On 23 January 2003 I enlisted in the Australian Army. My Dad, Mark, had already served 20 years in the Army and was deployed to Iraq when I enlisted. Dad would also go on to deploy on combat operations in Afghanistan.
Growing up in a military family, many of the aspirational people I had grown up around were military men. This included my Papa, Mum’s Dad, who had fought on the Hook in the Korea War as a Section Commander and then Platoon Sergeant within 2 RAR. Papa went on to become the first Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of 8 RAR when it was raised in 1966 and subsequently deployed with his battalion to Malaysian in 1967 and the Vietnam War in 1969.
Papa's Brother, Colin White Lee MBE, served during the Second World War and in the Korean War. Colin went on to become an Officer and served within the Special Air Service Regiment. Their father, Charles White Lee SNR, my Great-Grandfather, also served during WWII within the Citizen Military Forces (CMF). My Great-Grandfather on Dad's side of the family, Clarence Percival Lamb, also served within the CMF during WWII.
My Great-Great-Grandfather, Edward John Edwards, left Australia in 1916 to fight on the Western Front with the 41st Battalion during World War One. He arrived back in Australia in 1919, after also being gassed twice during the previous two years of combat in France.
2005
ADFA & RMC-Duntroon
My first three years of military service were spent at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra studying a Bachelor of Arts degree alongside my military training. At ADFA, we were integrated with all three services – Army, Air-Force and Navy.
After graduating ADFA in December 2005, we literally marched over the hill to the Royal Military College – Duntroon (RMC) for what would be our last year of Officer training.
Now as an Army only cohort, RMC is where we received our final year of training to prepare us for our Commission and the ultimate responsibility of commanding a Platoon or Troop of Soldiers. Throughout the year we were tested and assessed on every aspect of military life, tactics, and Officer responsibilities. These assessments would accumulate to result in how successful we might be when selecting our Corps and Unit preferences at the end of the year. I managed to secure both my first preferences. Upon graduating and receiving my Commission from the Governor General in December 2006, I was allocated to the Infantry Corps and posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR).
2007-2009
TIMOR & 2RAR
I spent the next three years, 2007 – 2009 based in Townsville with 2 RAR. During this time I served as the Platoon Commander of 5 Platoon, Bravo Company and deployed in this role to Peace Keeping operations in Timor Leste from October 2007 – April 2008. In Timor Leste, we conducted daily presence patrols, planned details cordon and search operations alongside local and UN security forces, and also responded as the Quick Reaction Force during the attempted assassinations of the President and Prime Minister on 11 Feb 2008.
In 2009 I took over command of the Direct Fire Support Weapons (DFSW) Platoon in Support Company at 2 RAR. This came with the task to transform it into the new Anti-Armoured (AARMD) Platoon with the introduction of the .50cal Sustained Fire Machine Gun (SFMG) role and Javelin Missile system in this formation.
2009-2010
COMMANDO SELECTION
During 2009 I also applied to attempt the Commando Selection and Training Course scheduled for February 2010. I was also extremely fortunate to then receive a direct posting to the 2nd Commando Regiment (2 CDO REGT) upon my promotion to Captain at the end of 2009.
As a ‘non-qual’ (non-beret qualified) Officer I moved to Sydney and marched into 2 CDO REGT at Holsworthy Barracks in January 2010. Feb-March I completed the six-week selection course that saw nearly 120 start and less than 40 finish. As one of the four successful Officers selected, the rest of 2010 was spent completing the numerous training courses that comprised the Commando Reinforcement Cycle (REO). These courses included: Heavy Weapons, Roping, Explosives, Parachuting, Close Quarter Fighting, Advanced Close Quarter Battle, Commando Urban Operations, Special Operations Planning Course, Commando Amphibious Operations, Signals and Communication, Medical and more.
2010-2011
TACTICAL ASSAULT GROUP - EAST
After successfully completing the REO, we became qualified and received our coveted Commando green beret. I was immediately assigned November Platoon within Alpha Company. We were tasked to take over the Domestic Counter-Terrorism role within 2 CDO REGT at the end of 2010 and remained in this role as the Tactical Assault Group – East (TAG-East) for the duration of 2011. This role required us to travel all over Australia training with other law enforcement forces and agencies, while maintaining a specific capability to respond as the ‘force of last resort’ to any act of threat of terrorism within Australia.
In November 2011 I was given a temporary reprieve from my TAG-East role, to deploy to Afghanistan as the Personal Security Officer (PSO) for Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
2012
AFGHANISTAN - SPECIAL OPERATIONS TASK GROUP 18 (Task Force 66)
In 2012 I remained the November Platoon Commander as we rotated to the role that would see us deploy to Afghanistan within the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG). In February 2012 I deployed for my second time to Afghanistan as part of our command group reconnaissance. During this deployment I embedded with a Commando Platoon from Delta Company, 2 CDO REGT, to gain the best exposure to the current operating environment. In July 2012, I deployed to Afghanistan again, this time with my Platoon and all of Alpha Company as we assumed the role of Force Element – Bravo (FE-Bravo) within the SOTG – Rotation 18, Task Force 66. We were subsequently awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) for this deployment (Task Force 66).
Here are some combat clips from my deployment to Afghanistan with the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) in 2012
2013
ADVANCE FORCE OPERATIONS - ASIA PACIFIC
Upon return to Australia, I was appointed as the Executive Officer (XO) for Alpha Company and we rotated to the Advance Force Operations (AFO) role. This saw us spend 2013 conducting training exercises throughout the Asia-Pacific region. I was personally sent on several advance tasks, to engage with the Australian diplomatic presence in these countries and conduct mission rehearsal and training iterations.
2014-2015
ADJUTANT & AMERICA
In 2014 I was appointed as the Adjutant of 2 CDO REGT. Under a new Commanding Officer, I was tasked as the senior Captain to complete a myriad of training and development initiatives, while providing supplementary support to the TAG-East including an operational deployment to support the G20 Summit in Brisbane.
In 2015 I was posted on exchange to the 75th Ranger Regiment within the USA Special Operations Command. Stationed at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. I spent the year embedded within the Headquarters as a Plans and Operations Captain. This required traveling across the US conducting engagements and training exercises. I was honoured to receive the United States Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) for my performance of these duties.
August – December 2015 I was deployed on my fourth combat deployment to Afghanistan, this time within a classified US Special Operations Task Force. I was honoured to be awarded the United States Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) for my performance of duties on deployment.
Upon return to the USA post deployment, I was also extremely honoured to be awarded the Order of Saint Maurice (Peregrinus~00281) by the National Infantry Association and the US Chief of Infantry.
2015-2016
OFFICER COMMANDING SPECIAL FORCES SELECTION & TRAINING
In December 2015, I was promoted to the rank of Major and returned to Australia to assume of Officer Commanding and Chief Instructor of Training Wing at the Special Forces Training Centre, also at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney. In this role I was responsible for overseeing the Commando Selection and Training Courses, as well as the training courses for Special Forces Support Staff. Training Wing comprised of training cells, each led by very experienced Commando qualified Senior Non-Commissioned Officers or Warrant Officers.
2016-2017
IRAQ AGAINST ISIL
In December 2016 I was deployed as the J5 (Plans Officer) for the Special Operations Joint Task Force – Iraq (SOJTF-I). This came at a time when coalition forces were heavily committing to fighting against DAESH / ISIL in Mosul. My role was to support the next phase of the multinational planning including our subsequent operations into other areas in Iraq and Syria.
I was honoured to be awarded the United States Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) for my performance of duties on this deployment.
2017-2019
Leave
On return to Australia in 2017, I took my accumulated leave (over 100 days) and long service leave at half-pay until finally discharging from the Army on 24 January 2019. See Building Barry’s to find out more about this period 2017 – 2019.
