Split Second Decision or Doubt

Article published in the Daily Telegraph 9th December 2020

Split second, life and death decisions – be they in the blink of an eye, or the heat of battle. Many speak of these moments as if they were some form of romantic or fantasy ideal – those who have lived these moments with regularity know that they are actually neither and usually made without time for conscious deliberation. It is within these split second decisions that lives can be taken, saved or lost. 

During my time in combat, I recall many of these decisions answered through automatic physical responses that were the result of my many years of training and conditioning to the high threat environments I found myself answering them within. Muscle memory aligned with clarity in my purpose and authority to exercise lethal means as a last resort to achieve mission success, protect the lives of innocents, or indeed my own. 

Having lived and made more of these decisions than I can remember, I now sit and wonder with extreme concern as to what our current and future generation of Military Soldiers & Commanders must face. For the first time in our nation’s history, we are now watching our senior military and political leaders acknowledge their lack of awareness and understanding of what occurred on the ground during Australia’s longest war in Afghanistan. Yet at the same time, we are seeing them make sweeping declarations and admissions of guilt before trial, awarding collective punishment without conviction, to the detriment of those who never even served in Afghanistan, let alone went outside the wire.

…It is in this doubt and concern that these decisions may be delayed, and lives or limbs lost where previously they could have been saved.

As I watch with disappointment, this readily turns to disgust as I speak with those currently serving soldiers and junior officers who tell me of their concern to be deployed in combat again. Not of concern to sacrifice their life for their country and people, but for how those split second decisions may be interpreted without context, and of the doubt that now crowds their thoughts. Because it is in this doubt and concern that these decisions may be delayed, and lives or limbs lost where previously they could have been saved.