Ken Gillespie
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....

 Kenneth James "Ken" Gillespie AC, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System...

, CSM
Conspicuous Service Medal
The Conspicuous Service Medal is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force, it is awarded for meritorious achievement or dedication to duty in non-war like situations. The CSM was introduced in 1989 and is a distinct Australian military award. It is the second...

 (born 28 June 1952) is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

. Gillespie served as Vice Chief of the Defence Force
Vice Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
The Vice Chief of the Defence Force is the military deputy to the Chief of the Defence Force of Australia, and acts as the CDF in his absence under standing acting arrangements....

 from 2005 until 2008, then Chief of Army from 2008 until 2011.

Military career

Ken Gillespie was educated at Inala State High School in Brisbane
Brisbane
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...

 and enlisted in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

 in 1968 as an apprentice. He graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1972, gaining a commission in the corps of the Royal Australian Engineers
Royal Australian Engineers
The Royal Australian Engineers is a corps of the Australian Army . The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps...

.

He held a range of regimental and staff appointments including Instructor at the School of Military Engineering and at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion. He then held regimental appointments as a junior officer in 2nd Field Engineer Regiment, 5th Field Engineer Regiment, 2nd/3rd Field Engineer Regiment and 1st Construction Regiment, after which he became a Senior Instructor at the School of Military Engineering.

He attended the Australian Army Command and Staff College, Queenscliff in 1985 and became Australian Exchange Instructor at the Royal School of Military Engineering
Royal School of Military Engineering
The Royal School of Military Engineering is the main training establishment for the British Army's Royal Engineers. After they have successfully completed their Phase 1 - Basic Soldier Training, members of the Corps of Royal Engineers attend 3 RSME, at Minley for Phase 2a - Combat Engineering...

 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 in 1986. In 1989 he raised and then deployed as the second in command and operations officer, the 2nd Australian Contingent to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group
United Nations Transition Assistance Group
The United Nations Transition Assistance Group was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed from April 1989 to March 1990 in Namibia to monitor the peace process and elections there. Namibia had been occupied by South Africa since 1915, first under a League of Nations mandate and later...

 (UNTAG) in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

.

In 1990 he became Standing Chairman of the Quadripartite Working Group for the Engineers in the ABCA Armies
ABCA Armies
ABCA Armies is a program aimed at optimizing interoperability and standardization of training and equipment between the armies of the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, plus the United States Marine Corps and the Royal Marines...

 Agreement and in 1991 he attended the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving officers of other states.-History:JSCSC combined the single...

 where he earned a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies. He was appointed a Member of 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...

 in the United Kingdom in 1998 and was selected to be Senior National Officer for Australia in the ABCA Program in 1999.

His senior officer appointments included becoming inaugural Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...

 of the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment, Staff Officer Operations to the Chief of the Defence Force
Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...

, inaugural commander of the Australian Theatre Joint Intelligence Centre (ASTJIC), for which he was made a Member of the Order of Australia, and inaugural Principal Staff Officer - Intelligence, Headquarters Australian Theatre (HQAST).

He was promoted to brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

 in January 1999. In this rank he was the Chief of Staff Training Command - Army, he commanded the United Nations Sector West multinational brigade in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

, and he was the National Commander of Australia's contribution to Operation Slipper
Operation Slipper
Operation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force contribution to the war in Afghanistan. The operation commenced in late 2001 and is ongoing...

.

Gillespie was promoted to major general
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...

 and made Land Commander Australia (LCAUST) in January 2004, and to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....

 as Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) in 2005.

Gillespie assumed his appointment as Chief of Army on 4 July 2008. On 29 April 2010, Gillespie was presented with Singapore's Meritorious Service Medal
Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
The Pingat Jasa Gemilang , is awarded to members of the Singapore Armed Forces for exceptionally distinguished performance or extraordinary service, or the furtherance of links with overseas forces....

 by the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Teo Chee Hean
Teo Chee Hean
Teo Chee Hean is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security, and a Member of Parliament for the Pasir Ris-Punggol Group...

, and Chief of the Singapore Army
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...

, Brigadier General Chan Chun Sing
Chan Chun Sing
Chan Chun Sing is a politician from Singapore. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts...

. The award came as a result of Gillespie's "leadership and commitment to furthering relationships between the armies" of Australia and Singapore. In August 2010, controversy arose when Gillespie outlawed the wearing of berets on the grounds that they led to an increased risk of skin cancer. The exemption of the special forces from the ban added to the controversy. Gillespie handed over command of the Army to Lieutenant General David Morrison
David Morrison
Lieutenant General David Lindsay Morrison AO is a senior officer within the Australian Army, currently serving in the position of Chief of Army.-Early life and career:...

 during a ceremony on 24 June 2011, and officially retired from the Australian Defence Force two days later.

Personal life

Ken Gillespie is married to Carmel and they have a student daughter. He has two grown children from a previous marriage. He is well travelled, enjoys most sports, particularly golf, and is a keen reader.

Honours and awards

For his service as the Commander Australian Contingent, Operation Slipper, Gillespie was advanced to Officer of the Order of Australia in the Military Division On 26 January 2011, Gillespie was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Gillespie was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System...

 in 2002 for "distinguished command and leadership" while Commander Sector West deployed on active service with the United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor during Operation Tanager.















Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) (2011)
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) (2003)
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) (1998)
Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded for distinguished command and leadership in action. The DSC was introduced in 1991 and is the highest distinguished service decoration in the Australian Honours System...

 (DSC)
(2002)
Conspicuous Service Medal
Conspicuous Service Medal
The Conspicuous Service Medal is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force, it is awarded for meritorious achievement or dedication to duty in non-war like situations. The CSM was introduced in 1989 and is a distinct Australian military award. It is the second...

 (CSM)
(1992)
Australian Active Service Medal
Australian Active Service Medal
The Australian Active Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in warlike operations...

 
with 3 clasps: NAMIBIA, EAST TIMOR, and ICAT
Afghanistan Medal
Afghanistan Medal (Australia)
The Afghanistan Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Afghanistan Medal is awarded to Australian defence force personnel who served in or around Afghanistan after 11 October 2001...

 
Defence Force Service Medal
Defence Force Service Medal
The Defence Force Service Medal is an Australian Military award given for long service by permanent members of the Australian Defence Force...

 with Federation Star
(40–44 years of service)
Australian Defence Medal
Australian Defence Medal
The Australian Defence Medal is an Australian military decoration which recognises current and former Australian Defence Force personnel who completed an initial enlistment period, or four years service...

 
UNTAG (United Nations Transition Assistance Group
United Nations Transition Assistance Group
The United Nations Transition Assistance Group was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed from April 1989 to March 1990 in Namibia to monitor the peace process and elections there. Namibia had been occupied by South Africa since 1915, first under a League of Nations mandate and later...

)
Namibia 1989–90 (1992)
UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...

)
Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

 
Legion of Merit (Commander) 2009
Pingat Jasa Gemilang
Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
The Pingat Jasa Gemilang , is awarded to members of the Singapore Armed Forces for exceptionally distinguished performance or extraordinary service, or the furtherance of links with overseas forces....

 
(Meritorious Service Medal - Military) - 2010

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK