Commissioner condemns ‘failed leadership’ in Australian Defence Force, urges greater focus on personnel wellbeing

1. Suicide rates are ‘unacceptably high’

The report found that between 1985 and 2021 there were 2,007 confirmed suicides of individuals who had served in the ADF for at least one day since January 1985.

“On average, 78 serving or former ADF members have died by suicide each year over the past 10 years. This equates to an average of three deaths every two weeks,” the report said.

But the report says these numbers, while large, “understate the scale of the problem” because they do not include individuals who left the ADF before 1985, excluding many Vietnam veterans and deaths where the intention of the deceased could not be established.

“The data also showed that former ADF members who served in the permanent forces had higher rates of long-term mental health problems, and ‘deaths of despair’, which refers to deaths caused by suicide, drug or alcohol poisoning, chronic liver disease or cirrhosis,” the report said.

2. The defense capacity has been ‘eroded’

The report warns that staff shortages due to high redundancy rates, failure to meet recruitment targets and staff being unavailable for medical reasons “have led to a ‘hollowing out’ of defence capacity and an environment that is not conducive to supporting wellbeing”.

The deputy secretary of the Department of Defence, Matt Yannopoulos, told the royal commission: “The void is made up of the approximately 10% vacancy rate and 15% medically unavailable vacancies.”

The committee heard that in November 2023 the organisation had 4,259 staff, or 6.8%, below the levels it is funded. The report calls for a new doctrine “that recognises that operational readiness depends on a healthy workforce”.

3. Moral injury and military justice: ‘armament’

The committee notes that the concept of “moral injury” is relatively new and not yet widely recognized as a risk factor for suicide and suicidality among military personnel, but that it can be experienced by those who are victims of actions that violate their moral code.

“It can also occur when someone feels responsible for committing, or failing to intervene or report, actions that harm others,” the report said. This can include witnessing the horrors of combat situations.

A former infantry commander reported comments from others about moral injury: “I feel like my soul is wounded, that I’ve done something very wrong or witnessed something very wrong and I didn’t do anything about it.”

The report urges the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct research to better understand the problem and to “prevent, minimize and treat moral injury.”

The report also says the committee heard “detailed historical and contemporary accounts of bullying, harassment, discrimination, misogyny, and physical and sexual violence experienced during training and throughout service”. In addition to recommending measures to protect victims of sexual misconduct from harm during the course of their careers, the committee also calls on the government to launch a formal inquiry into sexual violence in the ADF.

4. The transition to life after the ADF is challenging

The study examined “how many of the factors unique to military service contribute to increased risks of suicide and suicidality during the transition to civilian life and after separation.” It concluded that psychosocial challenges may arise “from the loss of military identity, purpose, and levels of social connectedness, and the associated experiences of isolation and loneliness.”

Because people lose access to “a collective identity and the sense of purpose inherent in membership in a unit, service, and defense in general, a former serving member may face an uncomfortable and often isolating experience in re-establishing a civilian identity.”

The report quoted the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programmewhich estimated – based on 2015 data – that more than 20% of former permanent armed forces members who had been separated or transferred to the reserves had experienced some form of suicidality in the previous 12 months. For example, 21.2% “felt so depressed that they considered suicide (compared to 3.3% for the general population)”.

5. Leaders must take responsibility

The committee managed to secure an apology from the then chief of the ADF, General Angus Campbell, who said during the final hearings: “I apologise unreservedly for these failings. Defence is committed … to doing better.”

The final report states that strong leadership at all levels of government and the military “will be needed to instill confidence in former, current and future ADF members and their families that their welfare will be prioritised”.

The Royal Commission calls for a new statutory entity to oversee systemic reforms, but also calls for leadership in driving real change. Interestingly, it calls for the annual performance reviews of ADF leaders from the rank of colonel to the rank of general to include an assessment against specific targets relating to culture, health and wellbeing.

The report concludes: “History will indeed judge those who are in a position to make a difference at this critical moment. As we reach the conclusion of our investigation, we send this final message to leaders in government, the military and the public service: