By Dr Dan Mealey*
Hopefully the recently appointed Chief Defence Forces, Vice Admiral David Johnston is less interested in identity politics than his predecessor, and more interested in the welfare of his soldiers.
The legacy of General Campbell is a military in tatters, morale destroyed, a brutalised recruitment and retention, countless careers, reputations and families ruined, as well as 1,600 deceased veterans.
Lest we forget.
With the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide in its final stages of private hearings, Vice Admiral Johnston will be charged with implementing the Commissioners’ recommendations (or shelving them, and forgetting them, just like 37 previous reports, inquiries and investigations).
https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/
The greatest challenge Johnston will face however, will be the swelling, national ground support for the SASR soldiers left in an unacceptable limbo, having been labelled as ‘war criminals’ in a legally-vacuous Brereton Inquiry witch-hunt.
Australians aren’t stupid, and they aren’t impressed with the calibre of an ADF Officer who turns upon his own soldiers to avoid personal accountability – or worse: to win the 2015 Canning by-election with a smoke and mirrors dance with Australian journalists.
In the years ahead, the concept of ‘veteran welfare’ will increasingly become one that has less of an emphasis upon access to ‘psych meds and psych beds,’ evolving toward a much-needed equalising of legal welfare to match the million-dollar lawyers who have been representing our enemy: the Commonwealth of Australia, the ADF, IGADF and the journalists they are in bed with.
*Dr Dan Mealey
MBBS (Melb) Biomed Sci, SCHP, ACEM Cert
Former Army Medical Officer
