Neil is a Director of the Institute of Integrated Economics Research, and the consultancy Collaborative Outcomes. He is an Engineering Executive and Deputy Chair of the Engineers Australia College of Leadership and Management. Through Engineers Australia, Australian Security Policy Institute and other NGOs, Neil has led policy development on energy security, humanitarian engineering, resilience, and the advancement of indigenous engineering. Neil served in the Australia Defence Force for 30 years with operational service in Iraq and Timor Leste.
The authors of this articles composed the content during their time at the Australian Defence Force Academy under the guidance and ingenuity of their Officer Commanding, Major Newham. The authors are all history students across the Army, Navy, and Airforce and have since graduated the Academy in 2022.