A third Australian General referred to the NACC. What's the scam? - Michael West

MWM reported this Saturday on the scam of the security and intelligence firm Omni Executive Pty Ltd. It was set up as a government "front company" after a high-level Rudd-Gillard government national security breach compromised the SAS regiment's secretive 4 Squadron in 2012.

We revealed that at least two of the three former senior SAS officers referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for their role in establishing Omni - since awarded $230 million in government security and intelligence contracts - received the Distinguished Service Cross for command and leadership in Afghanistan.

Off the Books: how the Army privatised SAS elite to dark ops outfit Omni

We can now reveal that the third officer named in the NACC complaint, another recipient of the DSC for distinguished command and leadership in Afghanistan, was one of Australia's top generals.

This officer commanded the first Australian SAS squadron deployed to Afghanistan in 2001. He later served as commanding officer of the SAS Regiment, as commander of the Australian Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan, and then as Deputy Commander International Security Assistance Force, Special Operations Force Afghanistan. For his "exceptional service" with ISAF SOF and as the acting commander of Australian Special Operations Command in 2013-2014 - the period when Omni was being established by another former SAS officer - he was appointed Member of the Order of Australia.

His final posting before retirement as a Major General in 2022 was Deputy Commanding General U.S. Army Pacific, a formation comprising more than 100,000 U.S. soldiers, almost twice the size of the Australian Defence Force.

Again, this story does not allege any wrongdoing on the part of this or any other officer. What it does do is highlight

serious questions about command, leadership and management all the way to the top of the defence force and government.

Stuart McCarthy is a medically retired Australian Army officer whose 28-year military career included deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Stuart is an advocate for veterans with brain injury, disabilities, drug trial subjects and abuse survivors. Twitter: @StuartMcCarthy_