I'm not going to comment on the main theme because to be honest, having checked the various articles, I'm none the wiser. Were the soldiers unfairly treated? Was this episode just the tip of the iceberg and the army/police knew a lot more had been going on? Indeed, was the guy who posted the video on the army internet to dozens of officers in fact a police/feminist plant who wanted to flush this all out in the open. (Otherwise surely he couldn't have been stupid enough...).

Whatever, it's pretty clear that we (and the media) do not know the full story, so getting irate over the supposed truth is a waste of energy.

However I do have one issue... see next message.

So, Hasbeen, the army is full of 'silly little girls, most of whom are not capable of doing many of the required jobs'.

I was once 'a silly little girl', or at least regarded as such. In the late 60s, I did postgrad work in a field-oriented uni department. The equipment manager was dead against us few girls taking the 4WDs out: all the usual stereotypes. He wanted us to do advanced driving courses, and even then he didn't really trust us. (I think everyone should do such a course, but he was selective, only the girls needed it). We were saved by one of the male students, a totally incompetent, accident-prone driver. He hit his front gate post in his own car; trees, fenceposts, other vehicles whenever he was allowed out in a 4WD. So whenever the manager slagged off about women drivers, we would smile sweetly and say 'And what has Tony hit this week?' (Not his real name, to protect the guilty).

Fast forward 30 years. I was working on an environment rehabilitation project, with a crew from a big heavy equipment company who worked on mining sites. We had dredgers, excavators, biiig dump trucks and bulldozers. The bulldozer driver was a young woman, and the crew boss was explicit, he couldn't get enough woman drivers - they were much more competent than men. One day, as a perk, I got to burn around in a huge tiptruck, the tyres taller than me, off-road of course, since I didn't have the right licence. As anyone familiar with modern rigs will know, driving these requires skill, finesse, attention to detail and the ability to multi-task, not brute strength. Even the strongest men can't change the wheels on these vehicles without machines.

So I'm quite happy to think of women working machines in the defence forces.

As for the need for specialist servicing of machinery, well,isn't that the case generally? Once was even a silly little girl could hot-wire a Holden, clean a blocked fuel line, etc. Now only the specialist with the computer can service a modern car.

Hi Foxy, I understand what you say, and you are certainly a person of good heart. You have copped as much, if not more, in insult from Virus Boy than most on the forum. I, on the other hand are not so nice, and will always give as good as I get. I recall being at a rally a few years back. Up to speak came a certain "pop star" Labor Minister, who after delivering some verbal diarrhea about the issues, got a spray from me, I told him to get his hand off his dictaphone and march down the corridor in Parliament House and speak to his Labor mate (the Boss). Well did that set him off, and him and I had a verbal set to for the next couple of minutes, He walked off in a huff, when one of his minders though it would be a good time to exit, stage right! He made Beach look like a rank amateur in the insult department.

On this topic. I was somewhat taken aback (in a good way) by the statements of Lieutenant General David Morrison. he intends to carry on the good work of Rosie Batty, 2015 Australian of the Year in the areas of domestic violence, along with a focus on diversity and the gender pay gap plus supporting the republican movement.
Its good to see that now days people who are given these types of honours, can and do, speak out on social issues, rather tan being contented with attending flower shows and opening school fates.

Dear Paul,

Thanks for your kind words.

And I also admire the strong stance of
our Australian of The Year - and trust
that he shall continue to work hard for fairness
amd equity for all.

I am dubious as to what that Newscorp hack
Ms Devine writes. Judging from the "truth" of her
past research.

Again Thank you for your posts.

I enjoy reading them.

The general is a politician, occupying the position of best strategic advantage.

Turnbull is doing the same at a minimal cost. It is only taxpayers' money, not his. To a politician interested in winning an election, a cool $100 million to those educated middle class feminists who swing from the guvvy teat buys a lot, first priority being front row as a a declared champion moral BS artist. Which wrong foots and derails that Bobble-Head, L'il Willie Shorten and the Handbag Hit Squad he inherited from 'Whatever She Says', Ms Galah'd (the one with that beaut $2million 'bungalow' on the coast where the tides are supposed to be rising (from 'poisonous' Carbon dioxide Juliar always maintained).

Anyhow, Peter Costello is a favourite to cherry-pick when it suits some leftists here, so doubtless they will agree with him again (Not! LOL),

<Why Apologise for being White and Male?

Speeches against racism and sexism are a dime a dozen. What got McGregor’s noted was the Chief of Army delivered it.

And whether they were McGregor’s words or not, it was a serving general who got up and apologised for taking the benefits of “masculinity and patriarchy”.

This kind of language is music to the ears of modern social activists because it implies there are not only victims of racism and sexism but beneficiaries as well. Whether they have done anything wrong or not, they believe these beneficiaries should apologise.

There is, of course, another view that says that none of us is responsible for our race or sex and that being white and male gives someone no more reason to apologise than being black and female. This is the view that people should be judged for what they do rather than what they are. It’s a belief about individual responsibility for individual behaviour. It’s still the basis of our criminal law, if not the favoured view of the “human rights” movement at the moment.

It’s not the kind of view that will get you to be the Australian of the Year.>
[The Courier Mail, Feb2, 2016]

The big issue facing David Morrison is his part in any cover up of abuse in the ADF. Independent senator Jacqui Lambie used parliamentary privilege to launch an attack over the treatment of SAS trooper Evan Donaldson and former army officer Marcus Saltmarsh.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/03/jacqui-lambie-accuses-defence-force-of-covering-up-abuse-in-elite-unit