It is not every day a soldier receives a Federation Star for 40-plus years' service, but last month, 65-year-old Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Rodney Speter received two.
Federation Stars are awarded after 40 years of service for the first star and another is awarded for each subsequent five-year period.
WO1 Speter, of Land Combat College (LCC), received his two stars for 45 years' service from Deputy Chief of Army Major General Christopher Smith on June 26 at the School of Armour, Puckapunyal.
WO1 Speter enlisted as an Infantry Corps soldier in April 1978.
"I didn't have any family in the military to follow, but I enlisted after enjoying my time in Army Cadets at school," WO1 Speter said.
"After Kapooka I completed my infantry IET (initial employment training) courses in 8/9RAR (8th/9th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment) in Brisbane."
WO1 Speter then served in a number of postings including 1st Recruit Training Battalion as an instructor; 2nd/4th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, as a platoon sergeant and company sergeant major; and Royal Military College - Duntroon as an instructor.
He was promoted to WO1 in 1995 and his Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) appointments included 4th/3rd Battalion, the Royal New South Wales Regiment; 5th/7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, where he served on operations with the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor in 2000; Infantry Corps RSM 1 Brigade; Combined Arms Training Centre (CATC); Land Warfare Development Centre; and a posting to the Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1997 as a student and instructor.
As though he wasn't busy enough, during his posting as RSM of the Infantry Corps, he purchased a farm.
"I transferred to the Reserves in 2007 and then set about creating a 160-acre farm-stay business with a property I purchased in Nulla Vale near Lancefield," WO1 Speter said.
"I also planted 14,000 trees, which I plan to harvest soon.
"Since 2007, I've worked at CATC, now LCC, in a Reserve capacity and currently serving on SERVOP C (Service option C) in a training development position."
WO1 Speter has been married to his wife, Marie, for 43 years and has four children, three of which have followed in his footsteps, serving in the Air Force and Army.
"Without my wife and family's support I could not have served for this length of time," he said.
WO1 Speter's advice to anyone considering joining the ADF was: "Take advantage of as many of the opportunities which Defence offers you as you can".
"This includes training, education, promotion and the aspects of our pay and conditions, such as the Defence Home Owners Assistance Scheme," he said.
WO1 Speter is on an age extension until January 2026.
