Letters to the Editor

Prayerful support

Once again the men and women of the ADF have been called upon to fulfill their vocation and respond to the call of duty.

I and my Chaplains take this opportunity to assure you of our wholehearted affirmation and prayerful support.

We know you well and deem it a great privilege to serve you and your families as best we can and as circumstances allow. We are proud of you as you join in the active endeavour to combat and overcome injustice and terrorism.

We pray earnestly for your success and that you will help to achieve lasting peace for our troubled times.
May the Good Lord protect you one and all and bring you safely and quickly home to your loved ones.
Bishop George Mayne
Catholic Bishop of the ADF

Save some money

Wouldn’t it be clever to put the daily Defence News Summary on the Defweb Home page with it’s own icon, so everyone can see it and we don’t have to fax it all over the country. There is even the likelihood of saving money with reduced faxing and photocopying.
Maj Andreas Scheidl
AUSBATT VII
East Timor

Looking for a photo

I’m hoping to locate someone who might have kept their recruit photo back in 1968 at 1RTB Kapooka.

My platoon, 17 Pl, marched-in October 1968 and marched-out in December 1968. I’m hoping someone might read your newspaper and have kept theirs. I’m willing to pay to have it photocopied and pay freight chares.
Keith Carter
40 Raylee Ave, Nambour QLD 4560
Ph: (07) 5441 2835

Sport, play it at your peril

I write this letter seeking clarification on the ADF Sports Council’s (ADFSC) rulings on ‘inappropriate sports’.

I understand that the sports deemed inappropriate were done so upon advice from the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS). However I believe that the ADFSC needs to be have more detailed discussions with AGS to correctly determine ‘inappropriate sports’ commensurate with this century.

Some examples of ‘inappropriate sports’ none-the-less represented by Defence, are motor cycle racing ocean yacht racing, abseiling and rock climbing.

First, motor cycle racing. I am sure all have read of the exploits of Team Army, a racing team displaying the Army logo.
One might suggest these guys are safer on the track, in a controlled environment, wearing all the required protective clothing, than they are on their personal bikes riding to and from work in an uncontrolled environment!

Second, yacht racing. I wonder what the ADF Sailing Association (ADFSA) has to say about their sport being deemed inappropriate. I read with interest that this sport ‘develops self confidence, leadership, and team skills while working in a demanding environment’.

Surely these are qualities that are advantageous to the Defence force.

Finally, abseiling and rock climbing.

The Defence force has gone to a lot of expense to establish an Adventurous Training Wing, to qualify Unit Adventurous Team Leaders (UATL’s) with the view to return to their respective unit and ‘prepare for adversity through challenge’.

It should be understood that with the operational tempo of the Defence force these days some of these UATL’s undertake these activities in there own time, obviously this must benefit the Defence, as many UATL’s become ‘un-recent’ thus wasting the time and money that has been invested in them.

Now for some ‘appropriate sports’. Lawn Bowls. Tenpin bowling. Golf.
Surely all sports could be appropriate provided they are risk managed adequately, and meet the requirements stipulated in DI(G) Pers 14-2.

We are told that our Risk Management system is world class, so why not use it?

Soldiers by nature are an adventurous bunch, or the majority of us wouldn’t be here. The Army places great emphasis on adventurous training, and taking us out of our comfort zone.

They should be encouraging these activities, not washing their hands of them.

Let’s get with the times, use the tools we have in place, and enjoy our sport, whatever it is.

Remember, the Army, the edge?
Sgt P. Cooke
5 Avn Regt
RAAF Base Townsville, QLD

Is there a freeze?

In late 2000 I discharged from the ARA and transferred to the GRES. In December 2002, I decided that I still loved the type of life the Army offered. So I place in an application to transfer back into the ARA and that would be that – boy, was I wrong.

After a four-month bitter custody battle between my unit and SCMA, my unit who wanted me to fill their ranks as a ARA soldier and SCMA who said it was in the best interest the corps and my career that I should go to the School of Armour. Well in the end, SCMA won out and I was Pucka-bound, which I don’t mind – or so I thought.

I was told that my offer of enlistment would be on its way so I sat back and waited for it to arrive. I rang SCMA approximately seven days later to inquire how far away it was – it was then I was informed that a freeze had been placed on re-enlistment into the ARA due to the quota being met and being exceeded already for this quarter.

SCMA informed me that they did not know about the freeze until they sent my paperwork downstairs. Why only now, in late February, was I informed of this freeze when I placed my application for re-enlistment in December that one I can not work out.
For the life of me I can’t see how one section at SCMA doesn’t talk to another section or let alone inform some one what is going on, for the sake of sanity they all work in the same building so why wasn’t this information passed on?

Isn’t there a weekly conference and conference points passed on through the great and holy e-mail, which we all know works well too well some times.

Why is there a freeze? We all know the Army is short of experienced personnel. I know for a fact that the School of Armour is 12 sergeant instructors short (that is why I had to go there) and if they don’t get the staff, the training conducted at the SOA would suffer – well, that is what SCMA told me and they wouldn’t lie, would they?

This letter may ruffle some feathers in some areas but at this stage I’m a little passed caring.

My unit has done all they can to accommodate me and the amount of hours spent trying to get answers to no avail astounds me.

The thing that I can not understand is why my paper work sat on a desk while this custody battle went on with my unit and SCMA.

Can someone please answer my questions? Why is there a freeze on re-enlistments and why it takes so long to get back into the ARA? What happened to the One Army policy?
Sgt R. Jackson
Combat Training Centre (Live)

Lt-Col Peter Short, SO1 Career Management Group SCMA, responds:

Army is not subject to any recruiting freeze. Army HQ establish recruiting targets for both Defence Force Recruiting and SCMA based upon workforce planning analysis.

