Commando Heston Russell names the one group that is ‘most marginalised’ in society
Commando explains why one group is the ‘most marginalized minority’ in Australian society: ‘Men who know what real courage is’
- Heston Russell is a veteran of the Special Forces
- He was deployed to Afghanistan four times
- Mr. Russell says Special Forces are slandered
A former commando who has served through Afghanistan four times says Special Forces veterans are “the most marginalized minority” in Australia.
Heston Russell spent 16 years in the military and retired with the rank of Major, having deployed to East Timor and Iraq and also fighting the Taliban.
In recent years, he has campaigned for the welfare of his returned comrades-in-arms, establishing Voice of a Veteran in 2020 and Veteran Support Force in 2021.
On Tuesday, Mr Russell took aim at what he described as ‘the most shameful and disgraceful treatment of our modern day heroes’ in a social media post.
“The most marginalized minority in our Australian society today is arguably those who are willing to get the most out of our country,” he wrote.
Former Commando Heston Russell says Special Forces veterans are ‘the most marginalized minority’ in Australia. Mr. Russell spent 16 years in the military and retired with the rank of major, having deployed four times to Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor
‘Identifying as a Special Forces veteran in Australia unfortunately brings labels you might not expect, including ‘war criminal’ and ‘murderer’.
“These are men who know what real courage is. They have dedicated their lives, livelihoods and families to serve on the front lines for our country – they have been the tip of the spear for Australia’s armed forces.”
A 2020 report from the Inspector General of the Australian Defense Force (IGADF) found evidence of 39 unlawful killings of civilians and prisoners by or on behalf of Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan.
The report, written by NSW High Court judge Paul Brereton, found evidence that 25 Australian staff members were involved in the killings, most of which allegedly took place in 2012 and 2013.
In the wake of that report, ADF Chief General Angus Campbell took steps to remove unit listings from some 3,000 Special Forces troops who had served in Afghanistan.
Last November, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that at least 1,600 serving and ex-serving ADF members committed suicide between 1997 and 2020.
Mr Russell took aim at ‘the most shameful and disgraceful treatment of our modern day heroes’ in an Instagram post. Australian Special Forces soldiers are pictured in Afghanistan in 2013
The Royal Commission into Defense and Veteran Suicide has received more than 3,000 submissions and heard nearly 250 witnesses at public hearings.
From 2001 to 2021, more than 26,000 Australians served in Afghanistan. Four Victoria Crosses were awarded, 41 soldiers killed and 261 wounded.
Mr. Russell, who served with the 2nd Commando Regiment, wrote in his post that Special Forces veterans should be ‘honored and respected’ for their service to Australia rather than slandered.
“These men are role models at their best, who can inspire the young men and women who will be the future leaders of our great nation,” he wrote.
Instead, these men are easily taken down and told that their physical prowess, excellence in battle, and patriotic beliefs are no longer values that are important or even acceptable to some in today’s society.
“Identifying as a Special Forces veteran in Australia unfortunately brings labels you might not expect, including ‘war criminal’ and ‘murderer,'” Russell wrote.
“The reality is that our offensive military force is only deployed when the politicians and bureaucrats can no longer get the job done, when diplomacy fails, or when words and documents no longer deter those who would harm our nation.”
In February, the Federal Court ruled that the ABC had defamed Mr. Russell in a series of articles and broadcasts linking him to alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan in 2012.
According to the accounts, Mr. Russell was “the subject of an active criminal investigation into his conduct as a commando in Afghanistan” and “reasonably suspected … of committing a crime or crimes while he was a commando in Afghanistan.”
Justice Michael Lee also found that the ABC stories implied that Mr. Russell habitually and knowingly crossed the line of ethical conduct and behaved so immorally that the US armed forces refused to cooperate with him.
Justice Lee has since dropped the national broadcaster’s truth defense in the case, which goes to trial on April 24.