parents and guardians guide web

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PARENTS AND GUARDIANS GUIDE


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Dear Parents and Guardians,

Finding your vocation is one o lie's big

decisions. Your son or daughter has already

shown great maturity in considering a career

in the Australian Deence Force. This guide will

provide the inormation you need to help your

child consider their uture.

Military lie is demanding but also immensely

rewarding and it is important that you have the

inormation you need to help your child make an

inormed decision. Australia expects a lot o our

uture leaders. To succeed, our Ocer Cadets need

to be determined and adaptable and they must

demonstrate the highest standards o Deence

Values; proessionalism, loyalty, integrity, courage,

innovation and teamwork.

The unique partnership between the Australian

Deence Force Academy and the University o

New South Wales oers Ocer Cadets the

INTRODUCTION FROM THE

CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCEopportunity to combine world class military

and leadership training with a degree rom

one o the country's leading universities.

I understand the weight o expectations and

responsibilities can seem daunting. You may

be anxious about your child leaving home so

I want to reassure you that we will care or

them, support them and encourage them toachieve. This commitment does not end on

graduation day. It is a commitment the ADF

will honour throughout their military career.

General David Hurley, AC, DSC

Chie o the Deence Force

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A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER OF THE

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE COLLEGEThe Australian Deence Force Academy is a place

where young Australians can build a oundation or

their uture in an environment that will challenge

them, provide experiences they cannot get anywhere

else, and establish a circle o riends who will stay

by them throughout their lie. It is a place where

training and education come together to develop

Australias leaders o the uture. Whether they stay

in the Australian Deence Force, or change careers,

the lessons and experiences they will have at the

Australian Deence Force Academy will equip them

or the challenges o lie while completing a degree

through the University o New South Wales.

Our university education and military training

provides cadets with an excellent oundation or

uture leadership positions in the Australian Deence

Force, as well as opening up a wide range o other

career opportunities. We are proud o the academic

standards we achieve at the Academy with the

University o New South Wales which delivers an

exceptional standard o teaching with lecturers who

are at the top o their proession. We have one o

the best student-to-teacher ratios in the country, and

cadets have access to outstanding resources and

acilities on campus. Equally important is the military

training oered at the Academy, which provides

cadets with the skills they need to become

junior ocers in the Australian Deence Force.

On top o all this we have great sports and creative

programs to help develop well rounded leaders.

My top priority is to ensure we help our cadets

to succeed, but do so in a sae environment.To achieve this, the highly skilled academic and

military sta at the Academy support cadets

in all aspects o their training and education.

Success in lie and the military does not come

easily however I am condent the Australian

Deence Force Academy provides the opportunity

or our cadets and midshipmen to achieve

their ull potential. I look orward to joining

them as they commence their journey.

Major General Craig Orme, AM, CSC

Commander Australian Deence College

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THE AUSTRALIAN

DEFENCE FORCEACADEMY

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OUR PURPOSE

To serve Australia by providing

the Australian Deence Force

with tertiary graduates who

have the attributes, intellect and

skills required to be an ofcer.

OUR MISSION

Training the uture leaders o

the Australian Deence Force.

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THE ROLE OF THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

The Australian Deence Force

comprises o the Royal Australian

Navy, Australian Regular Army and

Royal Australian Air Force. These

three Services are supported

by the Department o Deence

and Deence Industry.

The ADF mission is to deend

Australia and its national interests.

To achieve this, the ADF aims to be a

balanced, networked and deployable

orce, manned by proessional

people, dedicated to excel.

The Deence Force values o

proessionalism, loyalty, integrity,

courage, innovation and teamwork

underpin everything we do. We expect

our members to demonstrate these

values, and we support, skill and

empower them to strive or excellence,

work together and actively look or

better ways o ullling our mission.

The ADF plays a signicant role in

peacekeeping and humanitarian

operations around the world. It

perorms a vital role in Australia

perorming tasks such as:

Reconnaissance, damage

assessment, restoration o

vital services and distribution

o ood and medical aid

ollowing natural disasters;

Deterring and apprehending

illegal shing boats and

persons involved in illegal

immigration and smuggling in

our northern waters; and

Providing a wide range o

support to emergency and

community projects, such as

repairing inrastructure including

housing, sewerage, roads

and waste acilities in remote

Aboriginal communities.

