ADF bosses slammed over handling of mental health

The chair of the royal commission into veteran suicide has taken aim at the ADF and particularly called out its chief.

The Australian Defence Force lacks a sense of urgency around troop mental health, the royal commission probing veteran suicide has heard in a remarkable series of stinging rebukes of the military’s leadership.

The Commission chair Nick Kaldas has taken aim at the ADF and particularly called out its chief General Angus Campbell who he said needed to be more driven and “curious” about rank and file welfare.

“A question must arise: just how seriously is Defence taking these issues at an organisational level?” a clearly increasingly frustrated Mr Kaldas demanded to know.

The commissioner said there were some good leadership officers in Defence who cared deeply about wellbeing which he hoped was the norm and not the exception.

“But the CDF (Campbell) and senior leaders must have a sense of urgency on these matters,” Mr Kaldas said in summing up the past seven days of evidence.

“Programs and appropriate governance need to be in place to make sure the wellbeing of serving members is of paramount consideration. From the evidence we have heard, it is clear that leaders at all levels of the Defence hierarchy need to be more responsible and accountable for their actions or lack thereof – we feel strongly that measuring performance for accountability and transparency are essential.”

Commissioners Nick Kaldas, Dr Peggy Brown and James Douglas QC, with Senior Counsel Assisting Kevin Connor SC, during the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

He added it was telling the ADF’s new Mental Health and Wellbeing Branch had only a handful of staff and a one star officer – who gave evidence that the team was “building the plane as they’re flying it” – and it was not clear what it had achieved in seven months to combat suicide.

Yet Mr Kaldas said Defence leadership was able to stand-up a well-resourced task force led by a two star officer quite quickly to monitor the progress of the royal commission.

The commission heard there was analysis of 57 deaths by suicide between June 2016 and June 2022 but the Inspector-General of the ADF took on average more than 600 days to release individual inquiry reports into each of those 57 cases.

In Darwin’s Robertson Barracks alone there had been more than 180 suicide-related incidents in the last five years.

“The evidence presented during this hearing again raises serious questions as to whether leadership within Defence has been taking adequate and timely action in relation to responding to the very real and pressing issues of suicide and suicidality within its ranks,” Mr Kaldas said.

He added: “Defence’s approach to investigating and reporting on suicides has progressed at a snail’s pace; and we are yet to find sufficient evidence of urgency in responding to these complex issues holistically – even with this Royal Commission on foot!”

The inquiry will next sit in Adelaide from 17 July and in Melbourne, from 28 August.

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling offer free and confidential counselling to current ADF members, veterans and their families 24/7 on 1800 011 046.

TOP MILITARY WOMAN TO LEAD ADF TROOP OVERHAUL

One of the highest-ranking women in the military has been chosen to head a newly-created role designed to integrate personnel from the five domains of the Australian Defence Force. Major General Natasha Fox will take the inaugural title ADF Chief of Personnel in a move that stemmed directly from the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) that warned the nation’s understrength military needed urgent overhaul.

The independent DSR warned “effectiveness, efficiency, co-ordination and cohesiveness” of the ADF was in jeopardy without a dedicated chief to integrate the work forces from army, navy, air force, cyber and space.

Deputy Chief of the Australian Army Major General Natasha Fox has been promoted to the inaugural role of chief of personnel.

The services are already operating hardware as a joint capability but the use of personnel and their expertise has lagged behind in cross pollination potential, particularly in technical and specialist trades.

Across the board integration is deemed a significant step-change to combat China’s military expansionist and coercive ambitions in the Indo Pacific that ADF chiefs openly declare have created the most challenging strategic outlook since World War 2.

Major General Natasha Fox become Australia’s first female Deputy Chief of Army and now will become the inaugural Chief of Personnel.

Major General Fox, to be promoted to the rank lieutenant general next month, will also look at the use of Reserves which is also being overhauled including a potential re-raising of the Ready Reserve Scheme.

Reserves will no longer just complement the ADF but expand the base particularly in times of crisis.

“Major General Fox brings over 35 years of experience in leadership, and personnel and workforce management to the new role of Chief of Personnel,” Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese releasing the Defence Strategic Review at Parliament House Canberra last month. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh added it was about building a stronger and larger armed forces.

“I look forward to working with Major General Fox, alongside Deputy Secretary Defence People Ms Justine Greig, to transform the Defence people system to continue to support and enable our Defence workforce and future capability,” he said.

On the question of personnel, the DSR warned a “bold” approach was urgently needed to boost the ranks and retain the troops in service.

“Without creative and flexible responses the workforce situation in Defence will continue to deteriorate,” concluded the DSR, the blueprint for the future of national security.

“Policy, process, risk appetite and approaches to recruitment must change to increase the speed of recruitment from application to enlistment and recruitment … (that) must be achieved in days not months.”