From battlespace to workplace

Many Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans have successfully made the challenging transition from military service to the critical communications industry sector in Australia, bringing with them unique skill sets, project expertise, leadership, teamwork and a quiet task focus. But historically, the concept of vets in technology is not a new idea and is in fact a well-trodden transition pathway.

For example, global critical communications industry technology giants such as Motorola and Tait Communications were actually founded by veterans; Motorola’s Paul Galvin, following military service, established a new company pioneering emerging radio technologies into vehicles, providing a dream of instant connectivity with new wireless mobility and safety to business and public safety teams. Similarly, Sir Angus Tait created and built Tait Communications out from a small New Zealand company to a worldwide success designing, building, manufacturing and perfecting cutting-edge wireless design and technology for high-demand users in the most hostile environments.

Clearly the skills, vision and leadership of these leaders motivated them to harness and innovate the power of wireless technologies into the business sector. The legacy of their determination and future vision is embedded globally today in all forms of government, transportation, utility, mining, public safety and business operations. These examples serve to illustrate the potential of veteran experiences in these technologies and the application into the wider community.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Zeferli | Bottom image credit: iStock.com/Chaiwat Trisongkram

Veterans bring a wealth of skills and expertise to the business community workplace and critical wireless ecosystems. Their focus, specialist training and team leadership experiences are invaluable in the definition, deployment, integration and support of complex communication platforms. Typically, veterans experience unique exposure to mission-ready, groundbreaking, hardened battlespace technologies during their service, equipping them with unique insights into current and emerging technology platform trends and their mission-critical applications. Today, for example, throughout our country, trains won’t roll, aircraft won’t fly and emergency services will not turn out without a connected critical radio device, simply because instant communications means instant, lives are at stake, and systems failure is not an option.

However, the pathway for ADF veterans to the broader business community is not always straightforward and can be difficult to navigate. Veterans struggle with limited access and personal connectivity to the business community, private companies and broad-ranging industry job opportunities. Many generic defence-style transition programs are designed to reveal broad-based, general and standard job potentials, without clear or specific pathways or streams to ensure success. Veterans by their service are usually not historically connected to business, are unfamiliar with the corporate sector, and require guiding support structures to assist them to establish new relationships and networking opportunities for potential career directions and options.

Top image credit: iStock.com/.shock | Bottom image credit: iStock.com/Mariia Vitkovska

ARCIA (Australia’s Radio & Critical Communications Association), the peak body representing the sector, is a nationwide professional association with members from all areas of the broader community, including commercial and government user organisations, software and hardware designers, equipment manufacturers, system integrators, solution providers and installation specialists. Every critical radio device today has been deployed through this broad range of professional organisations within ARCIA.

The association provides specialist enhanced technology training to its members, with a focus on current technologies and emerging trends. The association also has a long history of supporting public safety professionals with special membership consideration, and is now looking towards extending this to veterans to help them discover new opportunities and a path forward.

ARCIA drives networking events in each state, allowing members to meet and develop collaborative approaches where possible. Veterans are welcome at these events to find out more about the association and how they might join, and in many cases other veterans will be there. A founding industry pioneer in Australia, Ian Hyde, who is himself a veteran and national serviceman, brought great leadership to the business teams he led, together with establishing the annual Jonathan Livingstone Seagull award for individuals showing outstanding commitment and leadership. ARCIA recognises members annually for their achievements and contributions, fostering appreciation of individual and team success.

Paul Davis, CEO of ARCIA, said he is proud of the organisation’s long history and positive engagement of veterans.

“Today many veterans are delivering valued experience, leadership and team building expertise to the sector,” he said. “We continue to encourage veterans to consider joining the radio and critical communications industry, where employees are valued and long-term career development opportunities exist.”

ARCIA member organisations are diverse and located in every state of the country, throughout rural communities and often embedded in remote mining operations. Within the ARCIA member community, many veterans have moved across organisations seeking job advancement and career opportunities. Many ARCIA member businesses have multiple offices throughout the country and vary in size. ARCIA members can be as small as a three-person business and up to many thousands across leadership, business, technical, support, project management, customer engagement and marketing.

Over recent years, there have been many conversations, initiatives and programs developed specifically for veterans and correctly driven by the disproportionate and tragic statistics relating to veteran suicide. Veteran programs and transition management is a critical component, and sharp focus here matters. Mistakenly misunderstood by some, it is not the ADF’s responsibility to find new roles for former members; clearly its role is to recruit, train and make ready a professional force, always ready to be called for the defence of the nation. This means transition remains primarily the veteran’s role, together with the many veteran organisations working to help veterans make this move.

What we have learned is that simply leaving the boots at the gatehouse one day and beginning a new commercial career is daunting and, for some, impossible. However, an industry that speaks the language of mission-critical, understands the importance of teams, and has mutual respect for colleagues exists in the critical communications space, and openly welcomes discussion with veterans to explore suitable roles and opportunities across trades, engineering, management, sales, marketing and leadership. If you’re a communicator, I encourage you to connect with ARCIA at arcia.org.au.

*Dave Cox is a former Army Signals Officer who transitioned to a long career in the Australian radio and critical communications sector, including senior executive roles at Motorola, and also helped establish a specialist critical communications company. Dave was one of the founding team of executives who established ARCIA in 2007. He is currently Executive Director of Guitars For Veterans Australia, supporting veterans with PTSD and transition challenges. Dave also leads the VetsNTech Australia initiative as an industry advocate for veterans to the business-critical communications space.

Lead image credit: iStock.com/Vadimborkin