Key facts
- Some Australian SAS officers knew about soldiers using "throwdowns" to plant weapons on dead Afghan civilians.
- Officers failed to take effective action to investigate and address misconduct, including the use of "throwdowns".
- A 2021 IGADF report found a breakdown of command and ineffective leadership within the SAS.
- The report cited an "uncontrolled 'warrior' ethos" and moral injury from prolonged deployments as contributing factors.
- Junior officers were effectively subservient to non-commissioned officers, creating "learned helplessness".
- SAS soldiers were allowed to drink alcohol on deployment, signaling that rules did not apply to them.
A previously unpublished military report has revealed that some Australian Special Air Service (SAS) officers were aware of soldiers planting weapons on dead Afghan civilians to portray them as combatants but did not intervene. The 2021 investigation by the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) into the special operations command found a significant breakdown of command and ineffective leadership, contributing to egregious behavior.
The report, released online this week, stated that officers with knowledge of misconduct, including the use of "throwdowns," failed to take effective action. This contributed to a "corrosive effect on behaviors, morale and ultimately, military discipline."
Factors such as an "uncontrolled 'warrior' ethos," moral injury from prolonged deployments, and an "inversion" of the chain of command, where junior officers were subservient to senior non-commissioned officers, were also cited as contributing to the erosion of standards.