ADF People – CONTACT magazine

Able Seaman Jack, left, and Able Seaman Thomas Phillips conduct electrical testing on a torpedo tube on board the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont at HMAS Stirling in WA. Story by Lieutenant Mark Tesoriero. Photos by Leading Seaman Shaun Chatfield.

Aussie torpedoman takes on US attack subs

28/11/202528/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 118 Views 0 Comments Collins-class submarines, HMAS Stirling, Nuclear Powered Submarines

Like many young recruits, Able Seaman Jack joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) because he wanted to see the world.

Australian Army Craftsman Marcus Szewczuk, of the 5th Aviation Regiment, stands before an Australian Army CH-47F Chinook in PNG. Story by Captain Tadek Markowski. Photos by Corporal Dana Millington.

ADF People Australian Army

Helicopter maintenance a family affair

28/11/202528/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 110 Views 0 Comments 5th Aviation Regiment, CH-47F Chinook, Exercise Helicon Luk, PNG

Sat in a distant corner of a hangar at the Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby, Craftsman Marcus Szewczuk, of

Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Stephen Chappell presents 101-year-old Air Force veteran Charles Reif with an Aussie Hero Quilt. Story by Elise Monge. Photo by Flight Sergeant Rodney Welch.

ADF People History Royal Australian Air Force

A lifetime of dedication to country and service

25/11/202525/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 304 Views 0 Comments Aussie Hero Quilts, Chief of Air Force

When Charles Reif enlisted in the Air Force in 1946 at 22 years old as an aircraftman electrical mechanic, he

MQ-4C Triton pilot Flight Lieutenant Ariel White with 9 Squadron at RAAF Base Tindal. Story by Flying Officer Shanea Zeegers. Photos by Sergeant David Gibbs.

ADF People Royal Australian Air Force

From dreams to duty

25/11/202525/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 321 Views 0 Comments MQ-4C Triton, No. 9 Squadron, RAAF Edinburgh, RAAF Tindal

For Flight Lieutenant Ariel White, a typical day as an air vehicle pilot at 9 Squadron means helping shape the

Commanding Officer 100 Squadron Wing Commander Richard Brougham presents a 100 Squadron challenge coin to James Birt. Story and photos by Flying Officer Michael Thomas.

ADF People History Royal Australian Air Force

Connecting then and now

21/11/202521/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 638 Views 0 Comments No. 100 Squadron, WWII

It’s been more than 80 years since James Birt was defending our nation in World War 2, yet he can

Aviators from RAAF Base Pearce take part in the inaugural Goggins’ Challenge, raising $7400 for mental health. Story by Flying Officer Stina Frantzich Gardiner. Photo by Sergeant Joshua Mulligan.

ADF People Health and Wellbeing News Royal Australian Air Force

Aviators raise $7400 for mental health

18/11/202518/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 547 Views 0 Comments 2 Flying Training School, mental health, No 79 Squadron, No. 2 Expeditionary Health Squadron, No. 25 Squadron

RAAF Base Pearce personnel have gone the distance for mental health, raising $7400 in 48 hours for the Black Dog

Defence spouses from about 30 countries gather for an Indo Pacific 2025 cultural immersion program at HMAS Watson. Story by Lieutenant Hinako Shiraishi.

ADF People

Defence spouses connect across cultures

11/11/202511/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 499 Views 1 Comment Aussie Hero Quilts, Chief of Navy, HMAS Watson

At Indo Pacific 2025, one of the most impactful moments came not from the main stage, but from a roundtable

Then-Able Seaman Ross Gourlay, centre, heads towards HMAS Martindale anchored at Kiriwina Island, Papua New Guinea, 1944. Story by Corporal Jacob Joseph.

ADF People History Lest We Forget

Honouring 100 years on the 11th hour

11/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 391 Views 0 Comments Remembrance Day, WWII

Kamikaze planes from the land of the rising sun came silhouetted against the setting sun. CAPTION: Then-Able Seaman Ross Gourlay,

Military working dog handlers and retired military working dog Genie during a military working dog charity event at RAAF Base Williamtown. Story by Flight Lieutenant Grace Casey-Maughan. Photos by Leading Aircraftwoman Laura Flower.

ADF ADF People K9 Training

Fur-tastic support for a worthy cause

11/11/202511/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 487 Views 0 Comments Military Working Dogs, No. 26 Squadron, RAAF Williamtown, Working Paws Australia

The Military Working Dog Section of Air Force’s 26 Squadron has held a fundraising event for Working Paws Australia, raising

Defence family members at the Child of the ADF Medallion presentation, Hyde Park. Story by Lieutenant Marcus Middleton. Photos by Leading Seaman David Cox.

