Letters to the Editor

Top Aussie EM effort

Australian soldiers touched the lives of the East Timorese people for the better, according to an East Timorese teacher. Xiete Disantos watches an Australian convoy pass on its way to Dili. Photo by Pte John Wellfare, Army newspaper

I AM currently one of a few serving in East Timor as part of the Force Extraction Team.

During one of my tasks, I had the fortune to talk with an Australian school teacher who is teaching at the local school not far from FOB Moleana.

During conversation this gentleman told me that the Australian Army had done themselves proud whilst serving in East Timor.

He told me how the local people held the Australian Army in high regard and how the locals were always telling him that the Australian Army had been professional from start to finish.

He discussed the fact that those who arrived early during the UN mission would be aware that they changed a nation.

He stated that he wasn’t too sure that the soldiers who had served later in the mission knew of the difference they had made to the lives of the East Timor people.

He felt that they had simply arrived and left without knowing the impact that the professionalism, friendliness and hospitality they displayed had had on the people of East Timor.

I didn’t know how to answer him but I felt extremely proud as he continued to speak to me about how good the Australian Army had completed their job.

It was then that I realised that the soldiers deserved to know that the people of East Timor are still giving praise as we leave their country the same as they did when we arrived.

WO2 Mark Reed
Force Extraction Team
FOB Moleana, East Timor

No leave lost

I HAVE just finished reading Editon 1095 April 22 Army, and in particular the article titled ‘Use it, or lose your leave’ and I wish to make a few comments about this.

I find it incredible that we can lose leave simply because of a computer program which has automatic lapsing provisions of PMKeyS.

There are a large number of us in Defence who work in areas that have to provide 24/7 coverage to our areas of responsibilities and we are unable to take leave when everyone else does.

I had my first lot of decent leave last year in five years, when I went on posting from Canberra to Perth.

I took off nearly two months; however, with travel time, I still only managed to clear a small amount of leave.

I work in a small section with just two of us to provide on-call coverage to the Western region.

I have to juggle leave with work requirements, postings, courses and so on and now to be told that I could lose leave because of factors beyond my control seems incredible to me.

I know of a number of my fellow members who are in the same situation.

Being married, I want to be able to take time off when the rest of my family is on holidays, not during the year when my wife is at work and the kids are at school and all I am doing is sitting at home doing nothing.

This would send me around the twist and I might as well be at work.

I have been told that I have to take some time off to reduce the number of leave days in my book.

So I am taking time off in October school holidays, at the same time my wife has had to beg her employer to let her have some time off so that we can spend time together as a family. I cannot take BRL at Christmas because my corporal is on posting and his new encumbent is not due until mid-January 2005, and by then my kids will be at school.

In this day and age of high operational tempo, something should be done to protect our leave and other entitlements and we shouldn’t lose it simply because someone couldn’t write a decent computer program. I am sure that if I was a civvy I wouldn’t have this problem.

WO2 K.N Fehlauer
3 Sect 54 MP Pl (SIB)
East Fremantle WA

Col Mike Milford, Director of Personnel, responds:

First of all I would like to allay WO2 Fehlauer’s fears that he will be losing leave simply because a computer program has decided to automatically lapse his leave.

The “computer program” is merely implementing the maximum accrual period provisions explained in the ADF Pay and Conditions (PACMAN), which states that “if it is not granted as leave, a member’s recreation leave credit expires three years after the end of the leave year for which it accrued”.

There is also a provision, which acknowledges that due to service requirements it may not be possible to clear leave.
In such cases, a request can be made to the CA, through the chain of command, to have the expiration of the leave credits deferred for one year.

It is widely recognised that regular leave has a positive effect on capability and morale, and gives soldiers the rest they deserve.

CA Directive 10/03, Leave Management for Army Personnel, was released in September last year in an attempt to ensure that members take regular leave breaks, and also to reduce the high leave balances that have, as you have correctly pointed out, been accruing due to high operational tempo.

At the end of the day it is the responsibility of commanders at all levels to ensure compliance with this directive.
In WO2 Fehlauer’s case, his commander should ensure that he has the capacity to take leave each year to reduce your leave balance.

Similarly, WO2 Fehlauer has a responsibility to ensure your subordinates are aware of the requirement to take leave regularly, and to coordinate them in achieving that goal.

Soldiers are given leave to enable them to rest and refresh themselves, and the Directive seeks to ensure that soldiers take the leave owing to them in a reasonable fashion.

Army acknowledges that there will be conflicts between meeting the leave taking requirements and undertaking other directed activities.

Given his particular case, a waiver should be sought from the CA through his chain of command if you are unable to clear appropriate leave.

Testing medicals

I AM a reservist and am annoyed about aspects of the Army medical service. I recently attended my annual medical for AIRN compliance. I was advised by the doctor that I needed to have some tests done.

The doctor told me to see my civilian GP, arrange for the tests, and when completed bring the results back so the medical could be finalised. Like a good soldier I complied.

Why should I pay for these tests? Did I want them? No. Did I ask for them? No. Do I need them? Probably not.

The Army medical system is not a philanthropic organisation. Like the Army maintenance system, it is there to ensure the servicibility and deployability of Army assets, in this case, me.

The tests were requested by an Army doctor for the good of the Army and any benefit to me is purely incidental.

The Army wants the tests, the Army should pay for the tests.

WO2 Brett Danvers
7 CSSB
Galipolli Barracks, Enoggera

Remembering Rwanda service

IN FEBRUARY 2004, a Commonwealth determination was made that members who had served in Rwanda would be entitled to lodge an objection notice to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and claim back the taxes that they paid, as a result of their service in theatre.

Like many other serving and former members I promptly submitted my objection notice and was informed that there was a 56-day processing period for these objections.

