Seminar Paper: Responding to Moral Injury in a Military Maritime Crisis

SCHA (CAPT) Daniel Hynes, RAN, BMin, GradDipMin, CD
Rev. Dr Geoff Broughton, DipYthMin, MATheol, MA, ThM, PhD
CHAP (WGCDR) Assoc. Professor Lindsay B. Carey, MAppSc, PhD, CSM

The purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic and traumatic environment which the Australian Government’s ‘deter and deny policy’ (2001) created, with regard to the ill-fated refugee boat “SIEV 4”. The paper will consider how this policy placed the health and wellbeing of crew members of HMAS Adelaide at risk of moral injury, particularly in light of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. The paper will initially provide a historical-political background to what became known as ‘The Children Overboard Event” (CHOE). It will then explore various theoretical perspectives for analysis, including the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, moral injury theory, the biopsychosocial-spiritual paradigm as well as pastoral theological viewpoints. A qualitative methodology will be used to examine CHOE public documents including both government and non-government sources. This will be conducted through the method of document analysis, using the specific techniques of critical analysis and thematic analysis to examine the collated data. The results of this paper will present both critical and thematical findings in relation to CHOE to explore the moral impact upon ADF members and their families and the potential role of chaplains in addressing the after effects of such traumatic experiences.

References
SSCCMI (2002). (2002). A certain maritime incident. Senate Select Committee on a Certain Maritime Incident. CanPrint Communications for the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Former_Committees/maritimeincident/report/index
Phelps, Andrea J., Kelsey Madden, R. Nicholas Carleton, Lucinda Johnson, Lindsay B. Carey, Jean-Michel Mercier, Andrew Mellor et al. "Towards a holistic model of care for moral injury: An Australian and New Zealand investigation into the role of police chaplains in supporting police members following exposure to moral transgression." Journal of Religion and Health 62, no. 6 (2023): 3995-4015.