Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
Michael David "Mick" Slater, (born 8 July 1958) is a retired senior officer of the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, 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 (CA), wh ...
, who served as
Commander Forces Command from November 2011 until his retirement in January 2015.
Early life
Slater was born in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
, Queensland, on 8 July 1958 to Harold Leslie Slater and Shirly Florence (née Butler).
Educated at
St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, Slater studied surveying at the
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area viz. Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove. The univ ...
before joining the Australian Army in 1978, where he graduated from the
Officer Cadet School, Portsea
The Officer Cadet School, Portsea (sometimes referred to as OCS Portsea) was an officer training establishment of the Australian Army. Established at Portsea in Victoria, Australia, in 1951 to provide training to officer cadets prior to commissio ...
.
Army career
Slater has commanded at all levels from platoon to brigade level. He served as a platoon commander in both the
8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) is a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Balikpapan in 1945 and sinc ...
, and later as intelligence officer, company commander and operations officer in
2nd/4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 2nd/4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (2/4 RAR) was an Australian Army infantry battalion. 2/4 RAR was formed on 15 August 1973 by linking 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. 2/4 RAR wa ...
. He was subsequently posted to the School of Infantry. In 1999–2000 he commanded
2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) is an amphibious light infantry battalion of the Australian Army part of the 1st Division Amphibious Task Group based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.
2 RAR was initially formed as the A ...
(2 RAR).
His operational commands have included 2 RAR, and the
3rd Brigade on operations in
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-west ...
, during
International Force for 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). Slater was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
for his distinguished command and leadership while commander of 2 RAR on Operation Warden, in East Timor.
[It's an Honour]
– Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Also he served as an operations staff officer in the United States 3rd Army Headquarters in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
on Operation Pollard.
He has undertaken formal education in mobilisation planning in the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
, and is a graduate of the
Army Command and Staff College
The Australian Defence College (ADC) comprises three joint education and training organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:
* the War College,
* the Australian Defence Force Training Cent ...
Fort Queenscliff
Fort Queenscliff, in Victoria, Australia, dates from 1860 when an open battery was constructed on Shortland's Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip. The Fort, which underwent major redevelopment in the late 1870s and 1880s, became the he ...
, the
Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC) is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving offic ...
, and the
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officer ...
. Slater holds master's degrees in Strategic Studies and Business Administration.
In January 2011, Slater was appointed to lead the Flood Recovery Taskforce overseeing recovery from the
2010–2011 Queensland floods
A series of floods hit Queensland, Australia, beginning in November 2010. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least 90 towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was estimated a ...
.
This taskforce subsequently transitioned into the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, where Slater remained until 31 August 2011, formally handing over to former Director of the
Defence Intelligence Organisation
The Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) is an Australian government military intelligence agency responsible for strategic intelligence and technical intelligence assessments, advising defence and government decision-making on national se ...
, Major General
Richard Wilson. For his efforts in heading the taskforce, along with his stints as Head of the Defence Personnel Executive and Commander 1st Division, Slater was appointed an
Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2012 Australia Day Honours List.
From 2011 to 2015 Slater served as
Commander Forces Command.
[
]
Personal
Slater wed Danielle Lisa Morris on 5 February 2000. He has two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage. He appeared on the Chaser's War on Everything because of his honest remarks to a newsreader.
Honours and awards
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Michael
1958 births
Australian generals
Australian military personnel of the International Force for East Timor
Graduates of the Officer Cadet School, Portsea
Living people
Officers of the Order of Australia
People from Brisbane
Queensland University of Technology alumni
Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia)
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
United States Army War College alumni
Military personnel from Brisbane
University of Southern Queensland alumni