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CONTACT magazine

Thought provoking

Australian Australian Army Thought provoking Veterans 

OPINION: PM complicit in attack on the ‘meritorious many’

08/12/202012/12/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 8083 Views 10 Comments IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry

I am not an alarmist by nature; but I am a proud Australian veteran with 16 years of service including

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Australian Australian Army News Thought provoking Veterans 

Former RSM SOTG VI says “Stop the revocation of the MUC and the disbanding of 2 Squadron SASR”

30/11/202030/11/2020 Kerry Danes 4620 Views 0 Comments IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry

It is time to act now to protect the reputation of the thousands of members of the multiple SOTG rotations who gave Meritorious service.

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Dark days for SASR after IGADF Afghanistan report.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

OPINION: Andrew Hastie MP/ex-SAS – on Brereton Inquiry

24/11/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 21101 Views 7 Comments IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry

That’s why I support the Brereton Inquiry: I love my country and want to protect it from those who would harm us – from without and within.

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T-wall art at Tarin Kot, Afghanistan.
Thought provoking 

OPINION PIECE – John Bale on IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry

13/11/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4026 Views 5 Comments IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry

I fear for the legacy the IGADF war-crimes report may leave for the thousands who served in Afghan­istan. What will our nation think of us?

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Australian Army Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles from Darwin-based 1st Brigade drive along the Great Northern Highway during Exercise Northern Shield 2016. Photo by Corporal David Said.
Thought provoking 

Tiny ADF footprint in Western Australia – The Need for a Second Army

26/10/202026/10/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6589 Views 10 Comments Peter Billington

A thought-provoking piece on “Tiny ADF footprint in Western Australia – The Need for a Second Army” – invites debate.

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Royal Australian Navy sailor Leading Seaman Cameron Campbell supervises Able Seaman Matthew Gates in a welding task. Photo by Petty Officer James Whittle, digitally enhanced by CONTACT (adding extra weld sparkles).
Thought provoking 

Army Cadet Apprentice System – A PAPER

13/10/202013/10/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2723 Views 1 Comment Peter Billington

This paper is written around two key things – solid character and apprenticeship training – and focuses on building and construction in WA.

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Australian Army engineers pour concrete. Photo by Sergeant Janine Fabre.
Letters to the Editor Thought provoking 

Proposal to raise an Army Cadet Apprentice School

22/09/202013/10/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5871 Views 4 Comments Peter Billington

We propose that an apprentice school could be run under the banner of Australian Army Cadets and and be called Army Cadet Apprentice School.

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A single MH-60 Romeo helicopter (photo digitally altered) conducts a running take during first-of-class flight trials onboard HMAS Adelaide. Photo by Able Seaman Jarrod Mulvahill.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

The importance of a National Sovereignty Strategy – Jim Molan

29/04/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5402 Views 2 Comments Jim Molan

Three months ago, as Australia was emerging from a nightmarish summer of bushfires, the first reports of a mysterious new

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Major Anthony Bartlett at the Taji Military Complex, Iraq. Photo by Captain Roger Brennan
Middle East Operations Overseas Thought provoking 

Old warrior holds court in a biblical land

29/01/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2469 Views 0 Comments Task Group Taji

On New Year’s Eve, smoke wafted from a pipe at the Taji Military Complex north of Baghdad to mark another year gone and a new one’s beginning.

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Image supplied by Beca
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

When capability overrides supportability – project disappointment

11/09/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4788 Views 0 Comments

Submitted ‘thought piece’… (Image supplied by Beca) When it comes to military procurement, acquisition leads often focus on buying as

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Australian, Japanese and American soldiers conduct a live-fire platoon attack with armoured fighting vehicles at Puckapunyal during Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2014. Photo by Sergeant Brian Hartigan.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Armour in the Australian Army: Is There Something Wrong? Part 5

27/11/201821/02/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6738 Views 2 Comments

A couple of points from previous parts: (i) I understand that the amphibious battalion in Townsville is actually under the

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Boxer CRV. Photo by Brian Hartigan.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Armour in the Australian Army: Is There Something Wrong? Part 4

19/11/201821/02/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6447 Views 3 Comments

Does it not seem strange that the Australian Army’s most expensive equipment procurement project ever – $15billion worth – is

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A simulated munition explodes next to an Australian Army Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light during Land Trial 02-18 at the Townsville Field Training Area in north Queensland. Photo by Corporal Nunu Campos.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Armour in the Australian Army: Is There Something Wrong? Part 3

11/11/201821/02/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 9493 Views 6 Comments

How does a mechanised infantry battalion work? Let’s start with a single IFV … three crew (driver, gunner and commander),

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Rheinmetall Boxer CRV with an in-service Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV).
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Armour in the Australian Army : Is There Something Wrong? Part 2

06/11/201821/02/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5912 Views 0 Comments

For those interested in Army’s most expensive acquisition ever … LAND 400 Phase 3 ($15b) is intended to provide 450

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An M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank fires on Exercise Diamond Run 2017. Photo by Captain Anna-Lise Brink.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Armour in the Australian Army: Is there something wrong?

16/10/201821/02/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6592 Views 5 Comments

Part one in a new series of musings by Australian tank expert Bruce Cameron   Let’s look at the situation

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First pages of a major CONTACT Magazine spread on 2RAR (Amphib), from December 2017.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

An argument to make 2RAR whole again

27/09/201810/06/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3372 Views 0 Comments

“Some men look at the way things are and ask ‘Why?’.  I prefer to look at the way things should

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Marines with 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, and 4th AABn., perform an amphibious raid at Camp Pendleton, California. USMC photo by Corporal Joshua Young.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Let’s buy Amtracs for 2RAR

30/08/201710/06/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5345 Views 2 Comments Amtracs

. Dear generals and politicians, Before you get too carried away with reinventing Army’s amphibious capability, best you realise paddling

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Photo by Brian Hartigan
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

Reorganising the reorganisation of the reorg

20/06/201710/06/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 7329 Views 2 Comments ASLAV, Bushmaster, M113, RAAC, RAInf

. Seems change is as good as a holiday, or is it the old let’s keep the troops busy. Maybe it’s because

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An F/A-18F Super Hornet. Photo by Sergeant Pete Gammie.
CONTACT BLOG SPOT Thought provoking 

What could we deploy if Korea hits the fan?

11/05/201710/06/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6624 Views 2 Comments Korea

. As South Korea is one of our major trading partners, the USA is our major ally and we have

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

Celebrating Freedom on ANZAC Day 2017

11/04/201710/06/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4090 Views 0 Comments ANZAC Day, OBG-W(4), Overwatch Battle Group–West, Talil Iraq

. Many years ago as a young child accompanying my parents, we approached an unguarded voting box on election day

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CONTACT Air Land & Sea plus COMBAT Camera magazines were past publications of this business. Digital copies of both magazines can be viewed or downloaded via our Archives (see menus).

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