[[Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia)|Conspicuous Service Cross]]"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwCQ">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}
Elizabeth Cosson | |
---|---|
Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs | |
In office 19 May 2018 [3] –23 January 2023 [4] | |
Preceded by | Simon Lewis |
Succeeded by | Alison Frame |
Deputy Secretary (Chief Operating Officer) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs | |
In office 9 May 2016 [5] [6] [7] –18 May 2018 [8] | |
Preceded by | Shane Carmody [9] |
Succeeded by | Mark Cormack [10] |
Deputy Secretary (Chief Operating Officer) of the Department of Health | |
In office 1 July 2015 –6 May 2016 | |
Succeeded by | Alison Larkins |
Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health | |
In office December 2014 [11] –30 June 2015 | |
Preceded by | Andrew Stuart |
Deputy Secretary (Business Services Group) of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection | |
In office 12 December 2012 –November 2014 | |
Deputy Secretary (Business Services Group) of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship | |
In office 19 November 2012 –11 December 2012 | |
Preceded by | Jackie Wilson |
First Assistant Secretary (Client and Commemorations) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs | |
In office March 2012 –November 2012 | |
Succeeded by | David Chalmers |
General Manager (Executive Division) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs | |
In office 2 November 2010 –March 2012 | |
Preceded by | Gary Collins |
Personal details | |
Born | 1958 (age 65–66) [12] Melbourne,Victoria [13] |
Spouse | James Baker |
Parents | |
Occupation | Public official |
Known for | Kovco leak scandal (2006) [15] First female Major General in Australian Army (2007). |
Salary | $720,480+ [16] |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Australia |
Branch/service | Australian Army |
Years of service | 1979–2010 [17] |
Rank | Major General [18] |
Awards | Member of the Order of Australia Conspicuous Service Cross |
Major General Elizabeth Cosson, AM , CSC (born 1958) served as Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs from 2018-2023. [19] Cosson "vowed" to resign as Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, on 19 July 2020, if she cannot improve the department’s relationship with veterans stating in a media interview on 19 July 2019 that "if I’m still part of the problem in 12 months I will hand over [the job]." [20]
Between 1979 and 2010, Cosson served 31 years in the Australian Army as an officer, commencing with officer training in the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) on 22 February 1979 (when she was 20 years old) at Georges Heights (WRAAC OCS 28/79 – the first WRAAC Officer course to have a similar syllabus and training duration during as the male officer cadets had, and coming only a year after servicewomen first received the right to equal pay). [21] In 1983 she was transferred to the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, as the WRAACs disbanded.
In 2017, Cosson became the first female major general in the Australian Army (but not the first female two star Australian Defence Force officer, as Air Vice Marshal Julie Hammer achieved this milestone in 2003).
While Cosson is most well known for her part in the Kovco scandal (due to the extensive media coverage it generated), it has not harmed her career in any lasting way, and not only did she go on to get promoted (despite the 12 month formal administrative warning she received), but she has since held a number of senior executive service appointments at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (later re-named the Department of Immigration and Border Protection), and the Department of Health.
Elizabeth Cosson is a descendant of First World War veteran Second Lieutenant John George Cosson (her great-grandfather) and the child of Brigadier John George Cosson and Joyce Emily Cosson (nee Hawken).
Cosson graduated from the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff in 1994 and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies in 2005. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies, a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies. [22]
Cosson joined the Australian Army in 1979 as an officer cadet, and was commissioned in the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps. During the early part of her career she held a number of appointments as a supply and administrative officer. [22]
In 1991 she was appointed to a position at the Royal Australian Air Force Logistics Command where she was responsible for the logistics support to army aviation aircraft. For her work in improving the availability of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fleet and supporting the fleet deployment to Cambodia, she received a commendation from the Air Officer Commanding Logistics. [22]
In 1995 Cosson served in a number of appointments within Land Command, including a regimental appointment with the 11th Brigade and a logistics staff officer appointment at Headquarters Land Command. During this appointment her responsibilities included logistics planning in support of the 1999 operations in East Timor. In November 1999 she deployed as the Chief of Staff of the Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville. [22]
She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2001 Australia Day Honours "for outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff, Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville, and in logistic planning and management of the Combat Force as the Staff Officer Grade One Logistics, Land Headquarters". [23]
On her return from Bougainville she served with Defence Corporate Services before being seconded to the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in the House of Representatives. In 2002, Cosson commenced a three-year appointment in strategic logistics planning and was responsible for logistics policy and for developing concepts to improve logistics information systems. [22]
In December 2005 she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of brigadier in the Australian Army.[ citation needed ]
She served in the Corporate Services and Infrastructure Group of the Defence Department as the Director General Regions and Bases. [24] In this position she was responsible for the management of integrated service delivery to Defence bases across Australia.
