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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS,
Calif. (5/11/2012) – Maj. Michael Johannes, the executive
officer of 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, was awarded
the Australian Chief of Army Gold Commendation Medal at a
ceremony here, May 9.
Brig. Paul Nothard (left), a
general with the International Engagement Branch, Australian Army,
congratulates and awards the Australian Chief of the Army Gold
Commendation Medal to Maj. Michael Johannes, the executive officer
of 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, during an awards ceremony
here, May 9, 2012. Johannes received the highest level of the
commendation for his work while serving as an individual augment in
the Marine Corps Foreign Personnel Exchange Program to Australia.
Johannes, from Keno, Ore., spent two years assigned to the
Australian Army's Experimental and Research Section. Photo by USMC
Cpl. Benjamin Crilly
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Brig. Paul Nothard, a general with the International Engagement
Branch, Australian Army, presented the medal to the artillery
officer for his accomplishments while serving as an individual
augment in the Marine Corps Foreign Personnel Exchange Program to
Australia.
The award is the highest of three levels of the
commendation awarded to individuals by the chief of the Army. The
billet is currently held by Lt. Gen. David Morrison who serves as
the senior officer in the Australian Army.
“The Australian
Army is a lot like the Marines,” said Nothard, who traveled half way
across the world to present the award. “You've got to earn awards
and medals. We don't just hand them out.”
Johannes, from Keno, Ore., spent two years in Australia assigned to
the Australian Army's Experimental and Research Section. He was
responsible for testing force structure plans for the coalition army
and advising on ways |
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to
improve the partnered force. |
“It's unbelievable what they do with the limited number of
resources and manpower that they have,” said Johannes, a
1995 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester,
Mass. “Their army is about an eighth the size of our Marine
Corps. They are small, but for their size they pack a really
good punch.”
His role in the exchange program allowed
Johannes to be a subject matter expert in expeditionary
warfare and enable the Australian Army to improve their
capabilities.
“The Australian Army is going through a
big transition right now, especially in their amphibious or
expeditionary warfare capability,” said Johannes. “Being a
Marine, we naturally know amphibious and expeditionary
operations; I was able to help them a lot with that.”
The exchange program allows Marines and Australian Army
personnel to train with the other's forces, gaining new
perspective and giving insights from their own methods of
conducting warfare.
“Anytime you are in an
organization for a while you just start seeing things
because that's the ways they have always been,” said
Johannes. “Anyone coming in from an outside organization and
taking a look at what they have is beneficial.”
Johannes was also able to see how another organization
operated and learn from them before returning to the
artillery community.
“They are really good planners,
so I took away some of the ways they plan and their
procedures for planning,” Johannes said.
In additions
to lessons learned, he also took home a valuable experience.
“When you go over to [Afghanistan] you are going to
operate with these guys,” said Johannes. “Having a shared
experience is very important, and that exchange program
allows us to do that.”
His hard work and contribution
was recognized by those he had worked with and he was
rewarded above his peers.
“Every exchange officer
doesn't automatically get a Chief of the Army Commendation
Medal,” said Nothard. “[Johannes] definitely earned that, so
it's fantastic for me to be able to come over and present
that in front of his battalion.”
“It's awesome. It's
an unbelievable honor,” said Johannes. “It was great seeing
Australian uniforms and hearing the accent again.”
Johannes will relinquish his position as the executive
officer of 3/11 in the coming weeks to be posted as a senior
adviser with a border adviser team.
More photos available below
By USMC Cpl. Benjamin Crilly
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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