BRIGADIER S.H. AYLING, AM

Brigadier Steve Ayling is currently Director General Military Strategy in Strategy and Ministerial Services Division, ADHQ. He was promoted to Brigadier and assumed his appointment in March 1999. Since this time, Brigadier Ayling has completed two temporary appointments which included a detachment to Strategic Command as the Director General INTERFET Branch from September until November 1999, where he coordinated the establishment of the multi-national force that operated in East Timor. He was also appointed as the Director General Defence Review 2000 Secretariat from June until October 2000 where he was responsible for the conduct of the community and defence consultation in preparation for the release of the Defence White Paper.

Brigadier Ayling graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1975 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. He completed the British Army Telecommunications Engineering Management Course at the Royal School of Signals located in Blandford Forum in the UK, and after several communications staff and regimental appointments attended the Pakistan Army Command and Staff College, Quetta in 1986.

Brigadier Ayling has commanded 103 Signal Squadron 3rd Brigade and the 2^nd Signal Regiment, and served on the Directing Staff at the Australian Army Command and Staff College. He deployed to Cambodia in 1992 as Commander of the Australian Contingent to the UNAMIC and the UNTAC Missions. In this appointment he was also Commanding Officer of the Force Communications Unit (FCU) and Chief Signals Officer on HQ UNTAC. The FCU comprised Australian Army, RAAF, RAN and New Zealand Defence Force personnel.

On his return to Australia Brigadier Ayling attended Joint Services Staff College followed by a staff appointment in Joint Communications Electronic Branch Operations Division HQADF prior to his promotion to Colonel on appointment as Director of Plans-Army. Following this appointment he attended the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, graduating as a member of Academic Year 1998 in July 1998.

Brigadier Ayling was educated at Kurri Kurri High School NSW. He completed a Bachelor of Science Honours (Class 1 – Physics) degree while at the Royal Military College. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science Honours (War Studies) degree from the University of Baluchistan while at Command and Staff College, and completed a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies while at Joint Services Staff College.

BRIG Ayling was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (Military Division) in 1993 for services as a Commanding Officer 2nd Regiment and Commander of the Australian Contingent UNTAC. He and his wife Claire have three children.