11 April 2011

Commodore Bruce Kafer stood down at ADFA

| johnboy
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The Age reports that ADFA’s Commandant Commodore Bruce Kafer is going to be stood down while a review is conducted into the “culture” of the Defence force following the sex broadcast scandal.

Considering the cadets involved had only been in the ADF for two months one has to wonder if the wider culture of Australian society doesn’t need to be the subject of the investigation.

UPDATE: NineMSN has details of the six inquiries this incident has now spawned.

Payback one suspects for jerking the Minister around on various matters in recent months.

The strangest thing is that a Government that might not live to see the spring is going to having huge ramifications on the ADF for the next 20 years.

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Who IS the Australian Defence Association, and why does the media kow-tow to them? http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/12/3189104.htm
From their website and the content of their one and only public mouthpiece’s regular public statements, it seems fairly clear that they are a lobby group, quite possibly funded by Australian and overseas miltary-industrial complex. They are clearly NOT a voice for ordinary soldiers/sailors/airforce…

Is there a union for serving members of the ADF, and if so why are they so quiet?

MHW

Surely the AFD has a Commorode with a surname White.

georgesgenitals8:27 am 12 Apr 11

I-filed said :

EvanJames said :

Do you see this kind of thing happening at Burton and Garran, for instance?

It used to. Read my post on the earlier thread about an incident at one of the ressies …

This kind of thing definitely happens at civilian unis. At least, I knew of several such incidents when I was an undergrad.

EvanJames said :

Do you see this kind of thing happening at Burton and Garran, for instance?

It used to. Read my post on the earlier thread about an incident at one of the ressies …

And its Navy’s turn for the top job. Given their track record this year alone, they should pass the baton on to Army.

I understand das Commandant has received some nasty phone calls. Suck it up princess.

Deref said :

Sleaz274 said :

Deref there is a very big distinction between a military academy/university and civilian universities, hence why ADFA exists and serves a very clear purpose within the ADF. Apart from the ending, I thoroughly valued my time there and found it an excellent way to grow as a potential officer. This would simply not have occurred at a civilian university.

Perhaps you could describe the differences and what you got at ADFA that you couldn’t have got at a civilian university.

Paid to be there?

Sleaz274 said :

Deref there is a very big distinction between a military academy/university and civilian universities, hence why ADFA exists and serves a very clear purpose within the ADF. Apart from the ending, I thoroughly valued my time there and found it an excellent way to grow as a potential officer. This would simply not have occurred at a civilian university.

Perhaps you could describe the differences and what you got at ADFA that you couldn’t have got at a civilian university.

Sleaz274 said :

EJ if this did happen at Burton and Garran who would the girl report it to and what disciplinary measures could be taken against the perpetrators? At least at ADFA there is some serious (career ending) consequences for the boys involved who will be shown cause and dismissed pretty quickly if they just cost a Commodore his job.

Well, if she was prepared to lay a formal complaint with the university and there was some proof, I would like to think the university would kick out at least the gentleman getting naked and the owner of the computer at the other end. I am not 100% sure they would, but they would certainly get kicked out of the residence at a minimum. Sadly though, I work in ANU accommodation, and I could see a similar incident happening at ANU too. The difference really is in how the instittuion would respond – I would expect ANU to respond better than ADFA appears to have.

Deref there is a very big distinction between a military academy/university and civilian universities, hence why ADFA exists and serves a very clear purpose within the ADF. Apart from the ending, I thoroughly valued my time there and found it an excellent way to grow as a potential officer. This would simply not have occurred at a civilian university.

My first thought this morning exactly when I read the headline JB. A review into the entire ADF when it was a bunch of new recruits? May as well review every high school in Australia. Might produce a good outcome but sadly I feel it’s just a waste of time so the media attention can bugger off and the disciplinary outcomes from inside ADFA can play forth.

EJ if this did happen at Burton and Garran who would the girl report it to and what disciplinary measures could be taken against the perpetrators? At least at ADFA there is some serious (career ending) consequences for the boys involved who will be shown cause and dismissed pretty quickly if they just cost a Commodore his job.

EyesLikeCarrots the problem with the outside consultants offering the training is they lack the cred talking to a bunch of uniforms. Now if a decorated officer gave the same lecture and told them in no uncertain terms the level of hate that would pour forth on any perpetrators of a similar act in the future they all might sit at attention and actually stop each other from doing anything so obscene and stupid, and more importantly ultimately preventing their own troops upon graduation from similar acts.

Again I hope the young lady is offered the support she deserves and should have been offered by her chain of command in the first place; the boys are all shown cause and dismissed in disgrace rather rapidly and there is some serious soul searching at ADFA as to why her OC (Major), DO (Captain) and NCO (Sergeant) didn’t think this serious enough to offer support in the first place.

Much wider JB, I suggest. Perhaps the first of a wider probe should be the APS as a whole? While this situation is unique in that it was a residential college of sorts (ei, 24/7) the APS as a whole could have a rethink about its own internal harassment and bullying issues.

Plenty there I suggest.

EvanJames said :

Putting ADFA next to RMC was always a recipe for disaster. It didn’t take long for the delightful culture and traditions of RMC to permeate/pollute ADFA and the girls were doomed from that time on.

The concept itself was idiotic. Canberra has two universities – one supposedly Australia’s best. There was no need for ADFA.

Anyway – good news.

eyeLikeCarrots4:37 pm 11 Apr 11

The consultants who offer culture and sensitivity training will be rubbing their mitts together. I wonder if they are overbooked with the football teams ?

Putting ADFA next to RMC was always a recipe for disaster. It didn’t take long for the delightful culture and traditions of RMC to permeate/pollute ADFA and the girls were doomed from that time on.

However soem grubby little boys replicating something from American Pie is probably symptomatic of a wider problem, and the situation at ADFA allowed them to do it. Do you see this kind of thing happening at Burton and Garran, for instance?

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