When Brigadier Ian Errington AM, CSC (Retd) looks back on his 38 years in the Australian Army, there is certainly plenty to remember. He joined as a recruit in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become a brigadier, serving in artillery and intelligence, undertaking operational deployments and strategic postings across Southeast Asia, the United States and the United Kingdom, and eventually taking on senior roles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yet what is perhaps most interesting about Ian’s life is what he has chosen to do since leaving the Army.
His interests have taken him well beyond the traditional boundaries of a military career. He has walked the Kokoda Track, trekked in the Himalayas and along the Camino de Santiago, kayaked 2,356 kilometres down the Murray River to raise awareness and funds for veterans’ organisations, and developed a serious interest in target rifle shooting that has seen him competing at club, state and national level. He continues to work in the areas of national security and veterans’ issues and proudly serves as a Soldier On Ambassador.
From artillery to intelligence
Ian began his Army career as an artillery surveyor and sound ranger, including a first non-combat operational deployment to Irian Jaya. After being selected for officer training, he graduated from Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1980 and went on to hold a succession of artillery regimental appointments, including gun line section commander, gun position officer and regimental survey officer, before commanding the Divisional Survey Section and Divisional Sound Ranging Troop.
In 1986, he transferred to the Australian Intelligence Corps, a move that changed the direction of his career and eventually took him into strategic intelligence, counterintelligence and senior operational appointments.
Following strategic analyst training at the US Defense Intelligence Agency’s College in Washington DC, Ian worked with Australian and US strategic intelligence agencies, concentrating on Southeast Asia. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990–91, he led a project team examining Iraqi intentions and provided daily briefings to the US National Command Authority, contributing intelligence that helped inform high-level decisions during the conflict.
He later commanded the 1st Division Intelligence Company, where he championed the revitalisation of the Army’s human intelligence capabilities. He was subsequently appointed as the Commanding Officer and Chief Instructor of the Defence Intelligence Training Centre, overseeing its transformation into a joint service and inter-departmental institution. He was also involved in establishing a new National Surveillance Centre while seconded to the Australian Customs Service.
Another significant period of his career was spent in Indonesia. After undertaking advanced Indonesian language training in Yogyakarta, Ian served as Army Attaché and later as Head of the Australian Defence Staff in Jakarta, spending seven years in total as a military diplomat. During his time as Attaché, he was present when terrorists bombed the Australian Embassy and, immediately after the explosion, moved forward with others to help secure a breach in the perimeter and attend to those who had been wounded and killed.
In 2005, Ian was promoted to brigadier and deployed to Iraq on Operation Catalyst, where he served on the personal staff of General David Petraeus and had responsibility for building the headquarters of the new Iraqi Armed Forces. From 2011-2012, he deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper, again working under Generals Petraeus and John Allen, where he commanded key intelligence operations and advised on coalition intelligence matters.
His service brought numerous honours, including appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia, the Conspicuous Service Cross, a Group Bravery Citation and commendations from the Chief of the Defence Force and Chief of Army. For his contribution to Middle East conflicts, he was also awarded the US Legion of Merit and US Army Commendation Medal.
Places that stay with you
For all the countries and conflicts that have formed part of Ian’s career, some of his strongest memories are connected to places where history is particularly tangible.
When asked which of the places he has visited stands out most to him, he nominates the Kokoda Track because of its historical significance, as well as Long Tan in Vietnam. Gallipoli has eluded Ian but it is on his radar for a visit.
That interest in history sits alongside a broader curiosity about the countries and cultures he has encountered throughout his life.
Life after the Army
Ian transitioned to the public service in 2012 and was appointed Principal of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, becoming its longest-serving leader. Since then, he has continued to contribute to national security through roles including work with the Department of Defence’s International Policy Division and the Royal United Services Institute, while also remaining involved in Australia–Indonesia defence relations. He was an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra, but resigned to pursue an interest in commercial ISR drone opportunities.
His interest in veterans’ issues has remained equally strong. He contributed a submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide examining the role of leadership in the Australian Defence Force, is a member of the North Gold Coast RSL Sub Branch and is a member of the RSL Queensland State Tribunal.
His connection with the Belmont Shooting complex also reflects one of the interests that has become an important part of his life since leaving the Army: target shooting.
While still serving in Canberra, Ian would regularly drive past Majura Range and think that one day he would learn to shoot long-range target rifle. After retiring, he joined Canberra Rifle Club and began learning the discipline, later continuing at the Belmont Shooting Complex after moving to Queensland.
He now shoots every week and is an active member of the Queensland Rifle Association, taking part in club, state and national prize meetings. The sport is quite different from military shooting, Ian explains, comparing the distinction to ‘Formula One racing cars and stock cars’.
There is a refreshing lack of pretence in the way he talks about competition. He is still keen to test himself against the best shooters in the country, even while acknowledging that he has not always achieved the results he would have liked at championships. The attraction seems to lie as much in the process of learning and participating as it does in winning.
Always another challenge
That attitude extends well beyond the shooting range.
Ian is an enthusiastic endurance sports participant and adventurer, with the Kokoda Track, the Himalayas and the Camino de Santiago among the journeys he has undertaken. In early 2024, he kayaked the full 2,356 kilometres of the Murray River, using the challenge to raise awareness and funds for veterans’ support organisations.
Now another long walk is approaching.
In February, Ian plans to return to the Camino de Santiago, this time taking the Camino Francés after previously walking the Vía de la Plata route. The French route is the one most familiar to people who have seen films or photographs of the Camino, and it is also the route followed by the majority of pilgrims.
Ian is quick to point out, however, that he does not regard his own journey as a religious pilgrimage.
For him, it is simply another opportunity to walk a long way with mates, see somewhere new and spend time experiencing a different part of the world.
It is a fitting description of an approach to life that has continued long after his Army career ended. Ian has moved from artillery to intelligence, from military service to public service, from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the shooting range and some of the world’s great walking routes, while maintaining an enduring interest in the people, places and issues connected to Australia’s Defence community.
As a Soldier On Ambassador, he brings that breadth of experience to his work with veterans and their families. His own story demonstrates that a military career can take many different directions, and that leaving the ADF does not have to mean abandoning the interests, friendships, challenges or curiosity that have shaped a person’s life. On the contrary, it speaks to the importance of engaging new challenges.
For Ian, there is still a considerable distance left to travel.
It is a life that has involved considerable responsibility, but also a willingness to keep trying new things.
