The Cove Podcast

The Australian Army

About

The Cove Podcast aims to explore all aspects of Professional Military Education within the Australian Army. From short tips and soldier's fives to interviews of Army personnel on operations, find out how the men and women of today's Australian Army work towards professional excellence.

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454 episodes

Audio Articles | Three Certainty's in Life: Death, Taxes & Transitions

This audio article warns service members to prepare for transition early and provides some resources for transition.

5m
Apr 22
Audio Articles | Contested Logistics – Army’s Role in the Joint Force

This audio article emphasises the importance of, and provides some principles for, achieving sustainable logistics capacity under contest.

9m
Apr 17
Audio Articles | Musings of an Unsuspecting Leader

This audio article explores how to become a leader even if you do not immediately take to the role.

13m
Apr 15
Audio Articles | Using standardised testing to support career management and promote positive learning environments

This audio article argues for the de-linking of career management decisions and professional development to improve both aspects.

10m
Apr 08
Audio Articles | Utilisation of Reserve forces

This audio article discusses the use of Reservists deploying as functional units in future high intensity conflicts, as opposed to deploying as individuals in specialist roles.

10m
Apr 03
Audio Articles | The Forgotten Warneton Double Raid

In this audio article we remember the double raid of Warneton 1917 and looks at why it was so successful.

10m
Apr 01
Audio Articles | Character Training Transformation

This audio article discusses the ongoing effort to transform ab-initio training in Army.

14m
Mar 27
Audio Articles | Military educators; beware pointless pedagogy.

This audio article warns against recklessly adopting new pedagogical methods at the cost of abandoning tried and true methods.

8m
Mar 25
Audio Articles | Unacceptable Behaviour Training Transformation

This audio article discusses the current approach to tackling unacceptable behaviour through integration in the training transformation system at DFSS and elsewhere.

15m
Mar 20
Audio Articles | Electronic Warfare - From the Victims Perspective

This audio article explores how the ADF has used the Electro Magnetic Spectrum (EMS) on operations and deployments to pass orders, conduct administration and organise activities.

21m
Mar 18
Adapting Army | Ethical and legal considerations of emerging military technology. COL Damian Copeland & Dr Zena Assaad

Can we trust autonomous systems? Are our laws and policies keeping pace with emerging technology? Who is accountable for the actions of an uncrewed or autonomous system? In this episode of the Adapting Army Podcast, were joined by Colonel Damian Copeland, the Director of Operations and International Law, Department of Defence. Damian has immense experience in the legal review of weapons, specifically weapons and systems enhanced by Artificial Intelligence. We’re also joined by Dr Zena Assaad, who is a fellow with the Australian Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Australian National University. Zena has made fundamental contributions to inform Army’s understanding of the paradigm between trust and autonomous systems. Our guests discuss accountability and control, the laws that guide uncrewed and autonomous technology and explore trusted systems, highlighting an international example where an autonomous system didn't perform as expected and how that impacted public trust.

58m
Mar 13
Audio Articles | The Internet of Military Things

This audio article discusses the risks and benefits of expanding 'The Internet of Military Things', where networked devices are dispersed throughout the military to carry out and co-ordinate a variety of tasks.

15m
Mar 06
Audio Articles | Do Microcredentials Provide Value to Defence?

This audio article provides a short summary of microcredentials and whether they should be considered for use within Defence.

8m
Mar 04
Audio Articles | Reflections On Command

In this audio article, Tom McDermott provides 12 reflections on his time in command.

15m
Feb 28
Audio Articles | Re-Framing DACC: Deploying in an Information Environment

This audio article suggests that Defence Assistance to the Civil Community should be seen not just as a duty and opportunity to help the nation, but also as an opportunity to improve Defence itself.

13m
Feb 26
Adapting Army | Accelerating technology, together. United States Marine Corps and Australian Army. Major Steven (Spike) Atkinson & Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth

Where is artificial intelligence going? How do we empower our workforce to embrace and use new capabilities? How can we best leverage the resources we have? These are some of the questions the Australian Army and the United States Marine Corps are working together to solve. In today’s episode we are joined by Major Steven (Spike) Atkinson from the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, who is leading the Robotic, Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence branch in the United States. Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth has returned for another episode, sharing his insights from the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office. In our discussion, you’ll hear how the United States Marine Corps, and the Australian Army are approaching emerging technology, together. Highlighting the importance of information exchange and shared experimentation to identify capability gaps, integrate technology and leverage shared opportunities.

1h 5m
Feb 22
Audio Articles | Innovate With Purpose

This audio article discusses innovation within Army and illuminates a number of the options available to personnel who wish to innovate.

8m
Feb 21
Audio Articles | The Weakening Logistics Chain of the Russo-Ukranian War: An Unfolding Case Study

Studying past and current mass offensives improves the competitive advantage of a modern military force. For the first time in decades, the world has two near peer state adversaries facing off in conventional combat. The conflict between these two nations has presented lessons for both the combatants and analysts.

9m
Feb 19
Audio Articles | Health as a Strategy

This audio article argues for the inclusion of vaccination programs within the Australian Defence Force’s regional engagement strategy.

