Alumni Profiles

John Damien DUFF

Date Joined :
11 January 1973
Graduated :
14 December 1973

Military Service History

11 Jan ’73: Enlisted, OCS of Australia
15 Dec ’73: Commissioned 2LT, allocated to Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC)
1974: RAAC Troop Leader Course, Puckapunyal and Platoon Commander 1 RTB, Kapooka
1975-76: Tank Troop Leader, C Sqn 1 Armd Regt, Puckapunyal
1977: Promoted LT – Sqn LO, C Sqn 1 Armd Regt, Puckapunyal
1977-79: Promoted CAPT – APC Troop Leader and Regt Ops Officer, 4 Cav Regt, Brisbane
1980-81: Adjutant, 12/16 Hunter River Lancers, Tamworth
1982-May ’84: Instructor Armour / Offensive Operations Team Leader, OCS Portsea
1984-85: United Nations Military Observer, UNTSO, Palestine
1985-86: Promoted MAJ, Sqn Commander, A Sqn 3/4 Cav Regt then 2/14 Light Horse Regt
1987-88: Senior Instructor, RMC Duntroon
1988-89: Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto
1990-91: Promoted (LTCOL ’89), Director Personnel Employment, AHQ, Canberra
1992: ADF Gulf War I Study Team, HQADF, Canberra
1993-94: SO1 Aviation Policy, AHQ, Canberra
1995: Assistant Director Management Development, AHQ, Canberra
1996: Director Program Evaluation, AHQ, Canberra
Apr ’97: Transferred to Inactive Army Reserve
Aug ’06: Re-joined ADF – Army Reserve (serving in a variety of Active, Inactive or full-time service roles):
2006: Retention and Recruiting Implementation Team, Head Personnel Executive, Canberra
2007-08: Chief of Staff, HQ 11 Brigade, Townsville
2009-10: Director Joint & Combined Training Capability (J77), HQ Joint Operations Command
2011: Defence Review Secretariat, Vice Chief of Defence Force Group, Canberra
2012-Apr 14: Organisational Development Unit (ODU), Defence People Group, Canberra
2015-16: Army Gap Year Project Officer, AHQ, and further work with ODU, Canberra
2017-Current: ADF RideSAFE Program Manager, ADFHQ, Canberra

Decorations & Awards

Family

Son, Andrew Duff – served in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment including while deployed on operations in Afghanistan. He is now a Medic serving with a Special Operations Command unit.

Qualifications

Diploma in Defence Studies (Canadian Forces Staff College, Toronto) | Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (University of Canberra) | Degree of Master of Public Administration (University of Canberra) | Executive MBA (Mt Eliza Business College) | Associate Fellow of Australian Institute of Management

Civilian Employment

Uni of Canberra, Tutor in HRM (1995)
Airservices Australia (1997-2006):
– HR Adviser – specialising in job design, job evaluation, remuneration and contract management;
– Manager Technical Certification – overseeing the certification of (then) 600 technical staff;
– Business Manager – Research, Environment and Training Services Branch;
– Training Development Manager. Airservices Training College;
– Business Development Manager.
Key achievements included developing and implementing a sales strategy for Airservices for the Asia Pacific region; establishing business partnerships with national and international companies such as GHD Australia, Fletcher Construction Company, Thales ATM, Takenaka Corporation and major air navigation systems suppliers. While in this role, travelled extensively throughout the Asia Pacific region, winning Airservices’ only multi-million dollar off-shore airport (air-side) development project in the Philippines.

Description

Born in Melbourne and attended secondary schooling at St Bede’s College Mentone and Mornington Secondary College, while home for my teenage years was Mount Martha Victoria.
My military heritage is extensive; as those who attended OCS as Appy (Army Apprentices) finishing school will attest, my father was 2IC AAS in their day. LTCOL David Duff’s long and distinguished career commenced at Fort Nepean in Coastal Artillery, followed by WWII service in the Middle East (some of the same ground I trampled while at UNTSO), Borneo and New Guinea and on transfer to Armour, Korea as a Tank Troop Leader with 1RTR. Both my father and elder brother served in 1 Armd Regt – my first posting on graduation.
Mid-life crisis highlights included: Free-fall parachuting (A licence), restricted pilots licence, and a host of HSVs (V8s of course).
Now in later-life crisis I have taken up motorcycling (road and track) in a serious way having/had BMW F800GT (sold), R1200RT (sold), R1200RS and S1000RR (track bike).

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