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IDENTITY Military Retirement: Reflections from Former Members of Special Operations Forces at the end of the day I would go back and train before I went home. And then I would ride home from there, so to me that was the perfect lifestyle and I wanted to emulate it. So the best way to do it was to try and set up the exactly the same thing. So we start[ed] a gym where we could rock up to work and train all day and then we started up a security consultancy where we did stuff we were very familiar with during the day and after the end of the day we would train again. And that was the day, so to me we are creating, I am trying to create that same lifestyle that we were so used to, and so enjoyed. And one of the big things about working there but outside the army this time and trying to surround ourselves with similar people who think the way these boys think. And they don’t necessarily have to be soldiers and 6ft 6 and 120kg guys they can be guys and girls now, but the common thing is that they are geared towards doing the best they can and being the best person they can and a lot of these guys that is what they do. So to me the gym is part of this vision. (SF1) This participant not only tried to replicate the physical intensity and lifestyle of the regiment, but also tried to reproduce familiar relationships with like-minded people. Instead of attempting to reconcile the military identity with a civilian role, his personal attachment to the military was reinforced by his attempts to recreate the military experience in his social environment. While some participants attempted to replicate the military culture, there was also a tendency to avoid information or interactions that aroused negative emotions. These emotions were prompted by the reminder of military involvement, or reigniting the desire to return to the military role. One participant who suffered permanent injuries from his military career commented that interaction with members of his regiment reminded him of his declining physical competencies: Sometimes, depends on who it is. I sort of dread the guys in the regiment that come up, I don’t really want those guys up here, reminds you of where you were at before. I don’t know, and a lot of them are pretty messed up anyway. (SF2) Another approach to dealing with the emotions of separation was to avoid information relating to the current military context. For those who still maintained a positive attachment to the military identity, the avoidance of media reports and literature helped minimise negative emotions with the reintegration into a civilian identity: But it’s still, I now have a real tough time or I just avoid seeing things on the news, if there is an article in the paper about it I just don’t read it, I know that it will stir up those feelings and I just don’t want to have to deal with them Australian Army Journal Culture edition 2013, Volume X, Number 3 Page 106
IDENTITY Military Retirement: Reflections from Former Members of Special Operations Forces all the time. I used to be a bit of a military nerd, you know reading all the different magazines and books and all those now I just really, I haven’t read any army or military books in so long, just because I know it will just get me excited and I don’t need this so I’ll read other stuff and that will do. (SF5) These deliberate attempts to control the environment and manage emotional responses reveal the significance of the military culture in the participants’ retirement experiences. Replicating the military culture in civilian life reinforced social identity by allowing the military identity to continue. Despite replicating part of the military culture, some participants also avoided military interaction and military information. This conscious avoidance protected the participants’ psychological wellbeing by increasing emotional stability. However, experiential avoidance suggested an unwillingness to confront thoughts and feelings, which has been shown to contribute to future psychopathology, including post-traumatic stress disorder. 17 The combination of both replication and avoidance indicates that the participant is unable to psychologically detach from the military culture. Rejecting the narrative Government political agendas provide the basis for the military’s existence and legitimise the behaviour and actions of soldiers that would otherwise be considered immoral. 18 However, two of the five participants described a cognitive shift away from the political objectives of the government which determined their military operations and expressed disillusionment with the resultant operational goals: In that time, when you are young, you believe more in everything. You believe in the government, you believe in the goals which today I totally, it’s totally different. Today I don’t believe so much. (SF4) I think as you get on a bit you start to question things more than when you are young and naive. Like Timor I thought it was awesome. We go there [to] help people and rescue the refugees and stuff. And later you find out it was all about gas and oil, you know that was the real reason, as a country they were interested in Timor. You go that was pretty average, but I mean we still help people so that’s good. Afghanistan is not really, well you don’t go around helping too many people over there. (SF2) The rejection of the political narrative that previously supported personal involvement in the regiment’s operations can have implications for the psychological integrity of the former SF soldier. For one participant, the disassociation with military goals and the methods used led to regret over his involvement. Australian Army Journal Culture edition 2013, Volume X, Number 3 Page 107
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CONTENTS CHIEF OF ARMY FOREWORD....
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CHIEF OF ARMY FOREWORD When I assum
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CHIEF OF ARMY FOREWORD her gender,
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EDITORIAL the way in which it deals
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HISTORY Serving Their Country: A Sh
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HISTORY ‘A Homosexual Institution
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GENDER AND SEXUALITY Steyrs and She
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Page 55 and 56: GENDER AND SEXUALITY Steyrs and She
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Page 59 and 60: GENDER AND SEXUALITY Sexuality, Coh
Page 79 and 80: RELIGION Religious Diversity in the
Page 97 and 98: IDENTITY Military Retirement: Refle
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Page 113 and 114: DISCIPLINE Hazing in the ADF: A Cul
Page 129 and 130: OPERATIONAL CULTURE The Myths of Cu
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ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Securing Arm
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ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Learning to
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ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Family Frien
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ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE From Institu
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OPINION Army’s Spirit Warrant Off
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OPINION Army’s Spirit Pride As RS
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OPINION Army’s Spirit Mateship ca
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OPINION Army’s Spirit Our people
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OPINION Army’s Spirit I think it
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OPINION Brothers and Sisters in Arm
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OPINION On the Culture of the Austr
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OPINION Fifty Shades of Grey: Offic
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CREATIVE WRITING Lost in Translatio
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CREATIVE WRITING Lost in Translatio
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NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS NOTES FOR CO
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