Major Brook Buchan enlisted as a 17-year-old after finishing at the then Echuca High School, marrying the daughter of Tongala RSL’s Allan Wallace soon after.
He joined the Army as a radio mechanic in 1993 and later become a calibration technician in the electronics trade. In a career spanning almost 30 years, he has spent time on operations in workshops and later on in the force headquarters.
Allan Wallace, who is co-ordinating Major Buchan’s appearance at the Tongala ceremony, said the father-of-three would provide a great insight into the modern-day soldier.
His career has included three deployments of five-to-seven months duration to East Timor, Southern Iraq and Dubai in the Middle East.
He also conducted numerous “short’’ trips to the desert, ranging from four weeks to months in Iraq and Afghanistan, visiting every Middle Eastern location with Australian soldiers.
He was responsible for fitting countermeasure systems to vehicles to combat the improvised explosive device threats against our troops.
After seven years as a Warrant Officer Class One, he undertook a masters degree in Capability Management and commissioned to the rank of Major in 2019.
He currently manages all ground trades and technical courses for the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, working from the Army Logistic Training Centre at Bonegilla by the Hume Weir.
Major Buchan was a RAEME solider at Puckapunyal Logistics Battalion before being posted to 7 CSSB in 1997 where he was awarded a soldiers medallion for radio maintenance innovation initiatives.
He has a long list of achievements from his three decades of service and is a multiple award winner.
Major Buchan’s career aspirations are to obtain recognition of professional education on completion of his current CPM posting and complete a further CPM project officer role.
Longer term, Major Buchan aims to achieve sub-unit command of a RAEME workshop and become commanding officer of a logistic unit.
Major Buchan lives in Harrison, ACT. He enjoys mountain biking, snow skiing, four-wheel driving, travel, camping and motorcycle track riding.
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