"Australia apology for abuse in the military"

[The Bread Guy]

From the BBC:

Australia's government has apologised to victims of abuse in the military, after a probe that saw hundreds of claims of mistreatment made.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith told parliament steps would be taken to ensure the sexual, physical and mental abuse would not be repeated.

The investigation received more than 1,000 claims of abuse dating from the 1950s to the present day.

It was commissioned following a sex scandal at a military academy in 2011.

'Not acceptable'

The investigation, conducted for the government by law firm DLA Piper, set out allegations of abuse from both male and female personnel serving in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) over the past six decades.
Australia's special forces exercise during the Australian International Airshow in Melbourne March 2, 2011 Australia's defence forces have been hit by several scandals, prompting wide-ranging reviews

More than 1,000 people submitted allegations to the investigation. Claims from 775 people fell within its terms of reference - "the overwhelming majority of which are said to be plausible allegations of abuse", a Defence Ministry statement said ....

From the AUS Chief of the Defence Force:

“Today the Minister for Defence has announced details of the Government’s response to the DLA Piper Review of Allegations of Sexual and other Forms of Abuse in Defence.

“The three Services and the ADF have served Australia with distinction for over a hundred years. The ADF has been successful in a wide variety of operations because it prepares itself well. The ADF trains hard in peacetime to prepare for the physical and mental rigors that come with warfare. During peace and war, hundreds of thousands of Australians have served in the ADF and the great majority have had no experience of incidents of abuse, either as perpetrators or victims. However we cannot ignore the damage and suffering that has been caused to some.

“Australians join the ADF for many reasons: for love of Australia and a desire to serve it in uniform; for the prospect of a challenging, demanding and rewarding career; for personal and professional development; and for comradeship. Whatever the reason, every person who joins the ADF deserves to be appropriately prepared for operations. Accepting that the rigors of training in the Army, Navy and Air Force will be tough and demanding every ADF member must be able to pursue their aspirations in an environment free from physical, mental and sexual abuse in accordance with the ADF’s values and associated behaviours.

“The allegations received through the DLA Piper review process demonstrate that the ADF has not always provided such an environment. That it hasn’t done so is evident in alleged incidents of sexual, physical and mental abuse.

“The DLA Piper Report offers some reasons for why abuse has occurred. The number, nature, and range of allegations demonstrates that some members of the ADF have failed to understand the responsibility that rank imposes, that rank is a privilege and not a licence for domineering, belittling or predatory behaviour. Some have failed to accept that diversity, diversity of age, gender, race, culture and experience, is a strength in the ADF that needs to be built upon and not torn down.

“The ADF has begun addressing these causes through its cultural reform program. But I, as the head of the ADF, recognise the suffering that some have experienced. On behalf of the ADF, I say that I am sorry to those who have suffered sexual, physical or mental abuse while serving in the ADF ....

More on the AUS government's response here.

The Piper Report here

 

[dimsum]

I've said this before, but it's interesting being a Canadian attached to the ADF.  The events that led to SHARP, etc. were before my time but (broadly) the same issues have arisen in Australia which led to Pathways for Change (AKA SHARP/Code of Defence Ethics).  Even PfC and Defence Ethics have very similar principles.  Besides that, they're also dealing with integrating women in front-line combat roles, and a few other things that Canada had done about 10-15 years ago. 

It's also very interesting that while Australian and Canadian society is generally fairly similar (except that it seems that men seemingly hold onto the "frat boy/bloke" image much longer than Canadians would), their military culture is in many respects about 20 years behind the times.  When I tell my Aussie colleagues that not only are women in the front lines in the CF but that 3 have fallen in the last decade (the first being a Combat Arms officer), they are shocked that Canadian society didn't immediately rise in outrage. 

 

[Haggis]

Just for fun you can also tell them that we have one female Rear-Admiral who, as Chief Reserves & Cadets, sits on the Armed Forces Council with the CDS.

 

[RDBZ]

I've said this before, but it's interesting being a Canadian attached to the ADF.  The events that led to SHARP, etc. were before my time but (broadly) the same issues have arisen in Australia which led to Pathways for Change (AKA SHARP/Code of Defence Ethics).  Even PfC and Defence Ethics have very similar principles.  Besides that, they're also dealing with integrating women in front-line combat roles, and a few other things that Canada had done about 10-15 years ago. 

It's also very interesting that while Australian and Canadian society is generally fairly similar (except that it seems that men seemingly hold onto the "frat boy/bloke" image much longer than Canadians would), their military culture is in many respects about 20 years behind the times.  When I tell my Aussie colleagues that not only are women in the front lines in the CF but that 3 have fallen in the last decade (the first being a Combat Arms officer), they are shocked that Canadian society didn't immediately rise in outrage.

As with most things societal I suspect history provdes some clues as to why.  In the post Korian war era, Australia spent the next two decades engaged in a seriies of chronologically overlapping conflicts - the Malayan insurgency, the "confrontation" with Indonesia in Borneo, and over a decade in Vietnam.  In all cases the opponent was not bound by Western concepts of the rules of war or treatment of POWs.  Add to that Australian involvement in the 2nd Iraq war, a very differnt conflict to NATOs nation building effort in Afghanistan.  Perhaps as a result of that, Australian military culture has been more firmly anchored in the historical narrative of "tough" men going off to war, compared to evolving concepts of gender roles.

On a less serious note, I suspect the average Aussie's reaction to the frat boy issue would be:  http://en.android4gamers.com/sony-xperia-tablet-s/368-hockey-fight-pro.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

As with most things societal I suspect history provdes some clues as to why.  In the post Korian war era, Australia spent the next two decades engaged in a seriies of chronologically overlapping conflicts - the Malayan insurgency, the "confrontation" with Indonesia in Borneo, and over a decade in Vietnam.  In all cases the opponent was not bound by Western concepts of the rules of war or treatment of POWs.  Add to that Australian involvement in the 2nd Iraq war, a very differnt conflict to NATOs nation building effort in Afghanistan.  Perhaps as a result of that, Australian military culture has been more firmly anchored in the historical narrative of "tough" men going off to war, compared to evolving concepts of gender roles.

On a less serious note, I suspect the average Aussie's reaction to the frat boy issue would be:  http://en.android4gamers.com/sony-xperia-tablet-s/368-hockey-fight-pro.html

'If the ANZACS were around today, I reckon they'd be f-ing spewing!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

;D

 

[RDBZ]

Best video I've seen in a long time.....only because its funny, right..... ;D

 

[FJAG]

'If the ANZACS were around today, I reckon they'd be f-ing spewing!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

;D

:rofl:

Who'd have thunk it. An Australian Rick Mercer rant.