Angus Campbell
Lieutenant General Angus Campbell in 2017
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branchAustralian Army
Years of service1981–present
RankGeneral
Commands heldChief of the Defence Force (2018–)
Chief of Army (2015–18)
Operation Sovereign Borders (2013–15)
Deputy Chief of Army (2012–13)
Joint Task Force 633 (2011–12)
2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2001–03)
Battles/warsEast Timor
War in Afghanistan
AwardsOfficer of the Order of Australia
Distinguished Service Cross
Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Distinguished Service Order (Singapore)
Meritorious Service Medal (Singapore)
Commander of the National Order of Merit (France)

General Angus John Campbell, AO, DSC is a senior officer in the Australian Army, serving as the Chief of the Defence Force since 6 July 2018. He was previously posted as Commander Operation Sovereign Borders from September 2013 until he was appointed Chief of Army in May 2015.[1]

Military career

Campbell attended St Gregory's College, Campbelltown[2] before entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1981, receiving a commission as an infantry lieutenant in 1984. Initially assigned to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as a platoon commander, he later passed selection for the Special Air Service Regiment, with which he served as troop and squadron commander. Campbell commanded the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in East Timor as part of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), for which was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2003.[3][4]

Campbell served as Chief of Staff to General Peter Cosgrove and later Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston during their respective tenures as Chief of the Defence Force. In 2005, he left the full-time army and assumed a senior civilian appointment as First Assistant Secretary in the Office of National Security within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Campbell was later promoted to Deputy Secretary, and served as Deputy National Security Adviser for a period before returning to the army in 2010.[3]

Campbell was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed as Commander Joint Task Force 633 in 2011, responsible for all Australian forces deployed in the Middle East, including Afghanistan. For his command in Afghanistan he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[5] He was appointed the Deputy Chief of Army in February 2012.[3]

Campbell was promoted to lieutenant general on 19 September 2013 and appointed to oversee Operation Sovereign Borders, part of the Abbott government's immigration policy aimed at stopping maritime arrivals of asylum seekers to Australia.[3]

In March 2015, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced Campbell would be appointed Chief of Army from May of that year, taking over from the retiring Lieutenant General David Morrison.[6]

On 16 April 2018, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Campbell would be promoted to general and succeed Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin as Chief of the Defence Force.[7] The change of command occurred on 6 July. In the meantime, one of Campbell's last acts as the Chief of Army was to order the removal of "death imagery" from patches and badges.[8]

On 19 November 2020 the Brereton Report was publicly released following a four-year investigation into alleged Australian war crimes by Australian Special Forces whom were taking part in the War in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2016. On that same day Campbell announced at a press conference that the 2 Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment had immediately been disbanded and struck from the army order of battle.[9] He also apologised for "any wrong doing by Australian soldiers" and said a "distorted culture" existed in the Australian Defence Force.[10]

In June 2022, Campbell's tenure as Chief of the Defence Force was extended for a further two years.[11]

In late November 2022, Campbell gave officers of Captain to Brigadier rank "28 days to prove their service in the Afghanistan war was distinguished".[12] Up to 3,000 Australian Defence Force members are potentially facing having their medals revoked.[13] At the time of the most serious allegations in 2012, Campbell was serving as the Commander Joint Task Force 633, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[5] This has led to calls for Campbell to be stripped of his decoration due to findings of the Brereton Report and due to a perceived error in the original citation. "In the citation on his Distinguished Service Cross, he said he was given that award for 'distinguished command and leadership in action' – the key phrase is 'in action' and what that means is he was serving in action against the enemy in combat in Afghanistan."[12][13]

Childhood and personal life

Campbell lived in Papua New Guinea as a child.[14]

Campbell is married to Stephanie Copus-Campbell, a former AusAID official and the current Australian Ambassador for Gender Equality. She is the lead advocate for Australia's work on gender equality across all aspects of foreign policy.[14] They have two adult children.[15]