9m
Feb 14
Audio Articles | To Uniform or Not to Uniform: APS and ADF Capability in the 21st Centur

This audio article addresses the importance of respect and co-operation between ADF and Australian Public Service personnel.

7m
Feb 13
Adapting Army | Can Flexibility Increase Army Retention? Lieutenant Colonel Rob Curtin & Major Martin Newlin

1 in 5 Army positions are currently vacant and for many, a more flexible way to work is becoming a higher priority. ServeOn is a new Army initiative finding flexible roles for service categories (SERCAT) 2 members, inactive SERCAT 3 members, and members wishing to leave full-time service. The greater flexibility is allowing members to spend more time at home or with their families, study, or pursue a civilian career, all while continuing to serve.  We’re joined by a member of the ServeOn community, Major Martin Newlin, who shares his story of running a farm, while also continuing to serve. We are also joined by Lieutenant Colonel Rob Curtin, who has led the ServeOn initiative upon his return to service after 10 years in industry. He has been able to inspire more members to re-engage with Army in a new, more flexible capacity. Find out more: https://www.army.gov.au/serveon

46m
Feb 07
Audio Articles | On Operations: Operational Art and Military Disciplines – A Review

A review of the ideas presented in Brett Friedman's 'On Operations – Operational Art and Military Disciplines'.

20m
Feb 05
Audio Articles | Leadership Lessons From Hairy Maclary and His Crew at Donaldsons Dairy

This audio article is a semi-tongue-in-cheek look at lessons from a classic children’s storybook, with the overall message that lessons can be found in all manner of sources.

6m
Feb 01
Adapting Army | Why is capability investment important? Steve Baxter

Steve Baxter is an Australian entrepreneur, veteran and previously a shark on Australian Shark Tank. At the age of 15, Steve joined the Army, enlisting in its apprenticeship program. He became a technician working in the field of electronics, telecoms and guided weapon systems. In 1994, at the age of 23, Steve launched his first start-up, the pioneering internet service provider SE Net, from his spare room. Steve is now the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of TEN13, Australia’s leading tech start-up investment platform, and Founder and Lead Investor with Beaten Zone Venture Partners which is dedicated to early-stage investments in Australian sovereign legal defence technology. In this episode, Steve lends his experience as a successful entrepreneur and shares his observations regarding capability investment across the Defence Force.

41m
Jan 24
The Digger Net Podcast | CPL Quin Jenson on Operation Highroad

The Digger Net Podcast which is all about sharing insights and exploring topics that impact soldiers work in the land domain. The host is former combat engineer and paralympic gold medalist Curtis McGrath, OAM. In this episode, he interviews Corporal Quin Jenson who in 2021 was a section commander during Operation Highroad which was a non-combat evacuation operation in Kabul. What was deployment like? What was his experience on the ground in Afghanistan? What was his main operational tasks?

30m
Dec 20, 2023
Audio Articles | JNCO QME: Edition 5 – Ethical Decision Making

This audio article seeks to understand the Rules of Engagement. They are critical in understanding what options you have to react to a difficult combat situation.

9m
Dec 18, 2023
Adapting Army | What opportunity does autonomy bring in the Land Domain? LTCOL Rachel Ayoub, Dr Saeid Nahvandi & Steen Bisgard

Episode 6 of the Adapting Army podcast features three exceptional leaders representing Army, industry and academia. Lieutenant Colonel Rachael Ayoub is leading Army’s exploration of autonomous systems. We are also joined by Swinburne University of Technology’s inaugural Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Chief of Defence Innovation, Distinguished Professor Saeid Nahavandi. Saied was the founding Director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, Deakin University and has worked closely with Army to develop the Leader-Follower autonomous vehicle convoy. Our last guest, Steen Bisgaard, is the founding director of Gaardtech, a sovereign company specialising in autonomous ground vehicles. Army has been exploring the use of land autonomy with Steen and his team over the past two years. Join us as we see just how far autonomous systems have come, and what Army, industry and academia are looking to in the not-too-distant future in how autonomous systems can not only improve day to day life, but also protect it.

45m
Dec 13, 2023
Audio Articles | Modern Strategy by Colin S. Gray – A Review

This is an in-depth audio review of Colin S. Gray’s book Modern Strategy.

28m
Dec 12, 2023
The Digger Net Podcast | MAJ Sam James on Fatigue

The Digger Net Podcast which is all about sharing insights and exploring topics that impact soldiers work in the land domain. The host is former combat engineer and paralympic gold medalist Curtis McGrath, OAM. In this first episode, he interviews Major Sam Jones. A full-time Army Psychologist reservist who focuses on human performance, mental health, and fatigue management. He has been deployed through Rotary Wing Group and never had a conversation about fatigue where the people in the room are not tired. So what is fatigue? How does it affect our work – analysis, threat assessment, memory, and communication? How does it impact the individual and the military in general?

32m
Dec 06, 2023
Audio Articles | War Machines: Can AI for War be Ethical?

On 24 Feb 20 the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced a number of ethical guidelines as they continue to develop AI for battlefield use. In this audio article Aaron Wright looks at how four schools of ethical thought may react to the use of battlefield AI.

17m
Dec 05, 2023