Over the last year, the former Australian Minister for Defence, Dr Brendan Nelson, has announced that there will be a relaxation on certain age requirements and physical health standards for individuals entering the Australian Defence Force. His announcement was greeted with some derision, and the suggestion that the ADF was being turned into “Dad’s army”. 1
However, examples from history suggests that the Minister’s reforms are perfectly sensible; indeed, history suggests that there may be further room to move in this direction.
The Minister need have done no more than look at his famous namesake – Lord Nelson. On the day that he won his famous battle at Trafalgar, Nelson would have been unfit to be a member of the ADF. He was blind in his right eye, and had had his right arm amputated. He also suffered from a recurring partial paralysis that dated from his experience with cerebral malaria as a young man in India. In addition, Nelson suffered terribly from sea-sickness; fortunately, the sea was calm on the day he met his date with immortality. 2
There are other admirals from the past who have won famous victories who would have been unable to join the ADF. The man known as “the American Nelson” and the most famous naval commander during the American Civil War is another example. Admiral Farragut was 61 years old when he won his famous victory at New Orleans. He was 63 the day he uttered his immortal command “damn the torpedoes – full steam ahead” that led to his victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay.3
Nor is Farragut alone in being too old. Blucher was 72 years old at the Battle of Waterloo. On that day, Blucher also had one or two other problems. He had been trampled by cavalry some days previously, and almost certainly had fractured ribs. However, when Wellington summoned him to come quickly to Waterloo, Blucher rose from his bed, and drinking schnapps copiously to relieve the pain, rode the twenty or so kilometres to Waterloo, to victory and into history. Now that’s real Prussian pluck. 4
General Douglas MacArthur at 70 when he was appointed to command the United Nations forces in Korea – too old for the ADF; too old to be one of the Australian forces he commanded. 5
But it is not just generals and admirals that would not be able to join the ADF.
Take, for example, the 37th Iowan Regiment of the Union Army in the War Between the States. This was a Regiment raised from men who were all above the oldest age for conscription in the Union Army (which was 45). The oldest of the Greybeards (as the Regiment was known) marched off to war aged 80. There were many in their sixties and seventies, including the Regimental drummer “boy”, who was aged 72. Although there was an understanding that the Regiment would not be deployed in front-line combat, the regiment lived in the field under canvass with the rest of the Army. The Regiment guarded prisoners and munitions, and maintained supply lines. The performance of the regiment was indifferent, in the main due to eccentric leadership. It did see front-line action once, when three of the regiment were killed.6
A better example would be the Hoplite infantry of Ancient Greece. In some Greek cities, military service was compulsory, and all male citizens between the age of 18 and 60 served in the infantry. The Greeks knew a thing or two about soldiering. One thing that they knew was that young men make unreliable soldiers. So a Hoplite phalanx was arranged by age. The young, flighty soldiers were kept in the rear of the phalanx. The front of the phalanx, where the fighting occurred, was occupied by seasoned veterans, who would all be in their fifties. Further, the danger in a Greek phalanx increased as you moved to the right, and so age also increased as you moved to the right. The right end of the front line, the most dangerous position on the field, would be given to the most experienced soldiers, who would be in their late fifties.7 And this was at a time when you carried armour and your spear for many days on foot, and slept in the open, before you got to where the battle was to occur.
As another example, we need look no further that the First Australian Imperial Force. While much attention has been focussed on the boy soldiers, it should also be noted that there were many members of the AIF who were too old to be officially in the AIF. They all served well.
What about the easing of certain medical restrictions?
Let us look first at the great generals of the Ancient World. Many see Alexander the Great as the greatest general of the Ancient World. No problems with age here, but there were a number of other facets of his life that would trouble an ADF recruiter of today. There are, of course, suggestions that he had a homosexual relationship with one of his friends. In addition, he had three wives (and two known mistresses), which would make finding a married quarter challenging. Perhaps more troubling was his excessive use of alcohol. He was, on occasions, very drunk for long periods, and during one of these drunken binges murdered one of his friends. Such behaviour would be unlikely to result in a promising career in the ADF, yet Alexander went on to conquer most of the known World, before dying at 32.8
Julius Caesar was another great soldier of the Ancient World. He would be regarded as unfit for the ADF. He was very deaf in one ear. He also had grand mal epilepsy. Either one of these conditions would be enough to exclude him from the ADF.9
Hannibal would also be unfit for service in the ADF for most of his career. As a young man he lost sight in an eye.10 He went on to lead his elephants over the Alps, and then chase the Romans up and down the Italian peninsular for a decade or so. If the leaders of Carthage had used the ADF health standards in recruitment, Hannibal would not have made the grade. The Romans would have been pleased.
But it is not only the Ancient World that provides with us examples of disabled soldiers having solid careers.
Take, for example, the Confederate General John Bell Hood. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. His arm was useless after that; paralysed, it sat in his sleeve, pinned to his jacket. He returned to active combat, only to be wounded in the leg, which was later amputated, just below the hip. He again returned to active service, leading his Army on horseback, holding both his sword and the reins of his horse in his one good arm.11
On the Union side, “Unconditional Surrender” Grant was known to have an alcohol problem. He drank whiskey to excess. Famously, when it was whispered to President Lincoln that Grant was drinking again, Old Abe reputedly asked what brand was he drinking, as he wished to send some to all of his generals.12
Perhaps the best example of a disabled warrior comes from World War Two. Douglas Bader was an above knee amputee on one side, and a below knee amputee on the other side, but went on to become a flying ace, with 22 confirmed kills. Downed and captured, he gave the Germans merry hell, repeatedly attempting to escape. At one point they took away his artificial legs for a period in an attempt to keep him secure; eventually they put him in Colditz Castle.13
Thus, there are many examples from history of people with severe disabilities and considerable age serving in the military, and serving well.
The reforms announced by former Minister Nelson are marginal changes that will provide the ADF with a larger pool from which the ADF can recruit, helping to alleviate the chronic shortages that the ADF has experienced for decades. History does not suggest that these changes will compromise the effectiveness of the ADF; indeed history suggests that mature-aged people and people with medical conditions can make fine sailors, soldiers and aviators.
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