The AALD was deeply honoured in May to have LtGen Stephen D Sklenka USMC, Deputy Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command, as its 2024 Leadership Dialogue Scholar.
The extensive cross-country program, including Victoria, WA, South Australia and the ACT, included significant engagement with leaders from government, industry, defence and security, innovation, and civil society to promote a free and open, rules-based Indo-Pacific, that ensures freedom of navigation, adherence to international law and the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations within the region.
The 2024 Leadership Dialogue Scholar tour included dialogue on regional defence, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, Pacific Island security, Australian manufacturing, and future workforces.
The week-long program began with a cultural immersion in Melbourne, where the Deputy Commander attended his first AFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Aside from being a closely fought match between Collingwood and Adelaide, the venue is of great significance to the U.S. Marine Corps, as it was at the MCG where the U.S. Marine Corps were housed during the Second World War after a difficult campaign at Guadalcanal. The legendary First Division of the United States Marine Corps – of which LtGen Sklenka is an alumnus – found a home away from home during their nine-month stay in 1943, far from the brutality of the Pacific war. On their eventual departure from Melbourne, the Marines had helped to strengthen military and cultural ties between the two nations, and had also adopted Waltzing Matilda as their new battle hymn – which remains as the official song of the 1st Marine division to this day.
Following Melbourne, our two day visit to WA included dialogue about the challenges and opportunities with our critical minerals and rare earths processing with key government and industry leaders. General Sklenka’s visit also included a full-day briefing and site visit at HMAS Stirling, the future home of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines and host of the rotational presence of US and UK nuclear submarines, where we received briefings from the Commanding Officer regarding future workforce challenges, community engagement and support, and security, environmental, and policy issues that are being addressed.
The Leadership Dialogue Scholar program in Perth was supported by the Hon Kim Beazley AC, General the Hon Sir Peter Cosgrove AC AK (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd), Rear Admiral Justin Jones CSC, and His Excellency the Hon Chris Dawson AC APM.
Midweek, LtGen Sklenka was welcomed to the University of Adelaide for a Leadership Dialogue program on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space, information and influence, and Pacific perspectives on international security. The Adelaide program was strongly supported by Lieutenant General Rick Burr AO DSC MVO (Retd), Professor Peter Hoj AC, Hon Stephen Mullighan MP, and Her Excellency the Hon Frances Adamson AC.
Building upon the trip to HMAS Stirling, Australia’s progress on AUKUS Pillar I was viewed at the Osborne Naval Shipyards, the home of the Collins submarine life-of-type-extension, and future manufacturer of SSN-AUKUS. We were hosted by the Australian Submarine Agency and Australian Naval Infrastructure, and engaged in extensive discussions about enabling works, US-Australian employee exchanges and interoperability, technology transfers, and gaining and retaining future workforces.
LtGen Sklenka addressed the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, highlighting the history and importance of the US-Australian alliance, the bilateral engagement on AUKUS Pillars I and II, the risk of miscalculation during PLA aggression in the South and East China Seas, and the ‘unsurprising’ Chinese response to the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President, where joint military drills by the PLA are being undertaken in the Taiwan Strait. The National Press Club address can be viewed via the link below:
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/national-press-club-address/series/0/video/NC2412C010S00
Following the National Press Club address, the Deputy Commander met with the Secretary of the Department of Defence, Mr Greg Moriarty, before taking a tour of the Australian War Memorial and laying a wreath at the Last Post Ceremony, alongside Chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Angus Campbell AO DSC. CDC Data Centres then hosted a Leadership Dialogue dinner for the Deputy Commander, AALD partners, and defence and security leaders.
The AALD Scholar Program returned to Melbourne, at the end of the week, for a day of press briefings, with Michael Rowland on ABC Breakfast and Laura Jayes on AM Agenda on Sky News, and an afternoon program on cybersecurity hosted by Chris Hancock AM at the Australian Academic Research Network (AARNet).
What a rewarding and enriching week for the Deputy Commander and the AALD. We would like to thank all of our partners for their extensive support of and participation in the program, without which such an illuminating week would not have been possible. All eyes now firmly turn towards the AALD Forum in Washington this coming July.
