Senior enlisted advisers from seven nations met at Exercise Balikatan to tackle shared challenges, ranging from retention to the development of future leaders.
The three-day senior enlisted leaders symposium brought together 42 senior non-commissioned officers to exchange ideas on training and career progression.
Personnel from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and France delivered briefs on force structure and workforce approaches.
Following the Anzac Day dawn service, the symposium moved into partner briefs, an open discussion session and presentations from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard.
Participants also took part in activities, including basketball, tug of war, dodgeball and sack races to build camaraderie in an informal setting, before concluding with a presentation from Australian Defence Attaché to the Philippines Colonel Travis Day on the importance of the command team.
Defence Administrative Assistant Manila, Warrant Officer Elizabeth Crean, said discussions also covered how militaries were adapting to recruitment pressures.
“We’re all trying to get after the same thing, and even though our militaries operate differently, we’re closely aligned in how we train and develop our future leaders,” Warrant Officer Crean said.
“We need to work together to ensure we have the presence and deliver that deterrence effect that only comes from understanding each other’s strengths.”
‘We spoke about how the ADF structures training and develops our non-commissioned officers to prepare them for future leadership roles.’
Warrant Officer Crean said it was about being honest and asking what’s working better in another military.
“We spoke about how the ADF structures training and develops our non-commissioned officers to prepare them for future leadership roles, which drew strong interest from partner nations,” she said.
“While each nation had its own approach, the challenges around recruitment and retention were shared, and we’re all working towards similar solutions.”
For Chief Master Sergeant Rommel V Carbon, of the Philippine Navy, Marine Corps, the symposium provided valuable insight into how partner nations developed their personnel.
He said the exchange highlighted opportunities to strengthen professional military education within his own force.
“I saw how Australia puts value on the role of senior enlisted leaders and how they build closer relationships between enlisted and officers early in their careers,” he said.
“It’s something we would like to look at and see how we can adapt within our own organisation to build a more cohesive team.
“I think if we work together in the future, our interoperability will be stronger, especially in terms of trust.”
By Corporal Luke Bellman
Defence image The seven nations that participated in the Senior Enlisted Leaders Symposium during Exercise Balikatan 2026 pose for a group photo after a day of friendly games to build camaraderie.
