Julie Hammer
Encyclopedia
Air Vice Marshal Julie Hammer AM
, CSC
(born 17 February 1955) was the first woman to be promoted to one-star rank
and later two-star rank in the Australian Defence Force
, and the first woman to command an operational unit in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF).
on 17 February 1955. She was educated at Brisbane Girls Grammar School
. Graduating in 1971, she was placed eighth in the State of Queensland
in the Senior Public Matriculation
Examination. She attended the University of Queensland
where she majored in Physics
, graduating with a BSc (Hons)
.
.
In 1981, the Engineer Branch was opened to women and she transferred to the Electronics Category. She managed deep level maintenance on the RAAF's F-111
, UH-1 Iroquois
, CH-47 Chinook
, and Canberra
aircraft with No. 3 Aircraft Depot at RAAF Base Amberley
. She then worked at Headquarters Support Command in the engineering management of avionics equipment for the RAAF fleet. In June 1985 she was promoted to Squadron Leader
, and became Sub-Section Head in the Aircraft Equipment Engineering Division (AEENG3) of Headquarters Support Command at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne
.
After 16 months study at No. 5 Advanced Systems Engineering Course at RAF Cranwell
, she became a liaison officer in the Directorate of Scientific and Technical Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence
in London
. After the completion of her Master of Science
thesis in Aerosystems Engineering in 1987, she became a technical intelligence analyst with the Joint Intelligence Organisation
in Canberra
. This was followed by work on the P-3 Orion
ESM
Project, first as project engineer and then, following promotion to Wing Commander
, as project manager.
In 1992, she assumed command of the Electronic Warfare Squadron at RAAF Base Edinburgh
, becoming the first woman to command an operational unit of the RAAF, for which she was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross
in the Australia Day
list in 1997. She was also the recipient of the 1996 Association of Old Crows
(Australian Chapter) Award for Distinguished Service to Electronic Warfare.
Returning to Canberra in 1996, Project Director of Joint Project 2030 Australian Defence Force Joint Command Support Environment of the Command and Support Systems Branch in the Defence Acquisition Organisation, Canberra. She completed a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies at the Joint Services Staff College, and became the first woman in the RAAF to become a member of the General List when she was promoted to Group Captain
in 1996. She was seconded for four months to serve on the Science and Technology Team of the Defence Efficiency Review.
During 1999, she was the lone Australian student at the Royal College of Defence Studies
, completing a 12-month course in strategic and international studies. Returning to Australia in December 1999, she was promoted to Air Commodore
, becoming the first woman to achieve that rank and the first to be promoted to one-star rank in the ADF. When she was subsequently promoted to Air Vice Marshal in 2003, she became the first woman to attain two-star rank in the ADF.
She assumed duties as Director General Information Services, responsible for the operations and support of Defence's fixed communications networks and computer systems throughout Australia. In December 2001, she became the first woman Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy
. That year she was awarded the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
Memorial Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society
to recognise her contribution to Australian aerospace, and she delivered the Kingsford Smith Memorial Lecture.
She was appointed by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister
for the Status of Women to be one of Australia's Honouring Women Ambassadors in 2002. She became the University of Queensland's 12th Alumnus of the Year in 2003, and a Member of the Order of Australia
in 2004.Citation: For exceptional service in the fields of electronics engineering in Defence, and military education as the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy.
, and its president in 2007. She is a director of the .au Domain Regulator, auDA.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, CSC
Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia)
The Conspicuous Service Cross is a decoration of the Australian Honours System. The CSC is awarded only for outstanding devotion to duty, or outstanding achievement in the application of exceptional skills, judgment or dedication, in non-warlike situations...
(born 17 February 1955) was the first woman to be promoted to one-star rank
1 star rank
An officer of one-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-6. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members...
and later two-star rank in the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
, and the first woman to command an operational unit in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF).
Early life
Julie Margaret Hammer was born in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
on 17 February 1955. She was educated at Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, secular, day school for girls, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
. Graduating in 1971, she was placed eighth in the State of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in the Senior Public Matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
Examination. She attended the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
where she majored in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, graduating with a BSc (Hons)
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
.