And in the global community, including:

Lie saving aero-medical

evacuations and distribution o

humanitarian supplies to remote

villages and communities;

Playing an important part in

the Australian Governments

international humanitarian

relie eorts;

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Helping turn around civil

unrest and violence in the

Solomon Islands as part o the

Australian-led Regional Assistance

Mission to the Solomon Islands;

Securing key inrastructure,

repatriating hundreds o

Australians, conscating hundreds

o weapons and assisting in

the provision o humanitarian

aid in Timor Leste; and

Contributing to the rehabilitation

and reconstruction o Iraq

and Aghanistan.

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THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE ACADEMY

ADFA is a unique partnership

between the Department o Deence

and the University o New South

Wales, which provides training and

education or the uture leaders o

the Navy, Army and Air Force.

Students at ADFA join the ADF as

an Ocer Cadet i they choose to

join the Army or Air Force, or as a

Midshipman i they choose to join

the Navy. However, all students

attending ADFA are collectively known

as cadets. They will decide which

service to join beore they apply to

the Academy. While cadets complete

the majority o their studies (training

and recreation with peers rom all

three services) they will wear the

uniorm o their chosen service, and

will complete some o their training

in what is known as a single Service

environment. For example, Midshipmen

will spend time at sea on Navyships, Army Ocer Cadets will learn

weapons and eld crat tactics and

Air Force Ocer Cadets will perorm

workplace training on Air Force bases.

As members o the ADF, cadets receive

a salary while they study, as well as

benets such as a textbook allowance,

subsidised accommodation, ree health

care and uniorms. The ADF will also

pay their tuition ees and guarantee

them a career as an ocer in the Navy,

Army or Air Force on graduation.

The military education and training

combined with a balanced and liberal

university education enables cadets to

develop their proessional abilities and

the qualities o character and leadership

that are appropriate to ocers o the

ADF. It will equip them to meet the

many interesting and varied challenges

o their uture military career.

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THE ACADEMY MILITARY EDUCATIONAND TRAINING PROGRAM

The Academy Military Education

and Training Program at ADFA

combines academics, taught by

UNSW sta, and military training and

education, taught by military sta.

Military training takes place over three

years and is carried out in blocks at

the beginning and end o each year,

and or about six hours each week

during the academic session. In

their rst year at ADFA your son or

daughter will also participate in six

weeks o Year One Familiarisation

Training, which will help them make the

transition rom civilian to military lie.

Leadership and communicationstudies orm a large part o military

training at ADFA and cadets are

given opportunities to develop and

practise these skills both in practical

exercises and throughout daily lie at

the Academy. Cadets will also study

deence issues in local, regional and

global contexts, as well as military law

and the laws o armed confict. They

will learn how to handle weapons,carry out rst aid, and live in the eld

as part o a group, and will maintain

a high level o physical tness

through prescribed physical training

and optional sporting activities.

ADFA also oers a range o sporting

and extra-curricular activities or cadets,

encouraging them to compete against

and become involved with local and

interstate organisations.

A range o leave options are available

on weekends and during semester

breaks, and cadets are encouraged to

return to their home town or city and

keep in touch with parents and riends.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

UNSW is one o Australias most

respected universities, with an

international reputation or outstanding

academic programs and world class

research. UNSW@ADFA comprises

our academic schools, oering

undergraduate and postgraduate

qualications in a wide rangeo disciplines.

Cadets at ADFA are also undergraduate

students o UNSW. When they graduate

at the completion o their three or our

year undergraduate program, they do so

with a world class degree rom UNSW

the same as the degree received by

graduates o UNSWs campus in Sydney.

In addition, UNSWs academic

sta are some o Australias best

qualied in their respective elds

and oster high quality learning

outcomes. As such, students can

be assured that their UNSW degree

is o the highest standing.

Academic programs consist o

lectures, tutorials and other activities

that comprise the undergraduate

degree your son or daughter has

chosen to study at UNSW@ADFA.

UNSW@ADFA oers a range o

undergraduate degrees in Arts,

Business, Engineering, Inormation

Technology, Science or Technology.

Cadets enrol in and attend a range o

classes over two semesters each year.

They study, complete assignments

and sit exams in order to meet the

requirements o their degree.

Detailed inormation on each o the

undergraduate degrees oered can

be ound in the UNSW@ADFA

Undergraduate Studies Guide

rom www.unsw.ada.edu.auor

or specic academic enquiries

email [email protected]

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GRADUATION

To graduate rom ADFA, cadets

must achieve or demonstrate:

ocer qualities, as embodied by

the ADFA values o teamwork,

honesty, integrity, courage and a

sense o giving everyone a air go;

successul completion o theAcademy Military Education

and Training Program;

successul completion o

single Service Training; and

successul completion o an

undergraduate degree;

ADFA applies equal weighting to

each o these components.

