SPECIAL AIR SERVICE REGIMENT

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (16:45): I rise in this adjournment debate to speak to the Australian government's Defence, Honours & Awards Tribunal Inquiry into the Recognition of Australian Defence Force Service for Special Air Service Counter Terrorist and Special Recovery Duties. The report of this tribunal was given to the government in recent months and, as a result, the government has decided to accept the recommendations of the tribunal and provide recognition for soldiers who served in counterterrorist and special recovery roles in the Special Air Service Regiment from the late 1970s through until the present, including members of other regiments, such as the 2^nd Commando Regiment and other supporting units that have continued to provide that capability for this country over an extended period.

The tribunal was established administratively in July 2008. In April 2009, the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, the Hon. Mike Kelly AM MP, requested the tribunal to inquire into the recognition for ADF personnel engaged in counterterrorist and special recovery duties. Professor David Horner, Brigadier Gary Bornholt and Dr Jane Harte were members of the tribunal, which received 73 written submissions, took oral evidence from 31 persons and was briefed formally by four currently serving SASR members at Swanbourne Barracks. I was one of the people who gave evidence to the tribunal, having commanded the first tactical assault group in the Special Air Service Regiment in 1980.

I am particularly pleased with this decision by the government, which has been made with the full bipartisan support of the Federal Coalition in our federal parliament, because it brings partly to an end a very long story, which has seen a group of very dedicated professional soldiers seeking recognition for their service. I had the great honour to command the first of these teams, and I worked with many who had been in the interim teams that proceeded it in 1980 and the subsequent tactical assault groups that were formed in the years that followed.

These men suffered and endured considerable hardship as they protected this nation from terrorist attack. It is worth the parliament remembering that terrorism did not begin on 11 September 2001 but that, in fact, the country has maintained a very high level counterterrorist response capability within the ADF since the late 1970s. It was my privilege to have been part of the inception of that capability and to have played a very small role in its establishment, alongside many other officers and men of the Special Forces.

The role of the counter-terrorist capability was set out by Lieutenant General D.B. Dunstan in a directive from 1979. Members will remember the Hilton bomb blast, which precipitated a review of Australia's entire counterterrorist arrangements. SASR's tasks included the neutralisation, including capture, of terrorist groups, which might include snipers, hijackers, kidnappers, bombers and assassins; the neutralisation of aircraft or ships; the recovery of hostages and property held by terrorists; and the recovery of buildings and installations occupied by terrorists. This capability looked firstly to Australia but later to Australia's interests and properties overseas.

The size of the assault group originally was very small, being around 26. The codeword 'Gauntlet' was used when referring to the tactical assault group. An interim TAG was established in the late 1970s and later a full-time online capability. In 1980, the government considered advice about the vulnerability of its offshore oil installations, including Bass Strait, and agreed 'that the threat of terrorist attack was real and potentially highly dangerous' and the capability was extended to include our offshore assets.

The operational level of capability of this group was extreme and the nature of the training to achieve and maintain that operational level and capability was extraordinary. Close-quarter fighting was required; methods of entry techniques needed to be developed from scratch; stronghold assault techniques needed to be perfected and, in the process of this, a large number of soldiers were injured and killed—something which this decision by the government, with bipartisan support, seeks to recognise.

In the mid-1980s the regiment began developing a capability to conduct special recovery operations overseas and these are also recognised by this award. The unit deployed on a number of tasks or missions, ranging from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games to other events and alerts. Certain changes were made to the capability following terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001 which saw the capability extend beyond SASR to other special forces units.

As I mentioned, a range of deployments occurred: Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra; the Brisbane Commonwealth Games; pre-deployment of elements to Townsville for various operations—I will not go through the entire list but it was extensive. In the context of maintaining this CT/SR capability, more SASR soldiers have been killed or injured than in either normal training or combat in all of the unit's war roles. Of the 44 SASR soldiers who have died whilst serving the regiment, 34 died in training accidents and 18 of these died on counterterrorist and special recovery duties. Fifteen died in one incident, the Black Hawk crash.

In this period of almost 30 years, during which the SASR developed the counterterrorist special recovery capability, there have been an extraordinary number of physical and emotional injuries. It is in this particular respect that I pay tribute to the men who served in consecutive counterterrorist teams from the late 1970s through to the present. These people were absolute professionals. They fought the war that was there to fight against a known terrorist enemy from the late 1970s through until the present and served their country well. Some of them went on to serve in Afghanistan, Iraq and other overseas deployments such as Timor, and some did not. What this award will do is recognise their service as operational service with the clasp CT/SR special recovery.

There are some unresolved issues to do with financial benefits paid to these soldiers. I know a number of them have suffered terribly, both physically and emotionally. There have been suicides and there have been people in extraordinary distress. People were gassed, blown up and shot, and various physical and other injuries have led to a range of difficulties for them, their wives and their families. Again, this award goes some way to recognising that service and that commitment.

As I mentioned, these are a group of people who well and truly deserve this recognition. As a former commander of these good men, I reiterate that I was extremely proud to have commanded them. Could I pay particular tribute to the efforts of the CT support group. There are a number of people who need to be thanked well and truly, in particular, David Howe and Mick Sims.

There are a huge number of people who gave evidence to the committee who need to be recognised including Michael Connolly; John Kempe; Maurice Murphy; Brigadier Chris Roberts; Brigadier Jim Wallace; Greg Mawkes, who played a pivotal role in setting up this capability, Robert Quodling; and Commodore Russ Baker. As I mentioned, I gave evidence and there were many others including Christopher Johns, Richard Clifford, Geoffrey Anderson, John Patterson, Tony Hambleton, Dave Gunning, Brigadier Dave Webster, Graeme Ferguson and others.

Can I say that the award of this medal by the government, with bipartisan support, goes some way to recognising the fine job that these soldiers did for their country. It is a great tribute to those who have worked so hard over an extended period to achieve this. I have raised this matter previously in the parliament and I have written endless letters. I recognise Dave Lewis, President of the association, the government, the minister, the opposition, the house and all those involved, particularly the CDF and Commander Special Forces Tim McGowan for agreeing to it. It is a great step forward for the country.

At 16:55 the house adjourned until Wednesday 21 July 2010 at 11:00.