19 June 2009
Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program visits HMAS Stirling

The 2009 Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program (ADFPP) is an initiative that gives Senators and Members of Parliament a taste of what it is like to serve in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The ADFPP provides a unique opportunity for parliamentarians to gain a more fully informed appreciation of the ADF.

Since its inception in 2001, 83 parliamentarians have participated in the program, gaining a unique and often intimate first hand experience of the challenges of service life, as well as a broader understanding of the capabilities of the ADF.

Parliamentarians are offered a number of ADF attachment options each calendar year, programmed during the Autumn and Winter recesses.

Twenty different attachment options are programmed for this year, including five Operational areas ranging from the Middle East to the Solomons.

Other options include opportunities to participate in the Special Air Service Regiment Selection Course, undertake a sea ride in a Collins Class Submarine, and spend a week at the RAAF’s largest operational base at Amberley, which is the home of the F-111 and the RAAF’s newest aircraft, the C-17 Globemaster.

In 2003 an exchange element was introduced which involved attaching ADF members to a parliamentarian’s office at Parliament House during a sitting week.

“This enables our future Defence leaders to have a greater understanding of the environment in which our elected officials operate. The mutual understanding achieved through this aspect of the Program cannot be overstated” Dr Kelly said.