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GG’s new role

Edition 1167, May 31, 2007
 
Chief honour: New RAAMC Colonel-in-Chief Governor-General Maj-Gen Michael Jeffery with CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy, RAAMC Head of Corps Brig Tony Gill, RAAMC RSM WO1 Mustafa Jesenkovic and Representative Honorary Colonel RAAMC Col Bruce Perks.
Photo by LS Yuri Ramsey
 
AN Australian has been selected as Colonel-in-Chief of RAAMC while preserving the appointment’s traditionally close ties to the British Crown.
With the passing of the former Colonel-in-Chief, the Queen Mother, the RAAMC Corps Committee recommended to the CA that the Governor-General be appointed Colonel-in-Chief of RAAMC.
A ceremony was held at Government House in Canberra on April 2 to formally mark the historic appointment.
Head of Corps Brig Tony Gill was delighted to have the opportunity to work closely with Governor-General Maj-Gen Michael Jeffery.
“We wanted to have an Australian who will have greater access to attend corps functions, to meet and mix with the soldiers and officers of the corps, but we didn’t want to break the link with the Crown completely. By choosing the Governor-General, who is the Queen’s representative in Australia, it maintains the connection to the Crown,” Brig Gill said.
“We are honoured that Maj-Gen Jeffery accepted the appointment and, as time goes by, future Governors-General will be our Colonel-in-Chief.”
Duties for the Colonel-in-Chief include attending the corps functions and ceremonial occasions.
During the ceremony at Government House, the Governor-General received a statuette of Simpson and his donkey, a replica of the corps’ centrepiece, in recognition of his acceptance of the appointment.
Brig Gill said Maj-Gen Jeffery was looking forward to being involved in the corps and was interested in issues affecting it.
“The Governor-General has personal links with the corps. His daughter served in the ARA as a RAAMC GSO and is now a Reserve officer in the corps,” he said.
The occasion was attended by CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy, Brig Tony Gill, RAAMC RSM WO1 Mustafa Jesenkovic and Representative Honorary Colonel RAAMC Col Bruce Perks.