WHEN Lachlan Barber, 17, joined the 315 Army Cadet Unit (ACU) in Hamilton in early February last year, it might not have been obvious ‘Lachie’ was on his way to be a high achiever.

Lieutenant (AAC), Michael Byrne, said he remembers Lachie started out as a very reserved cadet but said he has progressed uncommonly well in the short time he’s been in the program – so well recently he has been selected to join this year’s Chief of Army Cadet Team Challenge at Puckapunyal, about 115 km north of Melbourne.

“Coming from someone who was very shy - really, he has come an incredibly long way,” Lt Byrne said.

“He’s embodying everything that’s good about the program in that he’s grabbed opportunities.

“He’s taking the ability to better himself with his communication skills (and) his ability to look people in the eye when he’s talking to them.

“He’s only been doing it about a year and a half.”

The short time is even more notable given 315 was the only unit in Australia that was established during the COVID-19 disruptions and had considerable trouble running with remote programs and cancellations.

Despite the obstacles, Lachie was seen as ready to nominate for the challenge and passed through the initial selection process from about 100 Victorian applicants, which included assessments from several officers of increasing rank.

“They (were) whittling it down to a number (about 30) that they’ll then invite for the selection course, which was held at Simpson Barracks,” LT Byrne said.

“That’s where they put them through a bit of an intense kind of pre-deployment - for want of a better description – assessment – and from that they then allocate 10 cadets.”

After the weekend selection trial, Lachie was selected in the top five for the Victorian Brigade and was one of seven cadets that came from regional areas.

At Puckapunyal, the competition will be run between a number of Australian Brigades and one from New Zealand and will be tested across a series of assessment stands where they will complete challenges in a range of skills such as engineering, first aid, field-craft and navigation, and moving through an obstacle course.

Teams will be assessed on their physical stamina, cognitive resilience, teamwork, ability to solve complex problems and safe weapon handling.

“From the moment they get off the bus, they’re into it and they are assessed 24/7 for this period of time,” LT Byrne said.

Puckapunyal is a large military base which houses around 280 military families and is home to the Australian Army’s School of Armour, the School of Artillery, and the School of Transport, along with the Combined Arms Training Centre, the Joint Logistics Unit, and two transport squadrons, and the Australian Army Tank Museum, and is well known for its freezing cold winters.

LT Byrne said the challenge will be run by senior Brigade and National Australian Army Cadets (AAC) Headquarters staff, including the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, AO, DSC, MVO in attendance.

“At the end of the time, the assessments are all tallied up and reviewed and then the Chief of Army announces a winner,” he said.

“I believe this year they’re going to take the winning Section over to New Zealand and do some activities over there with their cadets as well, which will be a great experience.”

The opportunity of all this and the progression he has quickly made from (in his own words) “a pretty roughed-up kid” was not lost on Lachie.

“When I signed up (I) wasn’t my greatest,” he said.

“Cadets has certainly pushed me further. I feel like I’ve become a better person.

“It gives you a lot of good experience, as well you make heaps of good mates.”

He said his family has noticed the difference in him, coming from being someone who admitted in the past “school was one of the really rough patches for me” to someone who was now planning to join the Australian Defence Force when old enough.

“(My) family definitely have been mentioning things that they’ve noticed that have changed,” Lachie said.

“There was a lot more confidence and I’m willing to get out there a bit more and do things as well as talk to people.”

Asked by The Spectator what it was that explained the core of his own high levels of motivation, Lachie pointed to the deep satisfaction – “the feeling, the reward” – of getting through a challenge, as well as being a representative of his unit.

“I guess you could call it that little booster that says ‘wow, you just did that’ and you feel amazing about that,” he said.

“I love to represent 315 in Hamilton and the battalion which is 32 Battalion.

“When I go on those sorts of things, and I’m wearing that number 32 - it makes me proud.”

LT Byrne said he was incredibly thrilled to see Lachie make it to the challenge, especially when “from 315, no-one else put up their hand”.

“I think as a well-rounded cadet, Lachie was probably the only one who’d be able to make it through,” he said.

“It’s no good setting up people to fail, so you want to put them forward when they can have a red-hot go.”

With other units in Western Victoria expected to be established at Horsham and Heywood, he said Lachie’s growth can only serve to promote ACU in the region as providing an opportunity to everyone aged 12-17.

“I just think it’s a great achievement, really, to come so far so fast and to be representing what is still one of the newest units in Australia, we’re all very proud of his achievements,” LT Byrne said.

Lachie will be heading to Puckapunyal today and returning on July 10.