Samantha Armytage has unleashed on the Australian government for ‘throwing veterans under the bus’ after bombshell Afghanistan war report was published.
Former Special Forces 2nd Commando Regiment Officer Heston Russell appeared on Tuesday’s Sunrise morning show and accused government leaders of contributing to the veteran suicide crisis, which has seen ten soldiers take their own lives in the past month.
The controversial war crimes report alleges special forces soldiers murdered prisoners and civilians during overseas service.
Veterans are now accusing the government of planning to punish soldiers before the findings of the report were even released after it was revealed Queen Elizabeth signed off on a change to Unit Citations Regulations on July 13.
This allowed Governor-General David Hurley to strip an entire unit of its medals.
Former Special Forces 2nd Commando Regiment Officer Heston Russell (pictured) appeared on Tuesday’s Sunrise and accused government leaders of contributing to the veteran suicide crisis
Samantha Armytage has unleashed on the Australian government for ‘throwing veterans under the bus’ with the handling of the bombshell Afghanistan war report
The changes to the legislation, the first since the medals were established in 1991, also allows military members to be stripped of medals if convicted of ‘disgraceful or serious’ crimes.
Ms Armytage said Australians were outraged by the news.
‘This is running very deep, and it means the Defence Force and the government are doing all of this to play to the media,’ she said.
‘They are not doing it quietly behind the scenes, these are alleged crimes and people are getting thrown under the bus.’
Mr Russell told the program that soldiers being stripped of their medals from serving from 2007 to 2013 ‘does not pass the pub test’.
‘In July the prime minister himself signed off on recommendations specifically to allow the Chief of the Defence Force to write to the governor general to remove the Meritorious Unit Citation from an entire unit,’ the war veteran said.
‘Previously this could only be removed from the governor general himself to an individual – and this happened in July.’
A government spokesman refuted claims it was calculated punishment, saying the changes have been planned since 2015.
Former special forces 2nd Commando Regiment officer Heston Russell said it’s ‘appalling’ the government knew what was coming and did nothing to ‘support for the families of soldiers who died for their country’
Queen Elizabeth signed off on a change to Unit Citations Regulations on July 13 – four months before the inquiry concluded – which allowed Governor-General David Hurley to strip a unit of its medals
Ms Armytage said it would be ‘crazy’ for the Defence Force to strip ‘all of our war heroes’ of their medals and claimed it was ‘premeditated’.
She also said soldiers and their families should have been better supported throughout the year in the lead up to the report.
Mr Russell claimed veterans believed it had been a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to the report over six days rather than six months of planning.
‘Veterans and their families are being abandoned, they found out they would tear these honours away from loved ones like everyone else live to the media… this damage is immeasurable,’ Mr Russell said.
He also said there needs to be a Royal Commission into the matter as the report will lead to more people in the Defence Force taking their own lives.
‘Ten veterans have died in the last month… 600 since 2001, I can’t take any more of these phone calls,’ he said.
Defence Chief Angus Campbell said he would strip service awards from 3000 Afghanistan soldiers to show their ‘collective responsibility’ for the alleged war crimes outlined in the Brereton report
A spokesman said Prime Minister Scott Morrison wasn’t briefed on the damning Brereton report until just days before it was released to the public last month following a four-year inquiry.
Defence Chief Angus Campbell said he would strip service awards from 3,000 Afghanistan soldiers to show their ‘collective responsibility’ for the alleged war crimes outlined in the Brereton report.
But Mr Morrison later overruled him, arguing Australia’s soldiers should not be punished because of a few bad eggs.
‘Do not reflect on the many thousands of others who serve today and who have served before,’ he said.
Major General Paul Brereton’s chilling investigation found junior troops were allegedly ordered to execute Afghan detainees in a practice known as ‘blooding’, while weapons and evidence were planted on bodies to cover up unlawful deaths.
The investigation took four and a half years to scrutinise the conduct of special forces soldiers between 2005 and 2016.
The report exposed 39 alleged unlawful killings, along with deceit and cover-ups by 25 current or former Australian special forces personnel.
The ADF apologised for the 23 alleged atrocities committed by the elite Special Air Service as the report was made public last month.
The findings point to a culture of violence, mistreatment of war prisoners, and secrecy that allegedly covered up executions.
A recent spate of suicides among serving and ex-serving personnel has veteran organisations fearful of ongoing mental health issues.
There have been at least 10 suicides in the veteran community in October and November, as well as two in August.
One female and eight male ADF personnel – aged in their early 20s to 50s – have taken their own lives since October 30.
It’s understood at least four of them were serving at the time.
Three have been identified by an online community which advocates for mental health programs for veterans – two of whom were Queensland-based fathers.
The Defence Department has only confirmed one death by suicide in recent weeks, a serving ADF member on November 1.
Mr Russell is calling for a Royal Commission into veteran suicides in Australia.
‘Enough is enough, we need a Royal Commission,’ he said.
Julie-Ann Finney (right) is leading calls for a Royal Commission into veteran suicides in Australia. Her son David (left) served in the Royal Australian Navy for 20 years, before taking his own life on February 1, 2019
An anonymous serving member said ADF’s internal systems and policies ‘require a massive overhaul’
Tasmanian senator and veterans advocate Jacqui Lambie is pushing for the commission, claiming suicides are ‘one of Australia’s most pressing problems’.
