Letters to the Editor Archives

An Australian Army soldier from 1st Armoured Regiment talks to a British Army soldier from 2nd Battalion, Royal Yorkshire Regiment, about emerging technologies during Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PCC5) in Fort Irwin, California, 9 March 2025. Photo by Corporal Nakia Chapman.

Australian Army Letters to the Editor

Army Experimentation: Is There a Better Way?

30/04/202530/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 289 Views 0 Comments

The Chief of Army stripped 1st Armoured Regiment of its tanks, reduced it in size by two thirds, and made

Australian Army recruits in training at 1st Training Battalion, Kapooka, NSW. 1RTB photo.

Letters to the Editor Thought provoking

Rebuilding Australia through improving Defence preparedness

27/04/2025 WGCDR Wayne (Noddy) Parsons, RAAF Retd 622 Views 0 Comments

Professor Geoffrey Blainey posits Australia was better prepared to help confront the challenge facing the Empire in 1914 at the

An M1A2 Abrams Tank arrives at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville on 14 November 2024. Photo by Corporal Guy Sadler.

Letters to the Editor

Townsville’s Armoured Brigade: Why Isn’t it Ready?

27/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 616 Views 0 Comments

The 2024 National Defence Strategy (and the Defence Strategic Review before it) changed the ADF’s readiness from a joint force

An Australian Army soldier from the 1st Armoured Regiment with an uncrewed ground vehicle equipped with a prototype communications system and experimental drone launcher during Project Convergence Capstone 5 at Fort Irwin, California. Photo by Corporal Nakia Chapman.

Letters to the Editor Veterans

Why Hasn’t the Australian Public Been Told?

26/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 1056 Views 1 Comment

Extracts from the 2023 Defence Strategic Review: “Army’s combat brigades must be reroled and select capabilities postured in northern Australia.”

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Tank is loaded onto a Royal Australian Navy light landing craft, during Exercise Sea Explorer, Cowley Beach, Queensland. Story by Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester.

Letters to the Editor Veterans

An Open Letter to Prospective new Defence Ministers

23/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 636 Views 2 Comments

Eighteen months ago, the Defence Strategic Review stipulated that an armoured brigade should be located in Townsville. This requirement has

Centurion tanks from 1st Armoured Regiment, and armoured personnel carriers from B Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, move along the main road of Binh Ba village. Over three days, armour and infantry dislodged a strong North Vietnamese Army group that had entered the village, for the loss of one Australian killed in action. AWM BEL/69/0389/VN. Binh Ba.

Letters to the Editor Veterans

Letter to 95-Year-Old Professor Who’s Seen it All Before

22/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 481 Views 0 Comments

Dear Professor Blainey, Thank you for your article (in the Weekend Australian) ‘We were better prepared for war in 1914

Members of Overwatch Battle Group–West get ready to participate in an ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Talil, Iraq, 2008. Photo by Brian Hartigan.

Lest We Forget Letters to the Editor Veterans

Recognising Recent Sacrifices

21/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 696 Views 0 Comments

The NSW government has released the design and location for a new war memorial to honour the service and sacrifice

Letters to the Editor Veterans

Army’s Tank Numbers: A Revolving Dance Card

18/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 1346 Views 0 Comments

In terms of the standard organisation, a tank regiment comprises three sabre (fighting) squadrons, each squadron comprises four troops of

An Australian light-armoured vehicle (ASLAV) negotiates a creek crossing during an exercise at Jungle Training Wing, Tully, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Nicole Dorrett.

Letters to the Editor Veterans

Army Scraps Second Armoured Squadron

17/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 589 Views 1 Comment

I mentioned on 5 April that a squadron of tanks has been removed from Army’s order of battle. It is

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams at Shoalwater Bay, Queensland. Photo by Private Jacob Hilton.

Letters to the Editor Veterans

Ongoing Campaign to Return 1 Armd Regt to it’s Combat Role

14/04/202517/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 380 Views 0 Comments 1 Armd Regt

“The M1A2 SEPv3 will upgrade the current Australian fleet of M1A1 SA tanks with no changes to Royal Australian Armoured

A newly acquired M1A2 Abrams main battle tank arrives at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville. Photos by Corporal Guy Sadler.

