What does the Royal Commission report say, and how can we veterans now contribute to a better future for our veteran community. . ( as at 22 oct )
The Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (RCDVS) was tabled in September 2024. The Commission has also published a book called Shining a Light that records many of the stories of trauma and tragedy, and stories of hope and healing, that were tabled in evidence at the Commission. These two documents present the possibility for the greatest improvement in veteran health in our nation’s history. We can be grateful to the Commissioners and all who contributed.
I have been involved in preventing veteran suicide, and counselling those with suicidal ideation, for the past 30 years as a Padre. Ive spent the past 10 years delivering health and wellbeing programs for almost 1000 veterans though our Veterans Care Association . I was subpoenaed to give evidence in Week One of the Commission, and I’m now delighted that many of the insights and recommendations that we as veterans have made, have now been incorporated in the RCDVS report.
Those who know me from my 48 years of uniformed service, know that I am normally Gary “Good news” , and I will continue to try to be a good news person, but the RCDVS has brought both Bad News and Good News. We have not looked after some of our most vunerable and wounded people, but there is much we can now do to improve our culture, procedures, and policies . The Report indicates the RCDVS focus has been to review and report primarly on matters in the purview of Defence and DVA, especially the root contributors to suicide, that the Govt can directly improve. It also gives great insight and hard evidence to inform our understanding of suicidality.
The Report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the experiences of veterans and their families in and out of uniform , who have been negatively affected by their service, leading to either suicidal ideation or completion of a suicide. It analyses the contributing factors and makes 122 recommendations that are within the scope of Government to address. Most relate to cultural and procedural improvements that can be made .
I’m honest enough to realise that only the truth will set us free, and thus we must take this all in, and then develop our own way forward. The publication , Shining a light is heavy and painful reading indeed, of the testimonies of suffering experienced by veterans and their families. In humble respect of those who have suffered, we need to acknowledge and digest what the RCDVS Report labelled “a catastrophic failure of leadership – at government level, and within the military at all levels , to care for our people, to implement previous recommendations, and to deliver improved health and well-being outcomes for Defence personnel and veterans over decades.”
When I gave evidence at the commission in its first week, I was shocked to sit through three days of horrific testimonies by family members, and friends who were scathing in their attacks upon so many of us in the defence and veteran community. I went to the commission to demonstrate the many positive things that we in the veteran community were doing already, to help veterans and prevent veteran suicide. I also had to acknowledge the failures. Indeed, I use the words that, “ yes I agree that we needed to shine light on what has gone wrong, and correct it, but we also need to shine light on the many good things that the veteran community has done to help veterans in need, and will continue to do”. A veteran family member screamed and walked out at that point.
Any of us who served in leadership roles in the military, should be shocked, by the scale and nature of veteran suicidality and the disgraceful conduct by others within our ranks that has contributed to that.. The Commission has identified upwards of 3000 preventable deaths by suicide since 1999. Rather embarrassingly for us, the evidence points out that the circumstances leading up to these particular deaths generally have had a little to do directly with combat operations. Commissioner Douglas reported in Shining a light that “I have been immensely saddened of the visceral pain that witnesses testified to continue to suffer, not from treatment at the hands of enemies, but by treatment within our own military, by bullying, harassment, sexual and physical assault. Equally tragic is that many of these perpetrators were not brought to justice, and senior ranks were found to condone or cover up these behaviours, leading to feelings of betrayal and abandonment by victims” . All the Service Chiefs have already agreed that significant cultural changes are needed within our military. Chief of Army, Lt Gen Simon Stuart bluntly and emotionally declared in his closing Statement to the Commisssion. “We have failed our people… I own the problem … We will address it.”
The report certainly acknowledges failings by Defence and DVA in processes and policies and has many recommendations to address them. However except in. few cases, these were not primary factors in people choosing suicide. Family relationships breakdown was involved in about half of all cases, and experiences of hopelessness, rejection , shame, guilt and loss of identity and purpose featured in many cases. These are matters that we as veterans can assist with.
Commissioner Dr Peggy Brown with a background and psychiatric care declared, “ at the centre is the need to treat people with respect, dignity and compassion, and above all else, to develop a more capable society, free of abusive practices and behaviour and a veteran ecosystem that recognises the contributions of veterans and supports them”.
