training specialist

Australian Defence Force

Don’t join the Army, particularly if you are a young person or school leaver.

I say this because many Army personnel, including myself, find themselves at the end of long career (nearly 16 years in my case) with no tangible skill sets. They might be superb generalists, but many do not have tangible skills that are transferrable to civilian employment. 

Therefore, I recommend to people considering joining the ADF, particularly school-leavers, to learn a profession or trade through the usual civilian pathways. 

Become brilliant, experienced and confident in that trade or profession, then join the Army in either a full time or reserve capacity.

(*I purposely say ‘Army’ instead of ‘ADF’ because other services RAAF and Navy seem to have more of a focus on tangible and specialist skills, rather than leadership and management ability that is valued in Army.)

Army personnel, particularly those that progressed into leadership appointments, are often told that the leadership and management skills they acquired in those roles are highly regarded in private industry. That might be true, but that does not necessarily equal employment competiveness. Employers need tangible skill sets.

The Army has paid for my engineering education and further education beyond that; but I very rarely get to employ those skills and I have skill fade despite my best efforts to keep current. As an officer, my job is very generalist - planning, welfare management, equipment and resource management, incident management, report writing. Yes these are skills that I have developed over time in the Army but they are generalist skills that any person can acquire. They are not that useful in getting a job in what I truly want to do (civil/structural engineering).

Further, my recommendation to not join the Army is also based on the fact that full time ADF service is incredibly hard on families. It’s a single person’s game. In saying that, I am single and my life is lonely and isolated. Unless you are willing and able to be away from home/family/friends for many months at time, multiple times per year, year after year, and relocate every 1-3 years: don’t join the Army. In my case I have relocated (posted to a new unit at a new location) 10 times in my 15 year career. It has destroyed my personal life and I found myself to be incredibly lonely time and time again. Perhaps it’s worse as an officer.

I will voluntarily separate at the end of 2022 which will mark be 16 years of service. 
I’m exhausted, stressed, depressed, and terribly aged beyond my 33 years of actual age. I have a never ending to do list with multiple competing priorities and not enough people to delegate to.
I wish I could go back to my 17 year old self and tell him not to join.



A Typical Day at Work: My days in the Australian Navy were characterized by rigorous discipline, a structured schedule, and a strong sense of camaraderie. Each day began with physical training, followed by operational briefings, and then specific duties that varied depending on the role and deployment. This could range from navigation, engineering maintenance, to participating in training exercises and operations. The environment demanded high levels of alertness, adaptability, and teamwork.

What I Learned: The Navy was an unparalleled learning experience, instilling in me a profound sense of duty, leadership, and the importance of meticulous planning and execution. It honed my skills in crisis management, strategic thinking, and effective communication. Most importantly, it taught me the value of resilience and the strength of working as part of a cohesive unit towards a common goal.

Management: Leadership in the Navy was both hierarchical and merit-based, emphasising clear communication, respect, and integrity. Superiors were not only commanders but mentors who fostered a culture of continuous learning and improvement. The chain of command played a crucial role in maintaining order and discipline, yet there was always room for initiative and innovation.

Workplace Culture: The culture within the Navy was one of mutual respect, discipline, and pride in serving the country. It was a culture that celebrated diversity, encouraged personal and professional growth, and fostered a sense of belonging. The bond formed with fellow sailors was not just professional but often extended into lifelong friendships.

The Hardest Part of the Job: Undoubtedly, the most challenging aspect was the extended periods away from family and loved ones during deployments. The demanding nature of the job, coupled with the high-stakes environment, could be both physically and mentally taxing. Yet, it was these very challenges that contributed to the strength and resilience of the team.

The Most Enjoyable Part of the Job: The most rewarding part was the sense of accomplishment and pride in serving my country, knowing that our collective efforts contributed to national security and global peace. The unparalleled experiences, from navigating the high seas to participating in multinational exercises, provided a unique adventure and profound satisfaction that is hard to find in any other profession.

- Physical training from 0730 to 0830 , Tech inspections of vehicles or plant equiptment, load plant equiptment onto haulmark float to transport to training area for training , change trailers to 40 foot trl to transport rovers and amoured personel cariers to training area . Any pick ups and deliveries Using a variety of MR HR HC or MC vehcles including MOG ,Mack R series with 20 tonne trl or S-liner with 40 foot trl or 60ft Haulmark float . Also using Mack dump and Mack TTW water truck providing fill and constant water to support road construction.When Vehicle operations were not required i would work closely with the Tradies Chippys Plumbers Elecys as a labourer.
- I have learned a wide range of skills from the many courses i have completed , from managing small teams 8-10 ppl to organising and maintaining a fleet of 10 MR - MC with trls. All technical aspects of each vehicle type were constantly tested. I learned also to be timely and efficient but thourough. Record keeping, computer literacy and communication were in the daily taskings.
- Managers , Officers , NCO,s, Section Comanders, are highly trained and have many responsibillitys , work long hours and mostly have great communication skills.
- Some of the best memorys of my life are with the mates ive made in the Defence force , we are accepting of all no matter male or female or nationality. In any situation the people or the team you work with are all proficient and get the job done to a high level in in or before time .
- The hardest part of the job would have been the long periods away from my family and the loss of members of my unit . But i knew that it would be a difficult job .
- Most enjoyable part would be the life experience the long term mates i have made and the skills i have aquired.

