Australian Defence Force Academy

"Adfa" redirects here. For the village in Wales, see Adfa (village).

Australian Defence Force Academy
Coat of Arms of ADFA
Motto	To Lead, To Excel
Established	1986
Type	Commonwealth Military Academy
Commandant	Commodore Bruce Kafer AM, CSC
Admin. staff	~ 150 Defence staff ~ 380 University
Undergraduates	~ 950
Postgraduates	~ 1300
Location	Canberra, ACT, Australia
Campus	Mount Pleasant, Campbell
Website	www.adfa.edu.au www.unsw.adfa.edu.au

The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Tertiary education is provided by the University of New South Wales Canberra campus, which is the awarding body for ADFA qualifications. Apart from educating future leaders of the Australian Defence Force, University of New South Wales campus also provides postgraduate programs and short courses both to the Department of Defence personnel and the general public.

The stated purpose of ADFA is "to serve Australia by providing the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with tertiary graduates who have the foundational attributes, intellect and skills required of an officer."

ADFA is located in the Australian capital city of Canberra, in the suburb of Campbell near the Australian Government district of Russell. It is situated next to Mount Pleasant which gives some parts of ADFA a view over the rest of Canberra. The ADFA is also adjacent to the Australian Army military academy, the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

The junior officers that attend the Australian Defence Force Academy hold the rank of Midshipman (MIDN) in the Royal Australian Navy, Officer Cadet (OCDT) in the Australian Army and Officer Cadet (OFFCDT) in the Royal Australian Air Force. The Academy is currently commanded by Commodore Bruce Kafer AM, CSC.

History

Establishment

After World War II, each of the three Armed Services adopted, as policy, that the educational standards should be raised for officers in training.

In 1967 an agreement between the Department of Defence and the University of New South Wales, under which they would co-operate to develop the Royal Military College (RMC) into a degree-level institution. To that end, the University established the Faculty of Military Studies at RMC to conduct courses leading to the award of the University's degrees in arts, science and engineering.

Also in 1967, the University of New South Wales entered into an association with the RAN College enabling it to present approved courses. Subsequently, first year courses for certain University programs in arts, science and engineering were introduced. Successful cadets were sponsored by the Navy to complete Bachelor's degrees on the University's campus.

Concurrent with the developments at the RAN College and RMC, from 1967 to 1970, Sir Leslie H. Martin chaired the Commonwealth Government's Tertiary Education (Services' Cadet Colleges) Committee into the feasibility of setting up a college for the joint education of officer cadets of the three Armed Services.

Investigations on a wider scale followed with the result that in 1974 the Commonwealth Government announced its intention of establishing a single tertiary institution for the Defence Force. In 1977 the then Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville McNamara KBE, AO, AFC, AE, formally established the Australian Defence Force Academy as a Joint Service Unit under Section 32c of the Defence Act 1903. He simultaneously announced the appointment of Rear Admiral Peter Ross Sinclair, Royal Australian Navy as the Commandant. Construction began on the site in 1981. In February 1984 the University of New South Wales announced the appointment of Professor G.V.H. Wilson as Rector of the University College. In September 1985 the Interim Academy Council ceased its functions and the Australian Defence Force Academy Council held its inaugural meeting under the Chairmanship of Sir Edward Woodward.

In 1986 ADFA opened and began providing military and tertiary academic education for Midshipmen and Officer Cadets. In late 2003 the Australian Department of Defence entered into another agreement with the University of New South Wales for the operation of University College at ADFA.

Criticism of ADFA

Over its history ADFA has been criticised for various reasons, such as the reason for the Grey Review – bastardisation. In 1998 the Department of Defence released the Grey review, a report about bastardisation and sexual harassment at ADFA during the 80s and early 90s. In doing so, it also examined relevant cultural, structural and management issues at ADFA. Having found evidence of bastardisation, and of a failure to recognise and prevent such bastardisation by staff, the review received considerable attention from the national media, and thereby caused considerable damage to the Academy's reputation.

During 1998, whilst there were journalists/reviewers enlisted as cadets during first year, there were a number of instances involving bastardisation and sexual harassment/assault. This included a CPL in the Military Police being charged with sexual assault of a first year officer cadet whilst on common military training within the first few weeks of being at the Academy.

