Gillis: “Getting out amongst the troops in different locations is a definite highlight. Being able to experience the true sense of the day-to-day life that the boys face brings a reality that I won’t forget,” she said. As each performance ended, the entertainers made sure that the troops showed their own musical skills. “It was like playing in an old mate’s lounge room amongst friends,” said Jed Zarb. More: Imagery | Read media release | Operation ANODE | Forces Entertainment |
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Chief Scientist puts farewell in the equation
Since he began his career in the 1960s, Dr Lough has worked in a range of roles, including several senior positions in the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, said “his scientific leadership and expertise will be sorely missed”. Dr Lough has provided technical and scientific advice to governments on major Defence acquisitions for the past 25 years. Defence will conduct a worldwide search to recruit a new Chief Defence Scientist to take over from Dr Lough. More: Read media release | Dr Lough's biography |
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Search begins for HMAS Sydney II
The ship’s entire crew of 645 died after a brutal battle with a German vessel, and the ship has never been recovered. The SV Geosounder, with shipwreck investigator David Mearns on board, is due to depart today from Geraldton in Western Australia to start the search. The search team will use deep-water sonar imaging equipment to sweep the seabed for any signs of a wreck site. The search area will comprise more than 1800 square nautical miles of ocean, in depths ranging from 2300 metres to 4200 metres. “The search team will first attempt to locate the German ship Kormoran, as more is known about her estimated location,” said Warren Snowdon, the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. “If Kormoran is found, her position will be used to plot Sydney’s last observed movements based on testimony from Kormoran’s crew. “It is hoped that this will lead to the discovery of Sydney’s final resting place,” he said. Mr Snowdon offered his best wishes to the Finding Sydney Foundation in its quest. “I’m sure all Australians will join me in wishing the search team every success in solving one of Australia’s most enduring maritime mysteries and bringing some peace to the relatives of the lost crew,” Mr Snowdon said. More: Read media release | Finding Sydney Foundation |
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New Air Force campaign 'accomplished'
Launched in Canberra by the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd, the ‘Accomplished’ campaign features Air Force people working in a variety of roles, raising public awareness about the wide range of careers available in the Air Force. “The campaign is designed to show a big-picture view of the Air Force – it reinforces our brand and emphasises that our people lie at the heart of our identity,” Air Marshal Shepherd said. “The Air Force offers a wide range of satisfying jobs to people from all walks of life and from across the nation. “It can all be summed up in one word – ‘Accomplished’. It sums up everything for which the Air Force stands and conveys to audiences a sense of achievement for both the individual and the Air Force as a whole,” he said. Brigadier Simon Gould, Director General of Defence Force Recruiting, said the campaign was designed to shape ideas in the community about some of the jobs that are on offer, and would help to attract people in specialist areas to a career in the Air Force. More: Read media release | Jobs in the Air Force | Audio grabs from the launch | Watch recruitment videos |
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| 28 February - TODAY IN DEFENCE HISTORY 1942: Battle of Sunda Strait saw HMAS Perth and USS Houston sunk after engaging Japanese forces. 1991: Gulf War cessation of hostilities against Iraq. 1994: 11 Combat Service Support Battalion formed. |
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Aussies fight off Taliban attack
The attacks occurred approximately 15km from Tarin Kowt, where RTF engineers are helping to construct a patrol base for the Afghan National Army. The extremists used small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from different positions to attack the site. The Australian troops responded swiftly with ASLAV vehicles, mortars and follow-up patrolling. “The immediate and aggressive response by RTF soldiers caused the enemy to break off their attack and abandon their weapons in hastily prepared caches,” said Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, Chief of the Defence Force. “These were recovered through aggressive follow-up patrolling, which was sustained for a number of days. “Importantly, the effectiveness of RTF force protection measures caused the Taliban to launch their attacks from the extreme range of their weapons systems in low-light conditions, which degraded their ability to target Australian troops. “Our troops in Oruzgan Province are performing magnificently in difficult and demanding operational conditions…Australians can be justifiably proud of the professionalism of Australian troops and their ability to respond quickly and aggressively when attacked,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said. More: Read media release | Imagery | Video | Operation SLIPPER |
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Performers humbled by Solomons tour
Other entertainers, including Ami Williamson, Nicki Gillis, Jed Zarb and local country singer Tom Stranger, performed at the free concert in the backdrop of The Honiara Art Gallery – right in the centre of the capital. Ami Williamson, the first performer for the concert, said: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the crowd were friendly and they were here to enjoy something that travels across borders, music and rhythm”. In fact all the singers were humbled by the local people as they clapped, danced and cheered to some of Australia’s favourite songs. Jed Zarb, who has played right around Australia, commented on the fantastic crowd at the event. “The local people are humble and shy but very welcoming and hospitable. They are also very open to our broad range of music.” It wasn’t just Australian performers at the event; local singer Tom Stranger also entertained the locals with John Williamson. John Williamson said: “It was magnificent to see someone local performing in front of us”. Despite a power failure and an early rain shower the first concert of the tour was a huge success, putting many smiles on the local people of the Solomon Islands. Master of Ceremonies, Mike Goldman, from Big Brother, entertained the crowd while the power cut halted the concert. “It was an incredible experience. I loved working with a crowd that had no idea what I was saying. Actually, I am kind of used to that back home too,” he said. The Forces Entertainment tour of the Solomon Islands continues this week as the entertainers perform to Australian Defence Force personnel and Australian Federal Police in the Solomon Islands. More: Imagery | Operation ANODE | Forces Entertainment |
