Our Patron - Brigadier John Carey CSC MSM

The Head of Corps of RAE, Brigadier John Carey CSC MSM has accepted the role of the Patron for 1 FD SQN GP RAE Association. BRIG Carey mentioned that he would scribe notes for a future HOC to fill the role of our Patron going forward. This means that when BRIG Carey moves on in his career, the incoming HOC will also be offered the role of being our Patron automatically.

Brigadier Carey is the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Joint Operations Command, a position he has held since May 2019. He is also the Head of Corps, Royal Australian Engineers.

Brigadier Carey as a Sapper officer has commanded at multiple levels. As a Lieutenant, he served as a combat engineer troop commander in the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment and the School of Military Engineering. As a Captain, he commanded a specialist training wing at the School of Military Engineering. As a Major, he commanded the 16th Combat Engineer (Ready) Squadron, 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment in East Timor. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment in support of the 7th Brigade during operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, South-East Asia, Pacific and the Queensland Floods. As a Colonel and a Senior United Nations Military Observer, he commanded the Australian Contingent in South Sudan.

Brigadier Carey has served on operations in East Africa (South Sudan and Uganda ‘16); Afghanistan (‘10 and ‘11/12); Middle East (Israel and Jordan ‘98); East Timor (‘99/00 and ‘03); and in the South West Pacific (Bougainville ‘98). He has operational experience in complex environments including counterinsurgency, war fighting, humanitarian, peace keeping, stability and disaster relief missions.

His other appointments include service as an instructor at the School of Military Engineering in Sydney; and on exchange at the Royal School of Military Engineering in the United Kingdom; and the US Army Engineer School in the United States. He has also been a tactics instructor at both the School of Armour and the Royal Military College - Duntroon. His employment as a staff officer includes: Headquarters Joint Operations Command as the Director of Global Operations, responsible for military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Middle East, Africa, Ukraine and the Indian Ocean; and Army Headquarters in both the Directorate of Army Operations and the Directorate of Soldier Career Management - Army.

Brigadier Carey is a Fellow at the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies and is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy, Royal Military College - Duntroon, Australian Command and Staff College, University of New South Wales, Deakin University, The Cranlana Programme, ADF Commander Joint Task Force Course and the Combined Joint Force Land Component Commander Course at the U.S. Army War College. He holds postgraduate qualifications in management and international relations, and has completed training with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Harvard Business School.

Brigadier Carey is married to Aly (1996) and has two children, Grace (19) and Jack (16). He has travelled extensively throughout the world, supports many charities and is a keen sportsman.