Brent OLSEN
-
1973
Alumni Profiles
Description
I was born in Adelaide in 1953 and, in my younger years, lived in a less than salubrious part of Port Adelaide. I was educated at Pulteney Grammar School before employment at NWS Channel Nine and Radio 5DN. In Jan 26, 1973, I entered OCS (Wing), Scheyville as, possible, one of the youngest Officer Cadets in Scheyville’s history.
Although I graduated into RACT (upon formation from RAASC), I was informed by Rob Reagan three days before Grad that I was to be posted to 9 Transport Company – detached to 1RAR for Regimental Training. There I joined Stalks (also Regt Trg) and Phil Byrne and attended the Inf YO’s Cse with other OCS and RMC grads. At 1RAR, I eventually became OC 1 Platoon and marched near the front of the Battalion Birthday Parade wearing blue garter tabs, blue lanyard and truckie badge (much to the chagrin of P.N.D White MC, CO).
In 1974, I ‘returned’ to RACT and was posted as SO4 Mov, Liverpool Transport Unit (with a stint as SO3) and attended the RACT YO’s Cse at Pucka. In 1975 I was posted to 2PIR (Inf again!) as Transport and Movements Officer, mostly air dispatching to border patrols in DC3 aircraft. I married just prior to deployment to PNG.
I returned to Aus (Melb) in the winter of 1976 as SO3 Ops HQ 1 Tpt & Mov Gp and, in 1978, I was posted as 2IC/OPsO of Canungra Transport Unit. Near the end of this posting, being from Adelaide, I requested a home posting and, in 1980, was posted as OC Dets DSU, where I was responsible for the Dets at Woodside, Murray Bridge and Port Augusta.
I had enough of that for a year and asked to be posted to where the real Army was – this led me to HQ Trg Comd on the 18th Floor of the Remington Centre Building in Sydney. My first job was SO3 Trg and Estab and then, with the advent of technology in training, I was appointed SO3 Methods and Devices.
In 1983/4 I was posted as OC 85 Transport Troop (Semi-Trailer) at Moorebank, Sydney – probably my most enjoyable posting where I got to see a lot of Australia (including as OC of the Mack Road Train Trials where vehicle and trailer modifications were performed by Haulmark Trailers, Brisbane) and worked with the best bunch of soldiers one could wish for. Following 85, I was posted as Adjutant 9 Tpt Regt at Randwick and, once again, travelled Aus.
I was posted as OC Canungra Transport Unit in 1986 and was counselled that, to get ahead, one needed a posting to Army Office. I found myself as Staff Officer to DGMAT-A (BRIG Salmon) Mat Branch-A for a year and then as a Project Manager in Vehicle Projects. I ushered in the last of the new semi trainers (Freuhauf) and tank/plant transporter trailers (Haulmark Trailers) and, later, the 8 tonne trailer (Haulmark Trailers).
Canungra called, once again, and I was posted as an Instructor, JSC, Land Warfare Centre, joining Gordon Smillie (who I will never forgive for involving me and Portier in delivering the RSM’s daughter home a couple of days before grad).
After JSC, BRIG Salmon called me back to Mat Div-A as his SO and then, once again, I moved into vehicle projects, becoming one of the initial members of Project Overlander (vehicle fleet replacement). This lasted for several years until I asked for a posting to Brisbane and was told that I had to go to Melbourne to write Logistic Policy. Bugger that, I thought, and moved to Brisbane in 98 on long service leave. During this time, I remarried (Richelle), built a house at Wellington Point and worked at the Open Learning Institute as a Project Manager (as well as doing ARes work at 7 CSSB). Obviously I wasn’t quite ready to leave the Green Machine and through 2000 and 2001, had a series of continuous part and full-time positions at 7 CSSB and HQ 7 Bde.
In 2001 I joined Haulmark Trailers as their Purchasing Manager and then, when the RFT for Project Overlander was issued, I became the Haulmark Project Overlander Project Manager.
In 2010, I joined Agility Project Logistics in Brisbane as their Australasian Tender Manager, completed my Masters in Project Management through USQ, and became an Inactive Reservist.
I have two daughters by my first marriage (Vicki – who was a Midshipman in the RAN, and Megan – who was a Tech Elec in RASigs).
By my second marriage, I have a daughter (Caitlin – Yr 12/16 years old) and son (Jack – Yr 5/10 years old) – which means, unlike a lot of you, I will not be retiring until I am at least 70!