Service history
In 1977, Hammer joined the RAAF as an Education Officer, serving in the engineer cadet squadron at Frognall, Melbourne until 1979, and then Instructor at the RAAF School of Radio at LavertonRAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
.
In 1981, the Engineer Branch was opened to women and she transferred to the Electronics Category. She managed deep level maintenance on the RAAF's F-111
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
, UH-1 Iroquois
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
, CH-47 Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
, and Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
aircraft with No. 3 Aircraft Depot at RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron...
. She then worked at Headquarters Support Command in the engineering management of avionics equipment for the RAAF fleet. In June 1985 she was promoted to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, and became Sub-Section Head in the Aircraft Equipment Engineering Division (AEENG3) of Headquarters Support Command at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne
Victoria Barracks, Melbourne
Located on St Kilda Road in Melbourne, Australia, Victoria Barracks Melbourne is of architectural and historical significance as one of the most impressive 19th century government buildings in Victoria, Australia.-Pre-World War II:...
.
After 16 months study at No. 5 Advanced Systems Engineering Course at RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
, she became a liaison officer in the Directorate of Scientific and Technical Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After the completion of her Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
thesis in Aerosystems Engineering in 1987, she became a technical intelligence analyst with the Joint Intelligence Organisation
Joint Intelligence Organisation
The Joint Intelligence Organsiation was a former Australian government intelligence agency, responsible for the analysis of defence and foreign intelligence...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. This was followed by work on the P-3 Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
ESM
Electronic warfare support measures
In military telecommunications, the terms Electronic Support or Electronic Support Measures describe the division of electronic warfare involving actions taken under direct control of an operational commander to detect, intercept, identify, locate, record, and/or analyze sources of radiated...
Project, first as project engineer and then, following promotion to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, as project manager.
In 1992, she assumed command of the Electronic Warfare Squadron at RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is located in Edinburgh, 25km north of the centre of Adelaide.It is primarily home to No 92 Wing's AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft that conduct surveillance operations throughout Australia's airspace....
, becoming the first woman to command an operational unit of the RAAF, for which she was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross
Conspicuous Service Cross
Conspicuous Service Cross can refer to:* Conspicuous Service Cross * Conspicuous Service Cross * Conspicuous Service Cross...
in the Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
list in 1997. She was also the recipient of the 1996 Association of Old Crows
Association of Old Crows
The Association of Old Crows is an international professional organization specializing in electronic warfare, tactical information operations, and associated disciplines headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia...
(Australian Chapter) Award for Distinguished Service to Electronic Warfare.
Returning to Canberra in 1996, Project Director of Joint Project 2030 Australian Defence Force Joint Command Support Environment of the Command and Support Systems Branch in the Defence Acquisition Organisation, Canberra. She completed a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies at the Joint Services Staff College, and became the first woman in the RAAF to become a member of the General List when she was promoted to Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in 1996. She was seconded for four months to serve on the Science and Technology Team of the Defence Efficiency Review.
During 1999, she was the lone Australian student at the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
, completing a 12-month course in strategic and international studies. Returning to Australia in December 1999, she was promoted to Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, becoming the first woman to achieve that rank and the first to be promoted to one-star rank in the ADF. When she was subsequently promoted to Air Vice Marshal in 2003, she became the first woman to attain two-star rank in the ADF.
She assumed duties as Director General Information Services, responsible for the operations and support of Defence's fixed communications networks and computer systems throughout Australia. In December 2001, she became the first woman Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
. That year she was awarded the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
Memorial Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
to recognise her contribution to Australian aerospace, and she delivered the Kingsford Smith Memorial Lecture.
She was appointed by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
for the Status of Women to be one of Australia's Honouring Women Ambassadors in 2002. She became the University of Queensland's 12th Alumnus of the Year in 2003, and a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in 2004.Citation: For exceptional service in the fields of electronics engineering in Defence, and military education as the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy.
After the Air Force
Retiring from the RAAF in 2005, Hammer became the National Vice President of Engineers AustraliaEngineers Australia
The Institution of Engineers Australia, often shortened to IEAust and trading as Engineers Australia, is a professional body and not-for-profit organisation dedicated to being the national forum for the advancement of the engineering field within Australia...
, and its president in 2007. She is a director of the .au Domain Regulator, auDA.