HOC Biographies

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.  

Brigadier Walk was born on 23rd December 1970 in Bundaberg, Queensland. After completing his secondary education at Iona College in Brisbane, he entered the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1989 and graduated from the Royal Military College in 1992.

His first appointment was as a Platoon Commander in 30 Terminal Squadron, 10 Terminal Regiment. He has served in a variety of regimental appointments, including Officer Commanding Joint Movement Control Office – Townsville and Officer Commanding Transport Company, 1st Combat Service Support Battalion. He commanded the 7th Combat Service Support Battalion from January 2009 until December 2011.

Brigadier Walk has held a range of staff appointments. These have included G4 Headquarters Forces Command, Military Assistant to the Forces Commander and positions within Headquarters 3rd Brigade and Army Headquarters. Whilst serving within Army Headquarters, he held appointments as the SO1 Logistic Operations and the SO1 Sustainment. These appointments involved extensive exposure to the conduct of Rapid Acquisition of Land Materiel in support of operations, and close interaction with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group and Joint Logistics Command. During his tenure within Army Headquarters he received a Chief of Army Commendation for his performance in these appointments. Brigadier Walk’s most recent appointment was as the Deputy Director of Essential Function 5 (Sustainment) within the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. This command was responsible for the development and professionalisation of the Afghan National Security Forces as part of the NATO Mission – Operation Resolute Support.

As part of his studies at the Defence Academy, Brigadier Walk graduated from the University of New South Wales and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in military history. He has completed a Graduate Diploma in Transport and Distribution Management through Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College where he received the Eisenhower Award for military scholarship. He is also a graduate of the United States School of Advanced Military Studies where he completed a Master of Military Arts and Science Degree. This second year of study included conceptual development of Systemic Operational Design as an alternate planning model, providing invaluable experience in campaign planning at the operational level. Most recently, Brigadier Walk has completed a Masters of Business Administration through Deakin University.

Brigadier Walk deployed to Bosnia Herzegovina on Operation Osier in March 1999, where he served as the Staff Officer Grade 3, G4 Operations with Headquarters Multi-National Division - South West. In September 1999 he deployed to East Timor as part of Headquarters 3rd Brigade’s contribution to INTERFET. In 2010 Brigadier Walk deployed on Operation Slipper as the Commanding Officer of Force Support Unit – Three. A career highlight has been the privilege to command on operations. This opportunity also provided excellent insight to the provision of theatre-level logistics in a joint environment.

Brigadier Walk and his wife Karen have two sons. His leisure interests include spending time with his family, soccer, reading and following a variety of sports.

Lieutenant Colonel McClellan commissioned into the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1995. After completing the RLC Troop Commanders’ Course she was posted to her initial regimental appointment as a Troop Commander within 1 Transport Squadron, 10 Transport Regiment in Colchester, UK. Lieutenant Colonel McClellan transferred from the British Army to the Australian Army in 2012, joining the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.

Lieutenant Colonel McClellan has enjoyed a broad regimental experience serving in transport, supply and port and maritime environments. The pinnacle of her time at regimental duty was as OC 31 Close Support Squadron, where her command included successfully re-roling and deploying her squadron of over 200 personnel on operations in Iraq. She has also had the privilege of commanding officer cadets as a Platoon Commander/Instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, teaching leadership and tactics. As the Senior Instructor for the RLC Troop Commanders’ Course at the Defence Logistics School she was responsible for inducting officers into the Corps during the escalation of operations in Afghanistan.

Staff appointments include the lead logistic planner in HQ 3 (UK) Div and the lead logistic planner within the Multi National Division in Iraq in 2008. She also spent two years managing operational based sustainment issues in Northern Ireland and three years within HQ Forces Command supporting the logistic implementation of Plan Beersheba. Not assigned solely to logistics, she has developed her personnel and human resources skills as the Corps Recruiting and Liaison Officer, where she managed the recruiting effort for the largest Corps in the British Army. Lieutenant Colonel McClellan’s most recent staff role was as the SO1 Land Mobility Systems within the Modernisation Branch at Army Headquarters, where she was responsible for the capability development of the medium and heavy vehicle fleets including the Introduction Into Service of LAND 121 Phase 3B. 

Lieutenant Colonel McClellan has seen operational service in Bosnia, deployed on Op LODESTAR as part of the Stabilisation Force; supported the NATO Extraction Force in Greece / Kosovo; Northern Ireland deployed for two years during Op BANNER and two tours of Iraq.  She deployed to Iraq on Op TELIC 6 as OC General Support Squadron at Shaiba Logistics Base, where she was responsible for successfully enhancing the inventory management practices to ensure operational success. Her most recent deployment was in 2008 as the lead logistic planner within the Force Support Branch, MND(SE) in Basrah. This was a testing period in the region, working closely with the US Forces and increasing the Iraqi Security Force integration into logistic convoy operations.

Lieutenant Colonel McClellan is a graduate of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, UK and achieved a Chartered Management Institute Postgraduate Diploma and Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership in 2012.  She was awarded a Certificate of Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, and an ILM Level 3 in Coaching and Mentoring in 2008. Lieutenant Colonel McClellan is currently studying for a Masters in Strategy and Management through UNSW.

Lieutenant Colonel McClellan has been married to Major Paul McClellan, also RACT, for twenty years and they have no children, however they do have a variety of recreational ‘toys’ and vehicles to occupy their spare time and assist with their exploration of the great Australian outdoors. Her interests include running, cycling, swimming, paddleboarding, wakeboarding and riding her motorcyle.  She is also a very keen, but amateur surfer, and a keen, but more mature, triathlete.