In March 2007 she assumed the role of Head Defence Support Operations in an acting capacity. In November 2007, the role was confirmed and she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of major general in the Australian Army. She is the second female to be promoted to two-star rank in the Australian Defence Force, the first being Air Vice Marshal Julie Hammer, who retired in 2005. Cosson, as head of National Operations within the Defence Support Group, became responsible for the management of 80 ADF bases and garrisons across the country. [25] At that time, although about 13% of the ADF were women, there were only four at the one-star level: Commodore Robyn Walker, Commodore Vicki McConachie, Brigadier Lyn McDade and Air Commodore Margaret Staib. [26]
In November 2010, Major General Cosson retired from the Australian Defence Force. [27]
In December 2010 it was announced that she had been appointed general manager of the Executive Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs. [28]
Cosson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2011 Australia Day Honours List as a result of her "exceptional service" in the positions of Director General Regions and Bases, and as Head Defence Support Operations. [29]
Cosson was appointed in April 2006 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the repatriation of the body of Jacob Kovco. On 15 May 2006, following a meeting with the Victorian Coroner, she left a CD-ROM containing a draft copy of her report which was marked ‘secret’ in a public computer in the Qantas Club lounge of Melbourne Airport. Due to this she became known as the ‘Bungling Brigadier’ [30] Parts of the report were subsequently broadcast by Derryn Hinch. [31] This incident was the subject of a Defence Department inquiry and Cosson elected to retire in 2010. [32]
Cosson is married to Brigadier James Baker, [22] who is also currently[ when? ] serving in the Australian Army. [33]
Jacob Bruce "Jake" Kovco was a private in the Australian Army who was killed while deployed to Iraq, fatally wounded by a single shot to the head from his own Browning 9mm sidearm. He was the first Australian soldier to die while deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations. A military inquiry found Private Kovco accidentally shot himself while mishandling his pistol. This conclusion was disputed by his family and on 2 April 2008, a second inquest returned a similar verdict, finding that his death was "irresponsibly self-inflicted", and that when he pulled his gun's trigger he "disregarded the possible consequences of danger".
Defence Australia is a department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility to defend Australia and its national interests. Along with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), it forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) and is accountable to the Commonwealth Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, for the efficiency and effectiveness with which it carries out the Government's defence policy.
The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). In 2016 the Academy began accepting civilian students in its undergraduate courses.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs is a department of the Government of Australia, established in 1976, and charged with the responsibility of delivering government programs for war veterans, members of the Australian Defence Force, members of the Australian Federal Police, and their dependants.
Major General Duncan Edward Lewis is an Australian military officer, diplomat and intelligence chief. From 2014 to 2019, he was the Director-General of Security of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Prior to that appointment, he held the post of Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He is a retired Australian Army officer, and formerly Special Operations Commander Australia (2002–2004), National Security Adviser, and Secretary of the Department of Defence.
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.
Vice Admiral Raymond James Griggs, is an Australian senior public servant and a former senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy. He served as Chief of Navy from June 2011 to June 2014, before being appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Force until his transfer to the reserve in July 2018.
The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs (MODVA) is a government ministry responsible for the national defence and security of Uganda. In this capacity, its role is to preserve, defend and protect the people, property, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda, contributing to regional stability and supporting international peace initiatives.
Kathryn Jane Campbell, is a former Australian public servant and a former senior officer in the Australian Army Reserve.
Major General Kathryn Leslei Toohey, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. She served as Head of Land Capability from 2017 to 2019, and Head Force Integration Division within the Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group from June 2019 to January 2023.
Colonel Barbara Edweina Audrey Starrett was an Australian military officer and instructor. She entered the service as a nurse and went on to attend officers' training. Serving as an instructor, she worked her way through the ranks becoming the chief instructor at the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) School in Georges Heights. Between 1977 and 1979, she served as the fourth and last director of the WRAAC, having the distinction of being the first director who had not served during wartime.
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.
Bernadette Carmel Boss, is a Magistrate of the Australian Capital Territory, an officer in the Australian Army Reserve and a former barrister. She was appointed as a magistrate on 11 June 2012. In her military career, Boss was the first woman to be a commanding officer of the Sydney University Regiment and the first woman to conduct an inquiry into the combat death of a soldier.
Major 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, when she was appointed Commander Forces Command.
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 Cheryl Ann Pearce, is a senior officer in the Australian Army and a former deputy commissioner in the Australian Border Force. She graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police in 1985. She has commanded the Defence Police Training Centre (2003), 1st Military Police Battalion (2006–08), Task Group Afghanistan (2016) and Australian Defence Force Academy (2017–18). Pearce has served on operations in East Timor and Afghanistan, and was Force Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus from January 2019 to January 2021. Pearce retired from full-time service in the army following her return from Cyprus and was appointed Deputy Commissioner Ports and Enforcement in the Australian Border Force in August 2021. She returned to the army in June 2023, on being appointed Deputy Chief of Army. She has been seconded to the United Nations since January 2024, serving as Deputy Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations.
