Hanging up the slouch hat

CDF Gen Peter Cosgrove reflects on his 40-year military career, in his office at Defence Headquarters in Canberra.

Few people have both the necessary characteristics and the opportunity to become an historic figure. Cpl Cameron Jamieson talks with Gen Peter Cosgrove in his last days as CDF.

The time has come for one of Australia’s most charismatic soldiers to lay his slouch hat aside.

The CDF, Gen Peter Cosgrove, is retiring from the ADF, ending a remarkable four decades of service and devotion to the country that honoured him as the Australian of the Year in 2001.

Like Generals Monash and Blamey before him, his name has been elevated to the ranks of Australia’s most famous military leaders, and like them he will be remembered for generations to come.

As I walk into his offi ce he strides over to welcome me, symbolising his status as a man who treats enlisted ranks with the same degree of respect he offers prime ministers and presidents.

Outside the winter sun is setting over Canberra, and the golden rays of light that flood his office only help to magnify the sense of finality that comes with retirement.

But every day must pass, and soon the public memory of the general will be consigned to the ADF’s rich tapestry of triumph and honour.

As I take my seat I realise I am a witness to the closing of a great chapter in the story of Australia.

Gen Cosgrove relaxes into his chair and the recorder is switched on.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“I can look back and say with great satisfaction that the ADF has achieved everything the government has asked of it, and everything above and beyond what the people of Australia could expect of it,” he says of his time as CDF.

“We finished off a very successful tour of duty in Afghanistan and the nearby region.

“We helped in the immediate aftermath of Bali, and conducted war operations in Iraq with great success.

“We evolved our operations in East Timor and led the military coalition to the Solomon Islands.

“Our ongoing operations in Iraq and the Middle East have been highly regarded by our coalition partners, and we also responded tremendously to the recent disasters in Indonesia.

“In those and countless other ways, I think the ADF has performed wonderfully.”

The subject turns to how the ADF has evolved during his tenure as CDF, and the general leans forward in his seat, underlying his keen interest in the constant progress that keeps Australia’s military at the forefront of world standards and capability.

“There has been a subtle change and some dramatic and observable ones,” he says.

“Subtly, as the years have gone by, we have become more and more joint operations-focused.

“People of all three services now work easily and frequently together, and we are now one of the most jointly-formed and jointly-operating forces in the world.

“Other changes have been more dramatic.

“For example, in 1999 the operational experiences within the three services, to a large degree, had eroded away.

“The operational tempo was not very high, but since then it has been incredibly high and varied.

“The services now have a great deal of operational experience, which means there is a bedrock that will carry them professionally and competently forward into the next decades of the 21st century.

“There has also been the onset and responses to terrorism.

“We’ve reinforced the Army’s special forces, we’ve promoted further special forces capabilities within Navy and we’ve raised a new unit for chemical, biological and radiological defence.

“We’ve also looked at the special operations capability of the RAAF, and we’ve addressed our barrack and installation security.”

There has also been the push towards modernisation that we can see in each of the fighting environments - maritime, land and air.

“In each case there are tremendous projects underway that will modernise the ADF from around 2008 through to 2020.

“This means we will remain at the forefront of modernity, in regards to equipment and trained personnel, within our region.”

The interview changes pace as I ask Gen Cosgrove what has been his best and worst memories as CDF.

He immediately elects to talk about the worst memory, confirming his reputation as a leader whose troops are at the forefront of his mind.

“Every service death is heartbreaking, but as CDF you especially feel the loss of personnel on operations.

“There is no doubt that the low point of my time as CDF was the sadness brought by the loss of our men and women in the Sea King tragedy – the numbers of people involved, and seeing their bereaved families and so many people without a loved-one.

“It was a terrible thing for the families, and a sad time for all men and women in the ADF, and as their leader, I felt it.

“That’s why my best memories tend to be the homecomings.

“When people step out of ships and aircraft to return safely home after doing a marvellous job, to the well-deserved plaudits from the Australian people, it is absolutely the best time.

“There have been many high points for me as CDF, but nothing beats a homecoming.”

There has been speculation in the media about his future plans, but when I ask him, there is no hint of doubt or evasiveness in his voice.

“I’m going to make a clean break from the military, it’s the usual and right thing to do,” he says.

“My 40 years in the military has been a wonderful experience and I’ll be leaving with great nostalgia and sadness at no longer jumping into my uniform in the morning and racing to work with the enthusiasm of simply spending another day as a soldier and as the CDF.

“I’ll do some things in corporate life, but I have no plans or expectations for further role in public life.

“I’ll be in public but not a public figure, remaining busy and spending a lot more time with my wife and kids.

“But from afar I’ll be admiring what the ADF is doing.”

Finally it is time to ask him if he has a parting message for the ADF, and his reply is simple yet poignant.

“Serving your country is one of the most honourable things I can ever conceive of doing,” he says.

“Be confident you are working as a member of one of the three services that collectively makes up the best Defence Force in the world.”

The interview is over, and I am allowed one more glimpse of Gen Cosgrove’s passion for the ADF.

There is time for a photo shoot before I leave, so I make myself busy preparing my camera and tripod.

I tell the general I would like to photograph him in a moment of reflection, and I ask him to hold his most favourite artefact in the office.

