Australian war crime inquiry: What Australia’s military must ask

The Australian war crime inquiry findings are a disgrace but to believe only rank and file troops knew what was going on cannot be believed.

There are five words that ADF chief General Angus Campbell said the nation’s entire military force needed to learn and immediately adopt. “I will not go there”.

He ordered all rank and file troops to remind themselves of that when they learn the extent of the crimes allegedly committed by some of their Special Forces colleagues.

“Learn, think and reflect,” he added, as in essence he wants to ensure the sins of the past cannot be allowed to continue into the future.

But the mere fact the general has had to say that goes to the heart of how disturbing the culture is that has been allowed to flourish in some quarters of Australia’s military.

Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Gary Ramage

While the Brereton inquiry flagged examples of incidents of how wrong things had allegedly gone in Afghanistan, there is scant mention of who – and there will be many – in the upper echelons of the ADF that have allowed this culture to go on.

The findings are a disgrace and disturbing but to believe these men and only these men knew what was going on cannot be believed.

In essence the inquiry found the horrific events that allegedly occurred were “commenced, committed, continued and concealed” at patrol commander level, that is corporal and sergeant rank.

But that’s like accepting the word of a bishop that he had no idea what his priests were doing in the church.

Members of the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan. Picture: Department of Defence

How many senior clergy are to be allowed to say they did not know what their priests were doing before they are eventually condemned for at best choosing to ignore reports or at worst actively turning a blind eye to abuse?

There is an all-embracing “warrior culture” broadly in the military, within the SAS Regiment particularly, and the public cannot be expected to believe grave knowledge of these alleged actions or even reports was contained just to the men on the battlefield.

Defence has said the troop structure was such they did not know what patrol commanders were doing. If that is to be accepted then there has existed significant defects of the chain of command for sometime.

This is a clear and significant failure of command and control by headquarters staff, in-country in the Middle East and at various bases in Canberra.

And one interesting reference in Brereton report points to the focus on the SAS Regiment mainly because “the inquiry had less success in breaching the code of silence of 2nd Commando Regiment”. Are we to accept a code of silence can be allowed to exist?

On the face of it, high rank officials have dodged a bullet, pun intended, but if sweeping reforms as recommended by Brereton are to be implemented than a change of this level guard is required.

A five-word mantra for the rank and file is fine, substantial changes at the top preferred.

Support services:

· The Defence all-hours Support Line is a confidential telephone and online service for ADF members and their families 1800 628 036

· Open Arms provides 24-hour free and confidential counselling and support for current and former ADF members and their families 1800 011 046, or through SafeZone on 1800 142 072.

Crisis support from Lifeline is available on 13 11 14

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Originally published as Australian war crime inquiry: What Australia’s military must ask