Defence goes after Diggers helping expose military frauds who wear medals and claim to have fought battles they were never at

YOU’D think that the ADF would be all for the uncovering of frauds who falsely claim military service, but are the whistleblowers going too far?

Australian soldiers deployed to a new (undisclosed) remote base in north western Iraq in February 2017, as a mobile training team to be closer to train and direct counter terrorism operations against Islamic State. Picture: Gary Ramage

EXCLUSIVE

THE Defence Department is hunting its own.

Their target is their own soldiers who may be helping a group expose those who invent or embellish their military service.

Its rationale for the in-house operation is that the whistleblowing was tantamount to bullying and harassment.

For 22 years, the Australian and New Zealand Military Impostors (ANZMI) has uncovered more than 300 men and women from both sides of the Tasman for what it claims has been the burgeoning industry of ex-soldiers either talking up their service for financial or employment gain or fraudulently wearing medals for which they were not entitled.

Many of those they claim to have exposed have been senior members of the RSL or seen during Anzac Day or other military-related events or talking on TV about the post traumatic effects of a certain scene or battle in Iraq and Afghanistan that ANZMI later claim they were never a part of.

The group, which claims it never publishes an exposure without absolute evidence, is run by ex-service personnel but assisted with current or other former military personnel with records and first-hand accounts.

But the Defence Department has said it was conducting an investigation into whether the online public exposure of some claimed fraudsters by ANZMI was bullying.

It is understood some of those in the ANZMI cross hairs were ex-military and suffering PTSD and therefore the department said yesterday deserved more respect.

Real Australian soldiers deployed to an undisclosed remote base in north western Iraq earlier this year. Picture: Gary Ramage

In one particular case a former largely desk-bound soldier was apparently publicly claiming more counter terrorism daring-do than they apparently were entitled to and when they were featured on the ANZMI website, demanded the Defence Department probe whether the exposure was aided by current serving Australian Defence Force personnel.

“The only Defence investigation in relation to this matter is currently examining allegations ADF members may have been involved in an online campaign of harassment and bullying targeting a former member,” a defence department official said.

The official said they could not discuss whether an individual was or was not correct in their military claims and added: “However, we encourage you to remember that veterans suffering mental health issues deserve our respect and sensitivity”.

Australian soldiers on the frontline in Iraq in March 2017. Picture: Gary Ramage

The Defence Department media official declined to give their name in the statement and in light of the controversy about military personnel who neither identify as a man or a woman and want to be considered gender neutral or “gender x”, the official also declined when requested by News Corp Australia to state whether they were a spokesman or a spokeswoman.

A spokesman for the ANZMI, who uses the nom de guerre George Brown, said there were many not keen to be proven a fake, wannabe and or valour thief.

“All of our research is very thorough and is double checked before it is posted on site and we request affidavits, statutory declarations etc before we commence any research.,” he said.

The embattled RSL National, the national body that helps veterans and their families, declined to comment.

Originally published as Defence goes after Diggers helping expose military frauds who wear medals and claim to have fought battles they were never at