In July 2006 LCDR Robyn Fahey – one of the first female Midshipmen to graduate from ADFA – was awarded an undisclosed amount in compensation for abuses suffered during her service in the ADF, including instances of physical and verbal abuse suffered at ADFA. ADFA attracted further criticism from the Canberra gay and lesbian community after its commandant, Brigadier Brian Dawson, issued an order preventing Academy personnel from frequenting the Cube nightclub – a well known gay and lesbian venue. The order was in response to then recent violence at the club, in which a patron was stabbed. The ban has since been lifted.

Reform

Following the 1998 Grey Review ADFA made various immediate and significant changes in reaction to evidence of widespread bastardisation. Now all recommendations of the Grey Review relating solely to ADFA have been implemented. Such actions include the abolition of the internal Cadet rank system, which ranked Officer Cadets and Midshipmen on their years. Now all Officer Cadets and Midshipmen are considered as equal in rank. Additionally, whilst cadets of differing years once lived together, they now live only with those in the same year. Staff were educated on how to identify and deal with bastardisation.

In order to fix its tarnished public image, ADFA went to the ABC to offer it the opportunity of making a documentary about Academy life. The result was a five episode-long documentary called The Academy, which featured in 2001.

Academic education

view of campus from north east

Awards

ADFA's academic education is run by the University of New South Wales, and it offers awards at the Diploma, Associate Diploma, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, and Doctor's Degree levels.

Under its agreement with the Department of Defence, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) provides Midshipmen (RAN) and Officer Cadets (ARA and RAAF) with a tertiary education at its 'University College' campus (UNSW@ADFA) which is located on the Academy grounds.

Midshipmen and Officer Cadets undertake three and four year undergraduate degrees at ADFA. Currently, available undergraduate degrees include:

• Bachelor of Arts – BA
• Bachelor of Science – BSc
• Bachelor of Business – BBus
• Bachelor of Engineering (Aeronautical, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical) – BE
• Bachelor of Technology (Aeronautical and Aviation) – BTech

However, those that do well academically and militarily have the possibility of a return to ADFA for one year in order to do honours, as long as their respective services authorise further training. Currently, UNSW@ADFA offers honours in:

• Bachelor of Arts – BA(Hons)
• Bachelor of Business – BBus(Hons)
• Bachelor of Science – BSc(Hons)

Post-graduate studies are provided to civilians, senior members of the ADF and senior public servants. Increasingly, distance-education units are being offered for service members not based in Canberra.

Entrance requirements

The UNSW and ADF have invested considerable effort in maintaining a high standard of academic performance. "83 per cent of the more than 600 students enrolled in the three-year course had tertiary entrance scores higher than 80 per cent, placing them among the nation's best academic performers".

Student performance

"ADFA's GTS – Good Teaching Scale – is 54, and nearly triple the Go8 median of 20.53. It's SPR – Student Progress Rate, which calculates the ratio of the load passed to total course load – is 93.7, compared with the Go8 median of 88. Its OSI – Overall Satisfaction Index – is 72, [compared to] the Go8 median of 39.1."

Military Training

Year One Familiarisation Training (YOFT)

After coming to ADFA, newly appointed Officer Cadets begin a six week-long phase of training known as Year One Familiarisation Training (YOFT). Midshipmen join the Officer Cadets approximately two weeks into YOFT as the knowledge that the Officer Cadets learn in this time the Midshipmen have already been taught during their first year in the ADF. This training is designed to familiarise first years with the military. It includes training in discipline, weapons handling, military customs and traditions, adventure training (for instance, abseiling and high-speed water insertions), generally how to ‘live’ at ADFA, and particularly, drill and ceremonial activities, as after YOFT first years will be formally welcomed into the Academy during the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) Parade, for which the reviewing officer is the CDF. This is the first year cadets' first opportunity to be seen publicly on parade. The current CDF is General David Hurley.

Academy Military Education Training (AMET)

During academic sessions, ADFA provides basic military training to Midshipmen and Officer Cadets through the Academy Military Education Training (AMET) program. The AMET program encompasses physical training (PT), leadership and management studies, equity and diversity (E&D), military history, defence studies, drill and ceremonial, the military communication program (MCP), first aid, military law, field craft and weapons training.

