| Frank Hickling | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 October 1941 (age 82) |
| Place of birth | Gosford, New South Wales |
| Allegiance |
 Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | -2000 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held |
Chief of Army Australian Defence Force Academy Northern Command |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Officer of the Order of Australia Conspicuous Service Cross |
Lieutenant General Francis John "Frank" Hickling AO CSC (13 October 1941 – ) was a senior officer in the Australian Army whose career culminated with his appointment as Chief of Army. His appointment ended in 2000, at which time he retired from the Australian Defence Force.
Military career[]
Hickling graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea.[1] He undertook his Regimental postings with the Royal Australian Engineers[2] and saw service in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971.[3][4]
He was appointed Commander, Northern Command and received the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for service in that role in 1993.[5]
He went on to be General Officer Commanding Training Command and Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy[2] and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Army and Australian Defence Force in the field of military training in 1996.[6] In February 1998 he led a peace monitoring mission (Operation Bel Isi) to Bougainville following a break in the civil unrest that had existed in that country.[7]
He became Chief of the Army in 1998.[2] As Chief of the Army he deployed Australian troops to East Timor.[8]
In retirement he chaired the Review of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) Scheme which reported in 2008.[2]
Honours[]
- National Medal, 13 October 1977[9]
- Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC), 26 January 1993[5]
- Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 26 January 1996[6]
References[]
- ↑ Alumni website, Officer Cadet School, Portsea, www.ocsportsea.com
Hickling was the first OCS Portsea graduate to reach LTGEN and the first graduate to be appointed Chief of Army. - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Final Report, November 2008, Review of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) Scheme, pg.ii
- ↑ Sasha Uzunov (2009) Unsung Aussie General Saved Lives In Timor, East Timor Law & Justice Bulletin, 29 October 2009.
- ↑ HICKLING, Francis John, Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans, Department of Veterans Affairs.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC), 26 January 1993, It's an Honour
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 26 January 1996, It's an Honour
- ↑ Bob Breen, Chapter 10. Challenges during the first 12 months, Struggling for Self Reliance, Four case studies of Australia’s Regional Force Projection in the late 1980s and the 1990s, anu.edu.au
- ↑ Commandos under attack, 5 December 2009, Team Uzunov, teamuzunovmedia.blogspot.com
- ↑ National Medal, 13 October 1977, It's an Honour
The original article can be found at Frank Hickling and the edit history here.