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 |  Subject: Blast for 'gladiator' OZschwitz Diggers  Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:10 am | |
| A senior army commander has blasted the behaviour of some Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, saying they expected to be treated as ''Roman gladiators'' and had an image of war based on movies and computer games.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Smith, who was commanding officer of Mentoring Taskforce 3 for six months, catalogued dangerous and ill-disciplined conduct - including sunbathing on missions and hitting golf balls into areas where militants could be hiding - in a post-operation report from January last year.
Illustration: Ron Tandberg.
Illustration: Ron Tandberg.
It is believed the report was distributed widely to other commanders by a dismayed Chief of Army, David Morrison.
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Colonel Smith wrote that there were ''examples throughout Australia's commitment in Afghanistan of soldiers sunbathing in tactical positions . . . sitting in chairs and facing inwards in enemy areas, listening to music in tactical positions''.
There were also instances of ''hitting golf balls from overwatch positions into the green zone'', referring to the belts of vegetation in river valleys where many villages are located and Taliban militants have cover to move about.
And there were cases of ''kicking footballs in tactical positions, doing physical training in enemy areas, standing around bonfires in proximity to the green zone by night, and greeting helicopters at landing zones in thongs and T-shirts''.
Colonel Smith went on to say that young soldiers had a ''distorted and fanciful perception of wartime soldiering'' based on ''stereotypical images of special forces soldiers, and characters from films and computer games''.
''The hyperbole surrounding the contribution of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan makes the soldiers feel entitled to be treated almost as Roman gladiators.
''They give the impression that they expect everyone, including their superiors, to lavish them with attention and unregulated time when between tasks.''
The report, which Defence has refused to provide to Fairfax Media, is cited in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry by Lowy Institute military fellow James Brown.
Mr Brown, a former soldier, cited it as an example of the lack of transparency, accountability and political oversight of the armed forces. He said such frank and critical observations as Colonel Smith's report were rare, in part because ''they are deliberately prevented from release [by Defence]''.
Defence's ''commitment to transparency lags well behind … our allies'', he said.
John Cantwell, former commander in Afghanistan and the Middle East, said he was ''gobsmacked'' by the claims, and agreed with Mr Brown that Defence needed to be more open.
Retired general Jim Molan congratulated Colonel Smith for his ''courageous act'' in ''telling it like it is''.
''When the minister goes overseas and pats every soldier on the head and says, 'You are doing a fantastic job', soldiers are going to believe it, and therefore why can't they take their shirts off?'' he said.
''The real failure in any military is to believe your own myths and legends.''
Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said hitting golf balls into the green zone was ''cretinous, moronic stuff'', though he warned against assuming this was widespread.
''The modern Generation Y just believes they have an entitlement to free time no matter what,'' he said.
Former chief of army Peter Leahy was more forgiving, saying soldiers did a tough job and needed some relief.
''I'd be concerned if these were the sentries, who have a duty … to provide safety and security to everybody else. But if it's guys who were off duty … these aren't hanging offences.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/blast-for-gladiator-diggers-20130313-2g0xm.html#ixzz2NVWoBTHK
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