As a lieutenant colonel, Field was seconded to the United States Army in 2002 and was an operational planner in the Third Army during the early stages of the United States' Operation Iraqi Freedom and Australia's Operation Falconer during the Iraq War.[1][2][3][4] For his "outstanding achievement in strategic analysis and operational planning" in this role, Field was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in November 2003 and the United States Bronze Star Medal in March 2005.[6][4] Field was appointed commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) from December 2003.[7] In December 2004, Field led a deployment of his battalion's A Company to the Solomon Islands and assumed command of Combined Joint Task Force 635. The Australian government had recently drawn back its military commitment to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). After Australian Federal Police officer Adam Dunning was ambushed and killed while conducting a patrol on 22 December, however, the Australian government committed Field and his soldiers to reinforce RAMSI and enhance security in the region.[8]
Field (right) at the Weesh Border Crossing in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, to assess the security situation of the border with Pakistan, 19 October 2011.
On relinquishing command of 1RAR in December 2005, Field was appointed J3 Operations to the 1st Division and Deployable Joint Force Headquarters. He then served as Director Future Land Warfare and Strategy at Australian Army headquarters and, in January 2011, was appointed Chief of Operations and Plans, Queensland Reconstruction Authority to assist in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in the wake of the 2010–11 Queensland floods. Later that year, Field was promoted to brigadier and was again seconded to the United States Army. He served as Deputy Commanding General – Force Development in the 82nd Airborne Division during an operational deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for which he was awarded the NATO Meritorious Service Medal.[1][2][3][9] He returned to Australia in 2012 as chief of staff in Forces Command and was appointed Regimental Colonel of the Royal Australian Regiment and Head of Corps of the Royal Australian Infantry.[1][2][3] Field's "exceptional service" in these postings was recognised with his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours.[10]
In 2015, Field was appointed commander of the 3rd Brigade in Townsville, Queensland. He additionally assumed the role of Queensland State Recovery Coordinator, overseeing the efforts to recover and rebuilt Queensland communities following the severe tropical Cyclone Debbie, in March 2017.[1][2][3] Field handed over command of the 3rd Brigade to Brigadier Scott Winter in November that year and, promoted to major general, was posted to the United States as Vice Director of Operations and Plans in United States Central Command.[11] During the eighteen-month posting, Field oversaw United States and coalition operations in the Middle East. He returned to Australia and succeeded Major General Greg Bilton as Commander Forces Command in June 2019.[3] As Commander Forces Command, Field mobilised approximately 6,000 personnel as part of Operation Bushfire Assist, the Australian Army's response to the severe bushfires that burnt throughout southeast Australia over summer 2019–2020.[12]
Field is married to Sarah Kendall, with whom he has one son. He is a former director of Ronald McDonald House in North Queensland, a previous member of the Townsville District Community Policing Board and the Regional Managers’ Coordination Network, Townsville, and is Patron and past-President of the Australian Services Rugby Referees Association.[1][2][3]
Blaxland, John (2008). "Near and Far: Operations, 1999–2006". In Horner, David; Bou, Jean (eds.). Duty First: A History of the Royal Australian Regiment (2nded.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. pp.306–346. ISBN9780044422273.
Horner, David; Bou, Jean, eds. (2008). "Appendix C: Commanding Officers". Duty First: A History of the Royal Australian Regiment (2nded.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. pp.438–444. ISBN9780044422273.
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Balikpapan in 1945 and since then has been deployed on active service during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Vietnam War, Unified Task Force in Somalia, East Timor, Iraq War and Afghanistan. Additionally, the battalion has deployed on peacekeeping and other operations to a number of countries including Japan, Rifle Company Butterworth, Timor Leste, Solomon Islands, Tonga and the Philippines. 1 RAR remains one of the Australian Army's most readily deployed units sending individuals and detachments to domestic, regional and other enduring operations. The battalion is currently based in Coral Lines at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, Queensland, where it forms part of the 3rd Brigade.
