David Welch joined the Australian Army in 1978 directly from secondary school. He undertook officer training at RMC Duntroon and graduated in 1982 with a degree in mechanical engineering and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He served in maintenance engineering roles throughout Australia, as an instructor in Malaysia and on exchange with the British Army in Germany.
David commanded the 1st Combat Service Support Battalion in Darwin, and in 2002 was the senior logistics and support staff officer in the UN peacekeeping force in East Timor.
David left the Army in 2011 after 33 years’ service. He then transitioned into the private sector where he managed the Canberra branch of a national IT services company. In this role he encouraged his employer to Sign the Soldier On Pledge; the company has employed a number of service spouses through Soldier On and regularly participates in Pathways Networking Events.
In recent years David has taken up cycling as his preferred sport and recreation. He leads a cycling group in Canberra each Sunday, and has represented Soldier On in the annual Pollie Pedal ride.
On leaving full-time Army service, and joining the veteran community, David has become aware of the difficulties many veterans face in integrating into the wider Australian community. As a Service Ambassador to Soldier On, David’s aim is to raise community awareness of the difficulties faced by many veterans and to assist veterans and their families who have been impacted by their service.