The Cove Community Podcast

"Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In Part 3, we look at working with craft and comms in the littoral. Competence with radios and craft reduces friction and chaos before you hit shore. Poor prep is punished - fast. Battle Lab playing our part in supporting Army readiness in the littoral. Follow Army Battle Lab on Facebook and ForceNet! https://www.facebook.com/BattleLabAustralianArmy/ Search "Army Battle Lab" on ForceNet. Thanks to The Cove for hosting us on their Cove Community channel.

"Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In Part 2, we cover the transition from sea to shore, where things can come unstuck fast. The boat gets you there. The job starts when you get off. _________________________________________________________________________ Battle Lab playing our part in supporting Army readiness in the littoral. Follow Army Battle Lab on Facebook and ForceNet! https://www.facebook.com/BattleLabAustralianArmy/ Search "Army Battle Lab" on ForceNet. Thanks to The Cove for hosting us on their Cove Community channel.

"Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In Part 1, we cover kit, sustainment, hydration and the effects of salt water working against you. _________________________________________________________________________ Battle Lab playing our part in supporting Army readiness in the littoral. Follow Army Battle Lab on Facebook and ForceNet! https://www.facebook.com/BattleLabAustralianArmy/ Search "Army Battle Lab" on ForceNet. Thanks to The Cove for hosting us on their Cove Community channel.

‘Just remember, the tactics don’t matter ...’ In this episode, Todd and Jake discuss returning to their first residential course since their Officer Basic Courses to be given all the skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours to be employed as all-corps captains. The first posting as a three-pip is likely to be as an operations captain, sub-unit second-in-charge or an adjutant and this is the course that completely prepares you. All Corps Captains Course (ACCC) is the first promotion course for junior officers and occurs at Canungra QLD. It is broken up into two modules, the Command Lead and Manage module and the Operations Module. Most of the war fighters in the Combat Brigades conduct the course in the first or last part of the year and the courses in the middle of the year are full of those that are not participating on the Joint Warfighting Series. It is best practice to scheme with your friends to stack the course you choose to participate in. In this episode, Jake plays another of his original songs – Goodbye Canungra – written while he was the Deputy Sherriff on his ACCC for the End of Course Function. The Sherrif and his or her Deputy uphold the social standards on a course or in a unit and do so by fining or charging those on the course for social faux pars. They also spend their entire time on ACCC planning the End of Course Function. Jake played Goodbye Canungra live to the course panel of ~80 Army officers bringing some to tears, most likely because the listeners had been voided of any emotions for the last six-weeks. Subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you don't miss out on Season Two of Live, Laugh, Lead where we give you way more guests, way more stories and if we can work out how to do it, incorporate video into the podcast.

‘We actually had a flea infestation, which really put the icing on the cake.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake talk through their experiences in the privilege of their first platoon and troop command. Many argue that one of the best things that you can be afforded is legal responsibility over a large group of people and that you should cherish that privilege because it is fleeting. This episode is about how we cherished our command. While you have already heard stories of the culmination of Jake's civil engineering studies with his ground-breaking Honours thesis, unbelievably the first project that he actually designed as a fully qualified engineer went over budget, over scope and over time. We tell the story of that project, fondly called The Deck at 6 Engineer Support Regiment that if it were to be dug up in one hundred years' time the archaeologists would wonder what the crew building it did because Jake singlehandedly quadrupled the amount of concrete in the ground with project mismanagement. In this episode, we talk through Domestic Operations in Todd ‘deploying’ to Hobart, Tasmania for three-months over Christmas and New Year’s Eve to provide oversight on hotel quarantine for seasonal workers that the state was desperate for. Jake tells the stories of building cyclone shelters and schools in Fiji as part of Defence Assistance to the Civil Community where he made-up the pivotal structural ratio of cane toads to concrete. This is the meaty content where we talk through achieving real things. Subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you do not miss next week’s episode and the last in Season One on the first time returning to all-corps training since RMC-D, the All-Corps Captains’ Course with ~90 of your peers, and another of Jake’s original songs, Goodbye Canungra.

