Jim Molan

Infobox Military Person


name= Jim Molan
lived=
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=
caption=
nickname=
allegiance= flagicon|Australia Australia
serviceyears= 1968 - 2008
rank= Major General
branch= Australian Army
commands= Australian Defence College
1st Division
1st Brigade
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
unit=
battles= East Timor
Iraq War
* Operation Catalyst
awards= Officer of the Order of Australia
Distinguished Service Cross
laterwork=
Major General Andrew James (Jim) Molan AO, DSC is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army.

Education

"Jim" Molan joined the Australian Army following completion of his schooling in Victoria. On graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1971 he was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Queensland. He is a graduate of the ADF School of Languages where he studied Indonesian. He maintains an interest in aviation and holds civil commercial licences and instrument ratings for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and is accredited as a Master Project Director (MPD).

Military Career

Molan has a long and active military career. Regimental postings include:
* First Battalion, Pacific Island Regiment (Papua New Guinea) as a rifle platoon commander;
* Ninth Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, as Adjutant;
* Rifle company second-in-command and rifle company commander in the Third Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment;
* Commanding Officer of the Sixth Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=878860&search_type=simple&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Member of the Order of Australia - 26 January 1992
Citation: "For service to the Australian Army as Commanding Officer 6th Battalion, RAR".] ;
* Commander of the Army’s mechanized First Brigade
* Commander of the 1st Division and its Deployable Joint Force Headquarters.

Molan was the Commander of the Australian Defence College, including
* the Australian Defence Force Academy (a joint undergraduate university),
* the Australian Command and Staff College (a joint staff college for officers of Major equivalent rank) and
* the Australian Defence and Strategic Studies Centre (a course for civilians and officers of Colonel equivalent rank).

He served as the Army Attache in Jakarta as a Colonel between 1992 and 1994 and for this service he was awarded the Indonesian decoration Bintang Dharma Yudha Nararya in 1995. Between 1998 and 1999 Major General Molan was the Defence Attache in Jakarta as a Brigadier and served in East Timor. On the 25th March 2000 he was upgraded to Officer of the Order of Australia for his service in Indonesia and in East Timor. [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=879619&search_type=simple&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Officer of the Order of Australia - 25 March 2000
Citation: "For distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force as the Head of the Australian Defence Staff in Jakarta during the Indonesian and East Timor crisis."]

In April 2004, Major General Molan deployed for a year to Iraq as the Chief of Operations, Headquarters Multinational force in Iraq (MNF-I) during continuous and intense combat operations. For distinguished command and leadership in this period, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the Australian Government [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1132096&search_type=simple&showInd=true It's an Honour] - Distinguished Service Cross (Australian) - 26 January 2006
Citation: "For distinguished service in command and leadership in action while serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff Civil Military Operations with Multi-National Force - Iraq from April 2004 to April 2005, during Operation CATALYST."] and the Legion of Merit by the United States Government.

Major General Molan retired in July 2008. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2323002.htm Unleashed - Australian Broadcasting Corporation] ]

Post-Military

In August 2008 Molan released his first book, Running the War in Iraq. [ [http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/9780732287818/Running_the_War_in_Iraq/index.aspx Molan, Jim - Running the War in Iraq] ] The book concentrates on his experience as Chief of Operations in Iraq during 2004-2005, but contains some criticism about Australia's current capacity to engage in military conflict. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2008/s2310071.htm 7.30 Report - Australian Broadcasting Corporation 21st July 2008] ] In an August 2008 speech, Molan stated that "Our military competence was far worse than even we thought before East Timor, and people may not realise that the military performance bar has been raised by the nature of current conflict, as illustrated in Iraq and Afghanistan." [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24176666-5013460,00.html Anzac spirit but not battle ready] - The Australian, 14th August 2008]

Personal

Molan is married with three daughters and a son. His wife's name is Anne. His preferred name is Jim. [ [http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/army/jimMolan/default.htm ADF biography] ]

Honours and awards

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/army/jimMolan/images/20070601adf74181_042_lo.jpgOfficial photo] ( [http://www.defence.gov.au/copyright.cfm copyright] )
* [http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2321798.htm Molan, Jim - Australia's war unreadiness] - Unleashed, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4th August 2008
* [http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/paulkelly/index.php/theaustralian/comments/start_fighting_for_real Kelly, Paul - Blog] - The Australian, July 23rd 2008
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/insult-to-brave-iraqis/2006/12/08/1165081148384.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 To gloat is to insult many brave Iraqis] - Devine, Miranda - December 9th, 2007
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/dfj/dfj171a.pdf Australian Defence Force Journal, Issue No. 171, 2006] Includes Iraq Truisms: Five Truisms for the ADF out of Iraq, by Major General J. Molan, AO, 2006