On 1 July a new era in the history of the Australian Army began with the fusion of Training Command and Land Command to create Forces Command. The raising of the new command represents a significant milestone in the implementation of the Adaptive Army initiative.
In his Order of the Day to mark this occasion the Chief of the Army Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie wrote:
Today I am happy to announce the raising of Forces Command. It is a key outcome of our work to ensure Army is postured to train and educate our people for the demands of contemporary and future conflict. It combines the strengths of the previous Land and Training Commands and, in turn, enables the implementation of the new Army Training Continuum. This provides for vastly improved unity of effort in our individual and collective training and will ensure our officers and soldiers remain at the forefront of the world’s best trained and prepared armies.
Throughout its history the Australian Army has undertaken reorganisations in order to respond to significant changes in the environment. Since the current era of persistent and complex operations began with the deployment of INTERFET in 1999 the system of Functional Commands established in 1973 has become obsolescent. The Adaptive Army initiative is designed to rectify the deficiencies in Army’s higher command and control arrangements and to enhance our capacity to absorb and disseminate lessons learned.
The raising of Forces Command is of fundamental importance to this process by removing arbitrary distinctions between individual and collective training and rationalising our force generation functions. But such organisational changes need to be complemented by the inculcation of an adaptive, innovative and agile culture within Army. To be able to capitalise on the revolutionary changes in new media and information technology the Army must commit to continuous modernisation and to fostering a culture of learning.
The Australian Army Journal and the Land Warfare Studies Centre aspires to assist in this process. In that spirit we are publishing a special edition devoted to the theme of Adaptation and the Australian Army. This will be released as our summer 2009-10 edition.
We are also modernising our website to allow more exchange of ideas and feedback on our publications. This will be accompanied by wider dissemination of electronic links to articles of professional interest, especially those relevant to junior leaders preparing to deploy on operations. Members will receive notification of the availability of the new site in due course. Of course for all these mechanisms to be of benefit to the Adaptive Army it needs you to engage in the professional debate—to write your thoughts down and share them with the rest of the Army.
This edition features a number of articles that explore issues relevant to the Adaptive Army. In particular, Captain Benjamin Watson examines ways of enhancing mission command and devolution of control at the lower tactical level of operations, while Warrant Officer First Class Glynn Potter discusses the inculcation of a learning environment. We hope that other RSMs will emulate Warrant Officer Potter’s example and submit articles to the Australian Army Journal.
At the more strategic level Major General (Retd) Jim Molan and Lieutenant Colonel Brett Chaloner offer suggestions for the prosecution of the war in Afghanistan. The situation there is finely balanced as the United States ‘surges’ its ground force component. As this edition goes to print United States Marines have commenced a series of offensive operations in Helmand Province aimed at clearing and holding areas where the Taliban has been operating with a degree of impunity.
Continuing our focus on current operations, we also publish a review of the book The Accidental Guerrilla, written by the former Australian Army officer David Kilcullen. The review was written exclusively for the Australian Army Journal by the distinguished American soldier/scholar, Colonel Peter Mansoor. This book is essential reading for military and policy professionals seeking to understand the character of the current irregular wars in which we are engaged.
Indeed one of the tools that Kilcullen relied on in his analysis of modern insurgencies was anthropology. We commend to our readers the article by Colonel Roger Noble, which examines the potential benefits as well as pitfalls of applying the discipline of anthropology to military strategic planning.
We are pleased to commend the Winter 2009 edition of the Australian Army Journal to our readers and to invite your comments and contributions.
Finally, the Australian Army Journal wishes to pay tribute to the service to the nation of Edward Kenna, VC, who died on 8 July 2009 in Geelong. He was the last surviving Australian VC winner from the Second World War.
The Australian Army Journal also extends its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Private Benjamin Ranaudo, who died on active service on Saturday 18 July 2009.
