Court martial an outrage for grieving families of lost Diggers

WITH a heavy heart, another father of an Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan has joined the growing chorus of disgust at the decision by Director of Military Prosecutions, Brigadier Lyn McDade, to prosecute three commandos involved in a deadly night action.

Gary Bewes, the father of Nathan Bewes, 23, a lead scout from 6 Royal Australian Regiment killed in action on July 9, joins Felix Sher, the father of Greg Sher, a special forces soldier who was killed in a rocket attack last year, and Victoria Cross hero Keith Payne in condemning the decision to bring charges against the men. It is wrenching to lose a son, but even tougher for a parent to speak out during what should be a period for grieving. Mr Bewes, of Murwillumbah, felt he owed his boy nothing less. "I read your article about the diggers in Afghanistan in Friday's paper and felt compelled to contact you with my thoughts on the court martial," he said yesterday. "My son, Private Nathan John Bewes, is one of the 21 soldiers in graves around Australia. He would be outraged if he knew that three fellow soldiers were charged over the incident in Afghanistan and will be subject to a court martial. "All 21 soldiers killed in action so far have helped the people of Afghanistan to achieve a better life only to leave Afghanistan in a casket and come home to grieving families whose lives will never be the same," he said. "I hope Brigadier McDade remembers this every day of the court martial of three Australian soldiers who put their lives on the line for the people of Afghanistan," he said. "There was no court martial of the Taliban bomber who claimed my son's life or the Taliban that claimed the lives of the 20 other soldiers killed in action." Mr Bewes said he had noted "with concern" comments Brigadier McDade made about Taliban recruit David Hicks and her lack of front-line action. In one of the first interviews after her appointment in 2007, Brigadier McDade, a former deputy coroner in the Northern Territory, said the treatment afforded the Islamist Hicks had been "abominable". Mr Bewes said he could not accept that Brigadier McDade had the rank of Brigadier "if she was only in the Reserves", adding, "I understand a Brigadier is a person who is serving in the Australian Army with front-line experience." He also praised support his family had received from 6RAR officers at its Enoggera base. "My son was a proud and patriotic Australian who was prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice for his country, I have my doubts as to whether Lyn McDade could be described as a 'proud and patriotic Australian'," he said. "These three soldiers now facing a court martial could have also been killed in action and returned to Australia in caskets. I feel for the families of the innocent Afghans killed in this incident as well as the soldiers and families that have to endure this court martial." He said he and his wife were awoken by an officer and a padre at their Murwillumbah home at about 4.45am the morning after Nathan had been killed when he stepped on an IED as he led his unit home to base after a night exercise.