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‘I think the greatest gift anyone can give to another is the desire to know, to understand.’ [1] —Louis L’Amour The Australian Army must improve its approach to teaching defence mastery to its junior officers (JOs) to better prepare Army for now and the future. In his keynote address to the 2024 Chief of Army Symposium, Chief of Army (CA) Lieutenant General Simon Stuart introduced his intent for a ‘wholesale, holistic review of our profession’. [2] In this speech, he asked: How do we best weave together …

Lieutenant Chris Wooding is an Australian Army officer. He has previously published in blogs such as Grounded Curiosity , The Forge and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s The Strategist . LT Wooding also has a chapter published in Australian Perspectives on Air and Space Power: Past, Present, Future (2023). … Chris …

Australian Army Staff Rides   A key part of the AARC’s charter is to enhance the professionalism, leadership and ethical awareness of Australian soldiers and officers. To fulfil its role, one of its directed tasks is the conduct of staff rides and battlefield study tours. These activities involve the deep study of a battle or campaign, the key component of which is an extensive field phase that allows an examination of the actual ground where the fighting occurred. In order to elicit critical discussion …

Alternative Views on the Nature of the Profession AUTHOR: Phillip Hoglin The term ‘profession of arms’ is relatively common throughout military discourse. However, while it appears frequently in doctrine, speeches, [1] articles and essays, until late 2021 the term was undefined by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). While it is now articulated in doctrine, the ADF’s definition has not yet been distilled for the Australian Army but left instead to notions of abstract intuition developed by individuals …

Debating the Australian Army Profession In the long history of the Australian Army, there has been no significant, holistic study of the Australian Army profession, past, present or future. [1] This is an awkward statement in an introductory article to a special themed edition of the Australian Army Journal (AAJ), a publication which for 10 years (2003–2013) bore on its title page the phrase ‘For the Profession of Arms’. [2] It is rendered all the more uncomfortable by recalling that the army profession …

The most powerful tool we have in succeeding in this era of strategic competition is not the weapons we have, nor is it technology. It is the people … Chief of Army LTGEN Simon Stuart LANPAC 2024   Introduction One distinguishing element of a profession that sets it apart from other jobs is a commitment to ethical and moral conduct. The ‘profession of arms’ is like medicine, law and ministry—professionals who share a commitment to practising a role within the ethical bounds of agreed ethical frameworks. …

Theorising from the Past to Prepare for Future Wars   Now, men, you answered your country’s call today. We’re all here to defend our homes and loved ones. I know you will not shirk that duty. With no guns, we are naked, but we have one invaluable weapon – ingenuity and improvisation. (‘That’s two’) I want you all to go to your homes. Gather what weapons you can and come back here in an hour’s time. From tonight, whatever the odds, we Englishmen … We British … We here are going to be able to say, ‘Come on, …

Introduction The Chief of Army’s directive to review the state of the Army profession divides the task into a review of Army’s jurisdiction, expertise, and self-regulation. One area of expertise that the Army prides itself on, and which tends at times to set it apart from other services, is in the area of tactical and operational planning. [1] Planning and decision-making is not something that is peculiar to the Army or to the military; planning is an activity that is a normal part of everyday living. …

This is not an article about what the British Army consider the concept of ‘mission command’ to be; nor is it about how they approach its practice. Those who wish to explore that can simply read their doctrine. It is well written, well thought through, very readable and readily available. [1] I am, however, a great believer in the maxim that if you want to know where you are it’s a very good idea to understand how you got there and where you came from. In that respect, this article will make the (perhaps …

The principle of mission command, though not described as such, was practised by naval forces for centuries, and continues to be into the 21st century. [1] Exercise of command varies greatly depending on the context, and is highly dependent on the mix of organisational culture and enabling technology present. Since the development of radar, and reinforced by the advent of combat data systems and guided weapons, the volume of information available to a naval commander, and the speed with which command …