Mike Hughes, Author at CONTACT magazine

Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Dirago salutes official guests during the opening ceremony for Exercise Wirra Jaya 2021 at Robertson Barracks, NT. Story by Captain Carla Armenti. Photo by Corporal Rodrigo Villablanca.

Exercise enables stronger connections

16/10/2021 Mike Hughes 87 Views 0 Comments Wirra Jaya 2021

Indonesian Armed Forces personnel have been welcomed to the Top End for the eighth iteration of Exercise Wirra Jaya. CAPTION:

Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, take cover behind an Australian Army G Wagon while conducting building clearances during urban operations training at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Story by Captain Taylor Lynch. Photo by Corporal Nicole Dorrett.

Australian Army News Videos

Fierce target prosecution – key in urban training

16/10/202116/10/2021 Mike Hughes 241 Views 0 Comments

Attacking at the crack of dawn to neutralise a notional enemy occupying the Urban Operations Training Facility, soldiers from the

Corporal Andrew Ball demonstrates lighting a fire with a fero rod on Exercise Emu Walk. Story by Captain Sandra Seman-Bourke.

Australian Army News

Outback survival skills taught and tested

16/10/202116/10/2021 Mike Hughes 246 Views 0 Comments Indigenous, survival course

Hundreds of kilometres from Perth, deep in the heart of Western Australia’s outback, soldiers from the Pilbara Regiment’s 3rd Squadron have

USS Carl Vinson, JS Kaga, HMAS Sirius, INS Satpura, USS Lake Champlain, INS Ranvijay, JS Murasame, USS Stockdale and HMAS Ballarat break from a formation sail during Exercise Malabar. Photo by Leading Seaman Ernesto Sanchez.

Asia India News Pacific Royal Australian Navy

Exercise Malabar wraps up

16/10/2021 Mike Hughes 119 Views 0 Comments

Australia and key partners India, Japan and the United States have completed the second phase of Exercise Malabar 2021, held

Newly promoted Director of Music–Navy Commander Cassandra Mohapp at the Garden Island Defence Precinct. Story by Leading Seaman Jonathan Rendell. Photo by Leading Seaman Matthew Lyall.

ADF People

Chorus of praise for key change

16/10/2021 Mike Hughes 67 Views 0 Comments

In an historic development for the Royal Australian Navy Band, the Director of Music – Navy position has been upgraded

HMS Resolution was a Royal Navy Resolution-class nuclear-powered submarine. Story by Leading Seaman Kylie Jagiello.

ADF People History

Nuclear-powered submarines welcomed

16/10/2021 Mike Hughes 75 Views 0 Comments

Former Royal Navy (RN) nuclear submarine executive officer, Captain Henry Finnis (retd), sees the benefits of Australia acquiring the vessels

Captain Laura McCarthy is serving part-time under Service Category 3, and is pictured with her children at home. Story by Jessica Cameron. Photo by Corporal Brenton Kwaterski.

ADF People

Remote, part-time role perfect for mum

16/10/2021 Mike Hughes 67 Views 0 Comments

The war memorial in Auburn, South Australia, honours soldiers from the district that died in World War I. CAPTION: Captain

Lance Corporal Mancell Laidler, of Joint Task Group 629.9, inspects the licence of a motorist at the ACT Federal Highway border-control point during Operation COVID-19 Assist. Photo by Corporal Jarrod McAneney.

Australian Army Health and Wellbeing News Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy

ADF winds up ACT COVID control support

13/10/2021 Mike Hughes 170 Views 0 Comments COVID-19

ADF personnel have spent the past few weeks supporting ACT Policing at vehicle checkpoints on the ACT-NSW border set up

HMAS Sirius conducts a replenishment at sea with USS Stockdale during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 21. Story by Captain Peter March. Photo by Leading Seaman Sittichai Sakonpoonpol.

News Royal Australian Navy USA

Mates shouted a drink at sea

13/10/202113/10/2021 Mike Hughes 212 Views 0 Comments HMAS Sirius, Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021

Replenishment ships such as HMAS Sirius play a vital role in the maritime theatre, providing supplies such as fuel, food, provisions

Personnel from HMAS Canberra deliver personal protective equipment to Manila, Philippines, during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021. Story by Captain Peter March. Photo by Petty Officer Christopher Szumlanski.

Asia News Pacific Royal Australian Navy

Philippines supported in milestone year

13/10/2021 Mike Hughes 156 Views 0 Comments COVID-19, Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021, Philippines

Celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations, Australia and the Philippines strengthened their defence and whole-of-government ties with a number of

Leading Seaman Esler Cartledge in the galley on board HMAS Sirius during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 21. Story by Captain Peter March. Photo by Leading Seaman Sittichai Sakonpoonpol.

ADF People

Pair aboard at start and end of ship’s service

13/10/2021 Mike Hughes 205 Views 0 Comments HMAS Sirius, Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021

Two sailors in HMAS Sirius on the ship’s final deployment before being decommissioned were part of the ship’s commissioning crew

Lieutenant Commander Richard Mingramm looks out from the starboard bridge wing of HMAS Sirius, as the ship departs Cam Rah Bay, Vietnam, during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021. Story by Captain Peter March. Photo by Leading Seaman Sittichai Sakonpoonpol.

ADF People

Old salt never says never

13/10/202113/10/2021 Mike Hughes 116 Views 0 Comments HMAS Sirius, Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021

As HMAS Sirius undertakes her last operational deployment during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021 (IPE21), it could also be the end of

Australian Army Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo (LARC) vehicles during EX SP21 at the Wide Bay Training Area, Inskip Peninsula, Queensland. Photo visor clip.

Australian Army Videos

Light amphibious cargo vehicle training – Exercise Surfing Penguin

12/10/202112/10/2021 Mike Hughes 411 Views 0 Comments

The 35 Water Transport Squadron, 10th Force Support Battalion conducted a training activity at the Wide Bay Training Area, Inskip

Sappers from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment dismount an Australian Army M113AS4 Armoured Personnel Carrier to conduct a simulated breach of an enemy position while training at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Nicole Dorrett.

Australian Army Videos

Sappers breach contested minefield

12/10/202116/10/2021 Mike Hughes 360 Views 0 Comments

Soldiers from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment conducted a simulated minefield breach while under fire from a fictional enemy in

Detective Sergeant Mark Dalton, front, provides feedback to Joint Civil-Military Cooperation Staff Planning Course participants, supported by Senior Instructor Major Brian Willsher, right, and Major Frank Aisake, left, of Headquarters 1st Division. Story by Captain Lily Charles.

ADF Australian Army News Police

Military and civilian cooperation goes online

12/10/2021 Mike Hughes 183 Views 0 Comments

The latest Joint Civil-Military Cooperation Staff Planning Course (JCSPC) successfully tackled the challenge of remote learning during COVID-19. CAPTION: Detective

Major Brett Pates, left, and his son, Lance Corporal Timothy Pates, are both deployed to the Middle East region on Operation Accordion. Story by Flight Lieutenant Clarice Hurren. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.

ADF People

Long Army service a lifestyle

12/10/2021 Mike Hughes 166 Views 0 Comments Operation Accordion

Major Brett Pates has clocked up more than 41 years of service in Army logistics and says perspective is key:

Corporal Lachlan Jones from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, flies a DJI Mavic 2 at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville. Story by Captain Lily Charles. Photo by Corporal Brodie Cross.

ADF People Science & Technology

Engineering infantry innovations

12/10/2021 Mike Hughes 116 Views 0 Comments

Corporal Lachlan Jones is an infantry signaller dedicated to improving the capabilities and experiences of his fellow infanteers. CAPTION: Corporal

A 'Let's Chalk about Mental Health' activity was held at Adams Auditorium, ADFA, in 2019 in support of World Mental Health Day. Photo by Jay Cronan.

ADF Australian Army Health and Wellbeing News Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy

Look out for your mates, and yourself

11/10/2021 Mike Hughes 164 Views 0 Comments

Defence marked the October 10 World Mental Health Day with online and in-person activities around Australia in the lead-up to the

Ipswich Indigenous community members and children inside a C-17A Globemaster III for a flight from RAAF Base Amberley. Story by Flying Officer Lily Lancaster. Photo by Sergeant Peter Borys.

Health and Wellbeing News Royal Australian Air Force

Connections made high above ground

08/10/2021 Mike Hughes 163 Views 0 Comments Indigenous, NAIDOC Week

More than 130 Ipswich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families had the experience of a lifetime: a

NSW Police Senior Constable Peter Heginbotham, front left, and Midshipman Bridie Kemp on hotel quarantine duties during Operation COVID-19 Assist. Story by Flight Lieutenant Eamon Hamilton. Photo by Corporal Dustin Anderson.

ADF Health and Wellbeing News Royal Australian Air Force

ADF supports evacuees in quarantine

08/10/2021 Mike Hughes 151 Views 0 Comments Afghanistan, COVID-19

Recent evacuees from Afghanistan are being helped in their transition to a new life in Australia by ADF personnel on

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