Respected leader set up ‘first port of call’ for retired soldiers

Jon ‘Irish’ Hawkins left the army after his deployment as task group commander, setting up a company that has attracted retiring special forces soldiers.

Lieutenant Colonel Jon Hawkins.

Jon “Irish” Hawkins left the army after his 2012 deployment as task group commander, setting up a company that has become the “first port of call” for retiring special forces soldiers.

Omni Executive Pty Ltd is Defence’s go-to contractor for sensitive work, providing classified “management advisory services” to key areas including Special Operations Command and the Australian Signals Directorate.

“We provide our clients with customised solutions across all domains: physical, technical, human and cyber,” the company’s website says.

“Our core services comprise: security, specialist project and program consulting, vetting, and a full aerospace capability.”

Lieutenant Colonel Hawkins is well-liked and respected in military circles, retiring with a Distinguished Service Cross for his final command.

He told the Military Christian Fellowship that the 2012 tour “brought me the closest I have been to God”.

Lieutenant Colonel Hawkins told journalist Chris Masters that he wanted his troops to “get amongst it” in 2012, when he took command of the 18th rotation of Australian forces.

“I knew it would be my last turn and our last crack,” he said.