Rear Admiral Sarah Edith Sharkey, is an Australian physician, medical administrator, and a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy. She has been Commander Joint Health Command and Surgeon General of the Australian Defence Force since 2 December 2019.
Lieutenant General Natasha Anne Fox, is a senior officer in the Australian Army. She joined the army via the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in 1988 and has spent much of her career in logistics and training roles. She served as Commanding Officer/Chief Instructor at ADFA from 2009 to 2010, and deployed on operations to Israel, Syria and Lebanon and to Afghanistan. She was Head People Capability from November 2018 to December 2021, Deputy Chief of Army from February 2022 to June 2023, and was appointed the inaugural Chief of Personnel on 5 June 2023. She was both the first woman to serve as a deputy service chief and the first woman to be promoted to three-star rank in the Australian Defence Force.
For exceptional service to the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Organisation as Director General Regions and Bases and as Head Defence Support Operations.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)For outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff, Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville, and in logistic planning and management of the Combat Force as the Staff Officer Grade One Logistics, Land Headquarters.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)Cosson was appointed Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)... on 19 May 2018.
Membership of the Steering Committee... Major General Liz Cosson AM Cosson AM, CSC (Ret'd) — until 9 May 2016 when appointed to Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer DVA.
[Simon Lewis] ...welcome back Liz Cosson who has assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer.
Today will be the last appearance of Ms Liz Cosson for the department. She is moving to the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Cosson was appointed Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)... on 19 May 2018.
[Simon Lewis] I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Shane Carmody, former Chief Operating Officer, for his contribution over the past seven years, and welcome back Liz Cosson who has assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer.
Mark Cormack joined DVA as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary on 31 May 2018. Mr Cormack was most recently at the Department of Health, where he was Deputy Secretary, Health Financing. He'd worked previously as a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Chief Executive Officer of Health Workforce Australia and Chief Executive, ACT Health.
Chief Operating Officer's Report... Mark Cormack Deputy Secretary, Chief Operating Officer Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Department Structure Chart.
Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958).
General Cosson, who was born in Melbourne.
Joyce EMILY Cosson (nee HAWKEN) Passed away on 16 June 2015 Aged 82 years Very much loved wife of John for 59 years. Loved mother and mother-in-law of Liz and James and John and Greta. Cherished grandma of Ben, Matthew, Emily, Laura and Sarah. Adored daughter of Herbert and Sarah (both dec) and sister of Ron and Les (both dec) and Jean.
As the House would be well aware, the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, appointed Brigadier Elizabeth Cosson, who was supported by Professor Donald Sheldon, to prepare a report into the circumstances of the unacceptable and erroneous repatriation of Private Kovco's body to Australia. Late on Monday night last week, just after 10 o'clock, the Chief of the Defence Force phoned me to inform me that Brigadier Cosson had apparently lost the disk which contained the draft report into this unacceptable incident. I was advised that it had been thought to be lost either at the Qantas lounge in Melbourne or, alternatively, in a taxi.
Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958) enlisted in the Australian Army in 1979... [and] retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
Major General Elizabeth Cosson retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
For exceptional service to the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Organisation as Director General Regions and Bases and as Head Defence Support Operations
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)For outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff, Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville, and in logistic planning and management of the Combat Force as the Staff Officer Grade One Logistics, Land Headquarters
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)Elizabeth Cosson Born:1958... Cosson retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
On 19 May 2018, Liz Cosson AM CSC was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
In 2010, when Liz first joined the Australian Public Service.
The head of the Department of Veterans' Affairs has vowed to walk away from the job if she can't improve ex-defence personnel's experiences with the beleaguered agency within the next year. Liz Cosson has also promised to change the adversarial culture of the agency, which has been under fire for the bureaucratic and ruthless way it has dealt with veterans for many years... She hit out at negative media coverage... [saying] "if I'm still part of the problem in 12 months I will hand over [the job]."
The guest speaker was MAJGEN Liz Cosson, CSC (Ret'd) who had graduated as a WRAAC officer before being allocated to RAAOC.
Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958) enlisted in the Australian Army in 1979... Selected with 32 other women for the first male-equivalent officer training course, these officer-cadets were segregated from men... After 31 years of service in a range of appointments in Australia and overseas, Major General Cosson retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
When Cosson joined the army, she went to a women's – only military college (now all training is integrated) and says opportunities were limited. Women were stereotyped as capable of little more than administrative duties.
When Liz Cosson joined the army as a 20-year-old in 1979, female officers had just been allowed to take weapons training.
Official Guests were Major General Liz Cosson, AM, CSC (Retd) (WRAAC OCS 28/79), now Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.