RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 30 New Commanding Officers LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHRIS D’AQUINO School of Artillery Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino commenced his Army career at the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2006 where he completed a Bachelor of Science. In 2009, he graduated from the Royal Military College - Duntroon to the Royal Australian Artillery. Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino has completed several regimental postings within the 1st and 3rd Brigades, including as a Battery Captain, Operations Officer and Battery Commander. Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino’s staff appointments include serving as the Operations Officer, Australia’s Federation Guard in 2012, a rewarding position that provided him broad exposure as a junior officer to planning and execution within the joint ceremonial environment. In 2017 Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino was posted to the Royal Military College - Duntroon where he served as the Package Master of Offensive Operations. Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino then transitioned across to Package Master Army Reserve Officer Commissioning Course. During his time as Package Master Army Reserve Officer Commissioning Course, he was responsible for the complete restructure of the reserve officer curriculum. Following Command and Staff Course, Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino was selected as the Australian embedded Oceania Planner for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific. While in this role Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino was responsible for the planning and execution of the U.S. Marine Corps components of Talisman Sabre, RIMPAC and the Marine Rotation Force – Darwin. In 2024, Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino promoted to his current rank and posted to the Land Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electric Warfare Program as the Deputy Director and SO1 Surveillance and Reconnaissance and was responsible to the management and enhancement of Army’s surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino was fortunate to gain operational experience as a mentor and artillery trainer with the Artillery Training Team – Kabul on OP SLIPPER in 2010. In 2015 he deployed on OP OKRA as the deliberate targeting officer within the J34 fires cell of Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command - Iraq. In 2026, Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino took up his current role as Commanding Officer of the School of Artillery. In addition to his Bachelor of Science Lieutenant Colonel D’Aquino has a Masters in Military Strategic and Defence Studies. He is married to Kala and they have three daughters Chloe, Layla and Zoe. LIEUTENANT COLONEL NICHOLAS BARLETTA 14th Regiment RAA Lieutenant Colonel Barletta is the inaugural Commanding Officer 14th Regiment, a position he has held since January 2026. Lieutenant Colonel Barletta completed high school in South Australia before entering the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2006, graduating from Duntroon to the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery in 2009. He has served in a broad range of Regimental appointments within 8th/12th Medium, 4th and 1st Regiments including sub-unit command of ‘A’ Battery in 2019. His junior staff and training appointments were as the Headquarters 3rd Brigade Battle Captain as well as Package Master Defensive Operations and Second in Command of II Class at the Royal Military College–Duntroon. Following completion of Staff College in 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Barletta was appointed as the Staff Officer to Director General Career Management–Army (2022) and SO2 Domestic Operations (2023) within the Directorate of Land Operations. On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel
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