There is no hesitation as he tells me there is one thing in the room that he values above all else.

He crosses to his desk, picks up an object, then walks back to me and looks me in the eye.

“This is it,” he declares.

In his hands is his slouch hat.

That, more than anything else, tells the story of the man.

Reflections on a 40-year military career

There have been many highlights in Gen Peter Cosgrove’s 40 years of service, but when asked to identify the very best, he finds four memories stand out above all others.

Officer Cadet – Duntroon

“It got me through that difficult phase where I went from being a callow youth to a young and confident adult who was ready to take on command responsibilities. “... I must have been a hard bargain at times, but somehow they got me through. I think they’d be happy, all these years later, with the outcome.”














Platoon Commander – Vietnam

“The discovery that I was suited to the lifestyle and that I enjoyed the confidence of my troops in combat meant a great deal to me, especially in that first crucial command where you wonder if you have what it takes.”












INTERFET Commander – East Timor

“I was close to the end of my time as the Commander of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters when the opportunity arose to lead the International Force for East Timor. It was a wonderfully exciting and successful mission that brought great credit to the men and women of the 22 participating nations. It was also the thrill of a lifetime.”















Chief of the Defence Force

“Being head of your own service is wonderful, but there is no doubt that being the Chief of the Defence Force, where you are responsible for every man and woman in the ADF – wherever they are and whatever they are doing – is the most enormous privilege and thrill.”

CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy presents Gen Peter Cosgrove with a farewell gift, titled A day in the life of the Army. Photo by Cpl Bernard Pearson

From one military leader to another

CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy toasted Gen Peter Cosgrove at a farewell function in Townsville. This is what he had to say.

In 1965, Peter Cosgrove, the son of a career soldier, entered the Royal Military College of Australia. He graduated in 1968 into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.

With those simple words began the career of a remarkable man, a remarkable soldier and a remarkable Australian.

Tonight we are here in Townsville, at the home of Army’s ready forces, to bid him farewell from the Australian Army. In doing this we acknowledge his service to the nation and to the Army. We thank him for his life long work of leadership, guidance, support and mentoring.

Throughout his career, in which he has commanded at every level, he has lived our Army values of courage, initiative and teamwork.

Not only has he lived these values, he has stood apart as a shining example to all of us of what service to the nation means. There have been no half measures in his career. Here is a man who approaches everything with a full measure of energy and passion.

The Cos has always led from the front through intellectual, physical, moral and personal example. He is an enthusiast and a totally committed leader who has always had the interests of Australia and Australian soldiers at heart.

Over more than 40 years of service he has shown his intellect, adaptability and versatility. He has been able to master each level of war. At each level he was successful, grew in stature and reputation and added his own special mark.

When reviewing a career and analysing why someone has been successful, it is normal that you come across a few attributes that make them stand out above the ruck. With the Cos there are not a few attributes, there are many.

He has been a man for the times. As a leader at all levels, he has always reacted to the situation and produced the leadership required.

He knows how to react and when to react. He has had an uncanny skill of knowing which button to push and how to push it. Having worked closely with him over a number of years, I have always marvelled at how he seems to be one agenda ahead all of the time.

He is a communicator. There are few people with such an easy control of the English language. He can be persuasive and compelling and always has a wellthought- out proposition or answer. People listen to him and feel that he has spoken to them. They take on board his ideas because of the way that he passes his message.

He is media savvy. More than any other senior offi cer that I know of, he has a way with the media. He has been our first real celebrity general.
This was especially true of his tenure as the Australian of the Year. He was the first serving soldier to receive this honour. He did the entire ADF proud. Indeed, we went perilously close to becoming fashionable. The Cos restored the affection of Australians to those of us in uniform. He represented, not only Australia, but also the ADF, and in so doing gave us confidence that what we were all doing in the service of the nation was recognised and appreciated.

He possesses the personal qualities of a leader. Let me add he possesses the personal qualities of an Australian leader. He knows his job, he is a student of military history, he knows his people ... and above all he knows himself. He is confident, robust, inspirational and, most importantly in the Australian context, fair, firm and friendly.

He cares about people. [He] has sought to help people. He is concerned about their personal development, their safety and security. He has been fiercely protective of those people he commands and we know that he has always stood up for us.

He has set and maintained the standards. He has been an example to us all of selfless and dedicated service to the nation. He has always led from the front, often larger than life, challenging us to keep up.

He has stood next to the big problems of the time. This to me is the task of the general. Figure out what needs fixing and then, by personal example and active involvement, get about fixing the problem.

He is a soldier first and always. He invariably understood what the soldiers of the Australian Army were doing, what they were thinking, what they needed and how they were hurting. As an officer, including as a senior officer, his thoughts were never far from the soldiers and as an officer he shared the hardships and danger of service.

He has enormous good will and good humour. [He] loves nothing more than a few beers and a good yarn. He has to be the champion storyteller in the Army, and is at his most engaging and best among a crowd of soldiers telling yams.

He has had a light touch. [He] has provided guidance and support, and let people get on with the job. This is an important attribute of any leader, especially at the senior level.

Tonight we officially say farewell from the Army. But we know that you will not really leave. You have left a legacy of service that will shine brightly in our annals. You have made an indelible contribution to the Army and the nation.

Sir, for that service, we thank you and we salute you.