Over a three-year period he was a student and an instructor at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Leahy is the longest serving incumbent of the position since General Sir Harry Chauvel in the 1920s,[4] and the only Chief of Army with no operational service in a theatre of war.

While he often visited Australian troops deployed on combat duties overseas during his time as Chief of Army he was never himself posted to the force establishment of any operational unit.

In the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was elevated to Companion (AC),[5][6] He was recognised internationally with the award of the United States of America Legion of Merit in the rank of Commander,[7] the Republic of Singapore Meritorious Service Medal (Military),[8] the Cambodian Royal Order of Sahametrei in the rank of Commander, the Malaysian Armed Forces Order for Valour in the rank of Gallant Commander Fourteen months prior to Leahy's retirement as Chief of the Army, a company at which Leahy's wife was a director (Staff Check Pty Ltd), was awarded a federal government contract by the Department of Defence.

[9] The company was awarded Commonwealth contracts for the first time during the final 14 months in which Leahy was still in his role as Chief of the Army, and made $2.2M from those tenders during that period.