RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 31 in 2024 he was posted as the Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander of 10th Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel Barletta deployed on Operation SLIPPER in 2010-2011. He is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff Course and Defence Force School of Languages where he studied Korean. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences and a Masters in Military and Strategic Studies. He is married to Harrison, a serving RAAF Officer. They enjoy international travel, snow sports and middle-distance running. LIEUTENANT COLONEL OWAIN GRIFFITHS, CSC 16th Regiment RAA Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths joined the Australian Regular Army in 2006 and completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Indonesian through the Australian Defence Force Academy. He graduated from the Royal Military College – Duntroon in 2009 into the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery specialising in Ground Based Air Defence. Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths fulfilled the role of Troop Commander, A Troop, 110 Air Defence Battery, and deployed on Operation SLIPPER over 2011 and 2012 as a Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar watch keeper, providing warning of indirect fire attacks to protect deployed Australian and Coalition forces in Uruzgan Province. On return to Australia, he performed the role of Assistant Adjutant before promoting and serving as Battery Captain of 110 Air Defence Battery. In this role he used his operational experience to support the development of artillery radar adjustment and counter-battery procedures. Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths served as Instructor in Gunnery at the Air Land Wing, School of Artillery, teaching air defence, counter battery and radar theory across several courses. His passion for teaching continued with a posting to the Officer Training College, Australian Defence Force Academy, where he performed the role of Divisional Officer for a third year division before being selected for the role of Adjutant. Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths returned to 16 Regiment in 2019, commanding 111 Air Defence Battery through the readying cycle supporting Headquarters 1 Brigade. In 2020, he led the Battery on Operation BUSHFIRE ASSIST in response to the Kangaroo Island and Adelaide Hills fires. Following a brief return to normal training, he led the Battery on Operation COVID19 ASSIST in support of South Australian Police Border operations. Graduating Australian Command and Staff course in 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths posted to Headquarters 6 Brigade as the Brigade Major. In this role, he coordinated the provision of specialist Army capabilities to global and domestic operations and contingencies, in addition to supporting key Brigade and Division training activities. Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for devotion to duty in this role. In 2024 Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths led a team of five personnel to embed with the US Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, a formation specialising in disintegration of adversary anti access, area denial capabilities. Leading the Plans and Exercises cell, he coordinated the Task Force’s contributions to multi-national exercises across the Indo-Pacific region and led the integration of task force capabilities into theatre plans. Selected to Command 16 Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery from 2026, Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths looks forward to bringing operational level offensive and defensive fires experience to further the Regiment’s expertise with the enhanced National Surface to Air Missile System from its new home at Darwin Lines. Lieutenant Colonel Griffiths is married to Dani and has two daughters, Charlotte and Lily. He enjoys stand up paddle boarding, running, reading and watching Rugby Union.
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