‘Where there is smoke, there is fire.’ In this episode, Zac who is a current serving Adjutant in an artillery regiment joins us to talk through what an Adjutant does and what their expectations of new junior officers is. We talk through demi-official letters of introduction, meeting the Adjutant and Commanding Officer for the first time and how high or low the expectations on lieutenants are. Adjutants are the most senior junior officer in the unit and technically hold field rank. Apart from being one of the Commanding Officers closest advisers, they are responsible for a unit’s incident management, the discipline and standards of all junior officers in the unit and they are often the first point-of-call for a new lieutenant marching into the unit. Zac explains how officers marching into their first unit can distinguish themselves in their introductions, what your first day in the unit will look like and how an Adjutant can help you navigate your first command. He tells stories of incident management, phone calls in the middle of the night and the rewarding component of guiding the Commanding Officer’s decision making by being the of the junior officers. Subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you do not miss next week’s episode where we talk about the privilege of command and what we did as platoon and troop commanders for the first time.

‘As funny as this is, the OC is not going to find this funny ...’ This episode is centred on the relationship between junior officers and senior soldiers, a confusing relationship to first negotiate fraught with danger and social faux pas. Jake describes his first interaction with his Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) as a newly minted lieutenant where Jake confusingly admits to being absent without leave and sends his new chain of command into an absolute spin. We all assume, and rightfully so, that the hand-over take-over of your first troop or platoon will occur on a massive parade with a brass band and a fireworks show; however, it could not be more opposite. Often is the case that you will meet your soldiers completely randomly and your first address may be in a lunchroom with no more words than ‘I am the new guy, start sending your administration through me.’ It is always a good idea to wait some time before implementing new change as your soldiers will have seen commanders come-and-go and can be exhausted by constant change by people who have grand ideas without the context or understanding. A 360 Degree Review is an excellent way to have your soldiers reflect on their successes and failures and provides you as the new commander with problems to solve or improvements to make. You are there to solve problems,  In the same way that you will have seen excellent trainee officers and terrible ones, sergeants and warrant officers also exist on a bell-curve of competence. It is wise not to assume that they are all going to weapons and will not need any oversight. The best platoon command and platoon sergeant relationships are built on two individuals whose strengths and weaknesses compliment one-another. Believe it or not, Jake self-admits to being one of the most laissez-faire commanders – sometimes to the point of blatant neglect – and his platoon sergeant balanced that with a more stringent approach to standards and the smaller things which resulted in an incredibly strong command team. Subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you do not miss next week’s episode where we talk to an Adjutant, the most senior of the junior officers at a unit, about what it is like marching into a unit for the first time as a brand-new lieutenant and what is expected of you.

‘Anything south of the 5 RAR wash point is Choccos.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake talk you through what to do when you receive a posting order to one of the two northern combat brigades. The Army’s 3rd Brigade is on Lavarack Barracks in Townsville QLD while the Army’s 1st Brigade is on Robertson Barracks in Darwin NT. There are several other brigades and minor units that are also in these two locations. This episode is centred on what both locations offer but more importantly where you should live when you post in.  If you are single and moving to a new posting location it is likely that you will get the choice of Live-In Accommodation (sometimes referred to as LEAP), Rental Allowance to help you find a private rental property or Members Choice accommodation which is housing provided by DHA for single members. Although Jake goes through how he again lived life on hard mode, our recommendation is that you spend a brief period in Live-In Accommodation before finding some colleagues to move into a private rental property with and we explain why in this episode. A rental ceiling only indicates how much you must spend to get the maximum tax-free Rental Allowance, it is not a limit as to how much you can spend on rent per fortnight. Todd has lived with two house mates in a five-bedroom home with 270-degree views of the ocean and Magnetic Island in Townsville and in a huge two-story home in Darwin on the water with an infinity pool and a 16m mariner birth all made possible by sharing with close friends. A good rule-of-thumb for Townsville is that if the house or apartment you choose is inside the scooter zone, you will be humming; however, the best suburbs in Townsville are: (1) Castle Hill, (2) North Ward, (3) Belgian Gardens, (4) Townsville City and (5) Rowes Bay. This rule-of-thumb does not apply in Darwin, where the best suburbs to look are (1) Cullen Bay, (2) Bayview, (3) The Waterfront, (4) Fannie Bay, (5) Parap and (6) Nightcliff. We stand by the argument that where you live in a posting location will determine how good that posting was for you. Subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you do not miss next week’s episode where we talk about getting your first troop or platoon sergeant and how to go about setting up a good relationship to be successful in your first troop or platoon.

