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 a ...

Natasha Anne Fox, is a senior officer in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, 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 (Austral ...

. She joined the army via the

Australian Defence Force Academy The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Aus ...

(ADFA) in 1988 and has spent much of her career in

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

and training roles. She served as Commanding Officer/Chief Instructor at ADFA from 2009 to 2010, and deployed on operations to Israel, Syria and Lebanon and to Afghanistan. She was Head People Capability from November 2018 to December 2021, and assumed her current appointment as

Deputy Chief of Army The Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) is the second most senior appointment in the Australian Army, responsible to the Chief of Army (CA). The rank associated with the position is major general ( 2-star). The current appointee is Major General Natas ...

in February 2022. She is the first woman to serve as a deputy service chief in the Australian Defence Force.

Military career

Fox entered the

(ADFA) as an

officer cadet Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Ai ...

in 1988. She graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1990 and, following additional training at the

Royal Military College, Duntroon lit: Learning promotes strength , established = , type = Military college , chancellor = , head_label = Commandant , head = Brigadier Ana Duncan , principal = , city = Campbell , state ...

, was commissioned an officer in 1991. Her early career included a series of logistics and training appointments, a period as aide-de-camp to the Chief of Army, and a posting to the Middle East as a

military observer A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

with the

United Nations Truce Supervision Organization The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Established amidst the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, its primary task was initially to provide the military c ...

. Fox was Commanding Officer/Chief Instructor at ADFA from 2009 to 2010. For her "outstanding achievement" in the role, Fox was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2012 Australia Day Honours. She was next posted as Staff Officer Grade One Personnel Policy at Australian Army Headquarters and, in June 2012, deployed on

Operation Slipper The Australian contribution to the war in Afghanistan has been known as Operation Slipper (2001–2014) and Operation Highroad (2015-2021). Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations and the size of the forces deployed have varied and ADF invol ...

as chief of staff of Joint Task Force 633, the command responsible for all Australian forces in the Middle East Area of Operations. She returned to Australia in January 2013 as Director of Personnel Policy – Army. In the 2014 Australia Day Honours, Fox was appointed a

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

for her "exceptional performance of duty" in the Middle East. Fox was serving as Director General Workforce Planning Branch by 2016. In November 2018, she was appointed Head People Capability, with oversight for the recruitment and retention of personnel, the workforce structure of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), and the transition of personnel from service to civilian life. Fox handed over People Capability to Major General Wade Stothart in December 2021 and, on 2 February 2022, succeeded Major General Anthony Rawlins as

. Fox is the first woman to serve in the role and the first woman to be appointed a deputy service chief in the ADF. In announcing her appointment, the Minister for Defence Personnel,

Darren Chester Darren Jeffrey Chester (born 13 September 1967) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives for Gippsland in Victoria, representing the Nationals since 2008. Chester had served as the Minister for Veterans ...

, said "Fox is leading the way for other women in the ADF" and acknowledged her "accomplishments and contribution to the nation".

Personal life

Fox is married to Commodore Andrew Willis, an officer in the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

. They have two children. In addition to her bachelor's degree, Fox holds a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accoun ...

from the

University of Southern Queensland The University of Southern Queensland (branded as UniSQ and formerly branded as USQ) is a medium-sized, regional university based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, with three university campuses at Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich. It offe ...

, a Master of Management in Defence Studies from the

University of Canberra The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. U ...

, and a Master of Politics and Policy from

Deakin University Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia. Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Natasha Australian generals Australian military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Deakin University alumni Female generals of Australia Graduates of the Australian Defence Force Academy Living people Members of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia) Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates University of Canberra alumni University of New South Wales alumni University of Southern Queensland alumni Year of birth missing (living people)