Major General Stephen Jobson, AM CSC
Major General Jobson is serving as the inaugural Commander Aviation Command, where he is responsible for the generation, modernisation and airworthiness of the Australian Army Aviation capability. Prior to his promotion and present appointment, Major General Jobson served in 2020 as the Chief of Operations of the NATO Resolute Support Mission, Afghanistan.
Major General Jobson joined the Army in 1989 and completed officer training at the Australian Defence Force Academy and Royal Military College – Duntroon, graduating into the Army Aviation Corps. He then completed No. 56 Army Basic Pilot’s Course as a Black Hawk pilot.
Major General Jobson has been fortunate to command at every level to Major General, including airmobile troop and squadron command in the 5th Aviation Regiment and Commanding Officer of the 6th Aviation Regiment. In 2014-2016 he served as the Commandant Army Recruit Training Centre followed by command of the 16th Aviation Brigade during the period 2017-2019.
Major General Jobson has commanded numerous domestic and international aviation task groups, including humanitarian assistance to Papua New Guinea in the drought of 1997/98 and disaster response to Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake. During his command of the 6th Aviation Regiment, he led the Joint Rotary Wing Group formed to respond to the 2010/11 South East Queensland Floods and as Commander 16th Aviation Brigade he led Joint Task Force 646 to provide assistance to the people of North-West Queensland during the 2019 Monsoon Flood.
Major General Jobson’s instructional, staff and representational postings include instructing at the Royal Military College – Duntroon; Staff Officer Grade Two Combat Aviation at the Land Warfare Development Centre; Staff Officer Grade One Operations Headquarters 16th Brigade (Aviation); and the Australian Army Liaison Officer to the United States Army Aviation Centre of Excellence. In 2001/02 as a Captain he served as an exchange officer in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division as a Black Hawk pilot in Alpha Company, 2-82nd Assault Battalion where he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Following this he was promoted to Major as the 82nd Aviation Brigade Deputy S3 including a deployment to Afghanistan.
In 2012, Major General Jobson was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for service as Commanding Officer of the 6th Aviation Regiment, and in 2020 was awarded Member of the Order of Australia for service as Commandant Army Recruit Training Centre, 16th Aviation Brigade and Joint Task Force 646. For his service as Chief of Operations of the NATO Resolute Support Mission he was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit (Officer) and the Commendation for Distinguished Service.
Major General Jobson has a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Aviation Management with Distinction, and a Master of Arts (Defence Studies) with Distinction. He is a graduate of the United Kingdom Advanced Command & Staff College, where he was awarded the Thales Prize for Best International Student. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Joint Task Force Commanders Course and Harvard Club of Australia Leadership Program. He has qualified as an Army pilot and aircraft captain on AS-350B Squirrel, S-70A-9 Black Hawk, UH-60L Black Hawk and MRH-90 Taipan helicopters.
Major General Jobson is married to Tania with four teenage and adult children. His leisure interests include swimming, water polo, and military history. He is the Patron of the ADF Water Polo Association.