Private roundtable lunch with Brigadier Brett Chaloner, Commander 13 Brigade (WA)

Brigadier Chaloner discussed his changing role for the WA based 13th Brigade, the pivot in focus toward the Indian Ocean and the littoral approaches to WA, the refocusing of the Army’s 2nd Division and more broadly the thinking and changes in the Australian Army in response to the Defence Strategic Update.

BRIG Chaloner entered Army via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1991 and commissioned in 1994. Following service in Transport and Infantry, BRIG Chaloner completed Commando selection and reinforcement training and served in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) (4RAR(Cdo)). He subsequently completed Special Air Service Regiment selection and training, serving in a range of command and operations appointments. These included deployment to East Timor and Counter Terrorism duties in support of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Concurrent to service as the Adjutant of the Royal Military College – Duntroon, BRIG Chaloner deployed in support of operations in Iraq in 2003.

BRIG Chaloner broadened his ADF experience as Director Joint Collective Training within Joint Operations Command After follow on service as Director of the Land Intelligence Program in Army Headquarters, BRIG Chaloner spent 2018 as the Chief of Strategy and Plans for the Combined Joint Task Force in Iraq and Syria. He focused on the rare planning challenge of ending a campaign and transitioning to normalised international engagement. In 2019, he completed Higher Defence College in India before returning to Australia to assume the appointment of Deputy Commander of the Special Forces Group within SOCOMD In September 2020, BRIG Chaloner was selected as the Commander of the 13th Brigade in Western Australia.