For many years Australian entertainers have been quick to commit their time and energy to entertain Australian troops with concerts overseas. The entertainers' enthusiasm and professional performances have been (and are) a major factor in maintaining the high morale of the men and women who are experiencing considerable hardship and danger in their service to our nation.
To help manage and coordinate the offers of support, in 1966 the Minister of Defence established The Forces Advisory Committee on Entertainment (FACE) as a joint venture involving Defence, the Returned Services League of Australia (RSL) and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. It was to act as a planning Committee to organise entertainment for Australian forces in Vietnam and removed any direct Ministerial involvement with the music industry.
The original FACE was disbanded in 1985, but was re-established in 1999 in response to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations in East Timor.
At that time the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, the Hon Bruce Scott, asked MAJGEN Peter Phillips (Retd), National President of the RSL, to help guide entertainment provided to Australian troops.
Since its re-establishment in 1999, FACE has coordinated concerts:
· to East Timor,
· for troops working under the Aboriginal Army Community Assistance Program in remote locations around Australia,
· for the peace monitors on Bougainville
· for our forces operating in the Solomon Islands as part of the Regional Assistance Mission,
· for the Multinational Force of Observers, Sinai and Cyprus; and
· for our troops in the Middle East.
In 2003, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, The Hon. Danna Vale, agreed to restructure the Committee into a two-tiered system. The first level was a strategic level Council of high profile community members who could provide advice on suitable entertainment and entertainers for our deployed forces. The second level would operate within Defence as the project/event managers of endorsed activities.
Careful consideration was given to develop appropriate roles and responsibilities for the Council, and the Charter was updated and approved. The Council Charter is to:
Advise the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence of opportunities to entertain Australian forces and act as the Minister’s point of contact for civilian entertainers, entertainers and musicians interested in performing to Australian forces.
· Foster relationships with the entertainment and arts industries, the media and Defence related industries with the aim of identifying and promoting suitable entertainment for Australian forces.
· Recommend to the Australian Defence Force opportunities to entertain forces.
· Provide advice to the Minister and the Australian Defence Force on issues relevant to the provision of philanthropic support including by civilian entertainment and their support crews.
While the restructure was enacted in 2003, the inaugural meeting of the Forces Advisory Council on Entertainment did not occur until Wed 12 May 2004. The Council has since established an Artists Selection Panel to identify and secure suitable entertainers . With membership of the Panel open to any managers, agents or entertainers, it has already been very effective.
The Council Patrons are Patricia Amphlett, Michael Chugg and Peter Cosgrove.