Defence

Personnel

Improvements all round in Cadets

Cadet Under Officer Ryan Turner takes flight.
Photo by COU Ryan Turner

It’s been a big year for the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) with a host of improvements to every part of the organisation. Gai Brodtmann reports.

When members of the Cadet Policy Branch raise their glasses on 31 December they can toast a year of tangible achievements, along with their good health.

Cadet and cadet staff training has been improved. One hundred and seventy units have seen their accommodation remediated or rebuilt. Programs have been introduced to improve Indigenous participation and the cadet recruitment experience. The management and support of a number of business arms has been transferred to the Services and Groups. As well, all the Military Justice Inquiry recommendations have been implemented.

“Our aim is to become the premier youth development organisation in Australia,” said Major General (MAJGEN)Mick Fairweather, Head Cadet Policy.

“That can only be done by providing cadets and cadet staff with a fun, challenging, safe, military-like experience.

“This year has been all about enhancing every part of the Australian Defence Force Cadets so our 22 000 cadets and about 2100 cadet staff have that experience.”

Improved military-like experience

One of the major achievements of the year has been the progress made on providing more military-like opportunities to cadets and cadet staff.

“Young Australians join cadets because they want to be part of a military-like environment. Since my appointment at the beginning of this year I’ve been looking at ways to enhance those experiences,” said MAJGEN Fairweather.

“We’re currently exploring ways to improve cadet access to a wider range of firearms and training, and a Cadet Steering Group-endorsed policy is now with the Attorney-General’s Department for review to ensure consistency with the National Firearms Agreement.

“We are also examining ways to simplify cadet staff training to conduct .22 shoots at civilian ranges. And we have rolled out a register to record details of all cadet firearms, based on a prototype we recently tested in response to a Management Audit Branch review.”

Next year, Navy, Army and Air Force cadets will also take part in the Chief of the Defence Force Challenge, the first since 2002.

“The challenge came out of this year’s Senior Cadets Tri-Service Forum and will test leadership, fitness, navigation, firearms handling, problem solving, drill and teamwork skills,” said MAJGEN Fairweather.

Continuing access to significant military sites has also been an outcome of 2006.

“This year we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Returned and Services League (RSL) to continue to share funding for the Cadet of the Year scheme. Under the scheme, each RSL State and Territory branch nominates one to three high achieving cadets to take part in an international tour of significant military sites every year. Participating cadets and cadet staff get a lot out of these tours - for some it has been a life-changing experience.”

Improved recruitment experience

2006 has also seen significant progress on access to specifically tailored cadet recruitment tools.

“Cadets have different information needs. They are already familiar with and interested in the Services, so we have been working with Defence Force Recruiting (DFR) to develop tools that give cadets a better understanding of the Australian Defence Force experience. Now DFR treats cadets as a preferred customer,” said MAJGEN Fairweather.

“We’ve also been working with DFR to improve their understanding of the depth and breadth of the cadet experience, so recruiters will have a good understanding of the skills cadets bring to the recruitment table.”

Improved health and wellbeing

Over the course of the year, the Cadet Policy Branch has also introduced a plethora of programs and initiatives to improve the safety, relevance and timeliness of the cadet and cadet staff experience and training.

“We’ve introduced psychological profiling of new cadet staff, a wellbeing program to build resilience in cadets and produced a youth development guide to provide cadet staff with strategies and tools to develop and empower cadets. The guide offers an insight into how and what Generation Y thinks and what they need to realise their potential,” said MAJGEN Fairweather.

“Earlier this year we amended the Cadet Forces Regulations, in consultation with Navy, Army and Air Force, to clearly define the nature of the relationship between Defence and cadet staff and cadets, and our expectations. This was a key recommendation of the Military Justice Inquiry.

“We also initiated a number of reviews to ensure our policies are in keeping with international and national standards and remain relevant and user-friendly.

“Earlier this year we appointed youth human rights expert, Jenni Whelan, to look at a number of Cadet Enhancement Program initiatives to ensure they comply with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“We also launched a review of our two year old Behaviour Policy and child protection policies to assess perceptions of the current policy and its effectiveness.”

Improved accommodation

For MAJGEN Fairweather, one of the significant achievements of 2006 has been the culmination of a three year program to remediate or rebuild more than 170 cadet units throughout Australia to ensure they comply with health and safety and building code standards.

“Accommodation improvements may not get the pulse racing, but when you think about the implications for our cadets and cadet staff, now and in the future, our program is a major achievement and one of which we are very proud. We’ve been working closely with the Defence Support Group on our program and achieved exceptional results,” he said.

“Quality accommodation supported by quality infrastructure is crucial to improving cadet participation, particularly by regional, remote and Indigenous cadets.”

Improved role in the community

According to MAJGEN Fairweather, the ADFC plays an important role in local communities and over this year the Cadet Policy Branch has continued to strengthen its relationship with the community.

“We recently entered into a community partnership program with Transfield Services that will provide cadets with an invaluable opportunity to gain work, technical and life skills in their hometown. The program opens up all sorts of options, particularly for apprenticeships, traineeships and careers in the ADF.

“In December this year we are also hosting a workshop to explore ways to improve Indigenous participation in cadets in northern Australia. The Commanding Officers from Norforce, the Pilbara Regiment and 51^st Far North Queensland Regiment, Navy, Army and Air Force representatives, as well as members of the Cadet Policy Branch will look at a variety of mechanisms to improve our support to Indigenous communities in remote regions. Placing purpose-built facilities on Defence bases is central to this.”

Improved Defence management

2006 also saw a shift in the way the ADFC is supported by the Services and Groups.

“This year has been about embedding the support of the ADFC into the Services and Groups,” said MAJGEN Fairweather.

“Over the course of the year, our information technology management, support and help desk functions were been transferred to the Chief Information Officer Group and cadet accommodation management has been transferred to the Defence Support Group and each of the Services.”

Big year

The year has been marked by a number of improvements to the cadet and cadet staff experience.

“It’s been a good year because we have finalised a number of outstanding issues, and introduced a range of new programs, policies and initiatives,” said MAJGEN Fairweather.

“I think we are tracking well to becoming the premier youth development organisation in Australia, and look forward to the opportunities promised by 2007.”

[ top of page ]