Defence

General Orders

What does 2005 mean for the ADF?

 

Gen Peter Cosgrove, Chief of the Defence Force

It has certainly been a busy start to the year. I want to thank everyone who has been involved in Operation Sumatra Assist and Operation Thai Assist. The scale of the natural disaster that hit our region late last year and devastated some of our neighbours is almost beyond imagination.

Certainly in all my years of service I have never encountered such human tragedy so close to our shores. I am very proud of the way in which Defence quickly responded to this disaster.

Within hours, we became a vital part of Australia's national relief effort. I appreciate that many ADF members returned from leave in order to help. I thank you for your tireless efforts, your dedication and your incredible compassion.

I also want to commend the professionalism of SECDET soldiers on Operation Catalyst who were involved in a number of incidents in the lead up to the election in Iraq last month. These incidents serve to remind us that we must be constantly vigilant when it comes to the protection and safety of our people on operations.

As we start a new year, it is timely to look ahead and to state my priorities for the ADF for the next 12 months.

First, I would like to emphasise the importance of accountability and personal responsibility. The challenges today of leadership and command are much broader than just war-fighting. Defence's annual report for 2003-2004 showed that although the ADF had conducted a number of very successful operations we had some serious shortcomings.

The military, and Defence more generally, has to get better at managing all aspects of our force, including financial management, stock taking and management of information that enters Defence's databases. I expect leaders and key staff officers to meet their administrative management responsibilities.

These are not secondary to our operations - they are an essential part of our military activities. Getting the administration sorted out today is the basis for timely, successful deployments in the future in which soldiers, sailors and air men and women have been given the rest, equipment, training and briefings necessary to do their jobs effectively.

Leaders and key staff officers also need to ensure that they provide accurate, consistent, accountable and timely information and advice to Government.

Increasingly, this means liaising and coordinating with other areas within Defence and with other Government departments.

The quality of advice up and preparatory administration down is our business, so let's all get on to it.

As always, the ADF's core responsibility is to provide support to, and protection of, force elements on operations.

As I said earlier, it is critical that we support and protect those who are in harm's way. This will always be my highest priority as CDF.

This year I also want the ADF command structure to focus on driving the cultural and virtual collocation of staff and processes in advance of the Headquarters Australian Theatre move to Bungendore, in order to start enhancing our command and control effectiveness. In addition, CJOPS Vice Admiral Russ Shalders will be responsible for forming the Joint Offshore Protection Command to strengthen Australia's offshore maritime security.

This command will be capable of conducting routine surveillance and law enforcement under the direction of CEO Customs and, as required, be able to transition immediately and concurrently to wholly military operations under my direction.

I also expect a rigorous focus and drive towards the delivery of the Defence Capability Plan. Our success in the future depends on our ability to develop and maintain a highly capable and flexible joint force able to provide the Government with a broad range of options.

CCDG Lieutenant General David Hurley and CEO DMO Dr Stephen Gumley are at the forefront of this. They and their respective organisations are working together to ensure that governments of the future can rely on Defence to defeat conventional or asymmetric threats.

My final priority is to enhance our focus on recruiting future service men and women. Australia's demographics are changing. In the next decade, we will be competing for a group of school-leavers who represent a smaller percentage of the population than they do today. Competition for these potential recruits will be more intense so we need to think and act creatively about this issue now. HDPE Rear Admiral Brian Adams is developing business cases, in consultation with the single Services, to maintain a Defence status as a leading employer.

I expect that 2005 will be another exciting and challenging year for Defence. We will have some valuable work to do. I look to you for your support in making my priorities for this year come to fruition so that we can build a stronger, more effective organisation.

[ top of page ]