officer for the few months before LTCOL Cosgrove took the reins . It was a Friday afternoon , so with the family bundled into the car , John drove to his parent ’ s Atherton Tablelands farm . Barry was on the end of the verandah closest to the driveway when John jumped out of the car and called : “ How are you going ?”. “ You ’ re not seriously here to ask me if you should be MA to the Chief of Army , are you ?,” Barry asked . “ If you don ’ t you ’ re a fool !” Barry had been MA to two Deputy Chiefs of Army in the mid 70s . End of discussion . John said the primary reason for making the three-hour drive did not rate another mention during the weekend visit and when he rang BRIG Evans on Monday morning to accept the offer , he was told the posting order had already been struck . The job changed his outlook completely . “ It opened my eyes ,” John said . “ Sitting next to the Chief showed me the big Army . “ Up until that point , I had only ever been concerned about being a CO . “ As a military assistant , I saw how an infantry battalion fitted into the Army , how it was a very small part of a very big organisation . “ Up until that point , I considered the infantry battalion WAS the army . Operation Slipper - 2009
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