Defence

Public Service Medal

Outstanding service honoured

On 26 January this year, Australia Day, two exceptional Defence members were awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for ‘outstanding service’. Mr Gary Dowling, Site Commander, Joint Logistics Unit (Victoria) (JLU (V)), based at Puckapunyal, and Dr Paul Taloni, Head Strategic Policy Division (HSP) in Australian Defence Headquarters, both agreed it was an honour to receive the award.

Mr Gary Dowling, Site Commander, Joint Logistics Unit (Victoria), was a PSM recipient.

Mr Dowling, who has worked solely for Defence since 1968 and been a public servant since 1966, said he was honoured and humbled to accept the medal, which was awarded for overseeing the successful transition of the Defence Integrated Distribution System (DIDS) Warehousing, Maintenance and Distribution outsourcing program at Puckapunyal.

“I see this citation as acknowledgment of the hard work of a number of committed personnel and the goodwill displayed by the DIDS staff at Puckapunyal, who collectively, were able to achieve the successful transition of the site,” he said.

“I am particularly proud that, as an organisation, JLU (V) was able to successfully balance the need to maintain critical logistic services while, at the same time, exercise genuine empathy for affected staff throughout the organisation.”

Mr Dowling said that it was only through the invaluable contribution made by the Headquarters Joint Logistics Group (JLG) DIDS National Transition Project Team members, headed up by Brigadier Phil Edwards and Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL) Dean Herbert, that they were able to transition the Puckapunyal site within the prescribed timeline.

“I would like to thank the JLU (V) Senior Management Group and the respective JLU (V) Commanders, Colonel (COL) Alan Beasley, LTCOL Wendie Skill and COL Kevin Packham, JLU (V) Executive Officer’s Noel Murrell and Peter Worsteling, HRM Case Managers Vicky Barbuto, Karen McRae, Jan Bollingmoore, Christine Ryan, Carmel Brennan, Diane Stone and Steve Martin, the outstanding support provided by the DIDS Transition Officer, Andrew Carey, and the specialist materiel maintenance guidance given by Peter Townsend, Phil Peers and Geoff McPherson and, importantly, JLU (V) staff across the Bandiana, Hobart and Puckapunyal sites.

“I would also like to acknowledge the local Member of Parliament, Fran Bailey MP, who, through the support of the Federal Government’s Regional and Rural Australia Policy, was instrumental in ensuring Puckapunyal DIDS affected Australian Public Service and Serco-Sodexho Hire of Labour staff were provided alternative employment opportunities with the successful DIDS contractor,” he said.

“At the same time it would be remiss of me not to also express JLU (V)’s appreciation for the level of understanding and patience displayed by our dependency units during what were, at the time and continue to be, challenging service delivery demands.”

Mr Dowling said his main priorities for 2007 were to work with Commonwealth staff and contractors to continue to improve service delivery to dependencies, given that, “Puckapunyal is an extremely important base in terms of military training. As logistics enablers, we need to ensure that through our actions and performance, we support critical training in a timely and efficient manner.”

Dr Paul Taloni, Head Strategic Policy, was recently awarded a PSM.

HSP, Dr Paul Taloni, was advised in mid-December last year that the Governor-General had approved his award for outstanding public service as Deputy Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO).

His citation reads in part:

‘As Deputy Director of DIO, Dr Taloni made a major contribution to the standing and reputation of the organisation that led to DIO’s intelligence assessment gaining greater influence with the Minister for Defence, the government, senior defence customers and the Australian Intelligence Community. He initiated a range of sophisticated intelligence policy and structural improvements supporting Australian Defence Force (ADF) deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan that enabled DIO to deliver more timely intelligence advice to a wider command audience’.

Dr Taloni said he felt a mixture of surprise, delight and humility when he learnt that he was being considered for the PSM.

“It came right out of the blue; totally unexpected. I guess that one or two individuals in DIO knew of my nomination, but they’re pretty good at keeping secrets in that place,” he said.

“The provision of intelligence assessment to support the decision makers and our deployed forces requires the collective effort of many individuals and teams. This award recognises the significant contribution made by all of those working in DIO. The reputation of an organisation necessarily extends beyond the individual.”

Following the completion of his PhD in the late eighties, Dr Taloni was employed as a Research Physicist under contract to NASA and British Aerospace, working in the fields of experimental hypersonics, laser diagnostics, molecular spectroscopy and computational fluid dynamics.

“I joined Defence as a Research Scientist with the Central Studies Establishment in 1991, working on the operational effectiveness of combat and weapon systems, the development of high frequency and microwave radar technologies, and Defence’s intelligence capabilities. It was significantly different from my academic experience,” he said.

While Dr Taloni was only appointed to HSP on 4 December last year, this is not his first position in strategy or policy.

“I worked in the former Force Development and Analysis (FDA), Strategic Policy and Plans (SPP) and Strategic and International Policy (SIP) Divisions,” he said.

As Assistant Secretary Asia in International Policy Division, Dr Taloni was responsible for the development of defence and security policy with respect to Australia’s defence engagement with the nations of North and South Asia, Indochina, South East Asia and East Timor.

As HSP, Dr Taloni said that, “The principal function of strategic policy is to inform and support decision making at the strategic level. It’s a business, ultimately grounded in the pragmatic, encapsulating the approach the government takes to security. In that context, strategic policy must provide the basis for practical planning and resource allocation.

“The people working in strategic policy operate in an ambiguous environment, often with inadequate information and limited time. They are paid not only to think, but also to make judgements, establish priorities and recommend courses of action.

“My priority is to cultivate a Division that is seen as essential and value-adding and which attracts the best of our civilian and service officers.”

Compiled by Alisha Welch, Editor, Defence magazine, Corporate Governance and Renewal Branch, ADHQ.

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