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Exercise Sea Lion under way
Five RAN ships will take part in the week-long exercise - the lead-in exercise to the 2008 Fleet Concentration Period – Landing Class Heavy (LCH) ships Balikpapan, Brunei, Labuan and Wewak, along with Landing Ship Heavy Tobruk. It’s one of the few times that four LCH ships have gathered in the one location to exercise together. The Royal New Zealand Navy ship Canterbury and French Navy ship Jacques Cartier are also involved in the exercise. Sea Lion will involve a number of activities designed to improve core maritime skills, including beach landings, planning and loading of cargoes, embarkation and disembarkation procedures and amphibious formations and procedures. “Training in exercises such as Sea Lion plays a vital part in testing the RAN’s capability and maintains force readiness,” said Captain Peter Laver, RAN, Commander Australian Amphibious Task Group. Sea Lion will be conducted within strict safety, environmental and risk management constraints. More: Imagery | Fleet Concentration Period |
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| Defence appoints new senior leaders 27 February - The Department of Defence has today appointed two new senior leaders for the Army and Defence White Paper. Major General (MAJGEN) John Cantwell, formally the Deputy Chief of Army, has been appointed as the senior military member for the Defence White Paper. The Defence White Paper will set out the strategic framework for Defence, providing policy guidance on security matters, addressing future capability priorities and resource strategies. MAJGEN David Morrison has accepted the position of Deputy Chief of Army. MAJGEN Morrison’s previous roles include, Commander of the Australian Defence College and Head of Military Strategic Commitments. Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, described both men as being "officers of the highest order" and has congratulated them on their new appointments. More: Read media release | MAJGEN Morrison’s biography |
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| 27 February - TODAY IN DEFENCE HISTORY 1904: The Defence Act became law. 1989: Anniversary of commissioning for HMAS Paluma. |
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New commander of Middle East forces appointed
The Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, announced today that Major General Hindmarsh will be taking over from Major General Mark Evans, who has commanded Australian forces in the Middle East Area of Operations since June 2007. Major General Hindmarsh was previously the Special Operations Commander Australia, and in his new role, will lead around 1550 ADF personnel in Iraq and nearly 1000 personnel in Afghanistan. He will also oversee the withdrawal of Australian troops from southern Iraq by the middle of this year. “Under the command of Major General Hindmarsh, Australian troops will continue to make an ongoing contribution to security, stability and the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan,” Mr Fitzgibbon said. More: Read media release | Major General Hindmarsh’s biography |
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| Key figures address ADM conference 26 February - Senior Defence officials have outlined their agenda for 2008 at the fifth annual Australian Defence Magazine Congress in Canberra today. In keynote addresses, Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie spoke on "Building the force in an uncertain world", while CEO of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Dr Steven Gumley outlined the core challenges facing the DMO and industry (see links to their addresses below). The conference will also focus on helping Defence and industry to work more effectively together, fostering collaboration and open communication on the key aspects of their work. Day two of the event will look to provide insight into the export opportunities that exist for the Defence industry and how the Australia-United States Treaty on Defence Trade Cooperation may affect this. More: LTGEN Gillespie's speech | Dr Gumley's speech (961 KB) |
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| Initiatives to boost Australian industry 26 February - A set of new initiatives designed to assist Australia’s defence industry has been unveiled to ensure that Australian companies are offered opportunities to work on defence industry projects. Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement Greg Combet launched the new initiatives, known as Defence’s Australian Industry Capability (AIC) program, during his keynote speech to the fifth annual Australian Defence Magazine Congress in Canberra today. “The AIC program is designed to ensure that Australian companies gain access to the global supply chains of large prime contractors,” Mr Combet said. “To help enable this, contractors will be required to demonstrate in their tenders how they will give opportunities to involve Australian companies…and this will form part of their contractual obligations.” Key components of the program include an update to the Defence Policy Procurement Manual and the electronic publication of the AIC Practitioner’s Information and Tool Kit. The tool kit provides Defence and industry stakeholders with guidance on how to implement monitor and report on their AIC obligations, and the information provided has been largely shaped by industry input. More: AIC Practitioner’s Information and Tool Kit |
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RTF engineers inspect local works
