Special Forces commando Wes Hennessey with Sky News host Erin Molan
Former Australian Special Forces commando Wes Hennessey vehemently opposes the proposition of recruiting non-Australians into the Defence Forces, citing a pressing retention and recruitment challenge within the Australian military. In an interview with Sky News host Erin Molan, Hennessey expressed his categorical disagreement with the idea, emphasizing the severity of the situation by describing the Australian Defence Forces’ desperation to bolster their numbers for the future.
Hennessey underscored the existing issues within the military, including both retention and recruitment difficulties, suggesting a systemic problem that needs urgent attention. He argued that the reported consideration of enlisting recruits with non-Australian citizenship is a misguided approach, one that he staunchly rejects.
The former Special Forces commando’s concerns echo broader sentiments within the defence community, where the need to address manpower shortages has led to discussions about potential unconventional solutions. As Hennessey voiced his opposition, he shed light on the complex dynamics at play within the Australian Defence Forces and the challenges they face in maintaining and expanding their personnel.
The contrasting perspectives presented by Hennessey and the government officials highlight the ongoing discourse regarding the best approach to address the current and future needs of the Australian military. The tensions between maintaining a strictly nationalistic approach to military recruitment and exploring international collaboration raise questions about the efficacy and potential implications of such policy decisions in the broader context of defence strategy and national security.
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Australian Defence Forces ‘desperate’ in search for recruits (youtube.com)
I and many others have served in the Australian Defence forces and were not Australian citizens. I was called up in 1970 and was British by Birth, went to Vietnam ; when I went on R&R to Taiwan the Australian Govt had to give me a temporary Australian passport, it was marked Not Valid for North Vietnam I was somehow a temporary citizen. Is this special forces soldier now saying that I and many other non citizens should not have been eligible to be called up and serve?
I have never argued about the rights and wrongs of the decision to enforce me to serve my adopted home as a National Serviceman. I was willing and able and went. Why would he now deny other non citizens the opportunity to serve Australia.
During WW1Australian males, regardless of age, rushed to enlist for war; and they, along with ordinary Australians) voted twice against conscription. In WW2, the rush to enlist was not as enthusiastic and for Korea was more subdued again.
For Vietnam we had to resort to the conscription of a required number of 20 year old males.
Since then we have increased the number of female recruits – the ‘low hanging fruit’.
Now, we can no longer rely on the low hanging fruit to provide the numbers we require..
So, what has changed?
Our population has changed. In 1914 we were largely of anglo saxon heritage.
Now, those anglo saxons have been largely replaced by citizens of other ethnic heritages, where volunteering is not in the blood.
The situation is unlikely to get better.