Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne was on Thursday morning interrupted by the country’s chief of defence forces Angus Campbell while answering questions during a press conference.

Pyne was at Australian air force’s Canberra headquarters, addressing a press conference to announce the name of Air Marshal Leo Davies’s successor, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Davies, the chief of the Australian air force, is due to end his 40-year career. While Pyne was answering a political question from a journalist, Campbell intervened him while he was speaking. “I might just ask that the military officers step aside while you’re answering these kind of questions,” Campbell said. According to ABC, he was referring to Vice Admiral David Johnston; the newly announced Air Force Chief, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld; and the next Chief of Joint Operations, Major General Greg Bilton. The three officers were standing right behind Pyne.

Campbell’s quick thinking has been applauded widely on social media, with many saying it should act as an inspiration to other nations to separate the armed forces from politics and politicians.