Graduation rom ADFA is

dependent on cadets achieving

all our components during

three years o training.

At the discretion o their Service,

cadets studying a our year

undergraduate degree or those who

intend to undertake an honours

year, may return to ADFA

ollowing graduation to complete

their studies and graduate.

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WHAT ADFA IS LOOKING FOR FROMYOUR SON OR DAUGHTER

When we select individuals or

admission into ADFA, we are looking

or a range o qualities, academic

and otherwise, which demonstrate

their ability to urther develop and

enhance the skills and attributes

which will enable them to be

eective leaders within the AustralianDeence Force. These are oten

reerred to as ocer qualities.

There is no doubt that gaining entry into

ADFA is competitive. To successully

complete the selection process,

candidates must satisy a number o

military and academic requirements

over a period o six to twelve months.

The rst stage o joining the Navy,

Army or Air Force is to call

13 19 01 or apply online at

www.deencejobs.gov.au

Sta will take your son or daughters

details and send them inormation

about ADFA and the careers within the

Services. I your son or daughter has

urther questions, they can contact

Deence Force Recruiting again or

book into an inormation session.

As part o the application process your

son or daughter will take an aptitude

test to determine what particular

roles they are best suited or. Your

son or daughter will be provided

with inormation on the range o

careers that are available to them,

and will discuss career opportunities

with an ADF Careers Counsellor. By

this stage they will have all o the

inormation needed to decide what

careers within the ADF best suit their

interests and particular abilities.

The next steps include completing

a medical questionnaire and

assessment, a psychological

interview, and a Deence interview.

The purpose o these assessments is

to ensure that your son or daughter

has the knowledge required, and

is ully prepared, or an excitingand challenging career within

the Navy, Army or Air Force.

On completing these assessments

your son or daughter will be advised

i they have been recommended

to proceed to an Ocer Selection

Board or their preerred career role

within the Navy, Army or Air Force. I

they have not been recommended to

proceed, they may be provided with

alternate career options or advised to

return once they are better prepared.

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A UNIQUEENVIRONMENT

ADFA provides an environment that welcomes students rom

a range o overseas deence orces, as well as mature age in-service

candidates. This environment allows your son or daughter to learn rom

people rom a diverse range o backgrounds and experiences.

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OFFICER SELECTION BOARD

I your son or daughter has been

recommended to attend an Ocer

Selection Board or ADFA entry they

will be invited to attend a our-day

trip to Canberra, where the Selection

Boards are held. This trip includes a

amiliarisation tour o ADFA, a tour

o Canberra, and participation inpersonal development and leadership

workshops. The Ocer Selection

Boards are held during the March/

April, June/July and September/

October school holidays.

The Ocer Selection Board consists

o a series o activities designed

to test aspects such as leadership

skills, teamwork and individual

abilities critical to the role your

son or daughter has applied or.

They will undergo a ormal interview

beore a panel o ocers and a

psychologist, as well as participate

in a range o challenging problem

solving exercises designed to test

their competitiveness or available

vacancies. Army candidates may

also participate in a ormal leadershipexercise. They may also undergo a

Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA).

The PFA comprises a range o

activities, depending on the Service

your son or daughter has chosen to

join. Your son or daughter must be

capable o achieving and maintaining

a sucient level o tness to saely

commence training. This assessment

must be passed at some time during

the eight weeks prior to enlistment.

Following the Ocer Selection Board

your son or daughter will be advised in

writing i they have been recommended

or not recommended to proceed. I

they have not been recommended

they may be provided with alternate

career options or advised to return

once they are better prepared.

In some instances they will be placed

in competition with other applicants

and notied o their success at

a later date. I they have been

recommended, successul acceptance

into ADFA is then dependent on

their nal Year 12 results and

successul admission into UNSW.

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PILOT OFFICERCANDIDATES

A SUCCESSFULAPPLICATION

Candidates wishing to become pilots

in the ADF will undergo a separate

centralised selection board process

at Tamworth NSW. This process

will assess your son or daughters

suitability as both an ocer and ADF

pilot. These selection boards are run

predominantly during school holidays.For more inormation on pilot selection

visit www.deencejobs.gov.au

I your son or daughter has been

recommended ater their Ocer

Selection Board they will need to

submit an application to the Universities

Admission Centre (UAC) in NSW, listing

UNSW@ADFA degree as their rst

preerence. Conrmation o meeting

the admissions requirements to studyat UNSW@ADFA is advised separately

by an oer rom UAC in early January.

