The Cove Podcast

The Cove Podcast

The Cove Podcast aims to explore all aspects of Professional Military Education within the Australian Army. From short tips and soldier's fives to interviews of Army personnel on operations, find out how the men and women of today's Australian Army work towards professional excellence.

Episodes

September 7, 2025 48 mins
‘We are at the cutting edge of making what we have work.’ In this week’s episode, we sit down with BRIG Nick Wilson, Commander of the Australian Army’s newest brigade, the 10th Fires Brigade. Having just returned from Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, BRIG Wilson talks us through putting his brigade through the ultimate test providing short-range, ground-based air defence, long-range multi-domain strike and specialist targeting effect...
Mark as Played
‘[W]e're not like a professional sporting team that our whole week is designed around that gameday on Saturday, [our] people are required to do their job day in, day out ...’ In this week’s episode, we sit down with WO2 Tavis Nicholson, the Warrant Officer Physical Training Instructor (WOPTI) at the Royal Military College – Duntroon, to explore how physical preparation underpins preparing for and winning wars in the Australian Arm...
Mark as Played
‘[T]hat’s a brigade-sized amphibious operation planned and executed in a week …’ In this week’s episode, we dive into the Huon Peninsula Campaign of 1943–44 and examine how the Australian 9th Division used littoral operations to outpace and outfight the Japanese. Our guest this week – Dr Tom Richardson PhD – is a Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales – Canberra. He specialises in military history and amongst his ma...
Mark as Played
‘[T]he best piece of advice I've had in years past is that if it hurts a little ... there's probably a fair element of truth to it...’ In this week’s episode, we explore how to seek feedback and turn it into actionable advice for commanders. Our guest, WOFF Ken Robertson, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force (SEAC), is the Australian Defence Force’s most senior enlisted leader. As the first person appointe...
Mark as Played
August 10, 2025 48 mins
‘The scale of Talisman Sabre from a geographic perspective is difficult to comprehend and, in some cases, it can be quite difficult to describe.’ In this week’s episode, we talk through all things Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, the largest Australian Defence Force Exercise this year. Our guest this week – SQNLDR Zac Smit – is an Operations Officer in the Exercise Control on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 and has lived and breathed t...
Mark as Played
‘The way that we designed the Battle Group was on platform and systems of uncrewed and crewed variants that are theoretically attainable within the next two years ...’ In this week’s episode, we talk through combat experimentation in the Australian Army, getting after emerging technology, learning fast and developing the latest TTPs. Our guest this week – LTCOL Jake Penley – is the Commanding Officer of the 1st Armoured Regiment ...
Mark as Played
‘[On] basic para-course… you must be consciously competent … because you're the only person who is going to pull the reserve handle if there is a malfunction at that stage.’ This week’s episode is centred on how we can improve the training that we deliver in units, making the most of the resource that we have to develop creative training from the individual to the collective. Our guests this week are WO1 Brad Doyle and WO1 Mick Rey...
Mark as Played
'Watching those aircraft take off ... and knowing that you are part of that success, part of that story, there's not many better feelings.’ In this week’s episode, we talk about the challenges and opportunities of keeping the CH47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters in the air. Our guests are CAPT Shannon McGee and FSGT Jason Smart from the Army’s new 16 Aviation Support Battalion in Townsville, Queensland. CAPT Shannon McGee is a...
Mark as Played
July 13, 2025 56 mins
‘We are never going to be combat ineffective because of atmospherics... we can work in the rain, we can work in the mud, and we can work in the jungle.’ In this week’s episode, we talk all things infantry reconnaissance and how reconnaissance patrols enable the fight. Our guest this week - CPL Andrew Noseda - is currently the acting Platoon Sergeant for the Reconnaissance Platoon at the 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment....
Mark as Played
‘There are a number of things to [jamming] and I don’t think we necessarily train it well because it’s a very complex concept.’ In this week’s episode, we talk all things tactical communications or more specifically the options available to communicate within a combat brigade. Our guest this week – CAPT Jack Virtue – has been the signals officer for a combat signals regiment, a combat engineer regiment and an artillery regiment all...
