Simone Wilkie Major General Simone Louise Wilkie is an Australian Army officer who was the Australian Deputy National Commander in the War in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 . She was Assistant Chief of Staff to General David Petraeus during the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 , and was the first female Commanding Officer of the Royal Military College Duntroon and Commandant at the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka . In March 2013 the Minister for Defence , Stephen Smith , announced her promotion to major general to take over as Commander of the Australian Defence College in July 2013 . Early life and education . Simone Louise Burt , was educated at Ballarat Grammar School . She joined the Australian Army in 1983 , and attended the Women ' s Royal Australian Army Corps ( WRAAC ) Officer Cadet School in Georges Heights , New South Wales . There were 32 women in her class . Opportunities for women in the Army were more restricted then , and on graduation she was commissioned and assigned to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals . She later recalled : Wilkie has a Bachelor of Social Science in Human Resource Management , a Graduate Diploma in Telecommunications Systems Management , a Graduate Diploma of Strategic Studies , and a Masters of Defence Studies . Career . In her early career she served as a platoon commander with the Army ' s Recruit Training Battalion , as an instructor at the Royal Military College , Duntroon , and as the ARA staff with the Army Reserve 140th Signal Squadron . In 1993 , she served in Cambodia as Adjutant of the Australian Force Communication Unit with the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia ( UNTAC ) . Wilkie commanded 136 Signal Squadron . She then became the first female commanding officer of the Royal Military College , Duntroon , and then the first female Commandant at the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka . In 2007 she went to Iraq as Assistant Chief of staff of General David Petraeus ' s Multi - National Force during the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 , working under the Chief of Staff , Major General John M . Paxton , Jr . Petreus ' s headquarters , which was made up of about 1 , 800 personnel , was split between the Embassy site in Baghdad and Camp Victory . Wilkie was in charge of many of the activities at the former , noting that : Wilkie was awarded the United States ' Bronze Star for her service in Iraq . In 2008 she became a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours " for exceptional performance of duty in command appointments within Training Command - Army " . On promotion to Brigadier in 2009 she became Director General of Training at Headquarters Forces Command at Victoria Barracks , Sydney , responsible for most of the Army ’ s training . In 2011 she became the Australian National Commander in Afghanistan . As such , she was responsible for the 1 , 500 Australian personnel serving with Australian and international forces in the combat zone . Her job also involved liaising with the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan , General John R . Allen . She was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service " for distinguished performance of duty in warlike operations as Assistant Commander - Afghanistan , Joint Task Force 633 on Operation Slipper from September 2011 to August 2012 . " After returning from Afghanistan then Brigadier Wilkie was posted as the Chief of Staff to the Chief of Army ( Lieutenant General David Morrison ) at Army Headquarters in Canberra . In March 2013 the Minister for Defence , Stephen Smith , announced that she will be promoted to major general and will take over as the Commander of the Australian Defence College in Canberra , commanding the Australian Defence Force Academy , Australian Command and Staff College and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies . There have only been five women of two - star rank in the Australian Defence Force . Personal life . She married Andrew Wilkie , a fellow Army officer in 1991 . He resigned his position at the Office of National Assessments , an Australian intelligence agency , over concerns that intelligence was being exaggerated for political purposes in making the case for Australia ' s contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq under the Howard government . They divorced in 2003 . She is currently married and lists her leisure activities as home renovation , and playing field hockey and golf . Asked if she had any advice for young women , Wilkie said : " If you want to serve your country , your gender is not an issue . " Wilkie is the niece of John Burt , the current mayor of Ballarat , Victoria .