Frank Hickling
| Frank Hickling | |
|---|---|
| Born |
13 October 1941 (age 73) Gosford, New South Wales |
| Allegiance |
 Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1961–2000 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held |
Chief of Army Land Command Australian Defence Force Academy Northern Command |
| Battles/wars |
Vietnam War Operation Bel Isi |
| Awards |
Officer of the Order of Australia Conspicuous Service Cross |
Lieutenant General Francis John "Frank" Hickling AO, CSC (born 13 October 1941) is a retired senior Australian Army officer, whose career culminated with his appointment as Chief of Army from 1998 to 2000.
Military career
Hickling graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1961.[1][2] He undertook regimental postings with the Royal Australian Engineers,[3] and saw service in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971.[4][5]
Hickling was appointed Commander, Northern Command and received the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for service in that role in 1993.[6] This was followed by a posting as General Officer Commanding Training Command from 1992 to 1994.[1]
Made commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1995,[3] Hickling 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.[7] He then served as Land Commander Australia from 1996 until 1998.[1] In February 1998, he led Operation Bel Isi, a peace monitoring mission to Bougainville following a break in civil unrest in the country.[8]
Hickling was promoted lieutenant general and appointed Chief of the Army in 1998.[3] As Chief of the Army he deployed Australian troops to East Timor.[9]
In retirement he chaired the Review of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) Scheme which reported in 2008.[3]
Honours
- National Medal, 13 October 1977[10]
- Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC), 26 January 1993[6]
- Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 26 January 1996[7]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Singh 2010
- ↑ Alumni website, Officer Cadet School, Portsea, www.ocsportsea.com
Hickling was the first OCS Portsea graduate to reach lieutenant general and the first graduate to be appointed Chief of Army. - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 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.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC), 26 January 1993, It's an Honour
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 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
References
- Singh, Shivani (2010). Who's Who in Australia 2010. Melbourne, Australia: Crown Content. ISBN 1-74095-172-7.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lieutenant General John Sanderson |
Chief of Army 1998–2000 |
Succeeded by Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove |