Army run by special-forces officers

  • 6 HOURS AGO JUNE 07, 2015 9:12PM
Leading role ... the new Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell. Picture: Gary R

Leading role ... the new Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: News Corp Australia

FOR the first time in its 114-year history the Australian Army is being run by an elite group of special-forces officers.

The new Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell was a senior officer with the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment.

Appointment ... the Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell.

Appointment ... the Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell. Source: Supplied

His deputy Major General Rick Burr is a former commanding officer the SASR and Forces Commander Major General Gus Gilmore, who commands more than 85 per cent of the army's warfighting capacity, is also a former CO of SASR.

There has always been tension between the "big army" and its special-forces units including the SASR and the Commando Regiments.

SAS soldiers were the first on the ground in Afghanistan in October 2001 following the attacks against the United States.

Major-General Gilmore led the initial push alongside the US Marines at a base called FOB Rhino south of Kandahar. He also had a sting as defence spokesman.

Unique honour ... then Brigadier Gus Gilmore, in one of his most challenging roles as Dir

Unique honour ... then Brigadier Gus Gilmore, in one of his most challenging roles as Director General of Defence Public Affairs. Source: News Limited

Major General Burr was the officer in command of the special-forces task group at Bagram air base in northern Afghanistan in 2002 and in western Iraq the following year.

He also has the unique honour of being the first foreign officer ever to be appointed as Deputy Commanding General, US Army's Pacific Command.

Both SAS and Commandos conducted most of the fighting against Taliban forces in Afghanistan and special-forces units suffered the highest casualty rates with 21 of the 41 dead coming from Special Operations Command.

In command ... Major General Angus Campbell conducting a visit of patrol bases in Uruzgan

In command ... Major General Angus Campbell conducting a visit of patrol bases in Uruzgan Province. Source: Supplied

All three army leaders graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon between 1983 and 1985. After numerous command jobs Lt General Campbell left the army in 2005 and became the deputy National Security Adviser in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under another ex-SAS officer Duncan Lewis who now runs ASIO.

He returned to the fold in 2010 and was appointed commander of Australian forces in the Middle East in January 2011 before becoming head of Border Protection Command and promoted to Lieutenant General and finally chief of army.

Program Director at the US Studies Centre at Sydney University and former army officer James Brown said the three generals would bring a unique perspective to the top of the army.

He said they knew each other very well and would make a strong and cohesive team for the next three years.

"They have a full-spectrum view of the world and are used to considering unconventional options," Mr Brown said.

"They will also have respect for good ideas and will be very good change managers."

Former Army General and NSW Liberal Senate hopeful and possible future Defence Minister Jim Molan welcomed the appointment of three men with extensive combat experience across the spectrum.

"The only good armies are those that fight regularly and in Australia it is the special-forces that have most combat experience."


 

 

David S. Maxwell
Associate Director
Center for Security Studies &
Security Studies Program
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Georgetown University
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