Ken Gillespie

Lieutenant General Kenneth James Gillespie (born 28 June 1952) is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. Gillespie served as Vice Chief of the Defence Force from 2005 until 2008, then Chief of Army from 2008 until his retirement in June 2011.

Military career Gillespie was educated at Inala State High School in Brisbane and enlisted in the Australian Army in 1968 as an apprentice bricklayer. He graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in 1972, gaining a commission in the corps of the Royal Australian Engineers.

In 1990, Gillespie became Standing Chairman of the Quadripartite Working Group for the Engineers in the ABCA Armies Agreement and in 1991 he attended the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College where he earned a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies. and inaugural Principal Staff Officer — Intelligence, Headquarters Australian Theatre. On 29 April 2010, Gillespie was presented with Singapore's Meritorious Service Medal by the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Teo Chee Hean, and Chief of the Singapore Army, Brigadier General Chan Chun Sing. The award came as a result of Gillespie's "leadership and commitment to furthering relationships between the armies" of Australia and Singapore. In August 2010, controversy arose when Gillespie outlawed the wearing of berets on the grounds that they led to an increased risk of skin cancer. The exemption of the special forces from the ban added to the controversy. Gillespie handed over command of the Army to Lieutenant General David Morrison during a ceremony on 24 June 2011, and officially retired from the Australian Defence Force two days later.

Personal life Gillespie is married to Carmel and they have a student daughter. He has two grown children from a previous marriage. He is well travelled, enjoys most sports (particularly golf), and is a keen reader. On 26 January 2011, Gillespie was promoted to Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Gillespie was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002 for "distinguished command and leadership" while Commander Sector West deployed on active service with the United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor during Operation Tanager.