This article looks at the changes the author has seen from when they first enlisted into the Army Reserve in 1993, to now.

This is the 1st place entry in the soldier category of Cove Comp '24, which asked entrants ‘How does Army need to adapt to the changing character of war?’

The 2023 Defence Strategic Review warned that Australia is experiencing its most challenging circumstances in decades with contests taking place across diplomatic, economic, military, and strategic levels. Traditional kinetic warfare is increasingly being replaced by or complemented with hybrid tactics, with climate change and advancing technologies such as AI and quantum adding further complexity to Australia’s security climate.

Continuing on from a previous article, this article furthers the discussion on the concept of ‘likership’ and continues the debate on its definition and value as a characteristic of good leaders and followers. It furthers the discussion by looking at the interaction between followership, likership, and leadership.

This article discusses the importance of utilising simplicity in planning and execution to increase chances of success.

This article argues for a renewed focus on sport and competition to promote faster recovery, improved retention, and a better organisational culture.

The Australian Defence Force’s ongoing challenge of retention has been well commentated and documented. In 2021, the Australian Army saw 11.9% of its force separate, with almost a third of those separations being involuntary – including medical discharges.

This article provides one soldier’s experience undertaking both Australian and New Zealand Army Reserve training.

Choco – “Chocolate Soldier”. An Australian Army Reservist. That full time soldiers hate but want to be, since they get to choose what military activities they are “available” to attend.

TF Baggie – “Ball bag”. A New Zealand Part-time (Territorial force, TF) soldier holding the rank of private. This term’s origin has been lost in time and is debated by many.

This article explores the history of the first imperial decoration for gallantry, the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), and the stories of a number of recipients of the medal, including my great grandfather who was awarded the DCM for his actions at Gallipoli.

This article provides a book review of The Resilience Myth, which challenges prevailing ideas about resilience that rely too much on individual effort and unbridled optimism rather than mutual interdependence.

This article advances the importance of military personnel forming real friendships to improve resilience to what may come, including the changing character of war.

This article provides a book review of 'The Ethics of Special Operations' in which the authors explore ethics across four primary missions: raids, recoveries, reconnaissance, and rebels.