Deputy Chief of the Army instructs commanders to fix ‘deficiencies’ with troop training as some units lack basic soldier skills

A leaked letter written by the army’s second in command has warned soldiers need to adapt to meet Australia’s “changing situation”.

An army commander, speaking under anonymity, claims Australian Army recruits are “not up to scratch” and lacking in mental strength. Picture: Corporal Riley Blennerhassett

Australian Army recruits are “not up to scratch” and lack the mental strength to take on criticism or be “yelled at”, a unit commander has claimed.

The criticism comes as a leaked letter – written in December by Deputy Chief of the Army Major General Christopher Smith – identified a range of deficiencies in the force’s troop training.

Support units were particularly affected, with the letter claiming personnel lacked “competency in foundational soldiering skills [including] navigation, digging pits, putting up wire, patrolling and air sentry duties”.

The result: “non-arms corp units are finding it necessary to expend valuable time teaching foundational skills rather than on collective training, inhibiting the value troops draw from exercises”.

Major Smith’s letter urged commanders to shift their priorities and focus on improving the physical, psychological and social conditioning (or group cohesion) of troops, representing a broader philosophical change in the army’s approach to training – to ensure the army can meet the nation’s “changing situation”.

A defence spokesman confirmed General Smith wrote the letter to all army commanders in December, saying it was “intended to reflect on the force’s posture changes and strategic circumstances as outlined in the 2024 National Defence Strategy”.

But one commander, speaking under anonymity, suggests the letter speaks to his own deeper concerns about troop standards claiming some were simply “not up to scratch”.

The Deputy Chief of the Army sent a letter in December 2024 to commanders urging a shift in training, emphasising the physical, psychological and social conditioning of troops while highlighting ‘deficiencies’ in soldier skills. Picture: Department of Defence

They claim cadets lacked the mental fortitude expected of a soldier, being unable to take on criticism or withstand “being yelled at”.

The letter also flagged remote training as a problem, being at odds with the army’s philosophical shift, stating in-person experiences were preferable as they built “camaraderie, resilience, and readiness in ways that remote learning cannot replicate”.

The letter emphasised on multiple occasions the need to change immediately, with General Smith explaining that he took “the unusual step” of issuing the letter to all commanders rather than following a standard top-down process, “because the requirement to adapt is urgent”.

“Army Headquarters is leading the development of doctrine for the essential physical, psychological, and social conditioning we seek to instil across the force,” the letter says.

“That work is important however, action cannot wait for top-down directives.

“In the interim, I encourage you to take immediate steps to reflect this change in the bias of our training to the extent you are able and to the extent resources and staffing allows.

“Time is the critical resource for conditioning our soldiers and officers. Exploit it fully.”

Defence would not clarify why General Smith’s letter reiterated a sense of urgency, but a spokeswoman said there have already been changes within the army over the last six months since the letter was sent – including an increase in the number of weeks troops spent going through basic training.

Minister for Defence Richard Marles declined to comment.

Originally published as Deputy Chief of the Army instructs commanders to fix ‘deficiencies’ with troop training as some units lack basic soldier skills