Major General Michael David "Mick" Slater, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army, who served as Commander Forces Command from November 2011 until his retirement in January 2015.
Major General Timothy Joseph McOwan, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He served as Special Operations Commander Australia from February 2008 until January 2011, and the Australian Defence Attaché and Head Australian Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. He retired from the army in 2014.
Major General Mark Andrew Kelly, is a former senior officer in the Australian Army. He served as Commander Joint Task Force 633 commanding all Australian Forces in the Middle East Area of Operations and Afghanistan from 12 January 2009 until 14 January 2010, and as Land Commander Australia from July 2005 to December 2008. He was appointed as the Repatriation Commissioner on 1 July 2010 and served in that role until 30 June 2019.
Major General Richard Gary Wilson, AO is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He served as Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation from 2009 to 2011, and Chairman of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority in the wake of the 2010–11 Queensland floods.
Lieutenant General Brian Ashley "Ash" Power is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. Power served as Chief of Joint Operations from 2011 until his retirement in May 2014.
Lieutenant General John Graham Caligari, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He served as Chief Capability Development Group from October 2014 until his retirement in August 2015.
Major General Daniel Francis McDaniel, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He served as the acting Special Operations Commander Australia from September 2013 to December 2014, after Major General Gus Gilmore was reassigned. He was seconded to the United States Army Pacific as Deputy Commanding General – North from January 2019 to January 2022.
Vice Admiral Stuart Campbell Mayer, is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy. He joined the navy via the Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS Creswell in 1984 and qualified as a Principal Warfare Officer in 1994. He commanded HMAS Canberra (2002–04), HMAS Anzac (2007–09) and the International Stabilisation Force (2009–10), and deployed on operations to the Persian Gulf, East Timor, and the Arabian Sea during the Iraq War. He served as Commander Australian Fleet from 2014 to 2018, Head Force Design within the Vice Chief of Defence Force Group from 2018 to 2019, and Deputy Commander United Nations Command, based in South Korea, from 2019 to 2021. He retired from the navy in 2022 and was appointed a partner in Ernst & Young's consulting division.
Lieutenant General Gregory Charles Bilton, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1983 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Artillery. He commanded the 104th Field Battery, 4th Field Regiment and 7th Brigade, and deployed on operations to the Sinai and Afghanistan. He was seconded to the United States Army Pacific as Deputy Commanding General – Operations from 2014 to 2017, served as Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 2017 to 2018, and was Commander Forces Command from December 2018 to June 2019. His final appointment was as Chief of Joint Operations, from July 2019 to July 2024.
Air Marshal Gavin Neil "Leo" Davies, is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). A navigator who retrained as a pilot, he joined the RAAF in 1979, commanded No. 1 Squadron RAAF (2002–03) and No. 82 Wing RAAF (2004–05), deployed to Iraq in 2007, and was Australia's air attaché in Washington, D.C. (2010–11). He served as Deputy Chief of Air Force from 2012 to 2015 and succeeded Air Marshal Geoff Brown as Chief of Air Force, the professional head of the RAAF, in July 2015. He retired from the RAAF in July 2019.
Major General Roger John Noble, is a retired senior Australian Army officer and diplomat. He joined the army via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1984 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. He commanded the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Al Muthanna Task Group (2005) and the 3rd Brigade (2013–15), and deployed six times on operations to East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was seconded to the United States Army in 2016 and served as Deputy Coalition Land Force Commander, Iraq, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, and subsequently as Deputy Commanding General – North in the United States Army Pacific (2017–19). He retired from the Australian Army in 2021 and served as Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism from February 2021 to February 2023, before joining Laing O'Rourke as General Manager – Defence.