She said the only reason the government would change the rules around Meritorious Unit Citations in July, months before the release of the Brereton Report, is because it ‘had a sense of what’s about to come’.
‘Whatever comes of this investigation, you can’t hang 3,000 guys out to dry and say it’s all “too bad, you’re all as guilty as each other”,’ she said
Julie-Ann Finney, whose ex-sailor son took his life last year, said she feared Australia’s military suicide crisis would deepen after the findings of the four-year inquiry were released.
‘All veterans will feel tainted by [the implication] that they participate in war crimes,’ Ms Finney told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Finney is leading calls for a Royal Commission into veteran suicides in Australia.
Her son, David Stafford Finney, served in the Royal Australian Navy for 20 years, before taking his life on February 1, 2019.
Ms Finney said her ‘heart is breaking for the families of deceased veterans’ after the latest suicides.
She referred to the Brereton report and alleged war crimes while urging the need for an investigation into military suicides.
‘Chief of Defence Force Angus Campbell apologised to Afghans – as he should – for the trauma inflicted on families,’ she said.
Ms Finney said there had been ‘no such apology’ to the families of military personnel who had taken their own lives or an ‘independent and rigorous investigation’ into the military suicide crisis.
‘I want the question put to the prime minister: What are they afraid of?’ she said, again urging for a Royal Commission.
Heartbroken families of Australian troops are calling for immediate action after ten soldiers took their own lives in as little as three weeks. Pictured: Soldiers in Afghanistan
Shane Holt enlisted into the Australian Army in 2011 before being posted to Shane successfully completed Singleton and was posted to the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as an infantryman
Ms Finney also accused Defence of failing to properly care for serving and ex-military personnel.
‘Defence has no care for its members, they are disposable, especially former members… they are no longer of any use,’ she said.
‘All members can be replaced, but what about the human consequences?
‘Defence will always discard and replace [former members] and then forget about them completely.’
She said there would ‘absolutely’ be more suicides following the release of the report unless mental health services were improved.
Ms Finney said only a truly independent Royal Commission can uncover the truth.
‘To every veteran doing it hard, we are fighting hard for you,’ she said.
‘Please call lifeline, talk to your mates, ask them to help you, there are many many Australians fighting for you. Don’t let them beat you.’
A change.org petition for a Royal Commission has more than 376,000 signatures.
Australian Defence Force chief Angus Campbell delivers the findings from the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry
Braiden Russell completed training at Singleton, in the NSW Hunter region, and was known as ‘everyone’s mate’
A serving soldier, who asked not to be named, told Daily Mail Australia ADF’s internal systems and policies ‘require a massive overhaul’.
‘Soldiers are afraid to ask for help in the ADF,’ the person said.
‘Why? Because if they get diagnosed with a mental health injury, they will either lose their security clearance (and in turn lose their position at their unit) or worst case, they will be medically discharged and lose their career.
‘Soldiers ask for help, they then end up losing their identity (being a soldier) and jobless. All of this while the ADF promotes mental health awareness.’
The anonymous member said the number of attempted suicides over the past 20 years is ‘ridiculous’.
‘Something not many people hear about because they were obviously not successful in their attempt and they try to keep it quiet,’ they said.
There is also a stigma which stops soldiers asking for help.
‘Being “weak” or ”letting your mates down” would definitely play its part,’ they said.
The anonymous member said the latest suicides were not connected to the report, but the findings could lead to further mental health struggles ‘for those involved or affiliated with the unit’.
Open Arms Veteran and Family Counselling: 1800 011 046, Safe Zone Support: 1800 142 072, Lifeline: 13 11 14.
How special force soldiers were responsible for the ‘most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history’
Australian soldiers stand accused of murdering 39 people in Afghanistan as part of a campaign of cruelty against prisoners while on tour in the war-torn country.
The damning findings were outlined in a major report into alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan made public last month.
The four-year inquiry uncovered a ‘shameful record’ of unlawful killings which took place outside the ‘heat of battle’, including cases where new patrol members were told to shoot a prisoner to achieve their first kill in an ‘appalling practice’ known as ‘blooding’.
There was also evidence that troops took part in ‘body count competitions’ and covered up illegal killings by staging skirmishes, planting weapons and retrospectively adding names to target lists.
One particular incident, wholly redacted in the report, was described as ‘possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s military history’.
A SAS squadron embroiled in the allegations is being disbanded, while 19 current and former soldiers face possible criminal prosecution
The 465-page document, which blames the killings in part on a ‘warrior hero’ culture among special forces, recommended that 19 people face criminal investigation and called for sweeping reforms to Australia’s military.
Australia’s Chief of Army was left ‘sickened’ by the landmark investigation.
Paul Brereton, who led the four-year inquiry, found young soldiers were forced to kill Afghan soldiers in a practice known as ‘blooding’ to achieve their first kill.
‘I was shocked by the extent of the alleged unlawful acts that were described in the report,’ Lieutenant General Rick Burr told Nine Network.
‘That is absolutely not what I expect of anyone in our army, anywhere in our army at any time, and why I’m so determined to lead our army through this into a better place.’
A SAS squadron embroiled in the allegations is being disbanded, while 19 current and former soldiers face possible criminal prosecution.
All special forces soldiers who served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013 could also lose their meritorious unit citations.