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Australian PM announces new chiefs of army, air force

Xinhua, March 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced the new chiefs of the Australian army and air force at a time when the country's military is facing increased operational commitments in global conflict zones.

Abbott revealed the appointments in Canberra on Thursday, appointing Lieutenant General Angus Campbell as new Chief of the Army (from May 16) and Air Vice-Marshal Gavin Davies as Chief of the Air Force (from July 4).

Abbott said that both men would "each bring a wealth of experience to their respective roles" and praised their ongoing contributions to Australia's defence force.

He said Lieutenant General Campbell had done an outstanding job during his previous roles in the army, most recently as head of Abbott's controversial but successful border protection policy known as Operation Sovereign Borders.

"Lieutenant General Campbell has served as the Commander of the Joint Agency Task Force for the highly successful Operation Sovereign Borders, he has overseen operations in the Middle East .. . and commanded operations in Timor-Leste," he said on Thursday.

Campbell was also a former leader of the renowned Specialist Air Services Regiment (SASR).

Abbott lauded incoming air force chief Air Marshal Davies for his commitment to the air force, calling him a "pilot of distinction".

"Air Marshal Davies has a wide range of operational, command and staff experience, including deploying to the Middle East, command of 82 Wing (the then strike and reconnaissance wing of the RAAF), and a posting as Air Attache in Washington," Abbott said.

"Most recently, he has served as the deputy chief of the Air Force."

The prime minister also praised the contributions of outgoing heads, congratulating Chief of the Army Lieutenant General David Morrison, and Chief of the Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown on their service.

"Lieutenant General Morrison will complete his tenure after having served with distinction and demonstrating outstanding leadership as the chief of the army, notably as an advocate for cultural change and gender equality in the Australian Defence Force," Abbott said.

"Air Marshal Geoff Brown will complete his tenure having also demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout his military career, particularly in his role as the chief of the Air Force during a period of significant capability growth within the Air Force and heightened operational commitments, including currently against the ISIL, or Daesh, death cult in Iraq." Endi