ISSUE 136 : May/Jun - 1999 - Australian Defence Force Journal

What Has Gone WrongBy Captain M.A.J. Watson, RAAAuthor’s NoteThis article is addressed to the senior officers of today. The Army and indeed the DefenceForce that you intend to bequeath your subordinates and on a wider scale the Nation will not beworth the paper it is written on.The previous statement is deliberately inflammatory, I make no apologies for that. Itexpresses the view of a single disgruntled malcontent, who is to boot just a mere Captain. Ordoes it? Disaffection within the junior officer ranks is widespread. Whether you choose toacknowledge that fact is irrelevant. The perception that the Army lacks direction and purpose isreality for many junior officers. Alarmingly, recent graduates from the Royal Military Collegeexpressed the view that the only worthwhile Corps for aspiring graduates was RASIGS - for thepotential it offered for civilian employment upon completion of their ROSO! The relative meritsof this statement and the commendable insight of those who arrived at its deduction are outsidethe scope of this work, it does however, offer a telling insight into the psyche of the modernjunior officer.Initially I intend to outline what is wrong with the Army from my perspective. Your criticismof my presumptuousness is predictable. How could I, with my dearth of experience and narrowglobal perspectives, with any hope of credibility, denigrate what is in effect your life’s work? Ifyour minds remain closed I can’t. I would however remind you that at the end of 1998 the ARAwas short 240 Captains on its post DRP strength. I wager that this represents an increasingproportion of “wheat” to “chaff”. Separation at this stage of one’s working life implies thereasonable prospect of advantageous alternative employment. There is no reason to believe thatthis trend will be reversed, and thus, by default my opening statement will come to fruition.Your next logical objection to my train of argument will be to imply that it is so typical forthose of my “generation” to undermine establishment without feeling the need to propose a viablealternative. I intend to propose a vision for the future, not in this article, but in future works. It isanticipated that you will find my solutions simplistic and puerile, perhaps they are, but that maybe because objectivity is not so problematic when self interest is removed from the equation.Finally, you will employ your ultimate leveller. The assertion that if I no longer care for a lifeof servitude that I should resign my Commission and seek an existence elsewhere. I wouldremind you of the numbers that have chosen to do just that. The truth is that I still care enough tovoice my concerns, fully cognisant of the fact that the vast majority of the Army community willhave no inclination to read this document and those that do are likely to find something within itthat will cause offence.I beseech you to read the opening quotation of my article. I believe it is a fine watershed forreaders of this article. Some readers will lament on how much truth the passage contains whilstothers may feel a twinge of discomfort. To the latter I commend the words of Oliver Cromwell inhis address to the Rump Parliament, “You have sat too long here for any good you have beendoing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!”