More Defence news: 24 August 2009 - 30 August 2009

Tongan Royalty visits Queensland | Last Vietnam Veterans to return home | High Court decision on Australian Military Court | Australians chalk one up for education in Tarin Kowt | Insurgent commander killed in Uruzgan Province | Next generation training for ADF pilots | Regional launch of Going Solo

Tongan Royalty visits Queensland

28 August - His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Tonga HRH Tupouto‘a Lavaka, has visited the Army Community Assistant Program (AACP) in Mapoon, Queensland to view the works being conducted by Tongan Defence Personnel attached as part of the AACAP Contingent.

AACAP has offered the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Army and the Tongan Defence Service (TDS) through positive international engagement.

The TDS has contributed 10 tradesmen (including carpenters, plumbers and electricians) to work alongside Army tradesman to complete the AACAP vertical construction task—involving the completion of three houses for community members.

The infrastructure work in Mapoon also includes the construction of several three-bedroom houses, the upgrade and sealing of a main community road, and the maintenance of community septic systems.

As well as construction projects, AACAP members also regularly engage with the local population, including children from the Mapoon Campus of Western Cape College.

Every Friday is fun Friday for the students, as they take part in activities promoting healthy bodies and exercise, good food, healthy cooking, sun safety and personal hygiene.

The final deliverable of AACAP is an employability skills program focusing on trade training, which is also aimed at developing literacy, numeracy, leadership and multimedia skills.  On completion, the community trainees will receive a nationally-recognised construction certificate.

More: Media release | AACAP program homepage | Image gallery | Image gallery 2

Last Vietnam Veterans to return home

27 August - Australia’s last missing Australian Defence Members from the Vietnam War are being repatriated to Australia, 39 years after going missing in thick jungle following a bombing mission.

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, the Hon. Greg Combet, said the remains Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver will be escorted home by family and former members of 2 Squadron.

“The official party will depart Canberra later this week, travelling to Hanoi where Flying Officer Herbert and Pilot Officer Carver’s remains will be formally handed over and a departure ceremony will be conducted on 30 August,” Mr Combet said.

They will be accompanied by Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin and some of Flying Officer Herbert and Pilot Officer Carver’s former 2 Squadron comrades. 

“Family members and representatives will lay wreaths and Flying Officer Herbert and Pilot Officer Carver’s former 2SQN comrades will provide a guard of honour and then escort them home,” Mr Combet said.

“Flying Officer Herbert and Pilot Officer Carver of 2SQN were lost when their aircraft went missing on 3 November 1970 following a bombing mission.   The wreckage was located in thick jungle in an extremely rugged, remote and sparsely populated area of Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, near the Laotian border.”

A repatriation ceremony will be held at RAAF Base Richmond, NSW on Monday 31 August commencing at 10.30 am. Members of the public and the veteran community are welcome to attend.

More: Media release | Image gallery | Video | Images and Bio | Audio grabs

High Court decision on Australian Military Court

27 August - The High Court of Australia has handed down its decision in the case of Lane v Morrison, finding that the provisions of the Defence Force Discipline Act establishing the Australian Military Court (AMC) were invalid.
The High Court unanimously found that the provisions of the Defence Force Discipline Act establishing the AMC were invalid, because the AMC was exercising the judicial power of the Commonwealth but did not meet the requirements of Chapter III of the Constitution.
The Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, said the Government respected the Court’s decision and will move military justice to a judicial system that meets the requirements of Chapter III of the Constitution.

As an interim measure, the Government will reinstate, by legislation, the pre-2007 military justice machinery to give Defence a level of certainty in military justice matters.
Under the AMC, military judges presided over cases and operated outside the chain of command.  However the AMC stopped short of meeting Chapter III requirements such as those governing the appointment and tenure of judges.
“The Senate Committee had recommended a Chapter III court with oversight by the Attorney-General, and greater independence from the military. The legislation establishing the AMC fell short of these recommendations,” Senator Faulkner said.
 “The Government will review the High Court’s decision carefully and consider alternative models for establishing the jurisdiction in a Chapter III court. I will work closely with the Attorney-General given his responsibilities in this area.”