Single Service Training (SST)

At the end of each academic session, Midshipmen and Officer Cadets move to their respective single service colleges for Single Service Training (SST). Such training prepares them to be officers in the ADF. Army Officer Cadets continue this training for another 12 months after leaving ADFA at the Royal Military College, Duntroon (RMC-D) to later be commissioned as Lieutenants. Most Officer Cadets and Midshipmen undertake six SST periods over a three year period. However, Midshipmen have already completed 12 months of training in the Navy so they may not be required to train in these periods.

Academy life

The ADFA year is split by the two academic sessions, during which academic education is carried out. However, a variety of other activities take place in and around these sessions. Before Session 1, 'first years' undertake YOFT whilst second and third years are trained on their respective SST blocks. After Session 1, a two week holiday period begins, though first years go on their first SST block. Academics recommence after this period with the start of Session 2. At the end of Session 2, all years commence their final SST block for the year, and shortly after this, third years graduate, and this is formally recognised during the 'Grad' parade.

Timetable

ADFA runs on standard military time and generally follows the timetable:

• 0600h – Reveille
• 0605 to 0700 – Breakfast and morning routine
• 0700 to 0750 – OC hours and Drill
• 0800 to 1930 – Academic and military classes (9 x 50 minute periods)
• 1200 to 1240 – Lunch
• 1730 to 1930 – Sport training (optional)
• 2200 to 0500 – Quiet time

Sports

ADFA is well known within both the ADF and the Canberra local region for its sports programme. While not compulsory, it is strongly encouraged that each and every OCDT/OFFCDT and MIDN takes up at least one sport each year to develop their team, leadership and social skills. The sports available at ADFA include both ‘inter-range’ sports that are played against other civilian and ADF teams, and Academy sports that are just competed within the academy itself. Cadets are permitted to play one grade A sport and up to two grade B sports from the following non-exclusive list:

Grade A

• Association Football (Soccer - including a women's team)
• Australian Rules Football (including a women's team)
• Rugby League (On a trial basis in 2011)
• Rugby Union (including a women's team)

Grade B

Athletics Baseball Basketball Chess Cricket Cross country running Cross Fit Fencing

Golf Hockey Inline Hockey Lawn Bowls Mountaineering Marathon and Long Distance Running Martial Arts Netball

Rowing Sailing Squash Tennis Touch Football Triathlon Volleyball Water Polo

VECAs (Voluntary Extra-Curricular Activities)

"ADFA offers a range of sporting and voluntary extra-curricular activities (VECAS) for cadets, encouraging them to compete against and become involved with local and interstate organisations."

VECAs currently offered at ADFA include:

• Aerospace Interest Group
• Bands and Musical opportunities
• Community Service VECA (CSV)
• ADFA Debating Society (ADS)
• FOCUS (Fellowship of Christian University Students)
• Military Shooting VECA (MSV)
• Musical Production VECA (The ADFA Performing Arts Company)
• Precision Drill Team
• FSAE (Academy Racing - Formula SAE Car)
• Web Design Group

Others not mentioned on the ADFA VECAs webpage include:

• Aviation Interest Group
• Maritime Interest Group
• DJ VECA
• ADFA Focus

Facilities

ADFA maintains premier military and academic facilities. These include, but are not limited to:

• Accommodation blocks, commonly known as 'divs', or 'lines'.
• An Indoor Sports Centre (ISC), complete with pool (and overhead obstacle course), weights gym, cardio room, boxercise room, squash courts and a basketball court.
• Military and Academic theatres, complete with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology.
• A Junior NCOs mess, Senior NCOs mess, Officers mess and the Academy Cadets Mess (ACM), which is the largest mess in the southern hemisphere.
• Sporting facilities, including a football oval, rugby field, tennis courts, volleyball courts, netball courts, soccer fields, cross-country course and a boat shed.
• ADFA also has access to a Weapons Training Simulation System (WTSS), though it is technically run by RMC.
• ADFA also has the lowest student to staff ratio of any institution of higher learning in Australia at 7.9:1.

