What’s the Chief of Army up to?

Once upon a time … the Chief needed a ‘unit’ to come on-line quickly and manage ‘emerging technologies’. 1st Armoured Regiment happened to be located near an industrial area in Adelaide, one which was gearing up in terms of meeting defence needs. The unit became an easy solution.

This was an amazing and fortuitous coincidence! It happened that there was insufficient housing in Townsville to accommodate both 1 Armd Regt and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment as per the Defence Strategic Review’s (DSR) newly stipulated 3rd Armoured Brigade. The brigade would have to be limited to just 2 Cav Regt and 3RAR (mechanised) … until 2027, or thereabouts, when more houses are to be completed.

In readiness for its new role as a non-combatant technology test-bed, 1 Armd Regt was stripped of its tanks and reduced to one third of its size. [One of the options for crews who didn’t volunteer to remain in Adelaide, was that of transferring to 2 Cav Regt in Townsville.] Interestingly, it’s been reported that 1 Armd Regt has been maintaining crew gunnery proficiency by busing crews to Puckapunyal and conducting regular shoots at the School of Armour. This expense could only be justified if the unit’s new role was a temporary one, pending relocation to Townsville (when there’s enough housing).

This must be one of the great ‘oversights’ of recent military history. Despite Defence knowing everything about the DSR and its implications, they failed to anticipate the limitations of Townsville’s infrastructure. As a result, 3 Brigade (and Townsville) is at maximum holding capacity with just 2 Cav Regt (rather than both it and 1 Armd Regt as would normally be the case for an armoured brigade).

Question: why not just be open and acknowledge the mistake?

There are certain parts of the bureaucracy for whom the normal way of dealing with such things is to either find someone to take the blame, or cover it up. In this case, it appears that the real challenge is to avoid the oversight becoming a laughing matter.

Conveniently, the solution was already in place … 1 Armd Regt becomes a non-combatant ‘emerging technologies’ test bed and stays in Adelaide for as long as it takes to complete the necessary houses in Townsville.

Now that the ‘cat’s out of the bag’, what will happen next? As recently as last month, a serving two-star officer said that: “I am not aware that there is an issue with housing in Townsville”. How is this possible, unless it’s part of the ‘cover up’.

The response to these ‘revelations’, so far, is to say nothing. The question now, however, becomes who of us has the most patience? Can the Chief’s staff maintain their silence long enough for those raising the issue to tire and give up their quest … or can the proponents raise sufficient public awareness that the bureaucracy will be forced to respond?

You be the judge.

Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Cameron, MC, RAAC (Ret’d)

 

FILE PHOTO (December 2024): Brigadier Dave McCammon and W02 Robert Munro conduct a lap of 3rd Brigade in an M1A2 at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, Queensland. Photo by Private Jess Gray.

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