Australian Defence Force welcomes next generation of leaders

THE newest appointees to the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force were formally welcomed to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at ceremonies across all Australian states and territories last month.

Capturing the diversity of the community which the ADF serves, the successful candidates come from a range of backgrounds, including regional and remote locations such as Biloela in Queensland and the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia.

Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester said the appointees would become officers taking up the challenge of military leadership, and for those attending the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra, earn an undergraduate degree at the same time.

“Each year, our ADF welcomes the next generation of leaders and these ceremonies are a significant milestone for these young people, representing the next step in their careers as their families watch on with pride,” Mr Chester said.

“Those attending ADFA will be paid to obtain a degree from the University of New South Wales, with some of these appointees choosing to study in exciting and high-demand fields such as engineering, computing and cyber security, and science.”

“Depending on their chosen Service and career, others will attend world-class training at the Royal Australian Naval College HMAS Creswell (Navy), Royal Military College Duntroon (Army) or the Officer’s Training School at RAAF Base East Sale (Air Force).  

“If you can think of a job you’d like to do, it’s highly likely there’s an opportunity to do that job while serving in the ADF.” 

There are a number of opportunities for Australians who are looking to make an impact in their community, serve the nation or enjoy a career with a range of jobs for both officers and other ranks in fields such as engineering, communications and intelligence.

To start a journey towards a career in the ADF, please visit https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/ or call 13 19 01.

ENDS

Note: All ceremonies were conducted in a COVID-safe environment within guidelines of the government of the state or territory in which they were conducted.

Imagery of several ceremonies is available at:

https://images.defence.gov.au/assets/S20210040

https://images.defence.gov.au/s20210171

https://images.defence.gov.au/s20210228