Major Callum Muntz is a proud father, husband, and infantry officer currently serving with the United States Army in their I Corps Headquarters. … Callum Muntz …

Flying Officer Micheal Abdel-messih enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 2014 as a Parachute Rigger. On completion of his employment training in 2015 he was posted to Joint Logistics Unit (East) and in 2017 he completed the Subject One for Corporal – Army. Flying Officer Abdelmessih posted to ADFA in 2019, where he completed his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) as an Army Officer Cadet and transferred to the RAAF as an Armament Engineer in 2022. In his personal time, Flying Officer …

Colonel Brad Kilpatrick is an Armoured Corps officer with regimental experience at 2nd Cavalry Regiment and B Squadron 3/4 Cavalry Regiment. He has considerable experience as a military instructor with postings to Royal Military College-Duntroon as a Military Instructor, Senior Instructor of War Fighting and Deputy Chief Instructor. He has also had postings to the Australian Defence Force Academy as the Commanding Officer/Chief Instructor and Deputy Commandant. He has had operational deployments to East …

Dr Michael O’Keefe is Director of the Master of International Relations at La Trobe University. Michael’s research interests focus on Australian foreign policy, and Pacific foreign policies (especially Fiji). His current projects focus on Australia’s ‘Step Up’ in the Pacific, Fiji’s peacekeeping strategy and military diplomacy. He undertakes a wide range of consultancies in the Pacific and has taught in Fiji and Japan. Michael features regularly in media such as the ABC’s 7.30 Report and Insiders , ABC …

Mr Amal Jayawardena is a mechanical engineer and graduate researcher with a strong academic and professional background. He earned his mechanical engineering degree with first-class honors (Summa Cum Laude) from Brigham Young University USA receiving the prestigious Thomas E. Ricks academic full scholarship. Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. research in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Melbourne focing on drug design and computational optimisation. In his Ph.D. research, Amal focuses on …

Associate Professor Gayan Kahandawa Appuhamillage is an expert in sensor technology, control systems and mechatronics. His work on development of sensor networks for aircraft, been patented by Boeing Company (US patent: US20140304203A2). He used fibre optic sensors and AI based algorithms for monitoring structural changers/damage to air crafts for structural integrity. He also has used sensor network to monitor West Gate Bridge in Melbourne. The system developed logged strain data from the bridge before …

Captain (Ret.) Luke William Townsend MBE MA is an intelligence specialist. He was a full-time soldier in two armies and has a Masters in Intelligence and Security Studies, from Brunel in London (2014), receiving the Dean’s Prize for research of highest impact. First, he served in the Royal Australian Army Ordinance Corps and then Australian Intelligence Corps (2001-2005). Next, he served in the British Army’s Queens Royal Lancers and then Specialist Group Military Intelligence (2009-2019). He deployed to …

Dr Ian Spark completed his PhD at Melbourne University in 1971 and graduated in 1972. He was supported by a scholarship from the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE). He conducted much of his research at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), (Lucas Heights). He was appointed to the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education as a Lecturer in Engineering in 1971. During his extensive career, Dr Spark worked in a range of roles including as an …

Khuong Nguyen is a young Defence APS engineering graduate enthusiastic about defence policy in the context of the 21 st century and emerging new technologies. Before joining the defence industry as a graduate, he completed internships in SA Power Networks, and CSIRO Space and Astronomy, providing me insights into emerging technologies in the broader world. In high school, he obtained first place in the national Simpson Prize history competition, sparking his passion for defence policy. … Khuong …

Dr Rhys Crawley is a senior lecturer in history at UNSW Canberra, and the author of the Official History of Australian Operations in Afghanistan, 2005‑2010. From 2016‑2023 Rhys was an historian at the Australian War Memorial. Prior to that, from 2010-2016, he worked at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Coral Bell School of Asia‑Pacific Affairs, at The Australian National University, where he was the principal researcher and co‑author of the multi‑volume Official History of the Australian Security …