“Our people deserve and should rightly expect the wellbeing,support and care they need,both during and after their service,” Campbell said in his opening remarks to the commission.
“I acknowledge that this has not always been the case and has tragically led to the death by suicide of some of our people.
“I apologise unreservedly for these deficiencies.”
Campbell,who will step down in July after six years as defence chief,added:“Defence is committed,and I am committed,to doing better.”
There were 1677 certified deaths by suicide among current and past defence force personnel between 1997 and 2021,according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The royal commissioners are scheduled to deliver their final report in September after hearing from over 340 witnesses and receiving almost 6000 written submissions.
Asked why the defence force’s mental health and wellbeing branch was not established until last year despite well-established problems with service members’ mental health,Campbell said:“I was keener in terms of time frame for establishment than we necessarily realised.”