Major General Jeffery John Sengelman, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Officer Cadet School, Portsea in 1980, was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and spent much of his military career in special forces. He commanded the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) (2000–01) and the 6th Brigade (2010–11), deployed on operations to East Timor and Iraq, and served as Commander Forces Command in 2011, Deputy Chief of Army from 2011 to 2012, Head of Modernisation and Strategic Planning – Army from 2012 to 2014, and Special Operations Commander Australia from 2014 until his retirement in 2017.
Major General John Curtis Hartley, is an Australian defence and intelligence strategist and a retired officer of the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1962, was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and spent much of his career in military intelligence. He twice deployed on operations during the Vietnam War, during which he was Mentioned in Despatches on two occasions and seriously wounded, and commanded the Albury–Wodonga Military Area and the Army Apprentices' School (1984–87). He served as General Officer Commanding Training Command (1991–92), Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation (1992–95), Deputy Chief of Army (1995–98), and Land Commander Australia (1998–00). Since his retirement from the army in 2000, Hartley has been involved in community and veterans' organisations and is an active contributor to discussion on defence and strategic issues.
Major General Justin Frederick Ellwood,, commonly known as Jake Ellwood, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1989 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He commanded the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2006–08), Overwatch Battle Group (West) (2007), Battle Group Tiger (2008) and the Combat Training Centre, and deployed on operations to Kosovo, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. He served as Deputy Chief of Army from May to December 2018, and commanded the 1st Division from December 2018 to November 2021.
Lieutenant General Susan May Coyle, is a senior officer in the Australian Army. She joined the army as a reservist in 1987 and, following training at the Australian Defence Force Academy, was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in 1992. She has commanded the 104th Signal Squadron (2003–04), 17th Signal Regiment (2009–10), Task Group Afghanistan (2015) and the 6th Combat Support Brigade (2017–19), and has deployed on operations to East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. She was appointed Commander Joint Task Force 633, with responsibility for all Australian operations in the Middle East, from January to November 2020. She was the first woman to command the task force, which had oversight for 1,200 personnel under Operation Accordion. Coyle was Head Information Warfare from January 2021 to November 2022, Commander Forces Command from November 2022 to June 2024, and assumed the role of Chief of Joint Capabilities in July 2024.
Lieutenant General Simon Andrew Stuart, is a senior officer of the Australian Army who has served as the Chief of Army since July 2022. He was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1990. He has commanded the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2008–10), Joint Task Force 631 (2010) and Combined Team Uruzgan (2012–13), and deployed to East Timor as part of Operations Warden, Tanager and Astute and to Afghanistan and the Sinai Peninsula. He was Force Commander, Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai from 2017 to 2019, and Head Land Capability from 2020 to 2022. He succeeded Lieutenant General Rick Burr as Chief of Army on 2 July 2022.
Major General Brian Robert Dawson, is an Australian museum administrator and a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1973 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He commanded the Base Administrative Support Centre (1995–96), Australian Defence Force Academy (2006–07) and Australian Defence College (2007), deployed on operations to Somalia and the Solomon Islands, and was Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 633 – Iraq from 2007 to 2008. He also served as Director General of Defence Public Affairs (2008–10) and, from 2010 to 2013, was Australia's first Military Representative to NATO and the European Union. Following his retirement from the army, Dawson joined the Australian War Memorial where he has served as Assistant Director, National Collection since December 2017.
Major General Wade Bradley Stothart, is a senior officer in the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1987 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He has commanded the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2007–09), ANZAC Battle Group (2008) and Combined Team Uruzgan (2013), and deployed on operations to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Timor-Leste as part of Operations Tanager and Astute, and to Afghanistan and Kuwait. He was appointed Head People Capability in December 2021.
Major General Michael Edward Garraway, is a senior officer in the Australian Army. He graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1993 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He has commanded the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2009–12) and the 5th Brigade (2019–21), and served as commander Operation Bushfire Assist (2019–20) and Operation COVID-19 Assist (2020–22). In 2024 he was appointed Force Commander of the Multinational Force and Observers.
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