Ash Power

{{Infobox military person

|name= Brian Ashley Power

|image= Ash Power 070616-M-6609K-235.jpg

|caption= Power c. 2007

|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1957|01|20|df=yes}}

|birth_place= Wangaratta, Victoria

|death_date=

|death_place=

|placeofburial=

|allegiance= Australia

|branch= Australian Army

|serviceyears= 1975–2014

|rank= Lieutenant General

|unit=

|commands= Chief of Joint Operations
Training Command
1st Division
1st Brigade
4th Field Regiment

|battles=

|awards= Officer of the Order of Australia
Conspicuous Service Cross
Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)

|laterwork=

}}

Lieutenant General Brian Ashley "Ash" Power {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO,|CSC}} (born 20 January 1957) is a retired senior officer of the Australian 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 in January 1975. He graduated nearly four years later in December 1978 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Artillery. 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, Camberley, United Kingdom, and has also attended Command and Staff College, Bangkok, Thailand.

In November 1998 Power deployed to Bougainville Island on Operation Belisi as the Chief of Staff, and in September 1999 was deployed as the Colonel Operations for International Force East Timor (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 on 22 November 2002, and assumed command of the 1st Brigade on 6 December 2002.[http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download/2004/May/310504/power_bio.pdf Australian Defence Force Biography as Commander, 1st Brigade], May 2004.

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, and in November 2006 was posted as Commander Joint Task Force 636.{{Cite web |url=http://www.contactairlandandsea.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=623 |title=Task Force home from Fiji |access-date=7 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050624132019/http://contactairlandandsea.com/modules.php?name=News |archive-date=24 June 2005 |url-status=dead }}

Power served as Australian Commander of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2007 (TS07)[http://www.defence.gov.au/exercises/ts07/q&a.htm Exercise Talisman Saber Question & Answers] – "The Commander of the Task Force Legais (a fictional land mass represented in part by Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA)), the live portion of the exercise, is Australian Major General Ash Power, Commander 1 Division." 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 in the 2012 Australia Day Honours List.{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.gov.au/res/file/2012/honours/ad2012/Media%20Notes%20AO(Mil)%20(final).pdf |title=Officer (AO) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia |accessdate=26 January 2012 |work=Australia Day 2012 Honours Lists |publisher=Website of the Governor-General of Australia |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227132953/http://www.gg.gov.au/res/file/2012/honours/ad2012/Media%20Notes%20AO%28Mil%29%20%28final%29.pdf |archivedate=27 February 2012 }}

Ash Power is a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and Bougainville.{{Cite web |url=http://bordermail.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/new-club-an-oasis-at-barracks/782619.aspx |title=Major General Power, a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and Bougainville |access-date=7 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728070207/http://bordermail.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/new-club-an-oasis-at-barracks/782619.aspx |archive-date=28 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}

Personal

In 1978, Power married Narelle.[http://www.govhouse.qld.gov.au/news_media/archive/2005/oct.asp Major General Ash Power, CSC and Mrs Narelle Power] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721215026/http://www.govhouse.qld.gov.au/news_media/archive/2005/oct.asp |date=21 July 2008 }} at Government House, Queensland, October 2005. They have two daughters.

Honours and awards

100px

class="wikitable"
rowspan=2\|100x20px	Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)	26 January 2012[http://www.gg.gov.au/res/file/2012/honours/ad2012/Media%20Notes%20AO(Mil)%20(final).pdf Officer of the Order of Australia – 26 January 2012] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227132953/http://www.gg.gov.au/res/file/2012/honours/ad2012/Media%20Notes%20AO%28Mil%29%20%28final%29.pdf \|date=27 February 2012 }} Citation: For distinguished service as Commander of the 1st Division, Commander Training Command – Army and Head Military Strategic Commitments.
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	(12 June 2006)
100x20px	Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)	26 January 1998[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/914125 Conspicuous Service Cross – 26 January 1998]
100x20px	Australian Active Service Medal	with EAST TIMOR, ICAT clasps
100x20px	INTERFET medal
100x20px	Afghanistan Medal
100x20px	Australian Service Medal	with BOUGAINVILLE clasp
100x20px	Defence Force Service Medal with 4 clasps	(35–39 years of service)
100x20px	Australian Defence Medal
100x20px	ISAF	NATO ISAF medal – 'International Security Assistance Force' medal
100x20px	Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)	c. March 2006[http://www.defence.gov.au/defencemagazine/editions/200603/coverstory/coverstory.htm Signs of the times], Defence magazine, March 2006.Officer of the Legion of Merit citation extract: "For exceptionally meritorious service as the Director, Combined Planning Group (CPG)" in the period from June 2004 to June 2005. "His expertise in strategic analysis and deliberate planning shaped the CPG's structure and mission, assured a firm foundation for the development of quality planning and assessment efforts, and promoted continued growth of CPG capabilities. He coordinated CPG efforts with USCENTCOM (US Central Command) leadership to provide valuable international perspectives to ongoing planning and analysis, better capitalise on the intellectual capacity of select international officers by integrating them into key theatre headquarters staff processes and products, and to develop and incorporate analytical constructs for use at the strategic-theatre level. Brigadier Power's exemplary performance, dynamic leadership and exceptional devotion to duty reflect great credit upon himself, the Australian Army, and his country."
100x20px	Meritorious Service Medal (United States)	[http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/other/powerAsh/20110603adf201084LJB_011_lo.jpg Official Portrait], [http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/other/index.htm#Power], June 2011.

References

External links

[http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download/2007/apr/20070426/20070424cpansw8025730_048_lo.jpg Copyright photo of Major General Ash Power AM CSC, Commander 1st Division], 26 April 2007. Source:[http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download/2007/apr/20070426/index.htm Kapyong Parade for 3rd Battalion]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110608103948/http://www.defence.gov.au/defencemagazine/editions/200603/photos/coverstory6.jpg General John Abizaid (US Army), right, presents Major General Ash Power with The Legion of Merit award] Photo by Phill Vavasour

{{succession box|

title=Chief of Joint Operations|

before=Lieutenant General Mark Evans|

after=Vice Admiral David Johnston|

years=2011–2014|

}}

{{succession box|

title=Commander 1st Division|

before=Major General Mark Kelly|

after=Major General Richard Wilson|

years=2005–2007|

}}