LTCOL Ken comments on the media’s trumped-up scandal on the Jedi Council by a few bored Army male commandos et al. – blokes indulging in blokey “crass” stuff when otherwise deployed in combat and long away from normal females…
“Hello everyone, I am the “Ken” that has been referred to by Miranda” (Devine – a journalist)
Ken…
“I was a Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL) in Command of a Unit at the time of this matter.
I appreciate the mainly positive support for the plight of others and myself on this Jedi Council issue. I can assure you that none of the Army personnel caught up in this matter were afforded justice both from a Military Justice and Military Administrative action.
My own ADFIS (military police) [AUTHOR’S NOTE: No, but actually the Australia Defence Force Investigative Service. Read More ] interview lasted all of 10 minutes with only one question “What do you know of the Jedi Council?”
My answer was “I do not know anything about it.” At that point the investigators took a statement from me as a Witness. One of the investigators at one point said: “Sir, I don’t even know why we’re here.” I then went back to commanding my military Unit knowing that I had not done anything contrary to Defence Orders.
The AOTY* (LT)GEN Morrison then made his famous speech and while doing this asserted that a LTCOL was involved. This immediately identified me as there was only one LTCOL who had his office raided in Townsville. This news spread quickly through the Army and I quickly began to feel betrayed and hopeless. Because GEN Morrison had no evidence to apply Military Law he switched to Military Administrative Law.
[AUTHOR’S NOTE: *AOTY = ‘Australian Of The Year’. Labor Governments reject Knighthood honours – but one disagrees on this here website.]
Ken continues…
Once again in my opinion (LT)GEN Morrison failed to follow the CDF’s (Chief of Defence Force) own directive on Defence Inquiries by not conducting a proper Senior Officer led inquiry.
(LT)GEN Morrison then (hissy fit) issued Notices to ‘Show Causes’ for why we should not be discharged from the Army to all people who received an email from Fredrickson. This was done without having asked the accused their version of events, showing them the evidence against them or applying human factors. The bias was demonstrated to me when I heard (LT)GEN Morrison speak in Townsville the day after his speech to Army. He said in front of all the senior officers and soldiers at Lavarack Barracks when referring to the accused Jedi Council:
“these alleged individuals, and I use the word alleged because I have to. I will remove them from the ADF!”
[AUTHOR’s NOTE: Like, he didn’t know before some ADF member had grassed to the media? Then to look the part he play the responsible leader staged performance to the media – “I’m in charge and it just come to my attention crap. I will crack down on the perpetrators with a tough hand (at doing what, but?).” Yet was Herr effeminate Führer just envious that he hadn’t been included “in this man’s” Army in a few deprived male combatants internal porn email distribution ‘scandal’ because the images were just of naked women, not men? WTF? The Australian taxpayer may never learn the ADF’s motivations in this matter.]
Ken continues…
This was said before he (LTGEN Morrison) had issued Show Causes to the alleged Jedi Council members and heard each person’s story.
We never had a chance when the AOTY was biased, unfair and most importantly, did not seem to care about many soldiers who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan on multiple tours of duty. There is no excuse for the email that caused this issue and my heart goes out to the poor lady. However, consideration could have been given to the effect of war, PTSD and mental illness before casting out soldiers.
Let me finish by saying once again:
“There was no Jedi Council. It was just a small group of men sending crass emails. There was one email that was deemed inexcusable and the person who sent it has been rightly charged and convicted. Also please note that many, many people did not open or even ignored the emails. Thank you for listening to the real version of events.”
Source: by Miranda Devine, The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Sydney, 8th February 2016, https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/miranda-devine/lt-col-ken-speaks-out-over-jedi-council-witch-hunt/news-story/6b3f1dde359f3ab694dd9071c9ace4eb