Best Possible Outcome

CHAPTER 7OBSERVATIONS ON BUILDING TEAMS

In 1999 Australia sent a large United Nations–sanctioned contingent to East Timor. Prior to this, with the exception of some smaller deployments, there had been over 20 years of peace-time operations.

This period, which was often referred to lightheartedly as ‘the great peace’, affected the military in a range of ways. Many senior people considered themselves as never having been truly tested. While they may have been trained and assessed in some of the most gruelling courses and field exercises, many felt that without having deployed to a war zone, their ability as military professionals had not been confirmed.

Conversely, those who had deployed carried an aura of credibility. Whether on a United Nations mission or a smaller deployment during the 1980s or '90s, a medal or two on your chest gave you status, sometimes well beyond your ability.

Untested during this time, our military self-image was often defined by many things other than our ability as a fighting force. Our experience in the Vietnam War decades earlier, and the Australian military's portrayal in films both played a part in defining our identity. We lived in an insular bubble, telling ourselves that we were one of the best, if not the best, military in the world — with little to benchmark against.

This left us with the belief that deploying to a war zone made you a ‘good soldier’, even if you were not so before. Somehow, simply by deployment, you would embody all the good ...