Thursday, December 18, 2025
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CONTACT magazine

Author: Posted by Brian Hartigan

Editor's Vlog 

Dealing with my piles (of dirt)

22/11/202522/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 467 Views 0 Comments

OK – I can’t put it off any longer – I have to re-arrange the piles of dirt on my driveway. It’s

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An M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank is loaded onto a United States Navy asset during Exercise Talisman Sabre at Townsville Port, Queensland. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.
Letters to the Editor 

The RAAC Head of Corps’ dilemma

20/11/202520/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 451 Views 0 Comments

Heads of Corps were reinstated in 2001 via Chief of Army Directive 05/01.  According to the Directive, HOC are responsible

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Editor's Vlog 

Trying to get reorganised

16/11/202516/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 556 Views 0 Comments

My bunker is a construction zone – and my proper workshop is a disaster zone. I feel it’s time to

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An Australian Army soldier from the 1st Armoured Regiment controls controls an M134D An Australian Army soldier from the 1st Armoured Regiment 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.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 

What part did Future Land Warfare play in the demise of 1st Armoured Regiment? 

14/11/202514/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 499 Views 0 Comments

In October 2022, the outgoing Director General of Future Land Warfare was Brig Ian Langford, DSC (and bars).  He’d brought

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United States Army 17th Field Artillery Brigade High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) during the Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 firepower demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Jacob Joseph.
News USA 

Lockheed Martin delivers 750th HIMARS launcher

14/11/202514/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 931 Views 0 Comments

Lockheed Martin has marked a major milestone delivering the 750th HIMARS launcher to the US Army. FILE PHOTO: United States Army

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An Australian Army M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank provides support for soldiers during an urban assault at Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 25. Photo by Corporal Michael Rogers.
Letters to the Editor 

Is an Army unit something that the Chief of Army can do with as he likes?

10/11/202510/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5532 Views 19 Comments

He’s the one in charge … so, why not? If he wants a unit to undertake a new role managing

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A400m Atlas. Luftwaffe photo supplied.
Europe New Zealand News 

Luftwaffe training visit to New Zealand

09/11/202509/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1463 Views 0 Comments

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) will host several German air force (Luftwaffe) aircraft, working alongside the visitors as they

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Exercise Suman Warrior 2025 underway in Linton Military Camp, New Zealand. Exercise SUMAN Warrior seeks to enhance the interoperability between Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) nations. NZDF photo supplied.
New Zealand News 

New Zealand hosts Five Powers exercise

08/11/202508/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 854 Views 0 Comments

Manawatū’s Linton Military Camp is this month the battlefield headquarters for leading soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and

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Editor's Vlog 

Shewolf lion and shields

08/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 521 Views 0 Comments

Is that a catchy/scary title? In any case, it marks a significant decorative input to the bunker. But, it was

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Australian Army soldiers from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, conduct a trench clearance, supported by 2nd Cavalry Regiment M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, as part of Exercise Brolga Sprint at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Private Jessica Gray.
Letters to the Editor 

Is frank and fearless advice a thing of the past?

08/11/202508/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2810 Views 4 Comments

Is the concept of ‘frank and fearless advice’ simply rhetoric; or is it a goal which defines the ideals to

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An Australian Army M1A2 Abrams main battle tank from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the South Queensland Warfighter Exercise at Shoalwater Bay, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Johnny Huang.
Letters to the Editor 

An Appalling Lapse of Judgement

06/11/202506/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 652 Views 0 Comments

“It was warm and humid as I stepped out of my vehicle to greet the commander of the Australian Army’s

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Editor's Vlog 

Special castle, lake and memories

04/11/202504/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 559 Views 0 Comments

I once worked at a castle in Ireland. Well actually, on the castle estate – milking cows and birthing calves.

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Poets Corner 

The Soldier-Poet

04/11/202504/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 867 Views 0 Comments

Although relatively unknown at the time, Wilfred Owen would come to be recognised as the best of the WWI poets.

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Letters to the Editor 

The Last Battle – SOTG in Shah Wali Kot

03/11/202503/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 760 Views 0 Comments

Dear editor, May I introduce you to a new book I have written, highlighting the role of the Australian Special

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Australian Army Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tanks during a live-fire serial as part of a qualification course for Royal Australian Armoured Corps soldiers at Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria. Story and photos by Corporal Jacob Joseph.
Letters to the Editor 

What will be the cost of NOT having a tank regiment?

01/11/202502/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1033 Views 0 Comments

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

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Editor's Vlog 

My last days in Ireland

01/11/202502/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 695 Views 0 Comments

Never say never, but I may have spent my last days in Ireland. And, to be honest, I’m not even

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An Australian Army Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicle (left) and an M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank during sea-transportability trials at Townsville Port, Queensland. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.
Letters to the Editor 

The RAAC like it’s never been before

25/10/202525/10/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 847 Views 0 Comments

A direct consequence of 1st Armoured Regiment being stripped of its tanks and made into a Combat Experimentation Group (CXG),

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Editor's Vlog 

Honk for happiness

25/10/202525/10/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 866 Views 0 Comments

My sister-in-law owns a pub! I love my sister-in-law – and her pub. The Honk, Newmarket-on-Fergus, round the back of

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An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tank fires its 120mm cannon during a live-fire serial for the Coral-Balmoral Cup at Puckapunyal Military Area. Story by Captain Thomas Kaye. Photos by Corporal Johnny Huang.
Letters to the Editor 

Where will the hurt be felt most?

22/10/202522/10/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 747 Views 1 Comment

Making 1st Armoured Regiment a non-combatant was something managed very closely by Defence.  Complaints from the unit itself had to

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THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1917 (Q 6284) A British Mark IV tank at Wailly. This shows how it would appear to occupants of the German trenches during the Battle of Cambrai. This was the first occasion on which tanks were launched en masse in a surprise attack and it clearly demonstrated the potential of the armoured vehicle. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205124999
Letters to the Editor 

The Values of Cambrai: Recognised Today?

18/10/202518/10/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 765 Views 0 Comments

“It remains for unit Commanders and for Tank crews to complete the work by judgement and pluck in the battle

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