An officer with a career spanning more than four decades across Air Force; Capability, Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG); and industry has been recognised with a gold commendation from Deputy Secretary CASG Chris Deeble.
Group Captain James Blagg received the award in recognition of his leadership as Project Director of the CASG JORN Export Program, the proposed export of the Australian‑developed Arctic over‑the‑horizon radar to Canada.
The Deputy Secretary commended Group Captain Blagg for his superior achievement and devoted application of skills, judgement and dedication to duty.
"This award is reflective of Group Captain Blagg's commitment to innovation and sustained excellence," Mr Deeble said.
Group Captain Blagg described this work as the highlight of his professional journey, noting the importance of teamwork, professionalism and seizing opportunities across Defence.
He acknowledged the collective effort of teams across CASG, Defence Science and Technology Group, Air Force, Defence Legal, Defence Finance Group, Strategy Policy and Industry Group and BAE Systems Australia in contributing to the program's progress.
'Know that you are employed for your character, aptitude and skills. You have an important contribution to make in each and every role you perform.'
Joining the RAAF as an engineer officer cadet in January 1982, Group Captain Blagg began his career with a strong interest in aviation and aerospace engineering.
After training with Engineer Cadet Squadron in Melbourne, his early roles included flight test activities on 12 Squadron CH-47 Chinook helicopters, before qualifying as a flight test engineer at the International Test Pilots School in the United Kingdom in 1991.
He has remarkable engineering experience working on major Defence capability systems including the C‑130 Hercules, AP‑3C Orion and F‑35.
Group Captain Blagg's career has also involved working with some of Australia's leading industry partners such as BAE Systems Australia and NOVA Aerospace, and a posting to Washington, United States, as an Australian Air Force representative in the F‑35 Joint Program Office.
Most importantly though, Group Captain Blagg credits the support of his wife Suzanne for his illustrious career.
A word of advice from Group Captain Blagg: "Know that you are employed for your character, aptitude and skills. You have an important contribution to make in each and every role you perform."
