New command in action

By Cpl Sean Burton

THE changing face of warfare has seen the Government create a new command to raise Australia’s ability to use unconventional war fighting means to respond to the threat of terrorism.

ADF elements, which will be used in the national counter-terrorism effort, will now be centralised under the new Special Operation Command (SOCOMD)

Four major units and a number of smaller supporting organisations will come under SOCOMD, which has offices in Canberra and Sydney.

The units, SASR, 4RAR(Cdo), 1IRR and 1 Cdo Regt, will be supported by the new Special Operations Combat Service Support Company (SOCSSC).

Special Operations Commander (SOCAUST) Maj-Gen Duncan Lewis said the new command would streamline command and control arrangements.

“We now have unity of command of the counter-terrorism force, which will allow us to respond more quickly and effectively to the threat of domestic and international terrorism,” he said.

“The creation of the SOCOMD is an enormous challenge for everybody in the Special Operations community.

“To establish and mature this command is going to require a great deal of support from across the ADF.

“…We are but a component, we are part of the integrated joint team, we receive extraordinary support from Army, Navy and Air Force and we are dependent on those services to support us.”

Maj-Gen Lewis said that recruiting the right key people was still the reason why Australian Special Forces were so successful.

“It needs to be understood that it will be a great challenge to keep recruiting high quality people into SOCOMD – our people are the secret to our success, people are the core of our business.

“Clearly it will be difficult with the ADF being the size it is to maintain SOCOMD but I’m confident there are high-quality people around who we want to attract in to the SOC.

“I want to make sure we have a reliable flow of high quality folk into the command and we may have to be a little bit inventive in the way we do that.”

Maj-Gen Lewis said recruiting had picked up since the World Trade Centre attacks but he was adamant there would be no compromise in the selection criteria.

“I have given an undertaking to all members of this command that the standards required for the two key specialised ECNs 079 (Commando) and 353 (SAS Trooper) will not change.

“But we require more wide-ranging skills than just commandos and SAS troopers.

“We will also have to draw on people who do not have a substantial SF background for HQ and support staff. We want the best mechanics and cooks – it’s their technical expertise we want.”

Maj-Gen Lewis said that while in Afghanistan the SF Task Force was supported by members of 18 different units – “We can’t do it alone.”

He did not think the ADF was moving away from traditional war fighting but said there were a number of trends in warfare that have changed, which now made Special Operations highly relevant.

“The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre were the acme of asymmetric attack, that is, attacking your enemy at his weakest point – we as a Western society are clearly vulnerable to asymmetrical attacks of this type.

“... Our physical infrastructure is clearly vulnerable to the threat of asymmetric attacks. These threats can be countered in part by Special Operations.”

The entire Special Operations community had been under significant pressure for the past couple of years and Maj-Gen Lewis made special mention of Sydney-based 4RAR(Cdo).

“I can’t recall a unit in our recent history being asked to develop two new capabilities at once, the TAG East and the full-time Commando battalion, but the officers and soldiers of that unit have done a wonderful job.”

He also recognised the contribution of a quiet, but no less vital, part of the SF community.

“I would like to register my enormous appreciation and admiration for the way in which the families of our soldiers have supported and continue to support their servicemen.”