August 18, 2021, is a date that will now resonate with Australian veterans of another war, frustrated how their Afghan colleagues have been shamelessly abandoned. Their fate seems as final as our withdrawal. READ MORE
Opinion
Comment: Making the Census Count
Saturday 14th Aug 2021
Since 1911 the Australian Commonwealth has held a census 18 times, each one a different picture of our growing nation. But the census we completed this week had a unique question. For the first time, it asked Australians: have you served in the Australian Defence...
Diggers to fight on digital front
Tuesday 10th Aug 2021
The Australian Defence Force has adopted a new digital battle space strategy and modern warfare posture to advance the country’s preparedness for combat and “grey-zone tactics” aimed at undermining and penetrating the nation’s defences. Facing a decade of...
Opinion – Shame in Walking Away from Afghanistan
Saturday 10th Jul 2021
THERE are multiple historic examples why the nation known variously as Afghanistan has been termed “the graveyard of empires”. Now, after 20 years of continuous involvement in the latest failed international intervention in Afghan affairs, Australia has also become...
Opinion: ADF – Ideological grenade tossed into the mix as distraction
Saturday 5th Jun 2021
AS the inimitable Sir Humphrey Appleby once opined, “Minister, two basic rules of government: Never look into anything you don’t have to. “And never set up an inquiry unless you know in advance what its findings will be.”. It should have been the first caution given...
Opinion – Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide
Tuesday 1st Jun 2021
The Australian Government has written a covenant with the members of the Australian Defence Community in which it commits to supporting veterans and their families and build greater community awareness of the unique nature of military service. It also promises amongst...
Opinion: Geographic isolation a key factor in nation’s defence
Saturday 29th May 2021
After several overseas military interventions, Australia post-Afghanistan faces what will likely prove a long period of introspective planning for a potential invasion of its mainland. READ MORE
Future officers need to ‘correct’ the direction the military is heading: Army Vet Justin Huggett
Thursday 6th May 2021
In a TV interview with Alan Jones, Army and RAR veteran Justin Huggett MG opines, “You can either have a military that is a “direct reflection” of your society or you can have a military that “fights and wins – you cannot have both”. “I genuinely hope for the future...
Opinion: Can Dutton Save the Army from the Generals?
Tuesday 4th May 2021
This article is from the May 3 issue of The Courier Mail Digital Edition. Justin Huggett is a former Infantry Platoon Sergeant and a Medal for Gallantry (MG) recipient “IF YOU spend a long enough time as an enlisted soldier, you start picking up common themes...
Opinion: Ben Roberts-Smith welcomes Royal Commission, slams treatment of veterans
Monday 26th Apr 2021
Australia’s most decorated war hero has delivered a scathing attack on the Australian Defence Force’s top brass for their “disgusting” treatment of veterans and “staggering” lack of direction. Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith said military commanders had run...