Since I enlisted in the Australian Defense Force on 2007, as a Petroleum Operator (Army). a typical day consisted of parading at 0730 hrs whilst working on the barracks. and then conducting 45 to 60 minutes of combat or physical training which usually was one of my favorites parts of the day. After that session, we would have 45 minutes break to accommodate for showers and breakfast. At about 0915 hrs we would receive orders from our managers (commanders) which consisted on tasking's that needed to be accomplish through out the day and by order of priorities. As an Operator Petroleum Supervisor, I was required to lead a team of up to 8 to 12 staff members according to the task in hand which included but were not least to; equipment maintenance, stock taking, documents health reviewing, soldier appraisal reports, liaising with other staff supervisors, general training and soldiers welfare administration. We would have a lunch break about 1300 hrs and return to work by 1400 hrs to conclude our routine and return reports to our managers before closing of business day. of course, being in the ADF no one day would come the same.... we would be required to deploy on short notices to assist in emergencies releases such as bush fires or floods, we could be deployed on peace keeping duties overseas also. In short, as a member of the ADF I was required to be 100% ready and always keep an open eye to detail.

once you get past the initial training and are at a unit/squadron ship or the likes then military life is almost like every other job. show up presentable, do you job and go home. the only difference to most jobs is that you must be clean shaven every day, attend a roll call every day and do physical training 3 times a week. so you work 8hr days Monday to Friday, with an hour lunch every as well 3 hours a week training all paid for. 

Bad side The Military has a very large old boys club mentality that is trying to be squeezed out but probably never will be. the older generation of members are very engrained in there ways and are hard to move out of them,Equal opportunities for females is being push I think to much as males of equal or better quality are being over looked so that the militaries image on equality is seen in a good light. this has lower a lot of bars that frankly need to be raised back up so that there is actual equality in the roles. 

But in saying all this you will never make friends like you do in the military, they are always for life, even if you don't talk for years all it takes is a quick message or a call and its like you haven't stop being in touch.

Working in the Defence Force is often challenging and personally rewarding. There is a strong culture of taking the initiative, stepping up to the challenge and keeping up your professional skills and clinical competency. For the most part, we are well managed and we are always pushing ourselves forward to overcome our problems, be it personal, as a team or as a unit.
The role of the Medic is a wide and varied one, ranging from primary health care in barracks while working with Doctors and Registered Nurses, pre-hospital care in the field with nothing but a medkit and an ambulance or in a remotely located aid post dealing with constraints of limited supplies and logistical distances. Other times we may simply be involved with raising and maintaining capability of larger logistical models and organising capability.
Being away from family is easily the hardest part of this job but the most enjoyable would be getting exposed to a large part of Australia, working in different environments, fulfilling a variety of roles while supporting and providing health care to a range of trades and activities.

The main job expected from us is to conduct maintenance, maintenance is an ongoing activity that requires a lot of attention. I learned a lot about leadership, teamwork and morals. I was in charge maintaining 4 Main Battle Tanks and 13 men, everyday I had to complete tasks that were compliant with the bigger plans from my hierarchy. I needed to ensure that their intents were reached. Sometimes their expectations were unrealistic, even for members with years of experience. I enjoyed working with my co-workers and completing tasks with them, whilst lending a hand and passing down knowledge where it was needed. The hardest part of my job was not showing weaknesses, such as, tiredness when conducting operations in the field and on deployment overseas where we would be working under high levels of stress, fatigue and uncomfortable conditions. Although it is a hard job I do have many memories of good times where I really enjoyed what I was doing and I felt amazing and proud of what I had achieved thus far.

Serving in the Australian Defence Force, has taught me a lot about myself, my willingness to learn, my adaptability to many different situations. It gave me a chance to learn more about Courage, Initiative, Respect and most importantly Teamwork.. If
  you, can not work as a team and communicate then any goals you have planned can not be accomplished. A typical day was waking up early in the morning and putting on our uniforms to be inspected and then off to do our duties for the day, followed by an evening routine. 
the hardest part of the job was not following orders or the discipline, it was the hurry up and waiting. this taught everyone patients and more about how much they could handle. The most enjoyable part of that job, was waking up every single day and putting on my uniform and serving my country and supporting friends, family and everyone that is serving or was serving in the Australian Defence Force.

Do not be persuaded to start just any career in the ADF. Think clearly about what YOU want before applying. 
Think very hard about the real world qualifications you will gain and the experience you gain. You will be surprised to know that the real world believe this is a hindrance than a benefit.
If you are injured or retire from the ADF you will likely not get what you are entitled to despite what the ADF promises.
I had some great experiences and met some fantastic people that will be in my life for many more years to come. 
Depending on what you do in the ADF will depend greatly on how physical your job is and on the qualifications you gain. A soldiers job is much more demanding an Admin assistant or someone in logistics. On the flip side someone in Admin or Logistics will have real world experience and will find a comparable job. A soldier will have to start again in most cases.

I was in the army for around a year and a half and was discharged on medical grounds. 

While I was in the army I completed a light and medium rigid fuelling course, and a bulk fuel tanker course, I also learnt how to operate personal computer, OHS processes, first aid, working in a public sector environment, the ability to operate fire fighting equipment, working in a team and navigation, communication, time management and punctuality. 

I meet a large number of people through my time in the all ages and all backgrounds. 

The hardest part of my job was the physical demand. 

The most enjoyable part of my job was waking up every morning and learning something new, and doing things that I never thought I would ever be able to do. 

 

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