‘I talked to a few people, and that was the worst exercise they had ever done in their lives.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake delve into the depths of Mount Bundey Training Area and Townsville Field Training Area to tell stories about what happens when you run on 8 hours of water and 2 litres of sleep. Some field exercises are well-planned, some are not, and this episode has a heavy right foot towards telling stories of the latter. Whinging about your higher headquarters is a god given right; however, Todd and Jake expose exactly what happens when they became that part of that higher headquarters. Stories about visiting generals being exposed to every harsh element of Mount Bundey, First Appointment Reserve Officers (FARO) being thrust elbow-deep into a complex planning cycle with zero preparation and the Army’s own Bachelors and Spinster’s Ball, the Line Creek Dance. Jake plays another of his original songs – Rolling up a Ciggy out Field – written in the depths of a 28-day field exercise at Royal Military College – Duntroon called Defensive Operations. They even delve into Capability Management, wondering how the head net for the old Night Vision Goggles (NVG) made it through the tender process as the winner out of all the other options that would not have caused excruciating pain and would have held the NVG in a spot that actually made it functional. Join us for some of stories of our time on exercise and out-bush and subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you do not miss next week’s episode where we give our hot chips on where you should post for your first posting.

‘Will I need my helmet for this sir?’ In this episode, our guest Shetty recounts his foundational experiences as an Artillery Officer. A mechanical engineer by ‘trade’, Shetty chose artillery because ‘he watched something blow up in the distance’ and that was enough to get him into the corps which says far more about our guest than the corps itself. Shetty recounts stories of accidental Danger Close, the lightning bolts that are sent down a radio when a random officer makes up his own callsign on a safety net and getting his bush hat loaded into an M777 and fired through as an act of admiration or hatred from his soldiers on the gunline. He also talks through a setback at RMC that meant that he had to do II Class a second time, and what it felt like to see his cohort progress while he had to stay at RMC. The three streams in the Royal Australian Artillery are Offensive Support, Uncrewed Aerial Systems, and Air Defence. In Offensive Support, Shetty started as a Fire Support Officer (FSO), a Command Post Officer (CPO) and then a Forward Observer (FO) in a Joint Fires Team (JFT) and has loved every moment. Most junior officers command troops or platoons of 40+ soldiers; however, in the biggest rort in Army, JFT commanders have a maximum of five soldiers and spend their days in the gym and a mysterious place called ‘The Dome’. Join us as we cover all things Offensive Support and subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you can don your helmets for next week's episode full of field warries and another of Jake’s original songs.

‘This is where the hard times inspire some really good ideas.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake depart from the chronological order of officer progression and describe some of the legends of the training institutions that they have spent so many years in. Not letting the truth get into the way of a good story, this episode goes through some of the lighter parts of training and some of the unique aspects that make up training command. Incredibly short holidays with little planning filled with flukes, creative solutions to boredom during COVID-19 and a newly minted lieutenant fleeing to Hong Kong to avoid his less-than-ideal corps selection are all covered in this episode.  Jake plays one of his original songs – Brekky Wraps – written about the legendary breakfast option provided by the cafe at the Royal Military College – Duntroon, The Groll. Jake talks through the obstacle course that some Civil Engineers complete at the start of their degree, where they need to select an object to pay respect to a shrine made for the ‘Muddies’ and Todd explains how trainee officers skew the statistics about disposable income in Canberra ACT. Join us for some of the lighter stories of our time in training and subscribe to The Cove Community Podcast so that you do not miss next week’s episode where we have a Royal Australian Artillery officer talking us through a career as an artillery junior officer.

Featuring 2 AS DIV MAJGEN Thomae

‘There has been a mistake here, I am basically going to be an OC in less than twelve months. I am not meant to be doing the basic course with lieutenants.’ Todd and Jake talk through diving into their first Army training since RMC, their Officer Basic Courses to train them in their specific jobs. Deemed competent with zero confidence, any competence that we had built at RMC was quickly realigned by the instructors of our Officer Basic Course. For Jake the Regimental Officer Basic Course at the School of Military Engineering at Holsworthy Barrack in Sydney and for Todd the Logistics Officer Basic Course in Wodonga, Victoria. Watermanship, Bridging, Search, Explosives, Construction, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. Todd talks through getting drowned in a helicopter and gassed in a tin shed while Jake describes conducting a counter-CBRN exercise at a local university with some interesting locals. This episode is released on the day that most ADFA third years receive their graduation certificates, but Jake describes watching all his close friends cross the stage to receive their graduation certificates while he sat in the ‘non-graduate section’ because he failed a maths subject while galivanting around Japan.

‘The lesson of this story is, don’t give Australian’s fireworks for the first time overseas.’ Jake and Todd lift the mood considerable after graduating Duntroon by lamenting on the amazing overseas trips available to those that have little responsibility and way too much leave. Convertible Mustangs... fireworks... and that was just half of Jake’s engineering work experience. This episode is centred on both Jake and Todd returning to the University of New South Wales: Canberra to continue their academic exploration. Jake completed an Honours year in Civil Engineering basically microwaving sand while Todd researched the instructor culture and trainee officer learning at Duntroon. Jake confuses Geography and Geology, fumbles through working out the plural and singular for the word ‘thesis’ yet his research still managed to get ‘cited’. If you want to do an Honours year, are already scheduled to do one or you want nothing more than to end your time at Duntroon and travel overseas, this is the episode for you.

After a heavy year of Type 2 and Type 3 fun*, Staff Cadets suddenly find themselves rocketed up the hierarchy to the staggering heights of Lieutenant and enter a mysterious world where non-commissioned officers suddenly start using honorifics and these so-called Lieutenants are finally permitted to step foot in the Officers’ Mess (gasp…). Tune in to hear about the back half of the Royal Military College, and what lies at the end of the long march to earning a commission.  *Fun Types: Type 1 – Fun at the time & fun in retrospect; Type 2 – Not fun at the time but fun in retrospect; Type 3 – Not fun at any stage.

As aircraft fly overhead and hats are thrown in the air, sentiments amongst the ADFA graduate body differ slightly: Air Force cadets look forward to being able to annoy their peers even more by demanding salutes as pilot officers, Navy Midshipmen are returned the commission that was stripped from them upon commencement of ADFA, and Army members prepare themselves for their march ‘over the hill’. In this episode we discuss the transition from ADFA to the Royal Military College and the culture shock that lies in wait for prospective Army officers.

On this week's episode we present our first guest, Ben. Ben is an Armoured Corps officer who talks about what his first year as a cavalry troop commander looked like and why he chose Armoured Corps. Irredisregardless of whether we asked him to or not, he gives his opinions on the new armoured vehicles, the rank-relationship between officers and soldiers and 'likership versus leadership'. Ben juxtaposes his most rewarding moments in Army against his current battle finding his purpose in an Army without the opportunity for warlike operations and we ask him whether he would do it all over again.

On their second episode, Jake and Todd shock the world by actually committing to making and recording a second episode. Jake walks us through his exchange to the Japanese National Defence Force Academy; his debut international misrepresentational duty. We discuss the purpose of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), how it sets a solid foundation for working in a joint environment, and stumble across countless old stories drenched in rosy retrospection.

On their first episode of Live, Laugh, Lead, Todd & Jake explain why they started the podcast and what it is all about. They tell stories of capturing their commanding officer, explain what it takes (or doesn't take) to become an Australian Army officer, fumble their way through explaining how to command Australian soldiers and Jake explains how he microwaved sand for his 'academic thesis'.

"2nd Division has a clear role: protect Australia." In 2022 the Division was raised as an independent functional command to increase Army’s responsiveness, resilience and ability to scale to support the integrated force. Comprised of predominantly part-time personnel – the Division is leveraging the diverse expertise of the reserve workforce and exploring opportunities to increase preparedness through a new focused training model. Defending Australia and protecting our national interests is an important task - one that the Commander of 2nd Division, Major General Thomae doesn’t take lightly. In this episode of the Adapting Army Podcast we’re joined by Major General David Thomae, who is leading the Division’s adaptation to protect Australia. Join the Army Reserves - Army Reserve - ADF Careers

Have you ever considered the importance of Space in the context of Defence? From communications to traffic management – entire systems and societies are reliant on space. Losing access to space has the potential to impose significant military consequences with Army, Navy and Air Force reliant on space-based communications, intelligence and navigation. Space Command was formed in early 2022 to prepare space power to secure Australia’s interests in competition and conflict. Space Command is only in its infancy, so much so that Space wasn’t considered a Domain when all three guests of this podcast joined the Australian Defence Force. In this episode of the Adapting Army podcast, we’re joined by Group Captain Steve Henry, Group Captain Darrell May and Captain Peter Rice from Space Command. Our panel unpack how Space Command is contributing to the integrated force, the role space plays in National Defence and what a career is space is actually like. While you can’t join up as a ‘Space Officer’ right now, you can gain entry into the space workforce through the existing services – Army, Air Force and Navy, as well as a variety APS and contractor roles. For more information, contact ADF Careers.

"What will warfare look like in ten, twenty or even thirty years? How will new technologies fundamentally change the character of warfare? What is the future role of land power within the integrated force? These are some of the questions the Australian Army’s Land Force Design team question daily to inform and design concepts. Just like building a house, you would never proceed without a set of plans. For Army, planning how to respond to an ever-evolving threat requires vigorous, considered and innovative planning. In this episode of the Adapting Army Podcast Lieutenant Colonel Wesley Bartlett, Lead, Land Concepts and Major Simon Croft, SO2 Land Concepts at Land Force Design discuss what drives concepts and how they’re designed, trialled and tested."

"Can we trust autonomous systems? Are our laws and policies keeping pace with emerging technology? Who is accountable for the actions of an uncrewed or autonomous system? In this episode of the Adapting Army Podcast, were joined by Colonel Damian Copeland, the Director of Operations and International Law, Department of Defence. Damian has immense experience in the legal review of weapons, specifically weapons and systems enhanced by Artificial Intelligence. We’re also joined by Dr Zena Assaad, who is a fellow with the Australian Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Australian National University. Zena has made fundamental contributions to inform Army’s understanding of the paradigm between trust and autonomous systems. Our guests discuss accountability and control, the laws that guide uncrewed and autonomous technology and explore trusted systems, highlighting an international example where an autonomous system didn't perform as expected and how that impacted public trust."

"Where is artificial intelligence going? How do we empower our workforce to embrace and use new capabilities? How can we best leverage the resources we have? These are some of the questions the Australian Army and the United States Marine Corps are working together to solve. In today’s episode we are joined by Major Steven (Spike) Atkinson from the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, who is leading the Robotic, Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence branch in the United States. Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth has returned for another episode, sharing his insights from the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office. In our discussion, you’ll hear how the United States Marine Corps, and the Australian Army are approaching emerging technology, together. Highlighting the importance of information exchange and shared experimentation to identify capability gaps, integrate technology and leverage shared opportunities. "

"1 in 5 Army positions are currently vacant and for many, a more flexible way to work is becoming a higher priority. ServeOn is a new Army initiative finding flexible roles for service categories (SERCAT) 2 members, inactive SERCAT 3 members, and members wishing to leave full-time service. The greater flexibility is allowing members to spend more time at home or with their families, study, or pursue a civilian career, all while continuing to serve. We’re joined by a member of the ServeOn community, Major Martin Newlin, who shares his story of running a farm, while also continuing to serve. We are also joined by Lieutenant Colonel Rob Curtin, who has led the ServeOn initiative upon his return to service after 10 years in industry. He has been able to inspire more members to re-engage with Army in a new, more flexible capacity. Find out more: https://www.army.gov.au/serveon"

"Steve Baxter is an Australian entrepreneur, veteran and previously a shark on Australian Shark Tank. At the age of 15, Steve joined the Army, enlisting in its apprenticeship program. He became a technician working in the field of electronics, telecoms and guided weapon systems. In 1994, at the age of 23, Steve launched his first start-up, the pioneering internet service provider SE Net, from his spare room. Steve is now the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of TEN13, Australia’s leading tech start-up investment platform, and Founder and Lead Investor with Beaten Zone Venture Partners which is dedicated to early-stage investments in Australian sovereign legal defence technology. In this episode, Steve lends his experience as a successful entrepreneur and shares his observations regarding capability investment across the Defence Force."

The Digger Net Podcast which is all about sharing insights and exploring topics that impact soldiers work in the land domain. The host is former combat engineer and paralympic gold medalist Curtis McGrath, OAM. In this episode, he interviews Corporal Quin Jenson who in 2021 was a section commander during Operation Highroad which was a non-combat evacuation operation in Kabul. What was deployment like? What was his experience on the ground in Afghanistan? What was his main operational tasks?

Episode 6 of the Adapting Army podcast features three exceptional leaders representing Army, industry and academia. Lieutenant Colonel Rachael Ayoub is leading Army’s exploration of autonomous systems. We are also joined by Swinburne University of Technology’s inaugural Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Chief of Defence Innovation, Distinguished Professor Saeid Nahavandi. Saied was the founding Director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, Deakin University and has worked closely with Army to develop the Leader-Follower autonomous vehicle convoy. Our last guest, Steen Bisgaard, is the founding director of Gaardtech, a sovereign company specialising in autonomous ground vehicles. Army has been exploring the use of land autonomy with Steen and his team over the past two years. Join us as we see just how far autonomous systems have come, and what Army, industry and academia are looking to in the not-too-distant future in how autonomous systems can not only improve day to day life, but also protect it.

The Digger Net Podcast which is all about sharing insights and exploring topics that impact soldiers work in the land domain. The host is former combat engineer and paralympic gold medalist Curtis McGrath, OAM. In this first episode, he interviews Major Sam Jones. A full-time Army Psychologist reservist who focuses on human performance, mental health, and fatigue management. He has been deployed through Rotary Wing Group and never had a conversation about fatigue where the people in the room are not tired. So what is fatigue? How does it affect our work – analysis, threat assessment, memory, and communication? How does it impact the individual and the military in general?

"Episode 5 of the Adapting Army podcast features Army’s highest-ranking soldier, Army Regimental Sergeant-Major, Warrant Officer Kim Felmingham who has long championed the importance of an innovation culture among Army. We are also joined by Jasmine Kastaniotis from the Army Makerspace program. Jasmine is leading Army’s uptake of learning-by-doing and educating using innovative approaches, creative thinking, and agile methodologies. During the conversation, the pair discuss what innovation means to Army, uncover what stifles innovation, and explore the creative approaches and concepts emerging from Army MakerSpace."

"Episode 4 of the Adapting Army podcast features three of Australia’s leading quantum technologists – Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Doherty, Professor Brant Gibson and Dr Richard Taylor. Marcus leads Army’s exploration of quantum technology, is an esteemed senior fellow at the Australian National University and is the co-founder of Quantum Brilliance... as well as being an Army officer. Marcus has brought a huge depth of knowledge to Army and pioneered the Quantum Technology Challenge and Quantum Next Generation Challenge series, supporting partnerships between sovereign quantum technologists and Army. Professor Brant Gibson is currently in the joint roles of Assistant Associate Dean (Physics, RMIT University), Deputy Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics and Deputy Director of the Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre for Defence at RMIT University. Dr Richard Taylor is an Assistant Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics within the Queensland University of Technology. His research is focused on Applied Superconductivity in the fields of power, communications and instrumentation. During the conversation, we explore how Army and academia are collaborating to give Army the edge it needs in the critically important field of quantum technology."

"Episode 3 of the Adapting Army podcast features Colonel Jennifer Harris, who is regarded as one of Army’s agents of change. Jen has led a diverse career and is currently working in Army’s Land Capability Division, and has held previous roles in the total workforce system, as well as a project management position at Questacon. One common thread between these roles is the demand for change. We are also joined by Dr Bec Jackson. In her work as a psychologist and leadership development practitioner, Bec has successfully coached hundreds of leaders in the military, government, and public space to enhance and develop their capacity, commitment, and character to lead their teams and organisations into the future. The conversation delves into the challenges of change, sharing insights of what good leadership looks like, whether change management is really that important, and how optimism may be more valuable to an organisation than we realise."

Episode 2 of the ‘Adapting Army’ podcast features Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth and Emily Hughes. They discuss Artificial Intelligence and its use case for Army, now and in the future.

Episode 1 of the ‘Adapting Army’ podcast features Colonel Robin Smith, who is leading Army's exploration of emerging and disruptive technologies. As a young 18-year-old, Robin joined the British Army in 1987 as an electrical technician. After 30-years of service, Robin transferred to the Australian Army into Future Land Warfare branch where he wrote Army's first strategy on robotic and autonomous systems, known as the RAS Strategy. The Strategy was published in 2018 and supported the formation of an exploration and implementation office within the Australian Army. Five years on, Robin and his team have supported a number of projects across robotics and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, alternative power and energy, quantum technology and innovation culture.

"Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Arne Bård Dalhaugh is a retired three-star Norwegian Army officer, who also served as a senior officer in NATO and, more-recently, as a senior leader at the OSCE in Ukraine. Also, Wolfgang Sporrer is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School in Berlin and was recently the head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE in Ukraine. They discuss the invasion, current crisis, and possible future outcomes. Some of the topics covered are: the reason behind Russian President Vladimir Putin's ultimate invasion, narrative control in Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his communication skills."

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Mark Ascough. Brigadier Mark Ascough is the current Director General of Intelligence at Headquarters Joint Operations Command of the Australian Defence Force. Brigadier Ascough joined me to talk about all things intelligence and how he sees the field evolve into the future. Some of the things we covered are: Mark's background and entry into the Army, life as the J2, HQJOC, the role of 'Intelligence', and impact of the 'Five Mores'. Touching on the challenges for future intelligence professionals, the dangers of bias and moral courage in intelligence analysis. Discussing how to train for ethical challenges and the importance of understanding cultures. When it comes to the Australian intelligence community – is there too much or not enough power?

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Dejan Mujkanovic. An Australian Army officer with 19 years of military experience. He has completed several tours of Afghanistan and also deployed to East Timor. He was born in Bosnia in 1980 and experienced the full brunt of the civil war in the 90’s. His hometown of Prijedor made global news due to the campaign of ethnic cleansing committed by the Bosnian Serb forces seeking to forcefully remove the Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat populations from the area. As a result of these crimes, many of Dejan’s extended family members were lost in concentration camps, which, sadly, includes his father Senad Mujkanovic who was killed in the Omarska concentration camp in 1992. In the ensuing chaos, Dejan was separated from his mother and his siblings, and they have lived apart ever since. During his journey, he was forced to spend over two years in various refugee camps in Croatia and Austria and in late 1995, he was fortunate to settle in Australia with his grandmother. Now, 25 years later, Dejan is married and a proud father to his son. Some of the topics covered are: his reason for joining the Army, how the war in Bosnia started for him, and what good soldiering looks like.

"Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Dr Mike Martin and retired Lieutenant General Arne Bård Dalhaug. Both have provided regular commentary on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in regular and social media. Mike is a former British Army Officer who subsequently completed his PhD studying war and conflict. He has published a number of books, including ‘An Intimate War’, still one of the go-to books on understanding Afghanistan, as well as ‘Why We Fight’, a book that explores root causes of human conflict and war. Arne is a retired three-star general who was previously the Deputy Chief of Norwegian Armed Forces, served as the Norwegian Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, and was the Commandant of the NATO Defense College. After retiring from the military, Arne served in a senior position for the OSCE in the non-government-controlled area in eastern Donbas in Ukraine. Some of the topics covered are: the state of the Russian Army, the risk of nuclear war, and Ukrainian requirements to sustain combat operations."

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Brendan Cox. Who has served in the Australian Army for 25 years, first as a soldier, and later as an officer in the Infantry Corps. During his time, he has done a number of operational tours including to Bosnia, East Timor and Afghanistan. For his exemplary service, he has received a number of awards, including a Commendation for Distinguished Service in the Australia Day Honours List in 2014. Brendan is now the Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Brisbane, an organisation that supports families who are experiencing hardship due to the loss or injury of a loved one while serving in the armed forces. Some of the topics covered are: healing our own wounds by helping others, responsibilities of command, and building partnerships with foreign forces.

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Wolfgang Sporrer. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School in Berlin. He used to be the head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Kyiv, where he lead the civilian aspects of conflict management and facilitated and promoted dialogue between the opposing sides. Before that, he was the head of the international oil and gas company OMV's representation in the Caspian region, where he spearheaded regional efforts to promote the Southern Gas Corridor for the EU. Previously, he served as the Head of the Europa House of the European Commission in Baku/Azerbaijan and as the Head of the Democratisation Department of the OSCE Presence in Albania. He also served as a political adviser in the EU delegation in Moscow and in several functions for the OSCE in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Andrew Quilty. Who started his career in Sydney, then moved to New York City and eventually to Kabul, Afghanistan, after a two-week trip to photograph the Afghan cricket team turned into an odyssey now into its eighth year. He has worked in all but a handful of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, photographed for most of the world's premiere publications and won several accolades, including a World Press Photo Award, a Polk Award, several Picture of the Year International awards and the Gold Walkley, Australian journalism's highest honour. We covered many topics, including: the danger of oversimplified narratives of conflict, se

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Arne Bård Dalhaug. Lieutenant General (Ret.) Arne Dalhaug has had an extensive and distinguished career serving at the highest levels of the Norwegian Armed Forces, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, as well as NATO. His several final postings in uniform as a three-star general include serving as the Chief of Defence Staff/Deputy Chief of Norwegian Armed Forces, as the Norwegian Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, and as the Commandant at the NATO Defense College. After retiring from the military, Arne served for three years in a senior management position for the OSCE in the non-government-controlled area in eastern Donbas in Ukraine. Arne now works as an independent expert on NATO, Russia and conflicts in the post-Soviet domain. During our conversation we covered topics such as: reasons behind President Vladimir Putin's actions, NATO cohesion and current posture, and impact of the media on the current crisis.

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews John Blaxland. A Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies and former Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University. Prior to his academic pursuits, John enjoyed an extensive career as an Intelligence Officer in the Australian Army including as the principal intelligence staff officer for the Australian infantry brigade deployed to East Timor in September 1999, an intelligence exchange officer in Washington DC, Director Joint Intelligence Operations at Headquarters Joint Operations Command and Australia’s Defence Attaché to Thailand and Myanmar. As you will hear, we covered a broad range of subjects, including: John’s Army career and journey into academia, building the cultural knowledge of Timor Leste, and Understanding the human terrain and culture - critical to mission success.

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Duncan Spinner. Since 2015, Duncan Spinner has been working in Ukraine and for four years was the OSCE Head of Operations for Luhansk. Apart from sharing information on the current situation in Ukraine, this episode is also an appeal for your help in getting at-risk individuals out of harm’s way. As you’ll find out, Duncan and a small team of professionals are informally helping some of the most-vulnerable civilians whose lives are in grave danger. Providing a snapshot of Duncan's extensive experience working in conflict affected nations. Some of the other topics covered are: questioning the Russian mindset, the reality of those fleeing Ukraine, and getting personal protective equipment to fighters in Ukraine.

Vedran ‘Maz’ Maslic is the host of ‘The Voices Of War’. In this episode, Maz interviews Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt. A recently retired veteran of the Australian Defence Force where he served for nearly 30 years. Most of that time, he has spent in the Special Air Service Regiment, more commonly known as the SAS. During his time, he completed 11 active service deployments amassing nearly 1000 days on Special Operations globally. Since leaving the Army, Harry has become a registered psychologist and runs a human performance consultancy working with sports teams, the military and industry. He is also the Asia-Pacific Director for the Mission Critical Team Institute. He is also the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band The Externals. Harry also recently authored his memoir, 'Eleven Bats', which is a book about his military service, the SAS and his love of cricket. Along with the book, some of the other topics we covered are: his journey into the SAS, the first years of the war in Afghanistan, and changes in how the SAS came to be used.