As well as gaining the required

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank

(ATAR) or equivalent entrance

score, some degrees assume

students have studied certain

subjects or met specic knowledge

requirements in Years 11 and 12.

UNSW@ADFA admission requirements

are clearly outlined in the ADFA

Undergraduate Handbook.

This handbook is available rom

the UNSW@ADFA website at

www.unsw.ada.edu.au

I your son or daughter is successul

at an Ocer Selection Board and

meets the admission requirements or

UNSW@ADFA, they will be contacted

by an ADF Careers Counsellor and sent

a letter o oer. They will need to advise

o their intent to accept the oer prior

to their appointment, and will then

receive urther inormation about joining

ADFA. Applicants who are unsuccessul

in competition with other candidates

will also be advised in writing.

For urther inormation regarding theapplication process or lie at ADFA,

please visit www.deencejobs.gov.au

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HEAR FROM PARENTS OF PAST ADFA CADETS

In developing this guide we went

directly to the people who know

best when it comes to a son or

daughter joining the ADF and in

particular studying at ADFA. We

contacted a range o parents and

asked them to tell you a little bit

about their experiences with ADFA.

Here is some o what they had to say:

Like all parents Kim Buckland played

a big part in his daughter Amandas

decision to attend ADFA and join

the Navy, although a career with

the ADF was not something he had

thought his daughter would pursue.

In terms o priority, had you askedme our years ago what career would

have best suited my daughter, without

question a career with the ADF would

have been very much down the list.

Four years later I could not think o

a more suitable, challenging and

rewarding career or my daughter.

Any concerns I had in the early

days were based almost entirely on

perception rather than on the acts. In

my opinion, the students at ADFA ace

a similar level or degree o challengesshared by many acets o our society in

the ormative developmental years. Any

undue challenges they ace by having

a military/academic balance in their

time at ADFA is surely compensated

by the certainty and security o their

uture with the ADF, not to mention

the comradeship, as opposed to those

undergoing purely university studieswith little or, more oten, no security

whatsoever regarding their uture

employment. I the parent is condent

in the son or daughters ability to do

so, I could think o ew better careers

than the ADF and more specically a

career achieved by attending ADFA."

This level o support is also shared

by other parents. When asked how

he elt about his daughter Haileys

choice to join the Army, John Fletcher

commented that, we are very proud

that she is serving her country, and

ollowing her chosen path. We are

apprehensive about possible uture

assignments in dangerous locations

and a little worried about not seeing

her much in the uture because o

the likelihood o her being based

interstate or overseas, however,

we believe she has the potential or

a long-term career as an ocer in the

ADF. Shes expressed an interest in a

couple o dierent areas and her choice

will become clearer as her military

and academic training progresses.

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The students at ADFA have to balance

academic studies, military studies

and training, sporting commitments

and organised social activities so

time management is a major issue.

Another challenge is dealing with so

much change all at the same time

rom amily home to independentliving, settling into a new city, making

new riends and learning new skills.

Although our daughter was very

independent or her age when she

entered ADFA, she now seems much

more condent and sel-reliant.

The advice I would oer to other

amilies whose son or daughter is

considering coming to ADFA is to

amiliarise yoursel as much as possible

with the Academy, and make sure

your child has realistic expectations

o the challenges they will ace. I you

live outside the ACT, take advantage

o the ADFA Foster Family Program.

It gives you peace o mind to know

your son or daughter has amily based

support while living away rom home.

A number o parents that we talked

to had also thought about their son or

daughters longer-term involvement

with the ADF and the career paths

it might oer. When asked where

Je Proud saw his son Matthew

going in terms o his involvement

with the Army he commented, As

ar as he wants to rankly. Given his

obvious abilities it is up to him. For

my part, I think he should consider

the Army to be a long-term career.

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while his school riends have more

reedom at other universities.

However, both John and MargaretFletcher believe that in their sons

rst year at ADFA, he has matured,

become more sel-aware and grown

or the better. In particular, Margaret

was pleased to see the special

bond that has developed between

the engineering students and the

way they are working as a team.

Their advice to other amilies whose

children are considering coming

to ADFA is to look very closely,

seek advice, and help your son or

daughter weigh the pros and cons.

Make sure its their decision and then

support them as much as possible.

The need or students to work hard and

develop eective time management

skills was a common theme when we

asked parents what they believed was

the most challenging thing about their

son or daughter studying at ADFA.

Were pleased by how much he

has matured so quickly and become

a more rounded and considerate

person. The most challenging thing

or him is probably time management,

as the cadets at ADFA have so much

to do. Im very impressed with the

Academy and the acilities it oers.

I think it is serving my son very well.

To parents o young men and women

considering coming to ADFA, Je

adds, Relax! Theyre in good hands.

There is no doubt that ADFA provides

cadets with a number o challenges

and in some cases situations that

neither the cadet or parent expected.

When Matthew Fletcher joined the

Army to complete his Bachelor o

Civil Engineering, his mother,

Margaret, was concerned aboutwhether their son Matthew would

be able to tolerate the training regime.

The most challenging thing about

Matthew studying at ADFA is the

need to comply with military discipline

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Shane and Anita Fogartys son Brett

is studying a Bachelor o Electrical

Engineering as a member o the Air

Force. They believe that the biggest

challenge acing their son is the

heavy combined workload o academic

and military studies and the need or

Brett to manage his time eectively.

They also observed that Brett has

become more mature since joining the

ADF. Were proud that he has chosen

to join, and we see him building an

exciting and successul career. Our

interaction with the Academy has been

excellent. We had reason to contact

sta earlier this year and ound them

very understanding and helpul.

Their advice to other amilies whose

children are considering coming to

ADFA is to tell your child to be certain

that this is the career they want and

then support them all the way.

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LOOK VERY CLOSELY, SEEK ADVICE, AND HELPYOUR SON OR DAUGHTER WEIGH THE PROS ANDCONS. MAKE SURE ITS THEIR DECISION ANDTHEN SUPPORT THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

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A WORD FROM THE RECTORWe would like to thank you or your interest

in the possible enrolment o your child at

the University o New South Wales at the

Australian Deence Force Academy

(UNSW@ADFA). The university degree

and military training will provide your

son or daughter with an excellent

basis or a career and leadership role

in the Navy, Army or Air Force.

While your son or daughter is at

UNSW@ADFA, the emphasis will be on

university studies designed to develop

their intellectual and vocational capabilities.

The degree and the academic programs that

they undertake will be key elements in their

development as a uture leader in the Australian

Deence Force. UNSW@ADFA degrees are

considered to be amongst the best in Australia

and the educational opportunity that ADFA

students have is a remarkable one. The other

very important emphasis will be on the military

component o their overall training and the

development o proessional abilities and

qualities o character and leadership appropriate

or ocers in the Australian Deence Force.

We provide our students with an exciting,

challenging and rewarding experience in

a supportive environment where they will

be encouraged to excel. Graduation rom

ADFA provides a young person with the

best possible start to their careers.

Best wishes,

Proessor Michael Frater

Rector

The University o New South Wales

at the Australian Deence Force Academy

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A WORD FROM THE ACADEMY SERGEANT MAJOR

As well as providing education, trainingand leadership or midshipmen and ocer

cadets; ADFA employs dedicated sta

whose role is to support our personnel by

managing their health, saety and wellbeing.

As the Academy Sergeant Major I am

responsible or the maintenance o military

standards o discipline and dress by all

unormed members, and provide advice

on the Deence Force Discipline Act and

all ceremonial matters. I have a wealth

o experience within Deence and I use

this experience to educate the cadets

about the unique, challenging, exciting

and ullling rewards o a career in

the Australian Deence Force.

I provide advice, guidance and counsel

to all ranks, and make mysel available to

support midshipmen and ocer cadets.

I am responsible to the Commandant o ADFAor upholding the standards o the Academy,

and work closely with sta rom all three Services

to ensure that cadets are achieving strong

results. I also play a role in the maintenance

o morale and welare at the Academy.

Like all sta at ADFA, I am committed to

providing an environment where your son

or daughter is sae, happy and successul

during their time at the Academy.

Warrant Ocer Dave Devlin

Academy Sergeant Major

Australian Deence Force Academy

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A WORLD CLASS DEGREEA GUARANTEED CAREERIN THE NAVY, ARMY OR AIR FORCE.CALL 13 19 01OR VISIT WWW.DEFENCEJOBS.GOV.AU/ADFA MDFT3707

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