RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter 2024 / 2025 Edition 15 Representative Colonel Commandant Major General Craig Furini, AM, CSC Dear Fellow Gunners As this is my first contribution to the Liaison Letter as the Representative Colonel Commandant (RCC), I would like to acknowledge and thank my predecessor Brigadier Don Roach AM (Retd) for his dedication and commitment over his five-year tenure. We are fortunate to have his continued involvement as Colonel Commandant of 1 Regiment. I am deeply honoured and humbled to follow him and in the footsteps of a long line of esteemed Gunners who have filled the role. I am also delighted to be able to work alongside the Head of Regiment (HOR) Brigadier Damian Hill and congratulate him on being recognised with Conspicuous Serve Cross on the Australia Day Honours and Awards list for his outstanding achievement as the Director General Joint Collective Training. We are both passionate about the RAA and will work tirelessly in partnership on your behalf to advance the Gunners. While the serving RAA is rightly focused on the raising, training, sustaining and developing the RAA’s capabilities, my focus as RCC is on the wider Gunner community. It is important that we connect the past, the present and the future by ensuring we continue to capture, preserve, evolve and promote our unique Gunner identity, culture, history, heritage and traditions. The RAA is undergoing, what is arguably, its greatest transformation since World War 1 with the delivery of much anticipated new equipment across all the Gunner capabilities and the creation of new units. These Gunner capabilities are at the core of Army’s role in meeting the national security challenges that the National Defence Strategy described as “the most complex and challenging strategic environment since the Second World War”. As part of this transformation, I would like to acknowledge the creation of 10 Brigade and congratulate Brigadier Nick Wilson and Warrant Officer Class One Anthony Hortle on being appointed the inaugural Commander and RSM. On 2 December 2024 the Brigade assumed command of 9 and 16 Regiment RAA, as well as the Theatre CIMIC capability. The Brigade also assumed command of 54 Battery RAA on 20 January 2025. The Battery, equipped with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), is the lead element of 14 Regiment RAA that will be raised in January 2026. Outside of delivering current and future capability and remaining ready in an increasingly unstable world, the most important project that the Regiment is currently undertaking is the extension to the RAA National Memorial on Mount Pleasant. Updating the Memorial to capture the significant service of Gunners since Vietnam is extremely important. The omission of those post-Vietnam conflicts, campaigns and operations disrespects thousands of still serving and retired Gunners and their families and must be rectified. Importantly, the extension will also enable future campaigns to be added without the need for major modifications. Delivering this project will take considerable volunteer effort and funding, so I call upon all Gunners to make a tax-deductible donation and to advocate for this important project. I would like to acknowledge and thank all those who have contributed so far, including the RAA Historical Company ($20k), Kongsberg ($15k), the Gunner Fund ($5k), the Tasmanian Gunners Dinner ($1,500) and the numerous individual donors including Mrs Nancy Whitelaw who is the widow of Major General John Whitelaw the driving force behind the original memorial in the 1970’s. More details on the project and how you can support it are contained at page 3. An important part of our culture is recognising the achievements of individuals, teams and sub- units. I congratulate the 2024 recipients of the Ewen, Mattner and Citizen Gunner Awards for 2024 - Bombardier Joseph Sabin (JTAC Troop), Gunner Joshua Burke (111 Battery), and Gunner Colin Forster (5/11 Battery). Congratulations also to all those that were nominated as well as those individuals, teams, detachments and groups that received Army and unit awards and recognition in 2024 for their professionalism and