NSW Veterans Minister David Elliot slams ADF Chief Angus Campbell’s medal stripping attempt

Minister and veteran David Elliott has rebuked an attempt to strip war heroes of their honours, saying “blood will be on the hands of those who wear the brass”.

NSW Veterans Affairs Minister has slammed an attempt to strip war heroes of their medals as “humiliating” after it was revealed that the Defence Force Chief requested diggers justify their distinguished honour.

Minister for Veterans Affairs David Elliot said he was “heartbroken” after The Sunday Telegraph revealed Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell had requested senior officers to justify keeping their medals or risk having them revoked.

Mr Elliot said he also “thought better” of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles for not appearing to reverse nor prevent General Campbell’s decision, saying the medals were “very special to family members” – if not more than the soldiers themselves.

“I’m heartbroken. These poor diggers do not have any right of reply because of the way the Defence Force operates,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

“I’m really disappointed that this is being used as a political football. There are no winners when you humiliate veterans.

Minister for Veterans Affairs David Elliott described the move as heartbreaking. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

“If one of these veterans self-harms because of the way they‘ve been treated … the blood will be on the hands of those who wear the brass.”

It comes as The Sunday Telegraph revealed that General Angus Campbell requested that some of his most senior officers surrender their war medals and honours related to service in Afghanistan.

Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell gave soldiers 28 days to justify their awarded honours. Picture: Evan Morgan

The stunning about-face move against his top brass follows the release of the damning Brereton report in November 2020 into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan by Australia’s Special Forces.

None of the top officers were believed to have been implicated or included in the adverse findings against 39 soldiers involved in 23 incidents currently the subject of a criminal police investigation.

But the latest move now signals that ultimately all levels of those in leadership positions have to bear some form of accountability for what has been an internationally condemned behaviour by some of Australia’s elite forces.

News Corp Australia understands the demand was issued to officers in command positions from captains to brigadier level in recent days, calling on them to hand back honours and awards including the Distinguished Service Medal.

Most were attached to the SAS Regiment and/or in the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG), and have been given 28 days to provide notice on whether they considered their service to have been “distinguished”.