Reinstating the military justice machinery which pre-existed the establishment of the AMC will allow time for options which meet the requirements of Chapter III to be developed and legislation introduced. The system, which involves trials by court martial and Defence Force magistrates, will be reinstated only on a temporary basis.
The Government will also examine the implications of the decision for past and current cases, and take any necessary action to ensure the validity of past sentences and to minimise disruption to ongoing cases.

More: Media Release

Australians chalk one up for education in Tarin Kowt

The Governor of Uruzgan province, Assadullah Hamdam, has thanked Australian Army engineers for their efforts in refurbishing the Tarin Kowt Boy’s School.

Governor Hamdam said that education was important for the future of his country and its people.

“It’s important that people get an education, so by education we know the difference between good and bad,” Governor Hamdam said.

The original school has been refurbished as well as the construction of a new building containing 21 additional classrooms. The development also includes complete site services, new ablutions, a generator, and a new septic system and water tower.

Uruzgan Director of Education, Malem Rahmattulah Khan, stressed the importance of such facilities.

“Education is like the eyes of the human, if a man does not have eyes then he doesn’t know where he’s going,” Mr Khan said.

More: Media Release | Image Gallery

Insurgent commander killed in Uruzgan Province

Insurgent commander Mullah Abdul Karim and several other insurgents have been killed by Australian forces operating in Southern Afghanistan.

Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Mark Evans said the operation on Monday 10 August was an important and positive development in enhancing the security and stability in the region.

“Mullah Karim was killed during an operation directed against the insurgent network of improvised explosive device operators in Uruzgan Province,” Lieutenant General Evans said.

“Mullah Karim was a tactical-level insurgent commander active in the Khaz Uruzgan area and known to be directly responsible for numerous attacks against Australian and Afghan forces.
“He was also heavily involved in insurgent recruitment in the area and was responsible for the frequent harassment of, and threats against, the local population during the lead-up to the elections.

“This operation, combined with the recent capture of four other key insurgent leaders, is a very positive development and will greatly assist the Afghan government in securing the province.”

More: Media Release

Next generation training for ADF pilots

A new Pilot Training System that will enhance the Australian Defence Force’s ability to train highly qualified and skilled pilots to operate its next generation of airborne capabilities has been given first pass approval.

The Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, said that throughout the coming decade the ADF plans to replace almost all of its airborne assets with the latest generation aircraft, requiring a greater number of pilots with more advanced skill-sets.

“That replacement program will include fixed-wing new air combat aircraft to be flown by Air Force pilots and new naval aviation and troop-lift helicopters to be flown by Navy and Army pilots,” Senator Faulkner said.

Senator Faulkner said that the Defence Capability Plan 2009, which was released on 1 July 2009, includes the replacement of the existing ADF pilot training system with a more efficient and modern one.

The new system will provide student pilots with the necessary training and qualifications, including theory and flight experience, to enable them to become pilots in the Navy, Army and Air Force.

“The Government will make a final decision about the new Pilot Training System model in the period 2012-13 to 2014-15,” Senator Faulkner said.

“The new system will enter service in the 2015 to 2017 timeframe.”

More: Media Release | Image Gallery

Regional launch of Going Solo

24 August - The DVD Going Solo – Dealing with Absence in Defence Families was recently launched in Brisbane to help Australian Defence Force families better manage the challenges of a family member’s absence from home.

Commander of 1st Division, Major General Mick Slater, hosted the regional launch of the new DVD and said it will help better equip families for a member’s absence.

“Members of all three Services are often required to be away from home, not just on operational service, but also for training, and exercises,” Major General Slater said.

The Going Solo DVD includes the perspectives of a number of ADF families who have shared their experiences and ideas of how to manage and remain connected during the absence of a parent.

More: Media release