[1] Made commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1995,[3] Hickling was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Army and Australian Defence Force in the field of military training in 1996.
[1] In February 1998, he led Operation Bel Isi, a peace monitoring mission to Bougainville following a break in civil unrest in the country.
[9] In retirement he chaired the Review of the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) Scheme which reported in 2008.
[3] Hickling also served as Senior Mentor, Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies, and Advisor to BAE Systems.
Hickling remains the Representative Colonel Commandant, Royal Australian Engineers.