"I've flown helicopters in combat, experienced childhood trauma, and been in emergencies where living or dying was literally a 50/50 chance... but the most stressful and demoralising time in my life—or my Army career—was working in an office environment within a dysfunctional team with members who were not dedicated to the job and which was led by ineffectual and spiteful managers." 

Conway Bown joined the Australian Army and graduated as a helicopter pilot. He served in East Timor, Iraq and flew drones for the Royal Australian Air Force in Afghanistan.

A noted military and aviation artist, he was appointed an Official Army War Artist and returned to Iraq to paint and draw Australia's involvement there.

Whilst in the Army he became a human factors trainer and risk contact officer for aviation operations and it was here that his interest in group interactions in high-risk environments had its genesis. He led aviation detachments on exercises and on armed operations, and managed the operations of half a billion dollars of military hardware.

Later, as a civilian pilot, he flew emergency medical services helicopters, airborne law enforcement and infrastructure repair and commenced an aviation training consultancy specialising in team building for high risk tasks such as aerial firefighting and agricultural survey. He is often called upon by government agencies to assist in training their personnel to be effective team members on board helicopters that are tasked with low-level flight operations.

He returned to Army service in a reserve capacity and was an Army Historian and, later, was tasked with writing Army doctrine from how to train soldiers at unit level to the origin of badges and the meaning behind a salute. He is a published author and writer and specialises in group interaction in high-risk environments and decision-making methods, although he did take a tilt at fiction writing and penned a political thriller set in the US.