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Memorial Site visited by Defence 2020: Youth Challenge finalists - 15 September 2009
Defence 2020 is an initiative of the Australian Defence Force to increase awareness and understanding of the role the Australian Defence Force (ADF) within the Australian community. It does this through schools, and as well as providing teaching kits to the schools that participate, the program brings together politicians, senior government officials and ADF personnel in a series of 15 regional Youth Challenges.
The focus of the 2009 Defence Challenge was Australia's role in peacekeeping, and the final session for the year was held in Canberra on 15th and 16th September, bringing together 23 finalists from all over Australia to debate the question: are Australian peacekeepers responsible citizens? As part of their program the finalists visited the Australian War Memorial's new peacekeeping display; the training 'village' of the Australian Federal Police's International Deployment Group; and the site of the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial.
Defence 2020: Youth Challenge finalists.
APM Committee members Warrant Officer David Wilkinson and Mr Graham Rayner spoke to the Youth Challenge group at the APM site about the memorial and some of WO Wilkinson's peacekeeping experiences. The young people were interested in the overall design, the depiction of the missions on the 'beam' and the way groups' insignias would be displayed.
Mr Rayner also represented Major General Ford (Retd), and the committee at the formal debate held in the Adams Hall at the Australian Defence Force Academy. The guests of honour were the Minister for Defence Personnel Materiel and Science, The Hon Greg Combet, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, the Hon Peter Lindsay, and the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, LTGEN David Hurley.