Acting Principal CDSS
Mr Geoff Peterson
Geoff was born in Bendigo, Australia in 1957. He received his secondary school education at Bendigo High School. In January 1976 he joined the Australian Army and entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon. In 1979 he was commissioned into the Australian Intelligence Corps and served his initial regimental training with the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. He then held a series of intelligence postings in combat units and at the strategic level, including postings with the 1st Division Intelligence unit, Headquarters British Forces in Hong Kong, and the Defence Intelligence Organisation.
In 1990 he served as the Secretary to the Chief of Army's Senior Advisory Committee and other senior Army committees. In 1991 Geoff attended the Australian Army Command and Staff College and subsequently commanded the 1st Division Intelligence Company. During that posting he also served as the SO2 Operations/Intelligence on the Australian Force Headquarters in Somalia. From 1993 to 1995 he was the J2 (senior intelligence staff officer) of 1 Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters.
In 1996 Geoff graduated from the Joint Services Staff College at Weston Creek. He subsequently worked as a Senior Exercise planner on the Joint Exercise Planning Staff. In 1997 he commanded the School of Military Intelligence. On completion of that posting he undertook further language training in Mandarin Chinese prior to his promotion to Colonel and his appointment as the Defence Attache in the People's Republic of China (1999-2001). In 2002 - 2003 Geoff was the Director of Force Structure in Army Headquarters. In 2004 he graduated from the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS) and subsequently served as a Directing Staff at CDSS. In 2007 Geoff joined the Australian Public Service and is currently the Director of Curriculum Development at CDSS.
In 2005 Geoff was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his service as Defence Attache Beijing and Director Force Structure - Army.
Geoff is married to Alicia who is a teacher. They are blessed with three children: Steven (25), Anna (23) and Michael (14). He enjoys most sports, especially tennis, volleyball, and Australian Rules football. Other interests include bush walking, reading and philately.
Commandant ACSC
Commodore R. T. Menhinick, AM, CSC, RAN
Commodore Richard Menhinick was educated in Sydney and joined the Royal Australian Navy in January 1976 as a Junior Entry Cadet Midshipman. After graduating from Naval College in 1980 he specialised as a seaman officer and undertook practical sea-training. In 1983, he was posted as Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Tasmania, in Hobart. Various courses and postings to ships followed where he was an Assistant Principal Warfare Officer and Air Intercept Controller.
In 1987 he undertook the Principal Warfare Officer’s course, before graduating as a Direction (Air Warfare/ Combat Systems specialist) officer. He then served on exchange at sea in the Royal Navy in the destroyer HMS Cardiff, including a deployment to the Persian Gulf as part of the “Armilla Patrol” monitoring Iran and Iraq. On return to Australia he was posted to HMAS Brisbane as Direction Officer and served in her during the 1990/91 Gulf War. After this he spent two years as Fleet Direction Officer, prior to being appointed as Executive Officer of the destroyer HMAS Hobart.
Subsequent postings included Head of the Operational Design Group at the Navy Combat Data System Centre where he established the ADF Tactical Data Link Authority; Deputy Director Surface Warfare Development in Capability Development Group; Commissioning Commanding Officer HMAS Warramunga; Director of the Sea Power Centre, Australia; Commanding Officer HMAS Anzac; Chief of Staff to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force/Commander Joint Operations; Director General Military Strategy in Strategic Policy Division; Director General Navy Transformation & Innovation, responsible for facilitating the New Generation Navy; Commander of the Combined Task Force 150 in the Middle East Area of Operations; and Commandant of the Australian Command and Staff College.
Commodore Menhinick is married to Michelle. They have three children. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in International Relations and Strategic Studies, and a Master’s Degree in Maritime Studies. His 2005 Master’s Thesis ‘Sea Control and Maritime Power Projection for Australia’ was selected for publication by the University of Wollongong. He has also had a number of speeches and articles published in professional journals. His sporting interests are many and varied including snow skiing, squash, golf, cricket, rugby league and union, cycling and motor racing. Golf is played rarely and badly, but with eternal optimism.
Awards:
1980 Jubilee Year Memorial Sword - Dux of the junior officer’s fleet board;
1983 Royal Australian Naval College Medal - academic achievement;
1987 Sydney-Emden Prize - Dux RAN PWO Course 6;
1991 Commendation for Distinguished Service – First Gulf War;
1991 Meritorious Unit Citation – HMAS Brisbane First Gulf War;
2000 Conspicuous Service Cross – Capability Development;
2012 Member of the Order of Australia – New Generation Navy and Australian Command & Staff College.
Commandant ADFA
COMMODORE Bruce Kafer AM, CSC, RAN
Commodore Bruce Kafer joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Cadet Midshipman in 1977. After initial seaman officer training he specialised in hydrographic surveying and, on completion of his basic survey course, served in hydrographic survey ships of the RAN and Royal Navy.
Highlights of Commodore Kafer’s seagoing career have been his commands of the RAN survey ships HMAS FLINDERS and HMAS LEEUWIN, and his two-year exchange posting with the Royal Navy. He also saw active service in the Persian Gulf on two occasions: initially during the Iran/Iraq war, when he participated in mine clearance operations whilst with the Royal Navy; and in 2008-09, when he had command of two coalition maritime task forces (Combined Task Forces 158 and 152) responsible for security and interception operations in the Gulf.
Commodore Kafer has also had a variety of senior staff appointments ashore. He served for four years as Hydrographer of Australia and Commander of the RAN’s Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Force Element Group. More recently he was the Chief, Combat Support Group in Fleet Headquarters. In December 2009 he assumed duties as Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy.
In 2005 Commodore Kafer was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for services to hydrography, and in 2008 he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his services as Chief, Combat Support Group.
Commodore Kafer is married to Geraldine; they have two adult sons.
Director CDLE
Mr Jamie Cullens
Jamie Cullens was appointed as the first Director of the Centre for Defence Leadership and Ethics in 2002. Served in Infantry after graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1976. His career consisted of regimental, staff and training postings and included a posting with the US Army's Rapid Deployment Force. He saw operational service in Kashmir with the United Nations and in Panama with US forces; attended Army Command and Staff College in 1988; and, commanded the Northwest Mobile Force (NORFORCE) in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley in 1994 - 95.
He joined the Rio Tinto resources group in a management role in 1996 and worked in the areas of mine production, business improvement, environmental management, safety, community relations and Native Title, mainly on Cape York, until 2001.
Jamie holds BA (UNSW) and Masters (UNSW) degrees and a Graduate Diploma in Management. Other interests include struggling through triathlons, reading, red wine, Northern Australia, Italy and (watching) rugby union.
He is the 2008 Secretary of Defence Scholar and is studying in the field of military ethics. March 2008.
