Kapooka’s recruit training is set to be accelerated by 25% with the introduction of the Army Initial Foundation Training continuum, now undergoing its second stage of trials.

The innovative course comprises three 21-day modules, ensuring recruits transition seamlessly from their initial induction to mastering combat behaviors and foundational warfighting. The aim is to produce soldiers with the same competency as those from the former Army Recruit Course.

Brigadier Jason Groat, the Commandant of the Land Combat College, emphasized the need for a revamped training approach. “Our trials at Kapooka demonstrate our ability to produce highly skilled soldiers in a shorter span by modifying our traditional training methods,” he commented. He added that adjustments would be made wherever necessary.

The continuum provides a unified training route for both full-time and part-time recruits. Moreover, it is set to be incorporated into the initial entry training (IET) for cadets of the Royal Military College in Duntroon, starting from January 2024.

The three modules, labeled A, B, and C, are structured for gradual, scalable learning:

• Module A is the foundation for both reserve and full-time recruits. It delves deep into inculcating combat behaviors and fulfills mandatory training prerequisites. Upon completion, reserve recruits will receive extended training at their units before embarking on IET courses.
• Module B advances recruits with service mastery and reinforces combat behaviors. This stage allows recruits to gain advanced weapon expertise, reaching up to Rifle Practice 3A, supplemented by rigorous physical training and resilience-building exercises.
• Module C is tailored for full-time recruits, providing them with the requisite warfighting skills and qualifications to proceed to IET for their designated corps or trade.

After commencing its second trial on August 22, the program’s efficacy will be assessed, with the possibility of it fully replacing the existing Army Recruit Course by January 2024.

The modularity of this system offers flexibility, enabling swift adaptation to evolving strategic situations. “For instance, we can swiftly generate soldiers qualified in Module A to address large-scale natural calamities or pandemics,” stated Brigadier Groat. He also pointed to the potential of promptly enhancing the skills of Reserve soldiers during other strategic situations.

The documentary is well worth watching

Jeremy Clarkson’s the Greatest Raid of All – the FULL documentary | North One – YouTube

The HMS Campbeltown was disguised as a German destroyer before the raid and rammed into the ‘Normandie’ dry dock at Saint Nazaire on 28th March 1942. It had been painted “Mountbatten Pink” before the raid, as this was seen as some of the best camouflage at the time (Lord Mountbatten had once seen a pink ship disappear, so he tested it on RN ships… it somewhat worked, especially at dusk or dawn.).

This beaching was not an accident. The Campbeltown, a WWI era US-loaned destroyer, had been rammed into the dock while carrying commandos and Royal Navy troops. This force had sailed up the river Loire unnoticed for the most part, however, were forced to reveal themselves early, as they were challenged for the password by German sentries. They gave the password, captured from a German trawler a few days ago, and sailed by.

It was only as they got closer to the docks that they were fired upon by German shore guns. They pulled down the Kriegsmarine flag and raised the White Ensign, then began to fire back. The commandos were mostly unprotected, and many were wounded. When the destroyer rammed the dock, they attacked the surrounding installations, with small arms and explosives.

611 men were sent on this daring raid, their plan was to strike fast and get out on Motor Torpedo Boats. Unfortunately, many of the commandos were unable to make it to the extraction point provided. Out of the 611-man force, only 227 got away on small, wooden MBTs. 169 men died in the raid and the other 215 became POWs.

At Noon on the 28th March 1942, the HMS Campbletown detonated. What no-one had told the Germans was that there were high explosives hidden in the hull of the ship. Originally destined to set off at 4:30, the acid detonators were delayed due to seawater getting into the fuses.

Just before the explosion, one of the raiders, Sam Beattie, was being questioned by a German Naval Intelligence Officer. The officer was taunting Beattie by remarking how the damage to the dock could be fixed incredibly quickly. At that exact moment, the ship blew up, killing 360 Germans in the blast and completely destroying the dock. Upon hearing the explosion, Beattie remarked “We’re not quite as foolish as you might think!”

Then, at 16:30, two delayed action torpedoes exploded at the old entrance to the dock, causing further damage.

The only dock that the Germans would be able to repair the Tirpitz, Gneisenau, and Scharnhorst wouldn’t be repaired until 1949, four years after the war ended. This raid was a major part of why the Germans largely hid their battleships for the rest of the war.

The raid became known as “The Greatest Raid of All” within British military circles.

A stunning map has unveiled that Native Title, a legal recognition of Aboriginal rights over an area, covers nearly half of Australia’s landmass.

Native title holders can get compensation for things the government has done to stop them from exercising their rights, such as building a bridge or a road.