It’s snowing heavily but that won’t stop the soldiers of the Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) doing their job. Flying from the Bushmasters, massive Australian flags stand out against a white backdrop created by the dying blizzard. Snow blankets the normally drab landscape and fine black trees are etched against the white with an Afghan flag adding a splash of color. The only movement in the river valley that flanks the town is an Afghan family wading across the icy river. A soldier looking out shakes his head at the hardiness of the locals. Project engineers are on their way to inspect progress of works undertaken by contractors and mostly locally employed workers. Rakes and shovels in hand, senior engineer Captain Mick Koen and works supervisor Sergeant Rod Smith scrape snow away to expose freshly laid foundations. They can focus on their work thanks to a security perimeter established by infantry and combat engineers – their desert camouflage uniforms effective in a worksite consisting of slushy snow, rock and concrete. The Australian Army engineers do their best to be seen as firm but fair. Captain Koen points out that the key to ensuring quality control is improving the indigenous capacity. “Wherever possible we make the most of opportunities to pass on construction skills to the locals,” he said. “This is where our construction supervisors come to the fore - a significant amount of time during site visits is spent showing the workers not only the quality of work that is required, but more importantly, how they go about achieving it.” More: Imagery | Operation SLIPPER |
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| 26 February - TODAY IN DEFENCE HISTORY 1965: Due to expansion in the Army, 1st Batallion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) splits to form 5 RAR. |
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Concentration the key for Navy exercise
The comprehensive six-week program, which began at the start of February, aims to regenerate Fleet mariner and war fighting skills and will involve assets from the New Zealand Navy and French Naval Forces stationed in the Pacific. During the period a number of exercises will be conducted in waters off Townsville, QLD, and Jervis Bay and Eden on the NSW south coast. FCP-08 is part of ongoing efforts to improve Australian Defence Force capability to protect Australia and its interests. Defence participates in military exercises with the French Armed Forces of New Caledonia and Royal New Zealand Navy each year to help enhance levels of interoperability - all three nations have a common interest in a stable and secure Pacific. More: Imagery |
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| HMAS Newcastle puts best foot forward 25 February - Fifteen enthusiastic crew members of the Royal Australian Navy’s guided missile frigate HMAS Newcastle, will give their sea-legs a rest to spend the next nine days participating in the ‘Great North Walk’. The team is walking from Fleet Base–East at Garden Island in Sydney to Newcastle city, raising funds for the Hunter Orthopaedic School in Newcastle along the way. HMAS Newcastle’s Commanding Officer, Commander Nick Stoker, said the ship’s company is thrilled to be continuing its association with the school. “This is a unique opportunity to take part in an activity that not only raises awareness of the outstanding work being done by the school, but also provides teamwork and fitness opportunities for the ship,” CMDR Stoker said. The Hunter Orthopaedic School provides general schooling and life skills to children with physical and intellectual disabilities from pre-school to Year 12. HMAS Newcastle adopted the school as its official charity after commissioning in 1993 and has contributed each year through donated funds and work projects. |
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| John Williamson heads tour to Solomons 25 February - This week a group of talented Australian entertainers will perform for Aussie soldiers and police serving in the Solomon Islands. In a treat for country music fans, Australian legend John Williamson is teaming up with his daughter Ami Williamson, a successful country music singer/songwriter in her own right, and popular country vocalist and songwriter Nicki Gillis, to deliver a high-energy set of classic and modern country hits. They will be joined by Jed Zard, known on the music scene as a “one man band” for his unique show that involves acoustic guitar, electric guitar and sax. MC duties will be shared by Mike Goldman of Big Brother fame and Tanya Arlidge. This is the tenth morale-boosting “Tour de Force” concert and as usual the entertainers are donating their time and talent free of charge – a long-established tradition that pre-dates the Vietnam War. The ADF’s contribution to the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) is known as Operation ANODE. The deployment, at the invitation of the Solomon Islands Government, aims to ensure the ongoing success of RAMSI in improving law and order in the Solomon Islands. More: Operation ANODE | Forces Entertainment |
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HMAS Glenelg commissions
HMAS Glenelg was commissioned in a ceremony held in Adelaide, during which Glenelg’s commissioning order was read, and the Australian White Ensign and the ship’s commissioning pennant were hoisted for the first time. The ceremony was attended by the Governor of South Australia, His Excellency Rear Admiral K.J Scarce, AO, CSC, RANR; the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral R.E Shalders, AO, CSC, RAN; the Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Nigel Coates, AM, RAN; and dignitaries from the ship’s affiliated town of Glenelg, South Australia. Mrs Dianne Millington, the Naming Lady of Glenelg and daughter of Arthur Brierley, a former crew member of Glenelg 1, was the guest of honour for the commissioning ceremony. HMAS Glenelg will be primarily employed in the important role of border protection, conducting patrols to protect Australia’s fisheries and immigration. She will be one of 10 ACPBs based in Darwin. HMAS Glenelg was purpose-built in Australia, and will be fully interoperable with other government agency units employed on border protection operations. The vessel also offers improved accommodation, email and satellite television connectivity for her crew. More: Imagery |
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| 25 February - TODAY IN DEFENCE HISTORY 1917: 1 ANZAC Corps launched a series of attacks at Le Barque, a pocket of heavy German resistance during the Allied pursuit of the Germans during their retreat to the Hindenburg Line. Most of the village was captured by 26 Feb 1917. Other significant fighting took place at Thilloy, Sunray Trench, and Malt Trench. All these actions continued until 2 Mar 17. 1941: Women's Auxiliary Air Force formed. 1968: 25 Centurion tanks arrived at Vung Tau as the first Australian tanks to see active service since 1945. They were from 1 Armoured Regiment. |
