Chief of Navy response to reporting on 730 ABC

Last night the ABC's 7.30 aired a story about Navy members deployed on Operation RESOLUTE and the impact of border protection operations on their health and wellbeing.

Our Navy people are often asked to undertake difficult and challenging work, there is no doubt that border protection work is amongst the most arduous. Yet I continue to be impressed by the way that our people go about these difficult tasks, conducting themselves with great compassion, professionalism and dignity. Australians should be proud of their efforts over more than a decade of border protection operations.

This work does have an impact on our people, which is why we have a tailored mental health support program for those involved in border protection operations. This program includes regular screening and follow up mental health support where required. I believe it is a first class system that is part of a broader approach to mental health across the ADF.

Border protection operations are complex and dynamic operations which require high levels of professionalism by our commanders and their crew. At the forefront of their thinking is the preservation of life at sea. This is intrinsic to mariners the world over and the men and women of the Royal Australian Navy exemplify this mariner approach.

T.W. BARRETT
VADM
Chief of Navy