Reservists take top award

Studies furthered: Maj John Aaskov, Lt Daniel Strack, Capt Scott Hahn, Head Reserve Policy and A-CDF (Reserves) Maj-Gen Neil Wilson, Maj Craig Chatterton and Lt-Cmdr John Willy. All winners went through rigorous selection for the Prince of Wales Award.

FOUR of the five winners of this year’s Prince of Wales Awards are from the Army reserve.

The Prince of Wales Awards (POWA) are presented to select reservists who have submitted a proposal to conduct a study in relation to their civilian occupations.

The POWA scheme was established in 1984 as a reward for Reservist achievement in both civilian and military employment, and importantly, the award also acknowledges the support of a Reservist’s employer. The award is the military equivalent of a Churchill Fellowship.

Developing the capability to detect those involved in money laundering and terrorist financing activities is the aim of winner Lt Daniel Strack.

Capt Scott Hahn is looking at finding natural products to treat diseases and enhance health.

Helping improve BAE System’s Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW & C) program through better leadership is the aim of Maj Craig Chatterton and improving cargo security so it meets with United States Customs anti-terrorism requirements is the aim of Lt-Cmdr John Willy

Determining when and where dengue may break out and helping develop strategies to control the infectious and potentially deadly disease is the aim of Maj John Aaskov, who is an Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Maj Aaskov plans to visit the US Department of Defence Global Emerging Infectious Diseases Surveillance hub in Washington and Notre Dame University in Indiana. These visits will help him identify factors in mosquitoes, viruses and human populations that determine whether or not outbreaks of dengue will occur at a particular time and place.

In his work at QUT, Maj Aaskov, who is also OC of the Australian Army Malaria Institute’s Arbovirology Department, has made some ground breaking observations which have led to the development of diagnostic kits, vaccines and intervention programs, not only in Australia but also in some of the areas most affected by dengue, such as South East Asia and the Pacific.

Each of the winners won the POWA after going through an extensive selection process coordinated by the Defence Reserves Support Council (DRSC), the organisation that liaises between the employers of Reservists and the ADF.