Australian Defence Force to recruit Five Eyes personnel

[Pelican Press 0]

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*********** Defence Force to recruit Five Eyes personnel

Hundreds of foreigners will be recruited to the *********** Defence Force as the government tries to address critical shortfalls amid simmering international tensions.

British, American and ********* applicants will be welcomed into the defence force from January 1, after revelations the organisation was short almost 4500 members and would struggle to meet its target of 69,000 troops by 2030.

Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the new enlistees from the Five Eyes countries will need to be permanent *********** residents for more than 12 months, not have been a member of a foreign defence force for two years and undergo regular security vetting processes.

“Our expectation is that we will see around 350 personnel enlist across those Five Eyes nations in the course of this financial year,” he said on Monday.

In June the government opened applications for New Zealanders, which has attracted more than 400 new applicants from across the Tasman.

Mr Keogh said recruitment was difficult for several reasons, including the attractiveness of other careers.

“It’s a broad and good package of support that people get when they join our defence force, but it is a highly competitive market,” he said.

He said the government expected a 24 per cent troop increase in the financial year 2024-25.

“The *********** Defence Force recruitment is one of the biggest spenders when it comes to advertising … we make no apologies for that, and the changes we’ve made in that space are now paying dividends,” he said.

In December the government released its response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, agreeing to the overwhelming majority of the 122 recommendations.

The three-year investigation uncovered a toxic defence culture and widespread problems for veterans trying to access support.

Mr Keogh said the royal commission and the media had tainted efforts to recruit into the defence force.

“It is the case that not just the final report from the royal commission … but also the reporting and the coverage of all of the issues that the royal commission went through and exposed don’t create a great picture for people,” he said.

Mr Keogh said the majority of Australians have an “amazing experience” in the defence force.

The government has “its eye” on Pacific countries next but processes must be followed,” he said.

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