Some of the very best, and sadly the very worst I have worked with have been ex ADF. There is unfortunately a large, incompetent, lazy, self entitled number of employed for life ex ADF public servants.I worked on the Commercial support Program at Amberly in the 80’s when Australia started going it alone with F111 and trying to secure the corporate knowledge of existing staff before they got posted out of 501 Wing. The F111 WSLM in the USAF was going to disappear along with the engineering support and they were also buying as many spares as possible for the F111.
The govt passed legislation allowing staff, officers and NCO’s to transfer to the Public Service immediately, “en masse”. They left the RAAF on Friday and started work as a civilian at their same desk/bench on Monday.
They had reached their level of incompetence in uniform and the ADF was well rid of them, unfortunately the fact they used to wear a uniform gives them an advantage of other APS for promotion and opportunity.