Babcock Senior Security Advisor and Officer Commanding Bravo Company 8th/7th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment, MAJ Neil Fletcher is supported by Babcock as he balances his civilian role with his continued service in the Army Reserve.
Neil enlisted in the Australian Army in 2012, with experience including multiple deployments into the Middle East, major multinational exercises throughout Asia and humanitarian and disaster relief missions domestically.
Neil transitioned to the Army Reserve in 2022 and joined Babcock in October 2023. In his role as Senior Security Advisor, Neil enjoys playing devil’s advocate and pointing out the real-world conditions that our customer will subject our systems to.
We caught up with Neil to chat about his career at Babcock and his experience transitioning from Defence to civilian employment.
How is your Army Reserve service supported by Babcock?
When I left full-time Army, I thought my time in uniform was done. That lasted about 3 weeks. The networks, purpose and the weekends blowing stuff up are almost as persistent as my Army career manager.
Babcock’s Defence Reservist leave helps me maintain Army career progression as well as have a bit of fun when the opportunities come up. In the last 12 months I have completed two promotion courses, two nine-day exercises and been promoted from Captain to Major. My current role as Officer Commanding B Company, 8/7RVR is only achievable with the support of Babcock.
What is your favourite part of your current role as Babcock Senior Security Advisor?
I love working with people from across the business, supporting their work and learning about the product we are providing the customer. In some cases, that product is directly affecting me as the end user in my Army Reserve role.
How has Babcock supported your development?
When I arrived at Babcock, I was 18 months out of full-time Army and still unsure of the direction I wanted my career to take. Babcock has supported me through providing the opportunity to shift from Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) back to Security, while also providing other avenues that hold some interest. A highlight of my time at Babcock was working at Land Forces in 2024.
Army has indoctrinated a strict career development model in me, and my managers here at Babcock have been great with that mindset. We have clear goals set out for increasing responsibility and development with career milestones laid out.
What have you found to be transferrable skills from your service to your current role?
Not to sound too cliché, but it’s the soft skills; communication, teamwork, adaptability and problem solving to name a few. Also important is the ability to identify a gap and fill it.
I’ve always had a saying with my teams in Army: don’t bring me a problem, bring me a solution. A simple mindset that is valuable across all areas of life. Understand the context of a problem and consider potential solutions with the pros and cons, then brief a clear recommendation.
Do you have any tips for current serving members or veterans who are thinking about a career change?
For me, the transition out of full-time Army was about family stability and a new challenge. I had to trust myself in being capable of succeeding outside of Defence. Trust your ability to learn quickly and know you aren’t the first. There will always be a support network if you ask.
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