The map, prepared by the National Native Title Tribunal, shows some 50 per cent of Australia is under Native Title, with the sections divided by dark and light green to distinguish between ‘exclusive’ and ‘non-exclusive’ zones.

A further 12 per cent of land is being assessed for Native Title, with these areas coded in blue patches or stripes.

It’s important to note that Native Title can only be claimed for Crown land and is not applicable to privately held properties.

When a Native Title determination specifies ‘exclusive’ rights, it means the Indigenous group has exclusive ownership and control over the area in question, excluding all others, including government authorities and non-Indigenous individuals or entities.

Non-exclusive Native Title in Australia grants Indigenous groups shared rights and interests in land without exclusive control.

It can grant Native Title holders the right to local cultural practices, such as the right to live in the area, hunt, fish, gather food or teach law and custom on country.

CLICK LINK to view map and read the rest of the article from the Daily Mail

Stunning map shows the extent of Native Title control in Australia – as senator warns there are many more Aboriginal claims to come: Here’s what it means for you (msn.com)

Every Australian should take note of the website of the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA). The NIAA, a government-funded organization, has the significant responsibility of enhancing the well-being of Aboriginal Australians and guiding the government in this endeavour. If you delve into their mission statement, you’ll find its aims mirror those of the proposed VOICE to parliament.

The NIAA is not a recent entity, and it is no small-scale venture. With approximately 1,300 employees and numerous offices across the country, its operations cost taxpayers more than 4 BILLION dollars last year alone. Now, as discussions around the introduction of the VOICE emerge, it’s our right to seek clarity.

How does the VOICE differ from the NIAA in terms of its mandate? What tangible impacts has the NIAA had on the Aboriginal community in Australia? Would the VOICE be an addition to, or a replacement for, the NIAA? Considering the substantial budget of the NIAA, how can the VOICE promise to be more effective?

Furthermore, it’s vital to understand the powers and boundaries of the VOICE. Would they hold any decision-making authority on subjects currently under the jurisdiction of Australia’s elected government? If they possess such power, how can an unelected body influence the lives of ordinary Australians?

When casting my vote, I believed I was empowering an elected government to represent my interests. I wasn’t informed that individuals outside this elected sphere could have a say in our nation’s governance.

The VOICE, in its essence, appears to contradict democratic principles. It seems more aligned with divisive politics rather than addressing real issues like the crime rate in Alice Springs or the socio-economic challenges faced by Indigenous Australians, such as rampant unemployment and issues with substance abuse.

If the NIAA were fully effective in its role, the VOICE would not even be a point of debate.

Now CLICK LINK to go to the NIAA website National Indigenous Australians Agency (niaa.gov.au)

Be sure to click on the Executive Order at Order to Establish the National Indigenous Australians Agency as an Executive Agency (legislation.gov.au)  to read their full list of responsibilities.

You might be interested in this short item on fates of a few of our
former colleagues in Phuoc Tuy.

Best wishes

Ernie Chamberlain

PHƯỚC TUY COLLEAGUES – THEIR FATES

Phước Tuy Sector Headquarters (Tiểu Khu) – Bà Rịa

Many veterans might wonder what happened to senior ARVN colleagues that we served with in Phước Tuy during the Vietnam War. See the short summary below:

• Lieutenant Colonel Lê Đức Đạt: Province Chief 1964-67 – one of the last Province Chiefs appointed by President Ngô Đình Diệm before Diệm’s assassination on 2 December 1963. Đạt was born in Hanoi, and was a French and English speaker. Subsequently – ie after Phước Tuy, he served as 2ic of the 25^th ARVN Division and then as the Commander of the 22^nd ARVN Division. He committed suicide at the Battle of Tân Cảnh (Dak To) in late February 1972 as his command headquarters was over-run by the North Vietnamese Army’s 2^nd
• Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Bá Trước: Province Chief from September 1967 to September 1970. Lieutenant Colonel Trước (b. 1922) was an ARVN airborne/special forces officer. As a battalion commander (major), he was earlier awarded the US Silver Star for his unit’s defence against a prolonged NVA/VC attack in February 1967. During the Battle of Bà Rịa in early February 1968, he was wounded in the shoulder. In September 1970, following his service in Phước Tuy, he was posted to be the Chief of Staff (Colonel) of the 7th ARVN Division. Following the “Fall of Saigon” in 1975, he was detained by the communists and underwent re-education in a camp in Hà Nam Ninh Province (northern Vietnam) from early June 1975 until his release on 9 September 1987.  Soon after, he left Vietnam under the UNHCR’s Orderly Departure Program (ODP).  Together with his wife – Cao Thị Hồng Khiêm, he reportedly joined his son’s family in the Federal Republic of Germany. The ODP was created in 1979 by the UNHCR – by 1998, 623,000 had reportedly left Vietnam (about 74% went to the US, 3.1% to France – and 7.5% to Australia). On 20 October 1969, Australian Ambassador Ralph Harry handed-over Australian-gifted engineering and fire-fighting equipment to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Bá Trước at a parade outside the Phước Tuy Province Headquarters – see Lieutenant Colonel Trước in the photograph at AWM PO4667.552.

