The Cove Podcast

In this episode of The Cove Podcast, John Hardgrave sits down with a former Canadian Army Colonel who traded snow boots for a slouch hat and brought 26 years of coalition experience with him.

From early service in the reserves as a bagpiper to deployments in Bosnia and Afghanistan, and later leading multinational warfighting seminars within Australia’s 1st Division, this conversation explores what happens when two professional armies—shaped by different histories, geographies, and cultures—collide in the best possible way.

They unpack the Canadian Army’s identity forged at Vimy Ridge, its bilingual and multicultural foundations, Arctic operations and the Canadian Rangers, and how a “do more with less” mindset contrasts with Australia’s operational focus in the Indo-Pacific. Along the way, they discuss coalition warfare, sustainment, capability development, and the subtle but telling differences between militaries—from equipment procurement to wearing the slouch hat correctly.

This episode is a practical and candid look at professional military culture, adaptability, and what junior and senior leaders alike can learn from operating across nations.

In this episode, we sit down with Sergeant John Welfare, winner of the 2025 Chief of Army Essay Competition and Chauvel Prize, to unpack his argument that the Australian Army must undergo a professional transformation if it is to remain relevant within the integrated force. Drawing on the story of Ignaz Semmelweis and the medical revolution of the 19th century, John challenges the Army to confront its institutional blind spots, rethink its expertise, and align its culture with external necessity rather than internal tradition. This is a conversation about jurisdiction, professional mastery, self-regulation and what it truly means to be a modern professional soldier.

In this episode of The Cove Podcast, John Hardgrave is joined by Major General Stephen Day, DSC AM, author of the ADF Leadership Doctrine, to explore leadership as a matter of character, not just competence. The conversation examines why moral courage, judgement, and self-awareness sit at the centre of leadership in the profession of arms, and how these principles apply whether leading ten people or ten thousand. Drawing on operational experience from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as
national crisis leadership during Australia’s drought response, Major General Day reflects on command, followership, decision-making under pressure, and what the doctrine demands of leaders when it matters most.

In this episode of The Cove Podcast, John Hargrave explores the fast-growing world of drone racing and uncrewed systems, focusing on the people, skills, and pathways behind the technology. Joined by Lance Corporal Chris Quayle and Captain Tom Gash from the ADF Drone Racing Association, the conversation examines how drone racing builds technical mastery, decision-making under pressure, and community across kids, cadets, serving members, and veterans. The discussion connects this emerging sport to modern Defence capabilities, highlights the crossover between hobbyist skills and military applications, and looks ahead to where drone racing and uncrewed systems are heading more broadly.

“One foot in the snow, here we go.”

In this week’s episode, the host sits down with WO2 Will McGovern (2/14 Light Horse Regiment) and SGT Nathan Groen (1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment) to explore their recent deployment to Alaska as Observer-Trainers with the 11th Airborne Division’s “Arctic Angels.” SGT Groen is the Direct Fire Support Weapon’s Platoon Sergeant at 1 RAR and WO2 Will McGovern is a Squadron Sergeant Major at 2/14 LHR. In January 2025, they supported the 11th Airborne Division’s rotation through the U.S. Army’s newest Arctic combat training centre, Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC), designed to test war-fighting capability in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

H-hour was at 0001 on 23 January 2025 with a large-scale airborne insertion: paratroopers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) jumped from C-130s and C-17s into Army Allen Airfield and Drop Zone Buffalo. Their mission: seize and secure the airfield, establish a foothold against not just an opposing force but one of the most unforgiving climates imaginable. Temperatures plunged below –35 °C as soldiers fought to gain positions, build defensive works, and operate under deep snow and arctic winds.

WO2 McGovern and SGT Groen explain how they were selected for this rotation, how they integrated with an allied formation and contributed as Observer-Trainers, and where they as the two Australian on the exercise tried to add insight in the joint, multinational context. They reflect on the logistical challenge of sustaining operations in sub-zero conditions, the physical and mental strain on troops, and the adjustments required in tactics, movement, and sustainment to remain effective when the environment is as lethal as the enemy.

Beyond the drop and snow-covered patrols, we dive into what Arctic warfare demands: from cold-weather equipment and sleep systems, through mobility on snow and skis/ahkios, to the scale of U.S warfighting. JPMRC 25-02 isn’t just a rotation — it’s part of a broader push by the U.S. Army and its allies to re-learn Arctic warfighting skills lost in two decades focused on counterinsurgency.

This episode offers a rare window into modern Arctic combat training — combining parachute assaults, joint multinational forces, and the brutal test of sub-zero environments. For planners and leaders in Australia’s Army, it’s a prompt to ask: are we ready to fight in the world’s harshest environments?

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