Twenty students and staff from the Australian War College’s Australian Command and Staff Course (ACSC) recently travelled to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to deepen their understanding of one of Australia’s closest and most important defence partners.
The seven-day field and research visit (FARV) was hosted in conjunction with Defence’s Pacific Division and highlights the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) commitment to supporting closer ties with the PNGDF.
FARVs give ADF and Australian Public Service senior leaders the opportunity to engage with partner nations, enabling a strategic focus on their conditions, concerns and priorities.
PNG FARV participants connected with their PNGDF counterparts through visits to the Kumul Leadership Centre, Lombrum Naval Base, 2nd Battalion Royal Pacific Island Regiment and HMPNGS Basilisk.
The group also gained insight into senior members of the PNGDF, received a brief from the Deputy Commander PNGDF Brigadier General Opa Lari Opa, and met ADF members working within the PNG High Commission and Defence Cooperation Program.
The FARV rounded out with immersive learning and cultural experiences such as walking part of the Kokoda Track and visiting the Cape Wom and Bomana War Cemeteries.
For ACSC student Lieutenant Commander Danielle Thomason, the FARV was an important opportunity to learn more about the strategic and cultural context her PNG colleagues work in.
‘I also had a chance encounter on the tarmac of Wewak Airfield with a PNGDF member who was a former classmate from the Royal Military College.’
“The real highlight was visiting the different PNG Defence Force establishments and getting to understand how their Defence Force operates,” Lieutenant Commander Thomason said.
“Being able to interact directly with PNGDF members, as well as the ADF personnel embedded in PNG, gave us a greater level of understanding that you simply can’t get from reading a brief in Australia.
“This reinforced for me that capability decisions don’t occur in isolation and have to account for the people, relationships and environments in which they will ultimately be employed.”
ACSC student Major Jason Kirkham said the FARV helped him understand the PNG-Australia alliance and how it will strengthen our defence cooperation through enhanced interoperability and increased capability investment.
“The visit was an excellent opportunity to immerse ourselves in PNG culture, giving us a greater appreciation of one of Australia’s most important neighbours,” Major Kirkham said.
“Highlights included seeing the unmatched strategic value of the Defence Cooperation Program as a mechanism for preserving and enhancing interoperability and cooperation between our respective nations and learning pertinent operational lessons from a World War II battlefield tour.
“I also had a chance encounter on the tarmac of Wewak Airfield with a PNGDF member who was a former classmate from the Royal Military College – a timely reminder of the value of the integrated training pathways that our two nations have long shared.”
