The Cove Community Podcast

Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In the final episode, we close out the series with the environment itself....

"Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In Part 3, we look at working with craft and comms in the littoral. Compe...

"Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In Part 2, we cover the transition from sea to shore, where things can co...

"Becoming a Littoral Soldier" is a four-part Army Battle Lab audio series focused on operating in the maritime and coastal environments. Australian Army Infantry SMEs provide tips on how to maximise combat effectiveness for the individual while working from small craft, transitioning to shore and operating from the littoral. In Part 1, we cover kit, sustainment, hydration and the effects of salt w...

‘Just remember, the tactics don’t matter ...’ In this episode, Todd and Jake discuss returning to their first residential course since their Officer Basic Courses to be given all the skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours to be employed as all-corps captains. The first posting as a three-pip is likely to be as an operations captain, sub-unit second-in-charge or an adjutant and this is the co...

‘We actually had a flea infestation, which really put the icing on the cake.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake talk through their experiences in the privilege of their first platoon and troop command. Many argue that one of the best things that you can be afforded is legal responsibility over a large group of people and that you should cherish that privilege because it is fleeting. This episode is a...

‘Where there is smoke, there is fire.’ In this episode, Zac who is a current serving Adjutant in an artillery regiment joins us to talk through what an Adjutant does and what their expectations of new junior officers is. We talk through demi-official letters of introduction, meeting the Adjutant and Commanding Officer for the first time and how high or low the expectations on lieutenants are. Adju...

‘As funny as this is, the OC is not going to find this funny ...’ This episode is centred on the relationship between junior officers and senior soldiers, a confusing relationship to first negotiate fraught with danger and social faux pas. Jake describes his first interaction with his Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) as a newly minted lieutenant where Jake confusingly admits to being absent without l...

‘Anything south of the 5 RAR wash point is Choccos.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake talk you through what to do when you receive a posting order to one of the two northern combat brigades. The Army’s 3rd Brigade is on Lavarack Barracks in Townsville QLD while the Army’s 1st Brigade is on Robertson Barracks in Darwin NT. There are several other brigades and minor units that are also in these two lo...

‘I talked to a few people, and that was the worst exercise they had ever done in their lives.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake delve into the depths of Mount Bundey Training Area and Townsville Field Training Area to tell stories about what happens when you run on 8 hours of water and 2 litres of sleep. Some field exercises are well-planned, some are not, and this episode has a heavy right foot tow...

‘Will I need my helmet for this sir?’ In this episode, our guest Shetty recounts his foundational experiences as an Artillery Officer. A mechanical engineer by ‘trade’, Shetty chose artillery because ‘he watched something blow up in the distance’ and that was enough to get him into the corps which says far more about our guest than the corps itself. Shetty recounts stories of accidental Danger Clo...

‘This is where the hard times inspire some really good ideas.’ In this episode, Todd and Jake depart from the chronological order of officer progression and describe some of the legends of the training institutions that they have spent so many years in. Not letting the truth get into the way of a good story, this episode goes through some of the lighter parts of training and some of the unique asp...

Featuring 2 AS DIV MAJGEN Thomae

‘There has been a mistake here, I am basically going to be an OC in less than twelve months. I am not meant to be doing the basic course with lieutenants.’ Todd and Jake talk through diving into their first Army training since RMC, their Officer Basic Courses to train them in their specific jobs. Deemed competent with zero confidence, any competence that we had built at RMC was quickly realigned b...

‘The lesson of this story is, don’t give Australian’s fireworks for the first time overseas.’ Jake and Todd lift the mood considerable after graduating Duntroon by lamenting on the amazing overseas trips available to those that have little responsibility and way too much leave. Convertible Mustangs... fireworks... and that was just half of Jake’s engineering work experience. This episode is centre...

After a heavy year of Type 2 and Type 3 fun*, Staff Cadets suddenly find themselves rocketed up the hierarchy to the staggering heights of Lieutenant and enter a mysterious world where non-commissioned officers suddenly start using honorifics and these so-called Lieutenants are finally permitted to step foot in the Officers’ Mess (gasp…). Tune in to hear about the back half of the Royal Military C...

As aircraft fly overhead and hats are thrown in the air, sentiments amongst the ADFA graduate body differ slightly: Air Force cadets look forward to being able to annoy their peers even more by demanding salutes as pilot officers, Navy Midshipmen are returned the commission that was stripped from them upon commencement of ADFA, and Army members prepare themselves for their march ‘over the hill’. I...

On this week's episode we present our first guest, Ben. Ben is an Armoured Corps officer who talks about what his first year as a cavalry troop commander looked like and why he chose Armoured Corps. Irredisregardless of whether we asked him to or not, he gives his opinions on the new armoured vehicles, the rank-relationship between officers and soldiers and 'likership versus leadership'. Ben juxta...

On their second episode, Jake and Todd shock the world by actually committing to making and recording a second episode. Jake walks us through his exchange to the Japanese National Defence Force Academy; his debut international misrepresentational duty. We discuss the purpose of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), how it sets a solid foundation for working in a joint environment, and stumb...

On their first episode of Live, Laugh, Lead, Todd & Jake explain why they started the podcast and what it is all about. They tell stories of capturing their commanding officer, explain what it takes (or doesn't take) to become an Australian Army officer, fumble their way through explaining how to command Australian soldiers and Jake explains how he microwaved sand for his 'academic thesis'.