Background

With the backing and encouragement of the Minister for Defence, the Chief of the Defence Force Staff (now Chief of the Defence Force) and the Secretary of the Department of Defence, a new journal was envisaged in keeping with the spirit of the reorganisation at that time. A journal with new ideas, embracing the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force together with civilian members of the Defence organisation was created with a less restricted policy towards article content than had been possible in past publications.

The Defence Force Journal was established in 1976 with the approval of the Minister for Defence. A formal charter and terms of reference for the management of the journal were approved by the Chiefs of Staff Committee with a Board of Management to be responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force Staff.

The Board of Management consisted of a Chairman - a Service officer of one-star rank, with access to the Chief of the Defence Force Staff and three Service officers, one from each Service and at one-star or Colonel equivalent level, with a departmental officer of similar status. Over the years this mix changed from time to time. The present Board consists of a Major General as Chairman, a Group Captain as the Royal Australian Air Force representative, a naval Captain representing the Royal Australian Navy, a senior academic representing ADFA and a Lieutenant Colonel representing the Reserve side of the house.

Originally established within the Directorate of Public Information where it resided for more than 26 years the Australian Defence Force Journal came under the auspices of the Australian Defence College in 2002.

Since its inception over 35 years ago the Australian Defence Force Journal has continued to publish articles that hopefully live up to its founders’ expectations of encouraging debate and promoting discussion and understanding within the profession of arms of all facets of defence: strategy, tactics, logistics and related defence and military matters.