Structure

People at the 2011 Australian Defence Force Academy open day

UNSW@ADFA

UNSW@ADFA is managed for UNSW by a Rector. Under the Rector of UNSW@ADFA are the heads of schools, who manage their respective schools. UNSW@ADFA schools were restructured from twelve discipline-based schools to five multi-disciplinary Schools as of 1 July 2003. These are:

• School of Aerospace, Civil and Mechanical Engineering (formerly Schools of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering)
• School of Business (formerly School of Economics and Management)
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences (formerly Schools of History, Language, Literature and Communication, and Politics)
• School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (formerly Schools of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering)
• School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences (formerly Schools of Chemistry, Geography and Oceanography, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics)

ADFA

As of January 2001, ADFA has been part of the Australian Defence College (ADC) command structure, which is also responsible for the Australian Command and Staff College (ACSC) and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS).

The Commandant of ADFA is appointed by the Australian Defence Force for a period of three years. Command of ADFA is based upon a three year rotation between the three services and is held by a Commodore, Brigadier, or Air Commodore. Since January 2010, the Commandant of ADFA has been Commodore Bruce Kafer AM, CSC. Commodore Kafer replaced Air Commodore Margaret Staib, who has since been promoted to Air Vice Marshal.

Temporary restructure

From March to August 2007, Brigadier Brian Dawson was temporarily promoted to Commander, Australian Defence College due to an absence of a two-star flag officer to fill the position. During this temporary command reallocation, Captain Peter Murray, RAN, was appointed as Acting Commandant. The Command of the Australian Defence College was then given to Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas AM, CSC, RAN. With Admiral Thomas' appointment to the command of the Australian Defence College, Brigadier Wayne Goodman AM was appointed Commandant, ADFA.

The appointment of Brigadier Goodman was unusual since the previous Commandant was also an one-star officer in the Australian Army. Brigadier Goodman was appointed to this position however, because Brigadier Dawson did not complete the full three year command posting, which under the rotation system at the time, still belonged to the Army.

Organisation

ADFA is based on an amalgamation of all three services, and the organisation of the cadet side of the academy reflects this. Divisions are accommodated in accommodation blocks (commonly known as 'lines' or 'divs') consisting of five sections (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo) with a sixth section (Foxtrot) normally reserved for divisional staff and storage. Each section has 2 corridors (Half-sections) with four rooms and shared toilet, bathroom and laundry facilities.

There are six squadrons each consisting of several divisions:

1A Squadron (1st year) 1–4 Division;

1B Squadron (1st year) 5–8 Division;

2A Squadron (2nd year) 9–12 Division;

2B Squadron (2nd year) 13–15 Division;

3A Squadron (3rd year) 17–19 Division, and

3B Squadron (3rd year) 21–23 Division.

Advanced students (commissioned officers and 4th year engineering students) are part of either 20 Div under 3A Sqn or 24 Div under 3B Sqn. Advanced students may live in the Officers' Mess or off base.

Prior to 2006 first year squadrons were tri service with cadets spending their final 2 years in single service squadrons. This fostered a greater service pride than the current arrangement and allowed cadets time to adapt to their forces particular way of life before graduation.

The Squadron chain of command is as follows:

Each division has a Divisional SNCO (Petty Officer/Sergeant) and Divisional Officer (Lieutenant RAN/Army Captain/Flight Lieutenant).

Each squadron has a Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) (Chief Petty Officer/Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2)/Flight Sergeant) and an Officer Commanding (OC) (Lieutenant Commander/Major/Squadron Leader).

Within each division a Midshipman/Officer Cadet is appointed as the Divisional Duty Orderly (DDO) on a weekly or fortnightly basis. The DDO is responsible for the general administration of the division, its cleanliness, and conducting the division's movements to and from military commitments. In addition, each section has a section leader appointed who is responsible for the section duties and assists the DDO. Permanent positions (referred to as the Cadet Leadership Team) are also available for mainly third year Midshipman and Officer Cadets. There are 5 major yearly positions which are: President of the Mess Committee, Deputy President of the Mess Committee, Admin Coord, Band Coord and Sports Coord.

See also

• Australian Defence College
• Officer Cadet School, Portsea
• Officer Training Unit, Scheyville
• Royal Military College, Duntroon

Other nations:

• Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
• Royal Military College of Canada
• United States Military Academy at West Point
• United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
• Staff college

References

• The regulars update, Issue 184, February 2004.

External links

• ADFA
• UNSW@ADFA
• ADFA Graduates Association