Defence Leaders: Army
Major General Michael (Mick) Hindmarsh, AO, CSC
Training Command - Army
Major General Mike Hindmarsh graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps in 1978.
Major General Hindmarsh saw regimental service as a Platoon Commander with 2/4 Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and as a Troop Commander, Squadron Commander and Commanding Officer with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).
As CO SASR, Major General Hindmarsh commanded the ANZAC Special Operations Force detachment to OPERATION POLLARD in Kuwait in 1998. More recently in 2003, as Deputy Commander of Special Operations Command, he commanded the Special Operations Component on OPERATION BASTILLE/FALCONER in the war against Iraq.
Upon promotion to Major General in October 2004 he assumed overall command of Australia's Special Forces and presided over an intensely busy operational period which saw Australian special forces soldiers committed to operations throughout the world.
During his service career, Major General Hindmarsh has also served in the following appointments:
• Headquarters Land Command as SO3 Operations;
• Headquarters United Kingdom Special Forces (HQ UKSF) as SO2 Training;
• Headquarters Special Forces (HQSF) as SO1 Operations; and
• Land Warfare Centre, Canungra as Brigade level tactics instructor.
Other notable appointments include a posting as Military Assistant (MA) to Chief of Army and as the Colonel Plans at Headquarters Australian Theatre where he was the lead operational planner for all of the ADF's operations in 2000 and 2001. These included, amongst others, ADF commitments to Timor-Leste, the Sydney Olympics, the Solomons and Afghanistan.
Major General Hindmarsh is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff College, Queenscliff, the Joint Services Staff College, Canberra and the United Kingdom Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS). Major General Hindmarsh was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) in 1999 for his performance as Commanding Officer of SASR.
In 2004 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his command and leadership on operations in the Middle East in 2003. In January 2008 he was elevated to an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his command and leadership as Commander Special Operations Command, Australia.
Major General Hindmarsh returned from a 12 month deployment in the Middle East as Commander Joint Task Force 633 in January 2009, and assumed command of Training Command Army.
Major General Hindmarsh is married to Deb and they have three sons. Major General Hindmarsh enjoys rock climbing, bush walking and rugby union.