The inaugural Civil Military Cooperation Course for Planners and Field Personnel was conducted at HMAS Penguin, Balmoral, Sydney in the period 7-11 April 2003. A remarkable feature of the course was the almost uncanny support for the main themes of the course being provided from the reporting of the Iraq situation at the time of the course. For example, a theme for Day 4 of the course was the Rule of Law including  the crucial need for it to be addressed in the planning phase. While this issue was being covered on the course the news reports were highlighting the rule of law problems being experienced in Iraq. This reinforced the relevance of the CIMIC course.

The diversity and stature of both presenters and participants was another
feature of the course. Presenters included MAJGEN (retd) Tim Ford, MAJGEN (retd) Mike Smith, Mr Dennis McNamara (Inspector General of UNHCR, former Deputy SRSG in East Timor and former UN Special Coordinator on Internal Displacement), Mr Len Hawley (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of International Organizations, US State Department and current adviser to  executive branch officials at the US National Security Council, US State Department, and U.S. Joint Forces Command on contemporary policy issues and interagency pol-mil planning), and Prof Amin Saikal (Director of the Arab and Islamic Studies Centre at ANU). Mr Hawley attended the full course and Mr McNamara was present for three days of the course. Course participants included a solid team from the Australian Defence Force HQ responsible for establishing the new ADF CIMIC capability (including the Deputy Commander BRIG Flawith) as well ADF representatives from Intelligence, Military Police and various International and Non Government Organisations. In all 24 attended the course as students.