The Chief of Army has outlined the process 13 soldiers will face after they were effectively asked to show cause as to why they should remain in the military.
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Lieutenant General Rick Burr said 13 people had received notice of administrative actions against them in the wake of the Brereton report of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
He also rejected reports some soldiers had already been sacked since Justice John Brereton's Inspector-General inquiry was concluded.
General Burr said he would not speak about the individuals or the case details, but he was acting in accordance with the recommendations of the inquiry.
Deciding the immediate future of the 13 soldiers who face administrative action would rest with their commanding officers.
"Administrative action is a long standing, well established process within Defence that ensures the rights of individuals to due process, and fair hearing," General Burr told reporters on Friday. "This process is well known to all in army.
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All 13 soldiers would be given two weeks to respond to those notices and the decision to proceed with an administrative action would be made by the decision maker, typically the soldier's commander.
No individuals had yet been separated from Defence as a result of the Brereton inquiry.
"This process will take time," he said. "We will do this work methodically and with established process."
He reiterated his confidence in the Australian Army, and all of army's commitment to learning from the inquiry's findings.
General Burr was in Perth, Western Australia, during the public announcement of the inquiry's results, personally briefing members of the SASR on the findings and recommendations.
Media reports have indicated the soldiers issued with administrative action notices were from 2 Squadron and 3 Squadron of the SASR. 2 Squadron will be disbanded as a result of the inquiry.
General Burr had earlier said in a statement that this action reflected no judgement on the current members of 2 Squadron, "but we all must accept the wrongdoings of the past".
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Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
