Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Aruma named deputy commander of 3rd Brigade

The new Deputy Commander of 3rd Brigade will move to Australia from Papua New Guinea in a defence-first move to strengthen ties. Here’s why the change is so important.

PNGDF soldier Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Aruma will be the Deputy Commander of 3rd Brigade. Picture: Evan Morgan

In a first for Australian Defence a Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldier will be the next Deputy Commander of the Townsville-based 3rd Brigade.

Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Aruma is set to take up his new role in January and said he had honoured to have been chosen for the role.

“I feel so privileged. There are many in our organisation that would put up their hand for this job and for me to be selected among many I feel privileged and blessed to be identified and given this opportunity to come across.”

He joined the PNGDF straight from school and has a service record spanning 27 years and in 2017 was awarded the Distinguished Military Service Medal.

Lieutenant Colonel Aruma will reside in Townsville with his wife and five of his eight children for the duration of his two-year posting.

PNGDF soldier Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Aruma will be the Deputy Commander of 3rd Brigade. Picture: Evan Morgan

He is a regular visitor to North Queensland and was looking forward to assuming his role to further enhance the PNG and Australian Defence relationship and interoperability.

“From the outset, I can say that my presence here will go to reinforce the enduring relationship the PNGDF has with the Australian Defence Force and in particular 3rd Brigade,” Lieutenant Colonel Aruma said.

“I see I see myself adding value in terms of providing advice and information that could shape and enable 3rd Brigade to really try to really target those areas where they can add value within the PNG Defence Force, especially the land component in the growth and development of our army.”

He said 3rd Brigade had had a long relationship with the PNGDF.

“The relationship is ongoing and the relationship goes back a long way,” Lieutenant Colonel Aruma said.

“The relationship we have between brigade and PNGDF land elements component is very, very strong and this is a very significant appointment.

“We are we’ve got Army officers stationed in secondment positions throughout Australia. But they sit in lower ranks. This is very, a giant leap for us as an organisation.”

The brigade Commanding Officer Brigadier Dave McCammon said Lieutenant Aruma’s appointment was the next evolution in the relationship between the PNGDF and 3rd Brigade.

“We have had a longstanding relationship for a few decades now and this is the final step in bringing us so close together as a force that continually operates together in the near region,” the brigadier said.

“He will be fully empowered to be the Deputy Commander of 3rd Brigade and that will mean he will deputise when I am around, he will fill when I am not there.

“But also he is going to bring to us different experiences and ability to help us to engage better into the region.

“He comes with an amazing amount of experience in the PDF he’s been here on exchange numerous times and he brings the ability to look at a situation with a different set of eyes and see opportunities that we generally may not see in the space.

“The Deputy Commander coming in is not only great for the brigade but I think it is great for the city of Townsville

“It will bring a closer relationship with Papua New Guinea and Townsville and we are so close, nearest neighbour, and we will see that great relationship grow through this army lens.”

The Deputy Commander was also about the opportunities for his wife and children in Townsville.

“They will get exposure to life outside of PNG so they don’t feel restricted so they can open up so they know that there’s a bigger world outside.”

He said his family were also devoted rugby league supporters.

“The entire family’s Broncos and Queensland (supporters). But now that we will be in Townsville, we will have to reconsider consider that.”

Originally published as Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Aruma named deputy commander of 3rd Brigade