I would ask, that we can accept that this has been a positive watershed intervention, that can improve the lives of veterans now and into the future. All of the recommendations made are soundly argued and on face value all can make a difference if they can be implemented-mindful that many of the broader issues relate to cultural change in Defence and DVA, which can be problematic in any institution. Recommendation (Recm) 122 below addresses this.
The RCDVS makes positive comment of the contributions that veteran led initiatives have made and can make , and makes no major criticisms of us . In speaking directly with one of the commissioners recently he indicated they did not see it as their role to imagine or tell us what we should be doing better – that must be something that we do ourselves. They did make the following recommendations that relate to and can benefit those of us working in veterans health and wellbeing
- Recm 81, that DVA fund transitional education programs for those leaving Defence.
- Recm 86, that DVA provide ongoing funding for Veterans hubs
- Recm 87, that DVA establish an agency staffed by veterans for veterans focussed on proactive engagement in promoting veteran wellbeing.
- Recm 88, that Govt establish a shared national funding agreement on Veterans wellbeing needs.
- Recm 89, that a new ESO Peak Body be established to coordinate and represent veterans needs to Govt .
- Recm 99, that DVA provide funding for the paid employment of compensation advocates.
- Recm 122, that a statutory authority be established to oversight the implementation of system reforms
My hope is that our “veteran’” response to this commission should see us all be exploring how we can better be shining lights in our veteran community. In the work that I have done with thousands of veterans, I’ve been amazed, how simple acts of compassion, active, listening, positive affirmation, and genuine acts of offering forgiveness, or asking forgiveness can transform the trajectory of a wounded soul’s life and existence. Clearly many of us joined the military, inspired by the stories of courage, endurance, mateship, and sacrifice that came from our World War II veterans. The significant weight of evidence at the commission indicates that there are many who served in the last 20 years that did not experience those values in practice. Perhaps it’s no wonder, then that relatively few of our recent veterans have been present and active in our service organisations. Our wounded ill and injured veterans must see and experience our care and concern for them.
As the Commission’s recommendations are enacted upon, we have an excellent opportunity to re-imagine ourselves -at national state and regional levels- to be the very best in our caring for those in need. We might reflect how we can be shining lights of professionalism and agents of healing for others, in having the courage to call out inappropriate behaviour, and in humility, to ask for forgiveness of those that we might have treated badly in the past.
I suspect that most you are reading this are already shining lights in their communities, and we can be the ones who show the leadership to others. We need to both accept the critique that has been given to our community and commit ourselves to the very best values and behaviour in the way we treat others now.
The report outlines a number of concurrent Lines of Effort , all focussed on Promoting Wellbeing.
Number One is to prevent the circumstances that lead to suicidal behaviour in the first place. Prevention must have the highest priority.
Number Two is earliest intervention.
Number Three is improved communications and coordination amongst all agencies.
Number Four is to build capability for healing and rehabilitation.
Number Five is to strengthen oversight and accountability.
Summary Key Themes.
Suicide is preventable.
Leadership must shape organisational culture to promote Wellbeing.
We must help our veterans find purpose and identity.
Diverse factors contribute to suicidality, but among them Moral injury – involving betrayal, shame, guilt or abandonment must be understood and remediated as a priority.
Care of our people, must not be subordinated by poor bureaucratic process or policies.
Jesus did not get a mention in the Royal Commission’s report, but it is the values that he expressed that we should be promoting. Simple, but profound things really – love our neighbour, that we ask for forgiveness and offer forgiveness, and that we should particularly seek out those that are “lost sheep.”
Harry Dixon Lowes wrote a negro spiritual song in the 1960s in the USA to uplift the flagging spirits of the downtrodden negro community calling it , This Little Light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine – If you sing it to yourself , you too will be uplifted .
If you are someone reading this , who has been mistreated in your military service, or subsequently, I pray that in response, you can now let go of past hurts, and get involved in promoting veteran wellbeing – let your light shine and focus on the good that has been done and can do into the future. More of that will come in my next article.
With love and Gods blessing from your Padre,
Gary
Padre Gary Stone OAM
