Erin Molan: There is little respect shown for our Defence Force servicemen and women

Defence Force chiefs send letters to special forces commanders warning they will lose their medals and honours, even before any wrongdoing has been proven, writes Erin Molan

Earlier this year an American Admiral in an influential regional posting warned China could invade Taiwan before the end of 2024.

President Joe Biden has declared frequently that the United States will defend Taiwan, an endeavour in which Australia, as part of two large, powerful security alliances that include the US, would be expected to be directly involved.

The ability to defend ourselves as a nation has never been more crucial. And, alliances aside, the stronger we are individually, the better.

So, given this ominous threat, let’s look at our defence force — not as an organisation but as a group of people.

In this month’s Budget, the government announced a number of initiatives to try to retain personnel, rightly recognising that you can own all the nuclear submarines in the world but if there’s no one driving them, they’re useless. Major enlistment initiatives announced too. Great, The more people willing to step up and defend our nation, the better.

Presumably we are doing everything in our power to promote to potential recruits a noble and rewarding career? Presumably this promotion includes confirming the quality of support and care extended to each and every patriotic soul who has gone before, and serves currently… right?

Not quite. Instead, before a single conviction is recorded, the Defence Force is sending letters to Special Forces Commanders telling them to prepare to have their medals and honours stripped.

An Australian Army special operations force combat team featuring Special Operations Engineer Regiment reinforcement training cycle personnel prepares to clear a building of threats as part of a training activity at Holsworthy Barracks

Again, before anyone has had allegations against them proven, the headlines re-emerge regarding our men and women in uniform.

On my show on Sky News and privately, I’ve questioned many and their responses identify the shame they feel, the distress, the loss of pride in what they did for our country, and the way the public now regards them.

Not one person I’ve asked has been accused personally of any misconduct, but all are affected by the gross mishandling of this sad debacle.

We universally agree that those who have broken laws or committed war crimes must be held to account.

Illegal acts and misbehaviour of any type are reprehensible and contrary to the conduct of the vast majority of our men and women in uniform.

The presumption of innocence is a concept that has served us well — another extraordinarily significant contribution to the society we are today.

So it’s important to note, as I have previously remarked, that the clumsy, calamitous handling of this entire situation is the only ‘proven crime’ so far. We must institute a legal process and then allow it to run its course.

The Australian SAS Association says the stripping of any medals ahead of any criminal investigation, trial or outcome is unprecedented in ANZAC history. They further accuse the Defence Force of “mishandling the yet to be proven war crime allegations from the outset” and allege that “in the view of many veterans, an inference of guilt has been created against those involved before the defendants account of events had been heard”.

Why would anyone join our military in the current climate?

This has been a tragic, bungled and very regrettable incident in our proud military history.

There are complexities and challenges for all involved and some of the parties whose roles have been criticised may well have been beholden to requirements and constraints we are not at liberty to know.

What we do know is that Paragraph 35 of the Brereton Report states that “….Joint Task Force 633 was not positioned, organisationally or geographically, to influence and control Special Operations Task Group operations: its ‘national command’ function did not include operational command. Without operational command, Joint Task Force 633 did not have the degree of command and control over Special Operations Task Group on which the principle of command responsibility depends.”

This is despite confirmation that “The ANH-MEAO [Australian National Headquarters Middle East Area of Operations] provides the command function for the Joint Task Force 633 (JTF 633) which contains all Australian forces deployed under Operation Catalyst”.

So the principle of command responsibility was at best in doubt, at worst – who knows? If those right at the top were “too far removed” to be held responsible for any alleged crimes, then how were they “involved enough” to receive medals for merit? How can you have it both ways?

Dave Hughes,Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee filming at Bondi for their 2Day FM breakfast show. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

For the sake of our phenomenal service men and women caught up in this mess, there must be a proper, transparent and robust legal proceeding before one further step is taken along this sorry path.

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A little FYI to those in a section of the media who took a particular interest in a radio segment we did on Hughesy, Ed and Erin this week.

Directly quoting me as saying “half the time you are making stuff up” and “we invested so much in him when he was nothing to make sure we get access when he was something” and seemingly appalled by it.

Referring to a column I’d written about the Prime Minister that had the headline ‘Trust me Albo it’s over I’m breaking up with you’ we did a segment on Anthony Albanese being mad at me over the “public nature” of our “break up”. We are a comedy breakfast FM radio show… we are joking most of the time!

Mind you, the PM did come on yesterday and admit (joke) that coming on our show during the election was a ‘turning point’ for his campaign, so Dave Hughes’ contribution of ‘we made you and we can break you’ (a joke also) might actually have an element of truth to it (a joke too!).

Watch Erin on Sky News at 5pm tonight