RAAbLiaison Letter Spring 2007

114 Pages·2007·4.61 MB·English

The
Royal Australian Artillery
LIAISON LETTER
Spring Edition 2007
Faces of Coral – 1968
40th Anniversary – 2008
The Official Journal of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
Incorporating the Australian Gunner Magazine
First Published in 1948

RAA
LIAISON LETTER
Spring Edition
2007
Next Edition Contribution Deadline
ContributionsfortheLiaisonLetter2008–AutumnEditionshouldbeforwardedtothe
editorathishomepostaloremailaddress,bynolaterthan
Friday15thFebruary2008.
‘Late’correspondenceorsubmissionsafterthatdateshouldbeforwardedtotheeditor
viatheSchoolofArtilleryorhisdefenceemailaddress.
Publication Information
FrontCover: TopLeft:GNRM.Hundt; CentreLtoR:CAPTD.M.Tait,
2LTR.Lowry,2LTM.Clelland,LTI.F.AhearnandCAPTD.Brook
BottomRight:BDRA.Forsdike;BottomLeft:SGTL.J.StephensMM
Photographs: AustralianWarMemorial
EditedandCompiledby: MajorD.T.(Terry)Brennan,StaffOfficertoHeadofRegiment
Publishedby: DeputyHeadofRegiment,SchoolofArtillery,
BridgesBarracks,Puckapunyal,Victoria 3662
DesktopPublishingby: MichelleRay,CombinedArmsDoctrineandDevelopmentSection,
BridgesBarracks,Puckapunyal,Victoria 3662
Printedby: DefencePublishingService-Victoria
Distribution: ForissuesrelatingtocontentordistributioncontacttheEditor
[email protected]
Contributorsareurgedtoensuretheaccuracyoftheinformationcontainedintheirarticles;the
RoyalAustralianArtillery,DeputyHeadofRegimentandtheRAALiaisonLettereditoracceptno
responsibilityforerrorsoffact.
TheviewsexpressedintheRoyalAustralianArtilleryLiaisonLetterarethecontributorsandnot
necessarilythoseoftheRoyalAustralianArtillery,AustralianArmyorDepartmentofDefence.
TheCommonwealthofAustraliawillnotbelegallyresponsibleincontract,tortorotherwisefor
anystatementmadeinthispublication.
RAALiaisonLetter2007-SpringEdition
Contents
Distribution 3
Editor’sComment 5
LetterstotheEditor 7
40thAnniversaryoftheBattlesofCoralandBalmoral 10
NationalGunnerDinner 11
RegimentalAspects 13
RepresentativeColonelCommandant 15
HeadofRegiment 16
RegimentalMasterGunner 18
ColonelCommandantNorthernRegion 19
Vale 21
LieutenantColonelD.A.Casey 21
WarrantOfficerClassTwoR.W.Duggan 23
LieutenantColonelJ.B.Harper 24
LieutenantColonelW.J.King-Martin 25
LieutenantColonelB.A.Pearson 27
NewUnitCommand&RegimentalSergeantMajorProfiles 28
Operations 37
ANZACBattleGroup 39
Gunner’sinAfghanistan 41
OverwatchBattleGroup–West 43
Articles 45
OperationalDeploymentofGuns–TheMythsandFacts 47
AirObservationPostDisplay 50
EvolutionofNo3to113Battery 52
EndofanEra 54
TheOddFrozenGunner 58
OverseasCareerCourse 60
NewGunTractorModules 61
BookReviews 62
TheLastManStanding 62
TheMinefield 63
TheANZACS 64
ProfessionalPapers 67
OffensiveSupportinaCounterInsurgencyEnvironment 69
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RAALiaisonLetter2007-SpringEdition
Personnel&Training 75
SeniorAppointments 77
RetiredFull-TimeOfficersList 78
DOCM-A 79
SCMA 81
ArtilleryTradePolicy 82
AroundtheRegiments 85
TopEndGunners 87
WoodsideWarriors 90
VictorianGunners 93
JointProofandExperimentalUnit 96
Associations&Organisations 99
Associations&OrganisationsContactList 101
BenefactorsoftheRoyalAustralianArtilleryRegimentalFund 105
RegimentalFundSeekingYourContribution 107
Advertisements 109
RAARegimentalShop 110
Membership–RoyalAustralianArtilleryHistoricalCompany 111
RegimentalPublicationsIndex 113
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Distribution
•
RepresentativeColonelCommandant
(cid:129)
ColonelsCommandant