Mark as Played
‘I was always the digger that had slightly out of regs hair, my sunnies fit so nicely on my head so why wouldn’t I put them there and I obviously love non-issued gear ...’ In this week’s episode, the creator of the popular Instagram page Tuesday Night Violence Co. joins us again to talk about his approach to junior leadership. CPL Mitchell Clark is currently posted as the Training Sergeant at 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wal...
Mark as Played
‘The reason [the adaptation] is so quick is because they’re being pressed by a very capable adversary.’ In this week’s episode, we shift focus to how Ukraine and Russia are adapting to the threat as each fight in war. Our guest this week – LTCOL James Ellis-Smith – has just raised the Training Intelligence (G72) cell at Forces Command Headquarters, feeding real-world analysis into our training to bring our adversary analysis into t...
Mark as Played
‘The guys are firing in bursts, but you can put a significant rate of fire down to allow us to extricate ourselves from a situation ...’ In this week’s episode, we are joined by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot from the 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville QLD. Recorded at the Avalon Air Show, our guest this week – CAPT Mac Purbrick – runs us through the state of play in Army aviation and how to fight rotary wing aircraft under all ...
Mark as Played
‘Strategically, Kashmir offers high altitude military advantage and critical water sources. Emotionally, it invokes pride, pain and nationalism on both sides.’ In this week’s episode, we talk about the most recent tensions in Kashmir, a contested region between India and Pakistan. Our guest this week – Dr Ashok Sharma PhD – is a Visiting Fellow at the University of New South Wales – Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy....
Mark as Played
‘Morale in the face of steel doesn’t always work.’ In this week’s episode, we take off from where we left off with the Bombing of Darwin and the Sparrow Force’s work in Timor combating the Japanese advance through South-East Asia and the Pacific. Joined by my regular co-host LTCOL Steve Young, this episode is about the turning point in the Pacific, the Battle for Milne Bay. Following the Bombing of Darwin and Sparrow Force’s deplo...
Mark as Played
‘Mobilising the Reserve provides the Regular Army with a relatively quick solution for plugging manpower gaps and also the means to prime the pump.’ In this week’s episode, the creator of the popular Instagram page Tuesday Night Violence Co. joins us again to talk about his reserve battalion.  CPL Mitchell Clark is currently posted as the Training Sergeant at 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (2/17 RNSWR). He has b...
Mark as Played
‘So, a fistfight ensues a couple of meters inside East Timor and the situation deteriorates very quickly.’ In this week’s episode, we talk through what it is like to deploy with no notice and little preparation onto an island that is on-fire and in turmoil. Our guest – COL John Papalitsas – was a brand-new infantry Platoon Commander at the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment when he got word that he would deploy his platoon to...
Mark as Played
‘You think your whole life is going to flash before your eyes but I couldn’t think of anything.’ In this week’s episode, we continue with the defence of the Dili Aerodrome, using 2/2 Independent Commando Company as a case study to examine a small Australian force going up against a large opposing military. Our guest – MAJ Guy Warnock – just returned from years in the Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) in Timor-Leste but this is not ...
Mark as Played
May 4, 2025 40 mins
‘Tough men wanted for tough missions.’ In this week’s episode, we continue with the island of Timor but go back to WWII, using Sparrow Force as a case study to examine a small Australian force going up against a large opposing military. Our guest – MAJ Guy Warnock – just returned from years in the Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) in Timor-Leste but this is not where his interest in the history of Timor first started. MAJ Warnock d...
Mark as Played
‘I taught 11,000 people how to put up a stretcher.’ In this week’s episode, the creator of the popular Instagram page Tuesday Night Violence Co. joins us to talk through equipment and gear setup. The creator – CPL Mitchell Clark – is currently posted as the Training Sergeant at 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (2/17 RNSWR) but spends his spare time providing ‘hot chips’ for diggers on fitness, gear and tactical pl...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Herd with Colin Cowherd

    The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.

    New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

    Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.