22 July 2025
As the Army rapidly prepares to defend Australia and its interests against emerging threats in the wake of the Defence Strategic Review and the National Defence Strategy, the Land Domain Training System (LDTS) is at the heart of the transformation.
One Specialist Service Officer who has benefited from the LDTS, from the schoolhouse all the way to Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, is Brisbane-born Captain Jessica Meldrum.
On Talisman Sabre she is serving as the senior pharmacist inside the Role 2 Echo (Enhanced) Field Hospital, where she oversees the supply and distribution of medical consumables, such as medications and oxygen.
“It was actually a Defence pharmacist who encouraged me to consider the Army, and I’m glad she did,” Captain Meldrum said.
“I have been supported at every stage of my academic journey, including a Master’s degree in Clinical Pharmacy, which is something I likely would not have done if I chose to work in the civilian sector.”
'Talisman Sabre is a very realistic opportunity for us to apply our skills and knowledge in a simulated war-time environment.'
With the academics out of the way, LDTS became the focus of her ongoing speciality and military training.
“We are continually learning, adapting and training,” Captain Meldrum said.
“I undertook the Logistics Officer Basic Course, as well as significant specialist training in the specific systems and processes we use in military pharmacy and I have been fortunate enough to travel to the United States and participate in the Army’s Medical Officer Logistics training to learn more broadly about their systems as well.”
The LDTS provides career-spanning training to help prepare and enable Army to provide effective land power in the Indo-Pacific in the 21st century. It is the backbone of how we adapt and win in complex, potentially hostile environments.
Providing a taste of that exact scenario is Talisman Sabre 25, which remains Army’s ultimate test of integrated training and readiness.
“For clinicians, doctors and nurses, Talisman Sabre is a very realistic opportunity for us to apply our skills and knowledge in a simulated war-time environment,” Captain Meldrum said.
“Our teams are utilising medical consumables for both real-time patients as well as our simulated casualties; it really allows us to practise medical resupply and logistics from both inside this facility and with our medical teams, further forward.
“Collective training, like this, actually gives you goose bumps; it really focuses our teams on applying both their military and specialist skills in high-pressure situations and makes us more confident that we will respond confidently in the event of a real-world mass-casualty event.”
