Changes in command

Landmark: Maj-Gen Mark Kelly takes over as Land Commander Australia on July 15.

CHANGES to the command structure of Army have been announced.

First among the senior appointments is Maj- Gen Mark Kelly, who will become Land Commander Australia. He replaces Lt- Gen Ken Gillespie, who has been appointed VCDF.

Maj-Gen Kelly comes to the position with a wealth of experience gained over 30 years of military service.

He entered RMC, Duntroon, in January 1975 and graduated with the Sword of Honour in December 1978.

His first operational service came in 1980 when he served with the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia during independence elections.

He served as CO 1RAR from December 1995 until December 1997, then moved on to DJFHQ as the Chief of Staff, a posting that involved deploying the headquarters to East Timor for Operation Stabilise as the Chief of Staff for Interfet.

As a Brigadier, he served as Commander 3 Bde from December 2000 to December 2002.

He then served as the first Director of the Combined Planning Group at Headquarters US Central Command in Tampa, Florida.

He was promoted to Maj- Gen and assumed his present appointment as Commander 1 Div and DJFHQ on July 5, 2004.

He will take up the appointment of Land Commander on July 15.

Other senior appointments announced last week are: