The Edge

Intellectual Edge: The Pursuit of Lifetimes

Attaining an intellectual edge requires more than just ticking progressive boxes of formal education, it calls for a lifelong curiosity to critically observe and absorb experience.

Watch this space: a whole new war domain

‘Spacepower’, the US Space Force’s first published doctrine to define its purpose, declares space a distinctive new warfighting domain – one in which Australia should play its own role.

Countering Robotics and Autonomous Systems through Maritime Area Denial

Muddying the waters acoustically will be equally important as guided munitions when it comes to underwater mine warfare in the new age of Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS). Let’s look at both the kinetic and the non-kinetic approaches.

Intellectual Curiosity: Our ticket to the moon

Stimulating and nourishing intellectual curiosity across all ADF ranks must become the norm if we are to encourage original ideas and attain the Intellectual Edge over potential adversaries in the 21st century.

The Intellectual Edge

This piece challenges common stereotypes and assumptions about intellectualism and puts a price on the pursuit of knowledge for Defence.

What ‘RIGHT’ Looks Like: Linking Command and Moral Authority

…you don’t follow an order because you know for sure it’s gonna work out. You do what you are told, because your CO has the moral authority that says you may not come back. But the cause is just, and fair, and necessary.

The Civ-Mil sweet spot – PME writing by Reservists

The Australian Defence Force needs to draw the full intellectual potential from its limited pool of people, including the ADF Reserves. Yet ADF Reserves tend to be under-represented in the professional debate. I contend that this deprives the ADF of some important diversity of thought, professional example and intellectual leadership that should be more readily available. My suggestion is that ADF Reservists seek to write and publish of topics from the sweet spot of the intersection of their civilian careers and the military profession.

Suicide, Male Honour and the Masculinity Paradox: its impact on the ADF

In this powerful article, Anne Goyne the Senior Psychologist and Deputy Director Research at the Centre for Defence Leadership and Ethics (CDLE) at the Australian Defence College (ADC) explores the reason for male suicide and its high prevalence in wider society. She highlights the paradox of low ADF male suicide rates and the very high rates of suicide of ex-serving military men.

The Intellectual Edge: A Collective Effect

The article suggests and explores possible components of the Intellectual Edge (being curiosity, understanding, and education), with respect to individual and organisational perspective. It suggests that the IE is attainable through the collective effect of individual intellectual pursuits within an organisation.

The role of culture in developing the intellectual edge

What is the intellectual edge?

The Professions of Arms Needs a CPD Program

In December 2018, the Commander of the Australian Defence College, Major General Mick Ryan, released the Australian Joint Professional Military Education Continuum.

The Defence Coach

This article follows WGCDR Jacqueline Carswell’s excellent contribution to the Forge ‘One Step to Maximising our People’s Potential’ of 15 Jul 19.