Your Commitment

Whatever your role, it's important to remember this key purpose of the Navy, Army and Air Force. You could be called upon to deploy to or near a combat zone, or find yourself supporting a peacekeeping mission. Other work could include helping communities devastated by natural disasters and engaging in search and rescue operations.

You can expect to experience a number of moves throughout your ADF career, based on service needs and deployment opportunities. While this can be disruptive to family life, the ADF will support you and your family throughout transitions.

The ADF offers some one-year roles but for general entrants the commitment is usually two to six years. Officers serve a minimum of between three and fourteen years and in general, the longer the training required the longer the commitment. That said, you can leave without penalty if, during Basic Training you decide the ADF is not for you. See individual job pages for more details.

Becoming proficient in the use of weapons is just the start of what you'll learn in the ADF. In addition to gaining military skills, you’ll be expected to acquire and maintain trade skills and professional qualifications that will help you excel in your job. Many of the roles on offer can be compared with civilian careers and the training often leads to nationally-recognised accreditation.

You may be called upon to work long and irregular hours when necessary, which are not eligible for penalty rates or overtime. Your salary compensates for the unique factors of Service life.