Recent contact with the ATO has revealed that since this determination was announced, a previously unheard-of international agreement has been discovered, which may in fact proclude any refunds being paid to eligible service members.

The ATO indicated that Defence is now attempting to resolve the issue and establish the precise ramifications of this agreement.

The reality is that personnel who served in Rwanda may not receive their refunds and the possibility is that it may extend to other operations.

This will undoubtedly cause a degree of consternation amongst returned service personnel.

Therefore, myself and many others would be interested to know, not only how this initial oversight occurred and the chances of the matter being resolved in favour of the service members, but also what the expected time frame will be for the Commonwealth’s final determination.

Capt Trent Burnard
1 Int Bn
Victoria Barracks, Paddington

Diva Divakaran, Director Tax Management replies;

Thank you for your recent letter to the editor of Army requesting information regarding the processing of objections against assessments by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in relation to earnings received while performing service in Rwanda.

With regard to the issue of international agreements, in preparing relevant Tax Supplements Defence has taken into consideration all relevant international agreements. ATO is currently reviewing its interpretation of the section 23AG exemption for foreign earnings as it applies to arrangements for international operational support provided by the Australian Defence Organisation.

Defence has received the undertaking from the ATO that this review will be finalised by July 31, 2004.

The Defence Tax Management Office (DTMO) in conjunction with the ATO will communicate the outcome of the review as soon as it is finalised.

In the interim, DTMO will publish a Defgram giving details of the arrangements with countries currently under review by the ATO.

Where members are concerned with the processing of their objections they should contact the ATO directly.
The contact number for the ATO for this urpose is 13 28 61.

Star performer

REFERENCE the article in Army, Edition 1092, March 11, 2004, in which Cpl Shaun Clements is praised for his “courage, initiative and teamwork” for his actions in saving the life of a Leopard driver whilst regaining control of the runaway tank.

I wholeheartedly agree that he is a deserved recipient of the said award.

Then I turn to page 10 and read the article “Bravery rewarded” about Col Jeff Davie and his award for helping to extract wounded personnel from the Canal Hotel in Baghdad and then finding and staying with the Head of the UN Mission, Sergio Viera de Mello, until he was freed from the rubble.

Again, I agree that he is a deserved recipient for the UN Bravery Medal and I in no way wish to demean his actions or his award.

My concern is the time taken by the ADF and our awards system.

Cpl Clements has had to wait three years to receive his award and Col Davie “only” had a seven to eight-month wait to receive his UN award.

In my opinion, the Cpl Clements should have been presented with his award as soon as possible after Cpl Clements’ actions were recognised as worthy of the award.

Graham Wybar
ACLO-SD
CSI-P (SV)
Puckapunyal

League of their own

I NOTED on the cover of Army [Edition 1096 May 6, 2004] that “Army rules at ADF AFL.”

A quick search of the AFL website (at home of course) made no mention of an Army team performing well in the competition at all. In fact, it appears that this season the Saints are the ones that rule.

Can I ask that you stop referring to the game of Australian Rules Football as AFL. AFL stands for Australian Football League and, last time I checked, the ADF did not have a team in that competition.

Perhaps the headline should have said “Army rules at ADF Australian Rules Football” or perhaps “Army rules at ADF Aussie Rules”.

Sgt L. Palfrey,
1 Topo Svy Sqn, Qld

Editor’s note: The official name of the sport is Australian football, not Australian Rules Football.

Badge of honour

I WOULD like to introduce myself as I have seen a publication of the Army issue in the barracks.

I am a member of the Belgian 1st Para Bn and a collector of Australian Army Cap badges and cloth and metal items of international military operations.

Can you help me to get in contact with Australian Army collectors if possible to trade and so on.
Hope that you can help me in this way; looking forward to your assistance. Thanks in advance.

Josef Maes, 1CLC
Seringenstr, 9, B-3970 Leopoldsburg, Belgium

Not black sheep

ENOUGH of the bleating about who gets paid what for doing the same job in what corps.

The reason some trades are critical is because in this day recruits know where and what they are going to do before they sign the dotted line, and if they don’t get it they complain.

Support trades are not glamourous, under-staffed– leading-to-overworked and in some cases, underpaid (considering the competencies) jack of all trades. All people regardless of corps requirement are not appreciated by some.

But at the end of the day if you don’t like it, leave. When enough of us “pogos” leave, someone will get the message.

Cpl S. Messer
ARTC, Kapooka, NSW

Signed, sealed, delivered

WHY, when a Defence contract such as Bushranger goes over the contractual price, does the Army just hand over the money, rather than taking action for breach of contract?

It does not make normal business sense. Nor does the fact that the ADF sends defence members to the negotiating table rather than specialist contractual lawyers.

By using this same principle, a new recruit to the Army seems to be qualified to run a battle group in the advance.

Cpl S.K. Holloway
Puckapunyal, Vic

HOW TO WRITE TO ARMY NEWS

It is the right of all soldiers to correspond with Army. Soldiers wishing to air their views through letters to the editor have access to the newspaper without using the chain of command.

Letters will be edited for spelling and grammatical errors and newspaper style, and may be edited for space.

Preference is given to typed letters of fewer than 300 words. Letters will be rejected where they are too long, abusive, cover a subject that has been exhausted or can be answered in the author’s unit.

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Send letters to: The Editor, Army Newspaper, R8-LG-029, Russell Offices, Dept of Defence, Canberra, ACT 2600. Phone (02) 6266 7612, fax (02) 6265 6690 or e-mail : armynews@defencenews.gov.au (Please note this is not an internal e-mail address and therefore requires Sec: Unclassified in the subject line when sending from a DRN terminal)

The opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not represent the views of the editor or the Army.