ADF People

Resilient ADF children celebrated

04/11/202504/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 631 Views 0 Comments

For a life in the ADF, sometimes the battles hardest fought are by the families on the home front. CAPTION:

From left, Lieutenant Colonel Mat Brooks, Warrant Officer Tim Duke, Captain Samuel Marsh and Captain Mark Gibbs, the Joint Explosive Ordnance Support team, during the Bravery Trust Dusk till Dawn challenge in Canberra. Story by Sergeant Matthew Bickerton. Photos by Sergeant Samuel Miller.

ADF People

Bomb suit relay pushes limits for charity

04/11/202504/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 591 Views 0 Comments Joint Explosive Ordnance Support (JEOS)

Bomb suits help protect users from explosive blast and fragmentation effects. They’re hot, heavy and not something you’d typically wear

Then-president of 30 Squadron Beaufighter Association, Bruce Robertson, during his 105th birthday celebration at Castle Hill RSL Club, NSW. Story by Corporal Jacob Joseph. Photos by Aircraftwoman Mikaela Fernlund.

ADF People History Lest We Forget

A long life of loyal service

04/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 484 Views 0 Comments WWII

On October 14, Bruce Robertson, a 105-year-old Air Force World War 2 veteran – who was the first to detect

Cyber warfare specialist Leading Seaman Joel Kviz while deployed to Japan for Operation Argos, working from Kadena Air Base. Story by Corporal Luke Bellman and Lieutenant Emily Tinker. Photos by Corporal Luke Bellman.

ADF ADF People Cyber Japan News

Deployed cyber specialists deliver mission assurance

31/10/202531/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 904 Views 0 Comments Cyber Command, cyber warfare, Japan, Operation Argos

Delivering ‘cyber assurance’ to Defence operations is a responsibility that requires cyber warfare specialists to work abroad, working in a

The 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games contenders, including three Navy members and veterans.

ADF People Health and Wellbeing

From Invictus to the Paralympics

29/10/202529/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 717 Views 0 Comments Invictus Games, Service Dogs

Beneath the grandeur of Admiralty House and overlooking Sydney Harbour, three Navy members and veterans stood proudly before an audience

Defence is implementing recommendation 23 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Story by Michael Hoare.

ADF People Australian Army News Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy

Service convictions to be available for police checks

29/10/202529/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 1152 Views 2 Comments

From December, ADF personnel who have been convicted of a serious service offence since 2015 will have those details recorded

The Australian Military Wives Choir deliver a heartfelt performance for staff in the Russell Offices courtyard, Canberra. Story by Corporal Jacob Joseph. Photos by Nicholas Haggarty.

ADF ADF People News

Military wives united by song

28/10/202528/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 636 Views 0 Comments AMWChoir, Russell Offices

The acoustics of the Defence Headquarters courtyard at Russell Offices in Canberra may have left something to be desired, but

Nominees in the 2025 Women in Defence Awards, Petty Officer Brionee Harvey and Lieutenant Commander Shafiqah Shariff Ali, both of HMAS Brisbane. Story by Warrant Officer Caraline Enniss. Photo by Leading Seaman Danyellah Hill.

ADF People News Royal Australian Navy

Navy women recognised on the national stage

28/10/202528/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 708 Views 0 Comments HMAS Brisbane, Women in Defence Awards

When excellence is measured across the entire Defence community, it is rare for one ship to stand out twice, but

Lieutenant Kiesha Dowsett goes under in a kayak roll drill at Latchford Barracks pool. Story by Captain Krysten Clifton. Photos by Michael Banovic.

ADF People Australian Army News

Young officers learn to manage stress

28/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 590 Views 0 Comments Army School of Logistic Operations (ASLO), Bandiana

Your kayak capsizes and you are trapped. Immediately, you are hyper-aware of your breath, where your mates are, and each

Royal Australian Air Force Avionics Technicians, Leading Aircraftwoman Rosalia Frichot and Aircraftman Izaak Mazurek during Exercise Bushido Guardian 2025, Misawa Air Base, Japan. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Paris Rigney.

ADF People Japan News Royal Australian Air Force

Avionic technicians living the dream in Japan

24/10/202526/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 918 Views 0 Comments Exercise Bushido Guardian, F-35A Lightning II, Gap Year program, Japan, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, No. 3 Squadron

For two young RAAF avionic technicians, their decision to join the permanent air force after “dipping their toes” in the

Navy veteran and Invictus Games athlete Luke McCallum with the Military Police team after a rewarding day’s work. Story b y Michelle Hoare.

ADF People

Military Police dig in to help veteran

22/10/202522/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 675 Views 0 Comments Invictus, Joint Military Police Unit (JMPU), Legacy, MPs, Warrior Games

Military Police (MP) are not usually known for garden makeovers, but a local team recently pitched in on behalf of

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