Organisational Practices
Two key themes that arose from this research were the creation of soldiers and organisational abandonment. These draw attention to the role the service organisations play in the post-service struggles experienced by the participants as former members of these organisations. From an individual perspective, the service organisations create an environment in which they break down individuals and create them into ‘soldiers’ and then when they leave, they do not restore them back to their pre-service identity but rather simply abandon them to the civilian world. From the organisation’s perspective, they provide rigid training programs that ensure their members are fit for duty and when those members leave, the organisations replace them as is commonly seen in the labour market. This research raises the question as to whether the organisations should be held accountable for the impact they have on individuals who serve with them.
Currently the ADF are being held to account in the post-service environment for the poor mental health of their former members and rolling inquiries have been implemented by the Federal Government for former military members to address their risk of suicide14. This has an ongoing focus on the mental health of the former members with little focus around the way in which the organisations strip the identity of the members and rebuild them to be ‘service made’ products designed solely for their role. The organisations need to address their training methods and practices and start to enquire as to whether this could be done differently. From a business perspective this is a daunting prospect, but it is timely that the organisations start to consider whether many post-service struggles experienced by individuals could be prevented or minimised with changes to the training process.
The findings of this research invite service organisations from the police, military and emergency services to review their recruitment and training processes to consider alternatives that have different impacts on their individual members during and post-service. Social responsibility should extend to members inside the organisation as well as those separating from the services. Post-service identity theory highlights that these service environments currently fail to properly monitor the impact of their internal practices upon each individual. Mental health illnesses and injuries are measurable but those separating from service with a fixed identity face many challenges that can have an adverse effect on their mental health. This results in confused diagnoses and less than effective treatment planning. This leaves the individuals disillusioned in their post-service endeavours for support. This is an opportunity for the organisations to holistically address the issues faced by current and former members and identify whether they can improve their practices for the wellbeing of their staff.
There are operational requirements for service organisations such as police, military and emergency services and these are not questioned in this research. What is questioned, however, is whether this is the time for these organisations to consider new and developing ways to approach learning and compliance inside a workplace and how this could meet operational needs for service organisations whilst better protecting their members from the adverse effects of rigid training in a hegemonic masculine space.
It is also an opportunity for service organisations from the police and emergency services to understand that their members are impacted in a way that is not unique to just military service personnel and to render services after separation to them in a similar manner to the ADF. It is an opportunity for the Federal and State Governments to review the similarities between police, military and emergency services personnel in relation to post-service challenges and to better focus support where and as needed. Support post-service and changes to practice during service are warranted to improve the experiences of former members of the police, military and emergency services following separation.