Bridging the Gap: How the Australia Post Fills a Critical National Security Need
During a recent virtual Third Thursday Lunch & Learn hosted by the Australia Post, members had an opportunity to hear directly from a U.S. Navy officer about what industry needed to know to successfully execute work for the service.
Lt. Cmdr. Bradford Garrigues, P.E., USN, ROICC, Vice President of the Australia Post, took attendees through a detailed explanation of multiple-award contracts, what he’s looking for in execution when a contractor receives the award, and what the path to success looks like.
Watching the Post members engage with the presentation, Ben Khandan, Managing Director of Austability Australia and President of the Australia Post, knew at once that the newly minted Post was filling an important need.
“It’s coming from the horse’s mouth, from a guy in uniform, telling them, ‘This is the key to success. If you want to work with U.S. Navy, this is the key to success when you get a multiple-award contract,’” Khandan said.
It’s just one of many events that illustrate the reason behind founding Australia’s first Post.
“It really was a lightbulb moment where the idea is right and the execution is right and it’s working, because I can see the results. People are frantically scribbling notes down to understand how they can help the Five Eyes move forward in the right direction, especially in this current geopolitical climate,” said Khandan.
The Australia Post is one example of SAME’s expanding international presence showcases the Posts significant role in making the connections critical to advancing U.S. and allied engineering and infrastructure priorities around the globe. Building the personal relationships that drive progress is fundamental to SAME, and increasingly, the Society’s international presence is where these connections can happen.
Right Time, Right Place
The Post’s beginning can be traced to the 2024 Guam Industry Forum, which Khandan attended due to his work on recovery and reconstruction efforts at Andersen Air Force Base following a major typhoon. Discussions with the Post’s officers led to the idea of establishing an SAME presence in Australia.
The timing couldn’t have been better. Australia and the United States already shared longstanding defense ties, while AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States, and the broader Five Eyes partnership would reshape Australia’s defense environment in the near future.
“Australian defense contractors and engineers had limited pathways to understand what the U.S. military wants and needs and how to add to that capability,” Khandan said. “Our industry needed a way to connect with U.S. military engineers and the broader defense industrial base here in Australia. With SAME’s 100-plus years of doing exactly that bridging, it was a natural fit.”
In 2011, the United States Force Posture Initiatives (USFPI) were installed as an extension of Australia’s existing defense relationship with the United States to support regional security and stability. The agreement calls for enhanced cooperation in air, land, sea, and space domains, as well as an annual Marine Rotational Force in Darwin. As a result of this cooperation, the USFPI brought urgency to the expansion of these defensive partnerships, accelerating the need for billions of dollars in infrastructure, engineering, and logistics investments in Australia.
“Being in the Five Eyes or AUKUS collaborative space, we’ve been side by side with America and the U.K. for a long time. The benefit of Australia being involved in SAME is that, first, it helps our industrial base get in sync with the U.K. and U.S., which are very mature in that respect. But it also brings a fresh perspective on how we could do things differently here and, in essence, perhaps change the way they do it.” Khandan said.
Filling the Gap
As a first step, the Australia Field Chapter was chartered under the sponsorship of the Honolulu Post in June 2025. Just months later, its members attended the Indo-Pacific Regional Summit in Honolulu, building relationships across the Society that would springboard the new Field Chapter into developing its own programming and gaining membership and reaching full Post status on March 25, 2026.
“We set a new speed record going from Field Chapter to Post, but that was because there was such a gap that needed filling,” Khandan said. “As soon as we came to life, that old ‘if you build it, they will come’ scenario kicked in. People realized SAME does all these wonderful things around the world, and now there’s an SAME in Australia with people involved.”
As the word spread, people showed up from across industry and government, eager to learn more about how the Society could help them bridge the industry–government gap.
“We have individual members, corporate members, and representation from the key sectors we need. We have people from industry, the Australian Defense Force, and the U.S. Navy,” Khandan said. “And the industry-government bridge is obviously something we’re building. It’s not unusual within a week for me to have one or two people I need to connect and say, ‘Hey, this guy is looking for this. Do you know someone?’.”
What’s Next
The Post’s mission is already moving beyond strategy and into everyday activity. Its Lunch & Learn events bring together speakers from industry, government, and the military while also supporting professional development. Networking events provide additional opportunities for members to build relationships. The Post has established representation across Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth—not an insignificant task in a country spanning several time zones.
Khandan is proud of the progress the Post has made in such a short time. Now, as a full Post, he is considering how they can further expand the SAME network, such as a Field Chapter in Darwin, which is a focal point for infrastructure investment by both the Australian Defense Force and the U.S. Military.
“It’s not about outdoing other Posts, but I’m going to outdo them. My intent is to make sure that Australia sticks its flag firmly into the SAME ground, so people know that it’s not just about Honolulu. It’s not just about Guam. Australia is a very capable Post, and it’s going to deliver as they do,” Khandan said.
As he said, Posts in the SAME community act as a “quilt,” with each one sharing the same purpose and vision to bring together the A/E/C community and government partners to address the nation’s security needs. He wants the Australia Post to be where professionals and agencies in the region turn to first.
“So we’re going to grow the membership base. We’re going to strengthen the AUKUS and Five Eyes linkage through our members and our board. Connections are already starting to happen,” Khandan said.
Related News
-
Collaborating Across the Missouri River Region
When the Greater Kansas City and Omaha Posts realized they were competing for venues with the FIFA World Cup they combined efforts and created a successful new event. -
Developing Leaders While Mapping New Paths for Geospatial Technology
During his year as part of SAME’s Leader Development Program, Lt. Cdr. Patrick Debroisse, NOAA, gained valuable leadership skills and helped expand the reach of geospatial technology. -
Sharing the Value & Building the Bond: SAME’s 2025 Annual Report
SAME’s Annual Report for 2024 looks back at the accomplishments and moments from an impactful year.
Stay up to date on all SAME news and more; download SAME Mobile today!
