RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter 2024 / 2025 Edition 17 For three years he commanded 16th Regiment RAA, during which he was awarded the U.S. Field Artillery Honourable Order of St Barbara Medal for his leadership in Combined Battlefield Coordination integration in the Indo-Pacific. He was subsequently selected for overseas representational duties and was the Deputy Military Attaché in the Australian Embassy in Washington DC for four years. For his leadership and efforts that focused on enhancing the interoperability between the Australian Army, U.S. Army and United States Marine Corps, he was awarded an Army Silver Commendation. He has completed post graduate studies in leadership, management and strategy at the Australian Defence College, the University of New South Wales, the U.S. Centre for Strategy & International Studies, Harvard Business School and the Australian Institute of Management. His last fulltime role in uniform was as a Military Advisor to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Taskforce. Today Colonel (Hon) White and his family live in Adelaide, South Australia where he is a Senior Executive at BAE Systems Australia, leading their Electronic Warfare Sensors and Effectors Programme. He remains an active member of the local veteran community and an avid participant in recreational distance running, rugby union, ocean paddling and adventure sports. Head of Regiment Brigadier Damian Hill, AM, CSC Ladies and Gentleman of the Artillery 2024 has been a year where the RAA has marched out and begun to realise Government’s direction for our Army. With the Chief of Army’s vision of a force optimised for manoeuvre in the littoral of our near region, enhanced through Long Range Fires and Air and Missile Defence, and underpinned by the reinvigoration of the Profession of Arms; each regiment has made significant gains in twelve short months. If there was one topic which summarised the story of 2024 for the Gunners, it would be putting our people in command. Throughout the year, actions across Regiments consolidated new structures, and offered opportunities for our junior leaders to get out across Northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific. 2025’s year of demonstrating capability rests on the effort our teams put in across 2024. Operation Resolute offered the backdrop for 8/12 Regiment and 20 Regiment support to Border Force on the North-West shelf, with small boat patrolling and unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance instrumental in efforts to deter, disrupt and respond to unauthorised arrivals to the Australian mainland. The RAA’s Bombardiers were out front, leading Gunners and operating platforms – offering unique experiences and a rare opportunity for independent mission command. Through to changes in Army’s force structure, 2024 also saw the inactivation of 101st Battery, RAA, as Army adopts structures consistent with the Defence Strategic Reviews Vision. The ‘Hammer Battery’ has served with distinction across conflicts and the decades – its alumni are proud, sharing an ethos of drive and intrepid action. 101st Battery’s status as one of the original 100-series Batteries raised at Tell el Kabir, in the aftermath of Gallipoli in 1916 will demands its eventual return to Army’s order of battle, as we realise new capabilities. Army’s immediate readiness for conflict has been the central training focus of 1 Regiment and 4 Regiment. The latter’s soldiers performing with distinction amongst the US Army Pacific annual competition ‘Best by Test’. Everywhere I visit across Army formations, I see the same tenacity and focus – our Gunners demonstrating that they are ready to Fight Tonight, as required by Our Reservist Gunners in 9 Regiment continued their development journey as masters of small UAS and domestic counter-UAS capabilities. LTCOL Phil Wong’s tenure has been a triumph of change, growth and influence. With presence across all Australian states, they retain their role in offering continued service for transitioning