The trade-based targets inform the recruiting agencies where vacancies exist for recruits to ARTC and qualified reservists and ex-serving members to immediate employment.

Quite simply, we cannot offer enlistment to ex-members where vacancies do not exist. The term ‘freeze’ was used by a new staff member still coming to terms with the multitude of personnel policy. The term is inappropriate in this situation.

In this case, the author had been employed on full-time service at a unit that had no ARA vacancy for his rank and trade at his time of enlistment. School of Armour, at the same time of consideration had 12 out of 42 SGT positions vacant.

The impact on RAAC training and impost on current School of Armour staff far outweighed any service benefit to be gained by leaving the author surplus in his current unit. The deliberation over posting locality occurred within a week and was in accord of prescribed AHQ staffing policies. An offer to transfer was extended to the author based upon service needs. The author was under no obligation to accept.

The process for transfer and re-enlistment involve a number of organisations, being Defence Force Recruiting (re-enlistments), APAs and Units (transfers), Trade Advisers and SCMA (Enlistment Cell and career managers).

DFR/APAs/units and SCMA enlistment staff are responsible for ensuring administrative completeness and enlistment suitability while the TA provides subject matter advice on the applicant’s suitability to retain rank and qualifications.
Career managers assist the TA’s and develop career plans. Delays can occur during any of these steps and are often the result of incomplete information to assess enlistment and employment suitability.

The author’s application was received at SCMA in mid-December with a transfer offer sent in mid-March. While three months is not unusual, and noting the Christmas BRL staff absences, SCMA agrees the process time for lateral entry to the ARA is, generally, too long.

For this reason, CO SCMA directed, at the beginning of the year, a review to identify initiatives that would reduce some of the delays associated with transfer/re-enlistment to the ARA.

Lasting memories

As a recently retired member of the ADF and a 25-year member of the AACC I had the honour and distinct pleasure of witnessing the presentation of the Govenor General’s Banner to the AACC on Saturday, March 8, (our 60th year) at Gallipoli Barracks, Enogerra.

To the organiser, Maj John Walpole, his staff and members of the ALTC, ADF School of Catering, Corps members from across Australia, the AAB-Brisbane and all those retired members that took the time to turn out, many thanks for providing lasting memories of a great weekend.

The opportunity to witness Corps members, new and old, on parade is a sight that stands the hair on the back of the neck. The professionalism, cameraderie and esprit d’corps was a delight to see.

I personally met ex-serving members I had not seen, in some cases for 25 years, and others for shorter times, I met some students I had taught, soldiers, their wives and officers I had served with in many locations across Australia all having a great time recalling good times passed.

To the Comdt ALTC (Corps Director), RSM WO1 Peter Seely and all Corps members serving and retired, congratulations on 60 years of sustaining an ever-changing Army.

We Sustain – even in retirement.
WO2 P.M.Gould (rtd)
CSI-RMV
Nth Bandiana, Victoria

A snub and a response

In reply to Sgt Holder’s letter ‘Recognition slug’ in the March 13 edition of Army, I’d like to make the following comment:

Well done to Ken Thornton for espousing the virtues of DHA and then backing his restatement of DHA role, mission, policy and vision with statistics.

Mr Thornton has only succeeded in providing the staff of DHA with performance appraisal, or legitimising his own role, instead of addressing the concerns of what I would assume DHA would see as a ‘customer’.

In reading Sgt Holder’s letter, I count two questions that require clarification by DHA and one statement that may or may not be true.

As the communications manager, I assume that Mr Thornton deals with public comment and concern regularly.
Of course, my assumption could be incorrect and he may infact be part of the IT/IS group which would certainly explain his response.

Is it any wonder, based on his pitiful response, that we have dissatisfied members such as Sgt Holder? A right royal DHA ‘snub’ in writing for all the world to see.

Well done Mr Thornton and congratulations on exceeding your KPI target!
Capt Wayne Carman
OC 85 Tpt Tp
Moorebank

Ken Thornton, Communication Manager, DHA, replies:
Unfortunately there appears to be a common misunderstanding of the service relationship which exists between DHA and Department of Defence. Put simply, Defence determines and develops all policy in relation to housing and relocation services.

This policy is then administered and implemented by DHA. As explained in my last response, DHA continues to achieve very high customer satisfaction levels with our service - but we do not control policy.

If Sgt Holder or any other member has concerns with a Defence policy then these concerns must be taken up with Defence through the correct channels - there is little point in criticising DHA for areas that are out of our control.

Just on 50 per cent of DHA staff are Defence spouses or ex-Defence members and we devote considerable time to training our staff in order to understand the difficulties inherent in moving and finding a home. We always try our best to help all members in every circumstance, but we can only do this within Defence guidelines.

HOW TO WRITE TO ARMY NEWS

It is the right of all soldiers to correspond with Army. Soldiers wishing to air their views through letters to the editor have access to the newspaper without using the chain of command. Letters will be edited for spelling, grammatical errors and newspaper style and may be edited for space. Preference is given to typed letters of fewer than 300 words. Letters will be rejected where they are too long, abusive, cover a subject that has been exhausted or can be answered in the author’s unit. They will be published only when they include the author’s name, unit (where applicable), location and contact number.
Send letters to: The Editor, Army Newspaper, R8-LG-029, Russell Offices, Dept of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600. Phone (02) 6266 7612, fax (02) 6265 6690 or e-mail
armynews@defencenews.gov.au (Please note this is not an internal e-mail address and therefore requires Sec: Unclassified in the subject box when sending from a Defence-network terminal)

The opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not represent the views of the editor or the Army.