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Report of the Inquiry Into Recognition for Service with 547 Signal Troop In

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Report of the Inquiry Into Recognition for Service with 547 Signal Troop In INQUIRY INTO RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE WITH 547 SIGNAL TROOP IN VIETNAM FROM 1966 TO 1971 CONTENTS CONTENTS..........................................................................................................................................................2 LETTER OF TRANSMISSION ...........................................................................................................................4 TERMS OF REFERENCE....................................................................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................6 Eligibility Criteria for the Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) ....................................................................6 Belated Recognition (Retrospectivity) ..........................................................................................................6 Assessment of the Performance of 547 Signal Troop .................................................................................8 Other recognition ............................................................................................................................................9 Summary of Conclusions ...............................................................................................................................9 Recommendations.........................................................................................................................................10 REPORT OF THE TRIBUNAL .........................................................................................................................11 PART A – PRELIMINARY MATTERS ...........................................................................................................11 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................11 Conflict of Interest.........................................................................................................................................11 Steps Taken in the Inquiry ...........................................................................................................................11 Hearings .........................................................................................................................................................12 Tribunal Research..........................................................................................................................................12 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................12 Structure of the Report .................................................................................................................................12 PART B - GENERAL ISSUES ...........................................................................................................................13 Tribunal’s Understanding of Its Terms of Reference ...............................................................................13 Meritorious Unit Citation – Background and Eligibility .........................................................................14 Belated Recognition (Retrospectivity) ........................................................................................................16 Arguments for Belated Awards ..................................................................................................................21 Arguments against Belated Awards...........................................................................................................21 Tribunal Consideration ................................................................................................................................25 Summary of Conclusions with regard to the Belated Award of the MUC for service before 1991 ...27 PART C - SPECIFIC CASE OF 547 SIGNAL TROOP ...................................................................................28 Historical Background to Australian Signal Intelligence.........................................................................28 Establishment of 547 Signal Troop..............................................................................................................29 Summary of 547 Signal Troop’s service in Vietnam.................................................................................30 Tribunal Consideration ................................................................................................................................33 Determining Eligibility of 547 Signal Troop for the MUC.......................................................................33 Arguments for Awarding an MUC to 547 Signal Troop..........................................................................36 Arguments against Awarding an MUC to 547 Signal Troop ..................................................................39 Assessment of the Performance of 547 Signal Troop ...............................................................................40 Page 2 Performance of 547 Signal Troop against ‘2006 CA Directive’ ...............................................................43 Criterion 1 - Operational Performance.......................................................................................................43 Criterion 2 - Strategic Significance..............................................................................................................44 Criterion 3 - Personnel Performance...........................................................................................................45 Criterion 4 - Unit Administration and Operational and Security Performance ...................................45 Criterion 5 - Other Claims............................................................................................................................45 Tribunal Conclusion from the ‘2006 CA Directive’ ..................................................................................46 Tribunal Broader Consideration .................................................................................................................46 Other Recognition .........................................................................................................................................46 PART D - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................48 Conclusions....................................................................................................................................................48 Recommendations.........................................................................................................................................48 APPENDICES.....................................................................................................................................................49 Appendix 1 - List of Submissions Received...................................................................................................49 Appendix 2 - List of Hearing Dates and Submitters.....................................................................................51 Appendix 3 - Bibliography of Research Materials ........................................................................................55 Appendix 4 – Meritorious Unit Citation Recipients .....................................................................................58 Appendix 5 - Chief of Army (Leahy) Directive .............................................................................................61 Appendix 6 - AHQ(DMI) Instruction No. 1/66 COMINT Support for 1ATF Vietnam 17 June 1966....68 Appendix 7 - 547 Signal Troop Composition, Chronology of Landmark Events and Notable Achievements 1966 – 1971 ................................................................................................................................73 Appendix 8 – Commendations of 547 Signal Troop in Vietnam.................................................................81 Page 3 TERMS OF REFERENCE INQUIRY INTO RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE WITH 547 SIGNAL TROOP IN VIETNAM FROM 1966 TO 1971 The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) is directed to inquire into and report on recognition for Australian military personnel who served with 547 Signal Troop in Vietnam between 1966 and 1971. In particular, the Tribunal is to examine relevant evidence and consider whether it is appropriate that members of 547 Signal Troop who served with the unit between 1966 and 1971 be awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation or an another form of medallic recognition for their service. The Tribunal is to determine its own procedures, in accordance with the general principles of procedural fairness, when conducting its inquiry as set out in these Terms of Reference. In this regard the Tribunal may interview such persons as it considers appropriate and consider material provided to it that is relevant to these Terms of Reference. The Tribunal is to report, in writing, to the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence on the findings and recommendations that arise from the inquiry. In making its findings and formulating its recommendations the Tribunal is to arrive at a fair and sustainable response to current and future claims for recognition. It is to maintain
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