Australia's Defence Force Recruitment Crisis Explained | The Hollowmen

After an embarrassing incident at an air force base brings military recruitment into the headlines, the Central Policy Unit must make joining Australia's Defence Force appealing to Generation Y.

Season 1 Episode 5: Military Matters

Watch full episodes of The Hollowmen on

Buy Seasons 1-2 of The Hollowmen

Follow Working Dog on Social:

The Hollowmen was a straight-faced and fast paced comedy-drama set in the offices of the Central Policy Unit, a special think tank set up by the Prime Minister to help him in his most important task - getting re-elected.

#TheHollowmen #WorkingDogProductions

[Gredddfe]

"I wouldn't call it is a crisis"
Because it's not a crisis?
"Because we've been ordered not to"

[ronti]

'We face the ADF's greatest threat...' (Who is that..?) " mining companies' LMAO.

[andrew]

I spent 30 years in uniform and love this stuff. Also I'd like to point out that there's only one service where it's compulsory for their personnel to wear shorts.

[asmith]

My time in the military taught me that star ranks arent promoted because they are great leaders. There are a few exceptions i will admit that. Canberra picks the worst possible examples of anything to ensure that a coupe doesnt take place. There has been only one CDF that could encourage me to drink water in a draught and that was Cosgrove, everyone since would struggle to get a starving person to eat three meals. We are also extremely top heavy, is there a need for a commissioned officer for every 2 sailors or soldiers? The retention of enlisted personnel is 1 to 3% stay for 15 years. Commissioned its over 90%. Those numbers show how pathetic the current leadership is.

[briancarr]

The Hollowmen actually fits a great description of our ADF senior staff. No decent thoughts about the lower ranks, whilst fulfilling their own ambitions.

[fgmods]

Army has a massive problem with not being able to retain anyone in logistics. Even senior NCOs are leaving at a higher than normal rate (usually they stick around so long you have to boot them from defence). So they've announced they're going to investigate how to recruit and retain more logistics staff. Part of this involves paying multiple civilian companies to come up with ideas and investigate.
Not even a mention of just PAYING STAFF MORE.
When I left I walked straight into the exact same job I was already doing for more money and less responsibility. Why would anyone want to stay in.

[dinnyregnu]

"You're more likely to get shot in Kalgoorlie." - Nick

[joel]

The issue in summary is;

The military wants skilled, qualified and competent soldiers.
It's attempting to use pre-established filters to find these people (university degree's etc)
The military does not have the money to compete with private companies for said qualified people.
Military then recruits unemployed, skill-less high school dropouts.
They then have a skill shortage.
The cycle continues back to point 1.

[KayAteChef]

When this came out, I had been in a couple of years. Army was needing more people in skilled trades because of mining but also once you do a few deployments you might lose the desire to do it again. We were still in Iraq and Afghanistan so we needed to keep it going. They started paying bonuses to sign on again.

Then in 2009 with the GFC, the recruitment woes ended because thousands of broke people with credit card debt enlisted.

[adeadgirl]

I studied marine engineering in a paramilitary naval college and we had to wear shorts like that. Never understood why they had to be so tight?

[jacolitethepumpkin]

As an Australian, I can safely say that I've been given zero reason to even want to go in to our military. Hearing about the incompetence and outright negligence of the higher ranks is bad enough, but for those same people to then turn around and blame the common person for the manpower shortage? What's there to fight for? That's excluding the domestic front, yet it's already reason enough to refuse service. I will continue to do my best to do good for my fellow common Australians, but it's blatantly apparent that the military is at the service of the bastards further up the ladder.

[msanthropic]

This was a *great* show, deserved more recognition!

[woobyvr]

when i was at the Avalon airshow they'd always ask what i did for work and when i said fitting and turning apprentice they were always so quick to point me towards Aircraft Technician lol, quite happy where im at, military doesn't have huge incentives if your already employed

[stitchjones]

The way the hierarchy, politicians, and the media in this country treat the blokes doing the hard yards should be enough to dissuade anyone from joining.

[thatoneguy]

For me I love this country so much and wanted to join the military but I have a brother in the Air Force and the main deterrent for me was hearing about the incompetent leadership and all the ass kissing making it literality impossible for genuine and competent people to get into leadership positions which makes it a miserable experience and actually quite dangerous as you have to put your live in the hands of officers who have never been soldiers

[ablet]

100k for a diesel fitter on a mine? Try double that and a bit.

[OldFellaDave]

The real irony is - we've never been short of actual Infantry and other Combat Arms. We had waiting lists of around 2 years for Rifleman up till recently. And 'Trips' is what keep people IN. Now that there are no more trips anywhere THAT'S why retention is going down the shitter. Peacetime/Garrison soldiering is crap. Full of tediousness and boredom with career rank prowling to jump on Digs for idiotic and spurious reasons just to kill time. We need better incentives for people to enlist in specialist and non-combat (pogue) roles. We need our own version of the US's GI Bill. Pay people's University/TAFE tuition IF they complete 4 years service. Introduce more 'Specialist' roles so people in technical fields can be rewarded (paid better) for their work while not having to climb the rank chain ... and ironically do less technical work.

And yes - someone needs to drag the Pussers into the 21st century and ditch the shorts, bellbottoms and bibs ... now that everything else that have inclinations for isn't frowned upon ... and the Airforce needs to be held accountable for those StreetFighter uniforms ...

[nathanielmoran]

I was a kid when this came out, now I'm a soldier living this out.

[sabs]

Absolutely loved the hollowmen. I always wished there were more seasons. Even better than the (admittedly excellent) Utopia

[slatibaadfast]

Australia's version of yes minister. Should have aired longer.