Retired servicemen poorly treated

THE eviction exercise announced recently by the PNGDF, is a cover up and an easy way out for a disciplined organisation.
It is an insult and unjustified ending for the once proud and lively dedicated diggers.
The pride of PNG at one time.
It has been an honour and privilege to serve but the returns have been devastating.
Where do we go from here?
To hell, maybe as PNGDF has ignored the pleas and courts have delivered their verdicts.
All hopes have lost for the diggers?
May God have pity on them.
To put this into pespective, one should understand why the former diggers continue living in the service residences for the last 20 or so years after their military service was terminated.
The military (army, navy and air force) is a unique organisation set up by an Act of Parliament with various functions to effectively achieve its core responsibilities.
One of those functions is personal administration, which also covers conditions of service and retirement, service obligation and many more.
When a serviceman retires, terminated or separated from his/her own request, that administration process is covered under manual of personal administration (MPA), (a legal binding document for military personal) to facilitate the smooth transition to civilian life.
Under MPA members entitlements, including leave credits, long service leave, operation allowance and sea or air allowance, are entitled and other authorised documented entitlements, which are calculated and paid to the retiring member.
At the same, time DFRB is notified of the member’s separation from service.
That organisation also has their own formula or rules to calculate and prepare retirement, discharge or redundant benefits and paid concurrently including ongoing pension on those who are eligible.
Then they are farewelled and can hand over the keys to service residence.
The difference here from 1999 to 2009, there was a massive reduction of military peers of all ranks up to 3,000.
To this day, nobody knows what guidelines or terms and conditions of that termination was perused.
A single payment was made and servicemen were directed to sign in order to receive that payment.
Obviously, the losers were the poor diggers because they were not officially given the opportunity to enquire.
“Executive command team” including the defence ministers past and present, appear to pass the buck or act like they don’t hear anything.
It’s a sign of ill advised, sick and weak leadership.
A dynamic and admired military leadership would stand up and fight for those who have served and those who are serving and those who are yet to serve.
God bless PNGDF.
What kind of payments are they receiving?
Within this group of serviceman who were terminated, some served in the colonial era for an extended period of time under the Australian administration.
They continued to serve when PNGDF made after independent on Sept 16 1975.
Their portion of the retirement benefits were transferred to the Government.
They did not receive that portion so what happened to their benefits?
Not only that, there were other benefits that should have been paid under MPA regarding operational or hardship benefits and others at the time of termination of service -99 -09.
Recommending authorities like HQPNGDF, Defence Department and other relevant authorities were reluctant to assist when the issue was brought up to their attention.
Now it is water under the bridge, but for the record, PNDF and those who orchestrated the downsising programme should accept the responsibility and liability for the chaos and hardship they have created on the ill-informed and confused diggers.
The diggers are victims of a bureaucratic mess.
They will continue to be disadvantaged to their graves.

Proud to Serve – Poor Returns