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(QLD)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(NorthQueensland)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(NSW)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(NSW)NewcastleSub-Branch
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(ACT)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(VIC)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(TAS)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(SA)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(WA)
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryAssociation(NT)
(cid:129)
MiscellaneousUnitandSubUnitAssociations
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryHistoricalCompany
(cid:129)
RoyalAustralianArtilleryNationalMuseum
(cid:129)
HeadofRegiment
(cid:129)
AllCOs
(cid:129)
AllBCsofIndependentBatteries
(cid:129)
RMGHQCATC
(cid:129)
AllRSMs
(cid:129)
HQ1DIV(JointExercisesandTargeting)
(cid:129)
1stFieldRegiment
(cid:129)
2nd/10thFieldRegiment
(cid:129)
4thFieldRegiment
(cid:129)
7thFieldRegiment
(cid:129)
23FieldRegiment
(cid:129)
7thFieldBattery
(cid:129)
16thFieldBattery
(cid:129)
48thFieldBattery
(cid:129)
8th/12thMediumRegiment
(cid:129)
20thSurveillanceandTargetAcquisitionRegiment
(cid:129)
16thAirDefenceRegiment
(cid:129)
SchoolofArtillery
(cid:129)
JointProofandExperimentalUnit
(cid:129)
1stGroundLiaisonGroup
(cid:129)
MiscellaneousIndividualGunnerOfficers/WarrantOfficersandSNCO
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RAALiaisonLetter2007-SpringEdition
Editor’s Comment
WelcometotheLiaisonLetter2007–SpringEdition.Thearticlesand
storiessubmittedforthiseditionreflectsthewiderangeoftasksthe
Regimentcontinuestoundertakeathomeandacrosstheglobe.These
aresupportedbyaseriesofhistoricalfeatureswhichassisttopreserve
ourproudheritageandeducatenewmembersoftheRegiment.
40th Anniversary of the Battle of Coral
The40thAnniversaryoftheBattlesofCoralandBalmoralinSouth
VietnamwilloccurinMaynextyearandisasignificantmilestoneinthe
historyoftheRoyalRegimentofAustralianArtillery.TheRegimenthas
takentheleadinplanningandcoordinatinga‘combined’nationalevent
inCanberratomarktheanniversary.Detailsoftheceremonialevents
andactivitiesplannedforCanberraareoutlinedinthisedition.
ThefocusofthenexteditionoftheLiaisonLetterwillbetheBattleofCoralandtheexploitsof12th
FieldRegiment,especiallyRHQand102ndFieldBattery,andthe131stDivisionalLocatingBattery
Detachment.
National Gunner Dinner
A‘NationalGunnerDinner’willbeheldinconjunctionwiththe‘Coral’activitiesinCanberra.Thiswill
bethefirstnationaldinnersincetheopeningoftheRAANationalMemorialonMountPleasant.Itwill
beamemorableeveningoffriendshipandespritdecorpsforservingandretiredGunners.Iencourage
everyonetomaketheefforttobeinCanberrafornotonlythisdinnerbuttosupporttheveteransof
‘Coral’andcelebrateandremembertheindividualswhosecollectiveandindividualactionsandbravery
isoneofthemostsignificantclosecombatbattlesGunnershaveeverinthehistoryoftheRegiment
andmostdefinitelypostWorldWarTwo.
Officers Mess Standards
BeingthepersonresponsibleforestablishingtheRegimentalOfficersMessatPuckapunyalandthen
beingthePMCforthefirsttwoyears,IamakeenobserverofthewayOfficersMesseshavebeen
evolving.WhenwerelocatedfromManlyIwasconfrontedwithaRegimentalMesswhichforthefirst
timeinitshistorywasoperatedbycontractstaff.Beingco-locatedwiththeCombat(nowCombined)
ArmsTrainingCentreHeadquartersandhavingavarietyofcourseswithamembershipofnonGunners
Iwaschallengedwithtryingtomaintainthestandards,traditionsandatmospheremaintainedatNorth
HeadwhileaccommodatingthedifferentstandardsandexpectationsofmembersfromotherCorps.
