Posted by Brian Hartigan, Author at CONTACT magazine

Editor's Vlog

Finishing pit walls in the bunker

30/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 980 Views 2 Comments Make-n-Do

It’s getting pretty serious in the bunker at the moment. I seem to be finishing up a lot of key

An Australian Army soldier instructs Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel during a training serial as part of Op Kudu Rotation 10 in the United Kingdom. Photo by Corporal Riley Blennerhassett.

10th Aussie rotation to Ukraine training mission

30/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2775 Views 0 Comments Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine

Deploying the 10th rotation of Australian personnel on Operation Kudu marked three years of continuous support to the Armed Forces

New satellite communications equipment being installed on HMAS Sydney. Photo by Leading Seaman Abdus Chowdhury.

News Royal Australian Navy

RAN begins SATCOM transformation

30/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2437 Views 0 Comments King Cobra SATCOM

A sweeping project to replace Navy’s satellite communications got underway in August with the upgrade of HMAS Sydney’s SATCOM capability

The new landing craft Late, which was delivered to Tonga at a handover ceremony at Masefield Naval Base on 29 August 2025. ADF image supplied.

Australian News Pacific

New landing craft delivered to Tonga

30/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2055 Views 1 Comment

Australia has successfully delivered a new landing craft vessel to Tonga, with an official handover ceremony taking place at the

Australian soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and Armed Forces of the Philippines soldiers participate in an amphibious landing and assault near San Vicente, the Philippines, during Exercise Alon 25. Photo by Corporal Adam Abela.

ADF News Overseas Pacific

Aussie + Filipino troops hit the beach

30/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2483 Views 0 Comments

The thump and smoke from simulated naval gunfire heralded the start of the amphibious assault. CAPTION: Australian soldiers from the

An Australian M1A2 Abrams SEP v3 fires sabot rounds during a live-fire to confirm the aiming system of the tank and to qualify crews on the new systems at the Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria, November 2024. Photo by Corporal Michael Currie.

Letters to the Editor

When Something Isn’t Right: What do You do?

27/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 600 Views 1 Comment

The Chief of Army can’t explain why 1st Armoured Regiment had to be stripped of its tanks and made a

Editor's Vlog

Castle walls and silly falls

23/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 895 Views 0 Comments Make-n-Do

As per the title, I build a (faux) castle wall – very apt for an Irishman’s underground bunker. In the

Soldiers officers and vehicles of the 1st Armoured Regiment on parade to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai. Photo by Corporal Craig Barrett.

Letters to the Editor

If There’s no Trust, What’s Left?

23/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 1737 Views 0 Comments

Trust: the result of a working environment in which human values are paramount: the dignity of the individual is respected;

Letters to the Editor Thought provoking

Anonymous comments and their authors

22/08/202522/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 478 Views 1 Comment

What motivates a person to offer a comment on a topic under a false name, or with no name at

An Australian M1A2 SEP v3 main battle tank. Photo by Corporal Michael Currie.

Letters to the Editor

Why Doesn’t Anyone Understand What’s Been Done to the RAAC?

19/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 809 Views 0 Comments

We used to be a Corps focussed solely on developing the skills needed to close with and out-manoeuvre the enemy;

One of thousands of photos taken by Billy Cunneen in Vietnam – 1966, a US Army Iroquois takes off, after dropping off soldiers from 6RAR for a patrol.

Poets Corner

The Return

18/08/2025 Frank Meredith 2775 Views 0 Comments Frank Meredith

Soldier with your quiet eyes and forward stare Awaken from your thoughts of gentler fare Her lover’s breath is now

Editor's Vlog

New steps in the bunker – part 2

16/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 935 Views 0 Comments Make-n-Do

In this week’s video, I finish the new steps leading out of my bunker excavations. I was worried that I

New Zealand Army gunners from 16th Field Regiment lead a live-fire mortar exercise alongside Papua New Guinea Defence Force counterparts. NZDF photo supplied.

New Zealand News Pacific

New Zealand Army delivers first mortar course in PNG

16/08/202516/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2088 Views 1 Comment NZDF, PNGDF

A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent drawn from various units within 1st (NZ) Brigade and Joint Support Group has

An Australian Army soldier from the 1st Armoured Regiment controls controls an M134D minigun remote weapon station attached to a modular robotic vehicle during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.

Letters to the Editor

The questions Chief of Army and his Chief of Staff declined to answer

16/08/202516/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 1051 Views 0 Comments

These are the questions that the CA and his Chief of Staff, have been asked to answer (and for which

An Australian M1 Abrams main battle tank and an M113 AS4 personnel carrier from 2nd Cavalry Regiment during Exercise Brolga Sprint 24 at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Trooper Dana Millington.

Letters to the Editor

What is it that the Chief of Army doesn’t want us to know?

15/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 966 Views 2 Comments

On 20 July 25, a letter was posted to Brigadier Matthew Campbell, AM, the Chief of Army’s Chief of Staff.

A Sallyman provides hot and cold beverages, biscuits and a friendly ear to soldiers 'out bush'. Photo by Corporal Nick Wiseman.

Australian Army News

Who killed the Sallyman?

13/08/202517/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3638 Views 16 Comments

After 126 years, the Australian Army has axed funding for the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Defence Services’ Sallyman service. FILE

Australian soldiers and an Australian Army M1A1 Abrams conduct an amphibious assault during Exercise Keris Woomera 2024 at Banongan Beach, Indonesia. Photo by Corporal Janet Pan.

Letters to the Editor

All Soldiers are Weapon Bearers, but …

12/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 901 Views 5 Comments

What is it that defines ‘soldiering’? Is it enough to say the life or job of a soldier? The previous

An Australian Army M1 Abrams Tank from 2nd Cavalry Regiment disembarks at Lucinda as part of their movement to Townsville Field Training Area for Exercise Brolga Run, on May 21 2024, Queensland. Photo by Captain Brittany Evans.

Letters to the Editor

Are Tanks Needed as Part of a Littoral Optimised Force?

09/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 1077 Views 2 Comments

The National Defence Strategy 2024 makes it clear that the Army must have the capacity to respond with credible military

Editor's Vlog

New steps in the bunker – part 1

09/08/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1040 Views 0 Comments Make-n-Do

Using the space during excavation I learnt that steps were definitely a must have for getting out of the pit

Australian Army birthday cupcakes prepared for Army's 121st birthday activities at Russell Offices in Canberra on Tuesday, 01 March 2022. Photo by Corporal Sagi Biderman.

Letters to the Editor

An Honourable Institution?

06/08/2025 Bruce Cameron 3370 Views 3 Comments

The Chief of Army has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, declaring that the Australian Army is a national