Australian Army Letters to the Editor Veterans

Many problems hindering 3 Brigade’s new roles

11/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 935 Views 0 Comments 1 Armd Regt

Defence Press Release, 28 September 2023… “The 3rd Brigade, based in Townsville, will be an armoured combat brigade.” The Defence

Australian Army soldiers from the 1st Armoured Regiment conduct manoeuvre training on an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank in Puslatpur, Indonesia during Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023. Photo by Corporal Dustin Anderson.

Australian Army Letters to the Editor News

Army Cut Back – Why?

05/04/202505/04/2025 Bruce Cameron 2085 Views 3 Comments

Army has recently removed a squadron of tanks from its order of battle; no reason has been offered. FILE PHOTO

An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the 1st Armoured Regiment, drives through the Cultana Training Area, SA during Exercise Rhino Run 24. Photo by Corporal Johnny Huang.

Letters to the Editor Veterans

The Unjust Treatment of 1st Armoured Regiment: Who Should Apologise?

30/03/202530/03/2025 Bruce Cameron 926 Views 0 Comments

FILE PHOTO (May 2024): An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the 1st Armoured Regiment, drives through the

1st Armoured Regiment conduct manoeuvre training on an M1A1 Abrams tanks in Puslatpur, Indonesia, during Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023. Photo by Sergeant Jarrod McAneney.

Australian Army Letters to the Editor Veterans

The Bond Formed by Tank Crews

16/03/2025 Bruce Cameron 1668 Views 3 Comments 1st Armoured Regiment

Admiral Johnston, the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF), graduated as a naval officer in 1982. His career has involved

Letters to the Editor Veterans

Can the CDF or a Service Chief Do Anything He or She Wishes?

17/02/202528/03/2025 Bruce Cameron 2042 Views 6 Comments

There have been no female Chiefs as yet, but according to all accounts, the first is not far off. Do

An American plane sprays chemicals near unit lines of 1st Armoured Squadron Workshop RAEME, at Nui Dat, Vietnam 1968. Photo by Des Kearton.

Letters to the Editor

RAEME units sprayed sprayed with chemicals, Vietnam 1968 – RANCH HAND defoliant flights

03/11/2024 Posted by Brian Hartigan 976 Views 0 Comments

Operation Ranch Hand was a name given by the USA to the tactical project for aerial spraying of herbicides in

The memorial wall listing the crew of HMAS Sydney II at Mount Scott Geraldton. The interior concave side of the Wall of Remembrance, situated at the front of memorial, details the names of all 645 men who lost their lives. The centre piece is a dome mounted by seven pillars. Representing the seven states and territories of Australia. The dome is constructed by a canopy of silver gulls. A Stele is made of Stainless Stell and represents the bow of the HMAS Sydney II. A bronze sculpture of a a woman closest to the ocean. She wears an anchor necklace and holds hat against the breeze from the sea. Her anxious expression and her fixed gaze to the horizon. She represents a waiting woman grieven for her lost love one.

Lest We Forget Letters to the Editor

Is the HMAS Sydney II crew MIA or KIA?

31/10/202431/10/2024 Posted by Brian Hartigan 549 Views 0 Comments HMAS Sydney II

A recent Letter to the Editor here at CONTACT piqued my interest – are the members of the crew of

USS Fort McHenry at Naval Station Mayport. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adam Henderson.

Letters to the Editor

Is USS Fort McHenry in Cairns?

23/04/2024 John Levitz 1745 Views 0 Comments USS Fort McHenry

Just a question, Why has the US vessel, Fort McHenry LCU 2020 not left Cairns Naval Base since the end

Letters to the Editor

ABC doesn’t appeal Heston Russell defamation – and doesn’t apologise

27/11/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6102 Views 5 Comments

On Wednesday last week, the appeals process for my judgement against the ABC closed. With this, the ABC has, by

Health and Wellbeing Letters to the Editor

Brothers and Books – 5 in 50 challenge

31/07/2023 Dylan Conway 1747 Views 0 Comments

Australia’s favourite veteran read-a-thon is on again! After raising over $140,000 for veterans and their families last year, Brothers and

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