The Australian Defence Force chief has been grilled in parliament over moves to revoke military honours from some soldiers who served in Afghanistan, with one senator suggesting General Angus Campbell should "surrender" his own medal.
Last week, the ABC revealed General Campbell had warned a small group of serving and retired ADF members that their medals could be removed over apparent "command accountability" failures when alleged war crimes took place.
During Senate Estimates, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts questioned whether General Campbell was entitled to earn a Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) during his time as commander of Australian forces in the Middle East because he was not on the front line.
"When you were granted the award, it was awarded for 'in action' — that's how the Distinguished Service Cross came about," Senator Roberts told General Campbell.
"I would put it to you that this is demoralising, and that it would be an honourable thing to do in charge of the Australian Defence Forces to actually surrender your medal."
General Campbell told the committee his recommendations had been given to Defence Minister Richard Marles who had "access to all of my considerations" and had the power to act if he "were to regard my considerations inadequate, inconsistent or self interested".
The defence chief also admitted to a "perception of a conflict of interest" in his failure to stand aside from a review of honours and awards for the ADF's Afghanistan commanders, given one of his own medals was under a cloud.
Questioned by Greens senator David Shoebridge, General Campbell said he did not feel he could appoint someone else from the ADF to review his command accountability because that idea "suffers from the reality that they are all under my command".
"I did consider whether I might refer myself to some of my predecessors. But quite frankly, with the level of emotion — and unintentional and also intentional disinformation about this issue — I quite frankly didn't want to give them that pain."
Under earlier questioning from independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, General Campbell confirmed he recently sent some letters to ADF personnel but he refused to disclose further details.
"I know that not only yourself, but a range of other interested parties and the media are circling around this issue like great whites in a feeding frenzy," General Campbell told Senator Lambie.
"I would wish to decline to tell you the number so as to mitigate the enthusiasm with which these people are hunted down by the media looking for spectacle.
"It is a small number of persons who held command appointments during particular periods of operational service in Afghanistan."
Senator Lambie said she believed General Campbell had sent 24 such letters in recent months, but the defence chief said he did not agree with the nominated number.
The Special Air Service (SAS) Association has also suggested the General Campbell should hand back his DSC as a sign of leadership.
Following the release of the damning Brereton report in 2020, Defence confirmed the Australian Army had "initiated administrative action against 17 individuals where there was an alleged failure to meet ADF expectations and values identified in the Afghanistan Report".