• Major Bùi Trọng Nghĩa; Phước Tuy Province Police Chief – from April 1969. A close associate of 1 ATF’s Div Int Unit. Following the fall of the Saigon government in late April 1975, Major Nghĩa was imprisoned in communist re-education camps for 10 years. Released, he moved to France and died on 26 October 2007. In his later years, he moved to the Vietnamese diaspora community in Westminister, California.
• Captain Lê Bá Trừng – OC ARVN 10 ^th Military Intelligence Detachment (10 MID) at Vạn Kiếp from December 1965 – to late 1968. In April 1968, Brigadier R.L. Hughes (COMD 1 ATF) submitted an Australian AF W3121 recommendation for the award of the MBE to Captain Lê Bá Trừng – see: AWM2016.747.67/document/6253254.PDF. In October 1968 – as a major, Lê Bá Trừng was appointed District Chief of Phú Vang District, Thừa Thiên Province (near Huế.). He was reportedly killed in a VC vehicle ambush in Quảng Nam Province. Captain John Bullen – OC 1 Topo Svy Tp, noted that 10 MID under Đại Uý ((Captain)) Trừng “was a real force in the land”, and he “was of extremely high class for such a job ((ie OC 10 MID))” … he had been the “chief of police in Đà Nãng … survived three mine or grenade explosions, one of which cost him the sight in his right eye. … a true patriot. … he had backed the wrong coup two or three coups ago and sent to Van Kiep for a few years’ penance while his contemporaries rose to the ranks of colonel and general. However, it seems now that Trung has been forgiven and is on the way up again.” See: Bullen J. and Ham P. (Ed), Captain Bullen’s War, 2009, p.244, p.284.

Questioning a VC suspect – Hòa Long village, 5 August 1968  AWM ERR/68/0724/VN.

Captain Geoff Boscoe – centre, ARVN Captain Lê Bá Trừng (OC 10 MID) – right.

• Captain/Major Huỳnh Bá Phụng – OC ARVN 10^th Military Intelligence Detachment (10 MID at Vạn Kiếp from mid-1968; 10 MID personnel were integrated into Det 1 Div Int Unit at Núi Đất. In 1972, Captain Phụng was posted to a staff position in Saigon as a major. Detained after the fall of Saigon in April 1975, he was imprisoned in the North until 1982 – and “migrated” to Australia (Brisbane) in the early 1980s (greeted by three former OCs Det 1 Div Int Unit (ie: Jack L’Epagniol, Stan Bryant, and Alan Cunningham). Phụng remains active in Vietnamese-Australian associations and in the print media.

Acorn Intelligence Operations discussions at HQ 1 ATF Núi Đất – 1970

Left to right: Colonel J.G. Hooton – Commander 1 ALSG (former DMI-A); Brigadier S.P. Weir – Commander 1 ATF; Captain A.L. Cunningham – OC Det 1 Div Int Unit;

Captain Huỳnh Bá Phụng – OC 10 MID.

Huỳnh Bá Phụng and RVNAF veteran colleagues – Anzac Day Brisbane – 2012

Les Mullans is wanting to make contact with Bill Roon. Bill is a mate of Les’s brother who is near death. Les believes Bill served with 9RAR.

If you know Bill please give Les a call on 03 6344 9082 (Launceston) and pass on any information you may have on Bill.

ED: Request sent by 9RAR.

RUSSIAN VIP air travel is currently fraught with unexpected mystery outcomes.

Flying home to St Petersburg for a well-earned bit of battlefield R&R, oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin provided new meaning to an old Russian proverb, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if the devil don’t get you Vladimir must”.

All 10 passengers and their golf clubs perished.

Other leaders were historically more cautious.

CLICK LINK to continue reading …

Cautious tyrants take slow road to infamy | Australian Defence History, Policy and Veterans Issues (targetsdown.blogspot.com)

U.S. and Australian Army soldiers fighting side by side with Afghan nationals against a large group of Taliban