Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Brian Ashley "Ash" Power (born 20 January 1957) is a retired senior officer of the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

. Power served as Chief of Joint Operations from 2011 until his retirement in May 2014.

Military career

Power entered the

Royal Military College, Duntroon The Royal Military College, Duntroon, also known simply as Duntroon, is the Australian Army's Officer (armed forces), officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon in Canberra, Australian Capi ...

in January 1975. He graduated nearly four years later in December 1978 and was allocated to the

Royal Australian Artillery The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's f ...

. He was posted to the 4th Field Regiment for regimental duty and performed the functions of Section Commander, Gun Position Officer, and Assistant Adjutant. He later returned to command the Regiment, for which he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 1998. He has been an instructor at the School of Artillery, the Royal Military College, Duntroon and the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

, Camberley, United Kingdom, and has also attended Command and Staff College,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

, Thailand. In November 1998 Power deployed to

Bougainville Island Bougainville Island (; Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. Its land area is . The highest point is Mount Balbi, on the main island, at . The much smaller Buk ...

on Operation Belisi as the Chief of Staff, and in September 1999 was deployed as the Colonel Operations for

International Force East Timor The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) was a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia in accordance with United Nations resolutions to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took ...

(INTERFET). He was posted as the Defence Attaché Thailand in January 2000, and on his return in January 2002, studied at the Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Canberra. Power was promoted to

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

on 22 November 2002, and assumed command of the 1st Brigade on 6 December 2002. In 2005 Power was promoted to major general, and assumed command of the 1st Division on 2 July 2005. In June 2006 he became a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

, and in November 2006 was posted as Commander Joint Task Force 636. Power served as Australian Commander of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2007 (TS07) before assuming command of Training Command, Army on 6 July 2007. In May 2011, Power was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) and Commander of Headquarters, Joint Operations Command (HQJOC). He was upgraded to an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the 2012 Australia Day Honours List. Ash Power is a veteran of

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...

and Bougainville.

Personal

In 1978, Power married Narelle.Major General Ash Power, CSC and Mrs Narelle Power
at Government House, Queensland, October 2005. They have two daughters.

Honours and awards

References

External links

Copyright photo of Major General Ash Power AM CSC, Commander 1st Division
26 April 2007. Sourc
General John Abizaid (US Army), right, presents Major General Ash Power with The Legion of Merit award
Photo by Phill Vavasour {{DEFAULTSORT:Power, Ash 1957 births Military personnel from Victoria (state) Academics of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Academics of the Staff College, Camberley Australian generals Australian military personnel of the International Force for East Timor Australian military personnel of the Iraq War Australian military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Chiefs of Joint Operations (Australia) Living people Officers of the Legion of Merit Officers of the Order of Australia People from Wangaratta Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia) Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates Australian recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)