The Edge

The 2019 ADF Joint Warrant Officer Course in review

Leveraging off the latest Joint Warrant Officer Course (JWOC) conducted in September 2019, the article focuses on the continued development of JWOC as part of the ADF’s Joint Professional Military Education Continuum. The article discusses the positioning of the JWOC course on the JPME Continuum and aims to assist in the preparation of senior ADF Warrant Officers for future Tier B and C appointments. It achieves this by providing an executive-level understanding of contemporary Defence issues at the strategic, operational and functional levels of command through the study of Australia’s Strategic Defence Environment, Joint Capability and Force Design and Command Leadership and Ethics. Most importantly it highlights the fact that a key ‘deliverable’ of the JWOC is to cultivate, in our senior Warrant Officers, the ability to think both critically and strategically.

The Commander’s call: Re-defining rules of engagement (ROE) during Counterinsurgency (COIN) operations

The author writes on the inherent contradiction that exists between the implementation of international humanitarian law and the military operations in the conflict environment. The case in study is about ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan and Syria, where the U.S troops along with their ISAF colleagues face a dual challenge fighting the insurgents while working within the framework of international humanitarian and domestic laws. The article discusses the necessity of involving the field commander's view while developing rules of engagement so that the operational imperatives aren't lost while guarding against collateral damage.

ADFA Presentation 2019 – General Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK, MC

The Governor-General of Australia, General Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK, MC, addresses ADFA staff and trainees

The Value Proposition for Developing a Future Intellectual Edge

Mick Ryan offers a new ‘value proposition’ for the intellectual development of military personnel for conflict in the 4th industrial revolution.

ACSC(J): An A-Z Guide from a Student Perspective.

Will you be attending the Australian Command and Staff College (Joint) (ACSC) course in 2019? Or have you just been selected for 2020? If the answer is yes, then you’ll want to read this unofficial guide to the ACSC posted on The Cove. It offers an excellent tool for prospective students. As the author states, the guide is written from a student’s perspective and covers a range of topics in a handy A-Z format.

Thoughts from The Edge

Mick Ryan is the Commander of the Australian Defence College. This column from Ryan and his contributors focusses on intellectually preparing members of the profession of arms for strategic competition and future conflict.

How to Think (and How Not To)

In this piece, Ben McLennan discusses the pressing need to educate the Army’s workforce on how to think (and how not to). In his discussion, McLennan cogently addresses systems thinking, inherent biases and the need for open-mindedness as part of understanding the recipe to transform Army’s thinking. While specific to McLennan’s Army experience, his observations are equally applicable to other Services and anyone who aspires to think in a way that harnesses a competitive advantage.

Links to Follow

Twitter feeds and podcasts to follow.

Journals

Recommended publications.

Officers’ Call: The Profession of Arms

In 1962, General Sir John Winthrop Hackett, GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC delivered a series of lectures on the Profession of Arms at Trinity College, Cambridge. A renowned soldier, author and historian, General Hackett served with distinction in the Second World War and his career culminated in his appointment as the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine. Following the success of these lectures, he released a well-received book on the same subject, also called ‘The Profession of Arms’. The lectures provide a good historical basis for officers who wish to conduct further study of the profession of arms.

The Royal Australian Air Force Leadership Companion

The Air Force Leadership Companion is designed to assist Air Force personnel in understanding and contextualising the foundations of leadership as espoused in ADDP 00.6 Leadership. This companion explores the context of Social Mastery: Character, Professional Ethics, Followership and Leadership in the Air Force.

CDLE Command Paper 1 - 2016

The CDLE Command Paper 1-2016 is Commodore Peter Scott’s CSC, RAN account of Submarine Command and the issues he faced during his Command. In his paper CDRE Scott covers: qualification to command an Australian submarine, leadership with ultimate accountability and authority, the essential elements of command, purpose, vision and realism as guiding concepts, methods of submarine command, lessons from submarine command, obligations inherent in submarine command, behaviours, and traits to value and nurture.