This edition of the Australian Army Journal hosts a broad range of articles from an equally wide variety of authors. There has been a conscious effort to attract authors from within the uniformed ranks, regardless of position, who have something to add to our collective knowledge. It is no easy task to write an article, particularly when you may not have a history of writing or publishing. For that reason alone everyone’s contributions are warmly appreciated. But it is particularly pleasing to see this edition contain contributions from warrant officers, commissioned officers and retired officers.
The articles also cover a broad range of topics. Training issues are the focus of Warrant Officer Walsh’s views on unarmed combat in the ADF, and Major McLennan’s piece on the challenges inherent in training an army coming out from an extended period of operational service. Force structuring considerations have motivated both Allison Casey and Paul Scanlan to respectively address the competing future demands that drive such planning, and the continued utility of a conventional parachute capability.
An examination of the operational art is evident in the contributions of several contributors. Ian Langford sets out to look at ways of defeating a complex adaptive system, while Nick Floyd critiques a doctrinaire approach to ‘population-centric’ operations. Ben Pronk and Mick Say from the Directorate of Army Research and Analysis look at a possible method of enhancing decision-making within Army through using complex adaptive systems methodology.
Finally, Justin Kelly looks at the way in which the concept of the AirSea Battle was developed in response to the future growth of China and is now being looked at anew as the commitment to Afghanistan winds down.
Of special note are the comments contained in the interview conducted with a former Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Frank Hickling. His experience of an army that emerged from Vietnam with little strategic guidance to give it direction, through to the time that it was called upon to conduct brigade-level operations in our near neighbourhood, provides lessons that are extremely pertinent to the immediate future of Army. I commend the interview to all readers who wonder how past commanders have dealt with the challenges today’s Army is possibly going to face.
A forthcoming edition of the Journal in mid 2013 will be a dedicated Cultural edition. The topic is one of great contemporary relevance to the Army, made even more pertinent by the recent release of the Asian Century White Paper. During the recently completed Chief of Army’s exercise, the issue of cultural awareness of the broader region was widely discussed. The issue of gender within the ADF has been addressed in the recent Broderick Inquiry report. These are just two aspects of culture that have an impact on the day-to-day running and the operational commitments of the Army. Given the broad range of issues that can be discussed under the rubric of culture, the call for contributions will allow for a wide range of cultural issues to be addressed.
Contributors are encouraged to submit articles or provide submissions in other formats on the subject of Army culture. Exact details on what topics people are encouraged to be discussed are included in a call for submissions on the Land Warfare Studies Centre website. If in doubt, please seek clarification via email to army.journal@defence.gov.au.
Unfortunately since the publication of the last edition of the Journal, we have cause to pause and remember the deaths of more members of the Army family on active service in Afghanistan: SPR James Thomas Martin, LCPL Stjepan Milosevic, PTE Robert Poate, PTE Nathanael Galagher, LCPL Mervyn McDonald and CPL Scott Smith. We also remember SPR Jordan Penpraze who was killed in a training accident at Holsworthy.
