The last witness called to testify before the Royal Commission Into Defence and Veteran Suicide is the man at the very top of Australia’s command chain: Australian Defence Force chief General Angus Campbell.
General Campbell is appearing for a mammoth full day hearing at the commission, which is drilling into the complex mental health challenge coursing through Australia’s military and defence community.
Suicide has taken the lives of 1600 servicemen and women between 1997 and 2020 – 20 times the number of service personnel killed on active duty.
The commission has held multiple hearings around the country and has received some 230,000 documents, 5889 submissions and heard from 344 witnesses, from the chiefs of each military branch to enlisted soldiers, sailors and air force members.
On Tuesday, Department of Defence boss Greg Moriarty AO appeared before the commission.
General Campbell has served Australia in multiple high-end capacities since joining the Australian Army in 1981.
In 2001, General Campbell deployed to East Timor as a Commanding Officer with 2RAR.
He assumed the role of ADF chief in 2018.
He holds a Bachelor degree from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from Cambridge University.