Thismayseemeasy–letmeassureitwasnotandthisisthepointofmycomment.Ihadthepleasure
ofbeingsecond-in-commandof8th/12thMediumRegimentforsixmonthsin2005,whilstthereoneof
myresponsibilitieswasaDeputyPMCofthecombinedRobertsonBarracksOfficersMess.Forreaders
whoareunawarethereareonlysingleareaofficersandsergeantsmessesinRobertsonBarracks.A
combinationofthegeographiclocationinnorthernAustraliaandthelackofanysenseof‘tradition’
foundindedicatedunit‘Regimental’messcreatedavery‘relaxed’dynamic.WhilstIamnotagainsta
relaxedatmospherewhatwasevidenttomewasamarkeddeteriorationoftraditionalstandards,
protocolsandmanners.
IcansumupmyfeelingsbyastandingjokeIusedtohavewithoneoftheyoungerofficersfrom
8th/12thMediumRegiment.IfrequentlytoldhimIwasgoingtowriteapaperanditwouldbeentitled
‘FarewelltheOfficersMess–WelcometheOfficersSportsBar’.SadlyIthinkdespitethebesteffortsof
someweareslowlyslippingdowntheslippyslopetowards‘OfficersClubs’whicharenomorethan
anothervenuetopurchaseamealandaquickdrink.Sadlyitismypredicationthatthedaysof
traditionalOfficersMesses,andforthatmatterSergeantMessesarenumbered.Thereareraftof
reasonscontributingtothissituation.Unfortunatelybyallowingourstandardsandexpectationsto
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RAALiaisonLetter2007-SpringEdition
‘unwittingly’dropweareaffordingthedefencebeancounters‘food’tojustifyanargumentfornot
supportingdedicatedOfficersandSergeantsMesses.
SadlyIthinkwehavealreadystarteddowntheslipperyslope-itistheresponsibilityofallofusto
makeeveryefforttoarrestthistrend-startbydemandingstandardsandservicesinyourMessesand
makepeopleappreciatetheuniqueplaceMesseshaveinthemilitaryandhowimportanttheyareto
us.Ilookforwardhearingtheviewsofothers.OfficersandSergeantsMessesarethemostexclusive
clubsfoundinAustralia....noamountofmoneycanbuyyoumembership,youhavetoearnit.
Army Combat Badge
Itwasdisappointingtoseesomelessthanpositivecommentsinacoupleofjournalsregardingthe
processtoallocatetheArmyCombatBadgetothosewhoareeligible.Icanassureeveryonethatthere
hasbeennoconspiracy,itissimplytheprocessofsortingoutthemethodologytocheckeligibility.I
havenodoubtthatsomeofthosewhohavebeenunhappyaboutthetimeitistakingwouldbethe
sameindividualswhowouldbe‘loud’intheir‘disapproval’ifitbecameapparenttherewere
individualswhohadbeenallocatedanArmyCombatBadgebasedonfalseclaims.
WhilstIamoneofthoseindividualswhoisveryquicktoadvocatethatrulesandregulationsarefor
theinterpretationandapplicationofwisepeople,Ialsodonotadvocatethedeliberatecorruptionofa
processtogainanadvantageoverotherswhohavedonewhathasbeenaskedofthem.
TheguidelinesfortheclaimingretrospectiveawardingoftheACBisinDefenceInstructionArmy
Personnel119-1(Amdt1)-ArmyCombatBadgedated5October2006.InthecaseoftheRAAthe
personresponsible,onbehalfofHOR,forcoordinatingtheclaimsprocessisStaffOfficerGradeTwo
CaptainTomAdams.Hecanbecontactedforfurtherinformationon0357356465or
[email protected].
Apology
IwouldliketoextendanapologyformisspellingthesurnameofColonelBillRitchie,ournewColonel
CommandantWesternRegioninthelasteditionoftheLiaisonLetter.
D.T.(Terry)BRENNAN
Major
Editor
Telephone:[phone](h)Mobile:[phone]
Email:[email protected]@defence.gov.au
Postal:‘Stratford'BLACKALLQLD4472
http://www.defence.gov.au/army/RRAA
http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/RRAA/
Editor’sNote: RetiredorservingGunnerswhowouldliketoreceivefuturecopiesoftheRAALiaisonLetter
shouldcontacttheeditorbyemailorwritetotheaddressabovewiththeirmailingdetails.Converselyifyou
wouldlikeyournameremovedfromthemailinglistpleaseadvisetheEditor.
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