Six soldiers sacked

SIX soldiers found guilty of cruelty to animals in Townsville earlier this year are all to be discharged.

In an announcement on July 1, Defence said the behaviour of the six soldiers was well below the standard expected of a soldier and all six soldiers’ retention was not in the interests of the ADF.

The decision followed an extensive review of their formal response to termination notices by an impartial agency, CO SCMA Col Greg De Somer.

“Australian soldiers have a reputation for compassion, humanity and discipline that has been tested on battlefields and peacekeeping missions all over the world,” the statement said.

“The behaviour of these six soldiers was not consistent with the values of the Army or the Australian people.

“They have brought shame and discredit to the Australian Army.”

Col De Somer considered each soldier’s case individually on its merits and sought legal advice before making his decision.

He considered a number of factors in recommending discharge while ensuring due process and natural justice were applied.

Issues considered included the seriousness of the offence, the age and rank of the offender at time of involvement, length of service and the likelihood of repetition (remorse, contrition and cooperation during investigation and trial).

In addition, their service history, conduct record, civil and Service convictions, character and work performance, and the unit CO’s recommendations were also considered.

The soldiers are able to appeal the decision through submission of an application for Redress of Grievance (ROG).

Their discharge would then be held in abeyance while the ROG was dealt with.

The statement said the Army would not further discuss the details of each individual case because of privacy considerations.