Media Release

East Timor bound troops will be among the 157 cadets who will graduate as officers from the Royal Military College Duntroon on Tuesday, December 14.

The graduating class will include cadets from the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, the New Zealand Army, the Thai Military Forces and the Royal Fijian Military Forces.

The graduation parade, starting at 9.40 a.m, will be reviewed by the Governor General, Sir William Deane.

Federal and local politicians, local dignitaries, diplomats and senior ranking military officers will attend the graduating ceremony.

Newly appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College, Brigadier Maurie McNarn, says he is particularly pleased to be returning to RMC at a time when many fine young men and women are achieving such significant goals. "Quite a number of these graduates will be in East Timor within a month and they are all looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity of getting operational experience" he says.

Since training commenced in 1911, some 6075 officers have graduated from the Royal Military College and have served throughout the world both in conflict and peacekeeping operations.

Media please note: Access to the parade ground is from the "Drillies Dungeon". Traffic Marshals will direct you to this area.

A number of the graduating cadets who will be deployed to East Timor will be available for interview immediately following the parade.

For more details contact:

The Drill Wing Sergeant Major,

Warrant Officer Alan Cunningham on (02) 6265 9875.

Warrant Officer Class One
Kevin Noon on (02) 6265 9539

Issued by the Defence Public Affairs Organisation, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600

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