Lieutenant General Francis John Hickling, AO, CSC (born 13 October 1941) is a retired senior Australian Army officer, whose career culminated with his appointment as Chief of Army from 1998 to 2000.
Frank Hickling | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 October 1941 Gosford, New South Wales |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1961–2000 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Chief of Army (1998–00) Land Command (1996–98) Australian Defence Force Academy (1995–96) Training Command (1992–94) Northern Command (c.1990–92) |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War Operation Bel Isi |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Australia Conspicuous Service Cross |
Military career
editHickling graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1961.[1][2] He undertook regimental postings with the Royal Australian Engineers,[3] and saw service in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971.[4][5]
After serving as the Director of Plans, Army, Hickling was appointed Commander, Northern Command and received the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for service in that role in 1993.[6] This was followed by a posting as General Officer Commanding Training Command from 1992 to 1994.[1]
Made commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1995,[3] Hickling was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Army and Australian Defence Force in the field of military training in 1996.[7] On promotion to Major General, Hickling then served as Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy followed by Land Commander Australia from 1996 until 1998.[1] In February 1998, he led Operation Bel Isi, a peace monitoring mission to Bougainville following a break in civil unrest in the country.[8]
Hickling was promoted lieutenant general and appointed Chief of the Army in 1998.[3] As Chief of the Army he deployed Australian troops to East Timor.[9]
In retirement he chaired the Review of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) Scheme which reported in 2008.[3] Hickling also served as Senior Mentor, Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies, and Advisor to BAE Systems. Hickling remains the Representative Colonel Commandant, Royal Australian Engineers.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c Singh, Shivani (2010). Who's Who in Australia 2010. Melbourne, Australia: Crown Content. ISBN 978-1-74095-172-2.
- ^ Alumni website, Officer Cadet School, Portsea, www.ocsportsea.com
Hickling was the first OCS Portsea graduate to reach lieutenant general and the first graduate to be appointed Chief of Army. - ^ a b c d Final Report Archived 7 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, November 2008, Review of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) Scheme, pg.ii
- ^ Sasha Uzunov (2009) Unsung Aussie General Saved Lives In Timor, East Timor Law & Justice Bulletin, 29 October 2009.
- ^ HICKLING, Francis John, Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans, Department of Veterans Affairs.
- ^ Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC), 26 January 1993, It's an Honour
- ^ Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 26 January 1996, It's an Honour
- ^ Bob Breen, Chapter 10. Challenges during the first 12 months, Struggling for Self Reliance, Four case studies of Australia’s Regional Force Projection in the late 1980s and the 1990s, anu.edu.au
- ^ Commandos under attack, 5 December 2009, Team Uzunov, teamuzunovmedia.blogspot.com
- ^ "General Frank Hickling". AADI Defence. Retrieved 5 February 2018.