Indigenous Engagement & Development In Northern Australia

Northern Australia Defence Summit

19 October 2016

LTCOL John Papalitsas, CSCCommanding Officer – The North West Mobile Force

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Aim

To provide the Northern Australia Defence Summit with an overview the North West Mobile Force (NORFORCE), focussing on our role in Indigenous Engagement & Development in Australia’s North and North West.

Scope

• NORFORCE Overview – Who Are We?• NORFORCE Role & Key Tasks – What do we do?• Indigenous Development & Community Engagement – How & why do we engage?• Army Indigenous Development Program, (AIDP) – A focus on the AIDP-NT.

Unit History – A link to the North

Foundation / Heritage:• 2/1 North Australian Observer Unit

(NAOU)• Northern Territory Special

Reconnaissance Unit (NTSRU)• Darwin Mobile Force (DMF)• North West Mobile Force

(NORFORCE - 1981)• All similar in mission, culture and

character

“I wanted a highly mobile unit with good radio links, light weapons, and made up of men with a bush background and adventurous spirit who could live outdoors

months at a time, operating in small groups on their own initiative…” – MAJ Bill Stanner, CO the 2/1 NAOU, 1942

HQ Troop 2/1 NAOU “Nackeroos”NT Special Recon Unit

Arnhem Land DMF Patrol– led by LT F Hassett, 1939 NORFORCE 1981

Our RoleAs a Regional Force Surveillance Unit (RFSU) we assist

in the protection of Australia’s national interests via the conduct of remote-area, land and littoral,

reconnaissance and surveillance operations.

Regional Force Surveillance Group• The RFSU is an ‘Integrated’ Unit comprising a workforce of:

– Regular Army– Army Reserve– Regional Force Surveillance List (RFSL)– Limited Observer Element (LOE)

• The three RFSUs work together as a Regional Force Surveillance Group (RFSG) and work collectively support OP RESOLUTE .

• Noting our Role, Mission and Tasks the RFSUs predominantly operate in the Joint and Inter-Agency space.

• The RFSG is current undergoing a modernisation process.

How Do We Generate Capability?

Training Establishment

Ab Initio TrgTrade Trg

Specialist Trg

Operational Surveillance Unit

FWF TrgOPGEN TrgOP Tasking

Our Key Tasks & OutputsReconnaissance

&Surveillance

EnvironmentalSurvivalTraining

Deliberate Indigenous

Engagement

Unit Structure

RHQ

Training Support Squadron

Operational Support Squadron

Surveillance Squadrons

Army Indigenous Development Program

Northern Territory(AIDP-NT)

Kimberley Squadron Centre Squadron Darwin Squadron Arnhem Squadron

NORFORCE Dispositions

KUNUNURRA DEPOT

KATHERINE DEPOT

Legend

Squadron Headquarters

Manned Troop Depot

Unmanned Forward Operating Base

GROOTE EYLANDT

BASE

BORROLOOLA BASE

TENNANT CREEK BASE

ALICE SPRINGS DEPOT

DARWIN LARRAKEYAH

BARRACKS

WADEYE BASE

DERBY BASE

BROOME DEPOT

NHULUNBUYDEPOT

RHQ, OSS and TSS

RFSU

RFSURFSU

RFSU

RFSU

RFSU

AIDP-NT

Our Workforce

Regular Army

Army Reserve

Regional ForceSurveillance List

• 2/3 Of the Workforce is not Regular Army and as such needs to be recruited by NORFORCE.

• Approximately 42% of the workforce (all categories) is comprised of Indigenous Australians.

• Noting our Area of Operations and its demographics, it is crucial that we draw recruits from remote communities.

Deliberate Indigenous Engagement

Deliberate Indigenous Engagement• The CA has directed Deliberate Indigenous Engagement as a specified task

and priority task for the RFSUs.

• Why do we undertake Deliberate Indigenous Engagement?

– In support of the Army Indigenous Strategy (AIS):• Increasing Indigenous participation in the Army.

– In support of Capability Generation for NORFORCE:• Workforce.• Information Networks.• Freedom of Action in the North and North West.

– To support WoG efforts in ‘Closing the Gap’:• Army as a great national institution seeks to take a leading role in doing what is right

and supporting improved opportunities for Indigenous Australians.

Deliberate Indigenous Engagement• Outcomes are achieved through the following means:

– Army career opportunities – Full Time or Part Time:• General Entry Recruiting – Full Time.• General Entry Recruiting – Part Time.• Regional Force Surveillance List Entry.• Army Indigenous Development Program (AIDP) – Pathway.

– Ongoing opportunities for education & development:• AIDP• Language, Literacy & Numeracy (LLN) Course for RFSL.• Partnering with other organisations to provide opportunity.

– Community Engagement and Support:• Partnerships with key sporting bodies. • Support & Sponsorship of regional Australian Army Cadet Units.

Community Engagement Strategy

AustralianArmy

Cadets

SportingGroups

IndigenousRanger

Programs

CommunityLeaders

NORFORCECommunityEngagement

Strategy

Army Career Pathways

Army General Enlistment Standards Army Officer Entry Standards

Year 10 Education Year 12 Education

MedicalPhysical

Aptitude

Background Checks

Army Indigenous Pathway Programs

Indigenous Pre-Recruit Program (IPRP)

Army Indigenous Development Program (AIDP)

Regional Force Surveillance List (RFSL)

Language, Literacy, Numeracy Course (LLN)

Bridging Identified Shortfalls so we can ‘Close The Gap’

Army Indigenous Development Program

• AIDP – is an Army sponsored program which provides a pathway for selected Indigenous candidates to undertake further educational and personal development within a military environment with the aim of making them suitable for transition to an employment opportunity within Army.

• It is primarily designed to remediate educational shortfalls so trainees meet the GE Entry standards for an Army Career.

• Trainees are enlisted into the Regular Army and undertake a 5.5 month program which includes:

– A Certificate II in Foundation Skills (VET) – Year 10 Equivalency.– An integrated ‘military program’ to familiarise candidates with life in the Army:

• Self-discipline• Routine• Physical Fitness• Teamwork• Personal responsibility.

• The program aims to achieve an 80% transition into the Regular Army.

Army Indigenous Development Program - NT (AIDP-NT)

• Run by NORFORCE in conjunction with the Batchelor Institute.

• 2016 Results:– 36 Trainees began the Course.– 34 Graduates.– 32 Transition to Full-Time or Part Time Army Careers.– 26 to the Army Recruit Training Centre in early Sep 16.

• Army is expanding the program threefold due to its success.

• AIDP-NT will continue to be run by NORFORCE and will primarily be focussed on supporting North and North West Australia.

• The ADF & Batchelor Institute received the 2016 NT Training Awards Industry Collaboration Award for the AIDP-NT. The program has been shortlisted in the National Awards as a finalist.

• It is a flagship program which is achieving outstanding results and is literally changing lives.

Questions?