Honours and awards

Lt Gen Campbell with medal ribbons in 2018

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) 12 June 2017 – "For distinguished service as Head Military Strategic Commitments, Deputy Chief of Army, and Chief of Army"[16]
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 26 January 2003 – "For exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force as the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion Group during operational service in East Timor"[4]
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) 11 June 2012 – "For distinguished command and leadership in action as Commander Joint Task Force 633 on Operation SLIPPER from January 2011 to December 2011"[5]
Australian Active Service Medal with EAST TIMOR clasp
Afghanistan Medal
Australian Service Medal
Defence Force Service Medal (1982–1998) with 3 clasps   with 3 rosettes for 30 years service. Closed medal but additional service clasps can still be issued to existing awardees.
Australian Defence Medal
United Nations Medal For participation in UNTAET
Non-Article 5 Medal For service on Nato-led ISAF operations
Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) 13 June 2017 – "For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from February 2012 to June 2017"[17]
Distinguished Service Order (Military) (Singapore) 29 April 2022 – "For significant contributions towards strengthening defence ties between the Australian Army and The Singapore Army"[18]
Meritorious Service Medal (Military) (Singapore) 14 September 2017 – "For significant contributions towards strengthening defence ties between the Australian Army and The Singapore Army"[19][20]
Commander of the National Order of Merit (France)
Medal of Merit (East Timor) 20 August 2022[21]
Grand Meritorious Military Order, First Class (Indonesia) 2 December 2022[22]

References

  1. ^ Brissenden, Michael (17 September 2013). "Tony Abbott appoints Angus Campbell to lead Operation Sovereign Borders policy". ABC News. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  2. ^ Chenoweth, Ben (23 May 2016). "College hits 90 years". Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser.
  3. ^ a b c d "Major General Angus Campbell promoted to Lieutenant General". Defence News. Department of Defence, Australian Government. 19 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Member of the Order of Australia (AM)". It's an Honour. Australian Government. 26 January 2003.
    Citation: For exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force as the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion Group during operational service in East Timor.
  5. ^ a b c "Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)". It's an Honour. Australian Government. 11 June 2012.
    Citation: For distinguished command and leadership in action as Commander Joint Task Force 633 on Operation SLIPPER from January 2011 to December 2011.
  6. ^ Griffiths, Emma (26 March 2015). "Tony Abbott announces Angus Campbell to become Army chief, Gavin Davies as new Air Force Chief". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  7. ^ Greene, Andrew (16 April 2018). "Angus Campbell will be Australia's next Chief of Defence". ABC News. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  8. ^ Callinan, Rory (20 April 2018). "Soldiers banned from displaying 'symbols of death' by new Defence chief Angus Campbell". The Australian. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  9. ^ Osborne, Paul (19 November 2020). "Entire SAS squadron disbanded over disturbing Afghan claims". 7News. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  10. ^ Willacy, Mark (18 November 2020). "The inquiry into Australian soldiers in Afghanistan is finally over. The reckoning is about to begin". ABC News. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  11. ^ Marles, Richard (28 June 2022). "ADF Senior Leadership Appointments". Media Releases. Office of the Minister for Defence. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  12. ^ a b Meacham, Savannah (28 November 2022). "Afghanistan veteran slams defence chief's campaign to strip medals". ABC News. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  13. ^ a b Loomes, Phoebe (26 November 2022). "Defence chief cleared to strip medals". ABC News. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  14. ^ a b Nicholson, Brendan (16 October 2018). "Neighbourhood watch keeps an eye to our north". The Australian. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  15. ^ "General Angus J. Campbell, AO, DSC Chief of the Defence Force". www.defence.gov.au. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  16. ^ Fraser, Mark (12 June 2017). "Appointments to the Order of Australia – Military Division" (PDF). The Queen's Birthday 2017 Honours List. Office of the Governor-General of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  17. ^ Award certificate, 13 June 2017, U.S. Embassy Facebook page
  18. ^ [1], 29 April 2022, Singapore Ministry of Defence
  19. ^ Award ceremony, 14 September 2017, Singapore Ministry of Defence Facebook page
  20. ^ Australian Chief of Army Receives Prestigious Military Award, 14 September 2017, MINDEF – Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Singapore
  21. ^ Gabinete Ministru Transportes no Komunikasoins: Ministru Transporte no Komunikasaun Partisipa Serimónia Komemorasaun Loron FALINTIL ba Dala-47, 21 August 2022, retrieved 3 September 2022.
  22. ^ [2], 2 December 2022, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Angus Campbell.
Military offices Preceded byAir Chief Marshal Mark Binskin Chief of the Defence Force 2018–present Incumbent Preceded byLieutenant General David Morrison Chief of Army 2015–2018 Succeeded byLieutenant General Richard Burr New office Commander Operation Sovereign Borders 2013–2015 Succeeded byMajor General Andrew Bottrell Preceded byMajor General Jeffrey Sengelman Deputy Chief of Army 2012–2013 Succeeded byMajor General Gus Gilmore
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