HOC Biographies

Brigadier Cameron Purdey was born in Geelong on 10th September 1968. He enlisted in the Australian Army in 1988, graduated from the Royal Military College in 1989 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Corps of Transport. Corps related postings include Troop Command Transport Platoon, Bandiana Logistics Group; Second in Command 86th Transport Troop, 26th Transport Squadron; Troop Command Transport Platoon, Northwest Mobile Force; Staff Officer Grade Three Operations, Army School of Transport; Officer Commanding 30/35 Water Transport and Terminal Squadron, 10th Force Support Battalion and Career Advisor - Royal Australian Corps of Transport/Australian Army Catering Corps.

He has served in a wide variety of other staff appointments including Regional Fleet Manager Puckapunyal Logistics Battalion; Staff Officer Grade Three Operations, 3rd Brigade Administrative Support Battalion; Staff Officer Grade One Doctrine and Staff Officer Grade One Combat Service Support, Land Warfare Development Centre and Staff Officer Grade One Logistic Plans (Domestic/Exercises) at Headquarters Joint Operations Command.

During his tenure as the Officer Commanding 30/35 Water Transport and Terminal Squadron, he deployed his Squadron on operational service as part of the 10th Force Support Battalion commitment to INTERFET, with responsibility for port operations at Dili and distribution to INTERFET elements across the theatre. 10th Force Support Battalion was subsequently awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation for its efforts in East Timor.

Brigadier Purdey was posted as the Commanding Officer 10th Force Support Battalion in January 2007. He was fortunate to deploy to the Middle East as the Commanding Officer of the third rotation of the Force Level Logistic Asset from Aug 2007 - Feb 2008, the joint 150 person contingent providing logistic support to all deployed Australian force elements in the Middle East Area of Operations. For his services as Commanding Officer he was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2010 Australia Day Honours List.

On promotion to Colonel he served an appointment as the Colonel Logistics (G4) at Headquarters Forces Command, as well as a short period as the Director Senior Officer Management. In March 2014 he was promoted and posted as the Director General Land Manoeuvre Systems, Defence Materiel Organisation and commenced his current role within Army Headquarters as the Director General Logistics in January 2016.

Brigadier Purdey is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff College (2001) and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (2013). He holds a Bachelor of Arts (History and Strategic Studies), a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies) and a Masters in Management and Defence Studies. Married to Virginia and with two teenage children, his interests include supporting Geelong Football Club and playing the guitar.

On 27th January 2016 Brigadier Purdey was appointed as the Head of Corps of the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.

Lieutenant Colonel Rogers enlisted into the Army in October 1992 and was posted to 176 Air Dispatch Squadron. After completing his year 12 course in 1996, Lieutenant Colonel Rogers graduated from the Royal Military College in June 1998 into the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.

Lieutenant Colonel Rogers has held a number of regimental appointments, including Troop Commander at Road Transport Wing, and 26 Transport Squadron. Lieutenant Colonel Rogers has held two regimental appointments at field grade, as the Officer Commanding 30 Terminal Squadron, 10 Force Support Battalion, and Officer Commanding Force Support Team – Tarin Kot, Force Support Unit 4.

Staff appointments have included: Staff Officer Grade Three Transport, Land Warfare Development Centre; Watchkeeper, Land Headquarters; Staff Officer Grade Three Capability Development, Headquarters Training Command; and Staff Officer Grade Three Logistic Operations Planning, 3rd Brigade Headquarters. In 2013 Lieutenant Colonel Rogers was selected as the Staff Officer to Commander Joint Logistics, Rear Admiral Clint Thomas. His final staff officer appointment for 2014-15 was as a Staff Officer Grade One on Army Headquarters; responsible for the LAND 121 Capability Implementation Team. 

Lieutenant Colonel Rogers has had one overseas posting, which was on exchange to the US Army Transportation School, in Fort Eustis, Virginia, 2007-2009.

Lieutenant Colonel Rogers has seen operational service on four separate occasions. Troop Commander 86 Transport Troop; in Dili, East Timor, 1999. Troop Commander Headquarters Troop, Force Logistic Squadron Three; in Dili, East Timor, 2001. In 2006 Lieutenant Colonel Rogers was deployed from Headquarters 3rd Brigade as part of the Defence Supplementary Staff, again into Dili, East Timor. After several weeks in the JTF HQ he was selected as the JTF liaison officer to the Australian Federal Police and spent the next four months living and working with the police contingent in Dili. In 2010 Lieutenant Colonel Rogers was deployed as the Officer Commanding Force Support Team – Tarin Kot.

During his deployment as Officer Commanding Force Support Team, Lieutenant Colonel Rogers was given NATO Tactical Command of a 53 person US Army distribution element. This coupled with the 49 Australian Soldiers under command provided a unique and challenging command experience, both inside and outside the wire that has comprehensively exposed him to coalition logistics and operations. Lieutenant Colonel Rogers was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his service as Officer Commanding Force Support Team – Tarin Kot.

Lieutenant Colonel Rogers is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff College 2012, and has a Masters of Military Studies, from the Australian National University. Lieutenant Colonel Rogers and his wife Melanie have been married for 23 years and they have two daughters; Brinsley aged 19 and Madelyn, aged 12.  

Warrant Officer Class One Justin Cocking was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 09 January 1970. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 25 February 1987 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.

Since enlistment Warrant Officer Cocking has filled positions in a variety of units.  These have included the 1st Transport Squadron, 1st Recruit Training Battalion Transport Platoon, 85th Transport Troop and Army Logistic Training Centre, Transport Wing as an instructor.

Warrant Officer Cocking has been employed as a Sergeant Instructor at Army Logistic Training Centre, Transport Wing, Troop Sergeant of 85th Transport Troop, and instructor at the Royal Military College – Duntroon.

His postings as a Warrant Officer Class Two have included Training Warrant Officer at 9th Combat Service Support Battalion, Wing Sergeant Major of Road Transport Wing and Career Manager at the Soldier Career Management Agency for the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.

Warrant Officer Cocking deployed to Afghanistan on Operation SLIPPER in 2010 – 2011 and worked in NATO Divisional Headquarters in the Combined Joint Logistic Operations Branch, Kandahar.

In 2012, Warrant Officer Cocking was promoted to Warrant Officer Class One and posted to the 11th Combat Service Support Battalion on appointment as the Regimental Sergeant Major. In 2015 he assumed his second appointment as a Warrant Officer Class One as the Regimental Sergeant Major of 9th Force Support Battalion.

Warrant Officer Cocking assumed his current appointment as Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army School of Transport and the Royal Australian Corps of Transport in January 2017.

Warrant Officer Cocking is married to Lea–Ann and has three children, Charlie, Billy and Kyla. He is an avid watcher of Australian Rules Football and a supporter of the Hawthorn Football Club. Other interests include reading, salt water fishing and hunting.