<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of Australia's most experienced elite SAS soldiers has started a behind-the-scenes campaign to convince the government to provide a form of national service for every student finishing year 10.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He says it would be nation-building and help to save "the anxious generation".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His name is Harry Moffitt and after 30 years in the Army, he knows life and death.</span></div></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="150px" src="https://omny.fm/shows/neil-mitchell-asks-why/im-the-biggest-pacifist-on-the-planet-with-harry-moffitt-an-unlikely-sas-veteran/embed?style=cover" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He understands pressure, motivation, fear and courage.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> He completed 11 active deployments and saw almost 1000 days of combat operations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was wounded and a good friend was killed in the same explosion in Afghanistan.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Moffitt is out of the army now and a qualified psychologist.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/neil-mitchell-national-service-for-students-harry-moffitt/929b070d-c2c4-413c-9b5f-c571bdf93ecd" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He describes himself as "a pacifist" and is a deep thinker about issues like juvenile crime.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His idea is to establish a tripartite system funded by industry, organised by government and assessed by academics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has already lobbied it with Labor ministers but is not overly optimistic they will be prepared to pay the costs involved to help save a generation.</span></div></div><div class="vote" data-has-voted="false" data-question-id="a4462f52-e764-4666-a6bc-b18d6eb2878c"><h2>Should there be a form of national service for young Australians?</h2><div class="vote__answer" data-id="0"><div class="vote__option" style="background-color:#0518C5"><input type="button" value="Yes"/></div></div><div class="vote__answer" data-id="1"><div class="vote__option" style="background-color:#D6001C"><input type="button" value="No"/></div></div><div class="vote__result"><div class="vote__result__text" style="color:#0518C5">Yes</div><div class="vote__result__bar-container"><span class="vote__result__bar" style="background-color:#0518C5;width:100%"></span><span class="vote__result__bar-text"></span></div><span class="vote__result__count">2</span></div><div class="vote__result"><div class="vote__result__text" style="color:#D6001C">No</div><div class="vote__result__bar-container"><span class="vote__result__bar" style="background-color:#D6001C;width:0%"></span><span class="vote__result__bar-text"></span></div><span class="vote__result__count">1</span></div><div class="vote__recaptcha" id="vote-recaptcha-a4462f52-e764-4666-a6bc-b18d6eb2878c"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking to my podcast, </span><em><span>Neil Mitchell Asks Why?</span></em><span>, Moffitt supports the growing psychology evidence that obsession with devices, particularly phones, has robbed younger people of time and built an"anxious generation".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I would be sympathetic to a universal or nationwide gap year offering at every school as an option, at say the end of year 10.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They could go off and do national service, although maybe we should move away from that term. Words mean a lot. Gap year seems much better."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Moffitt says he has been "banging on" about the idea in the corridors of power.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think there's a great opportunity here, a tripartite - business, government and academic - that we could incorporate into this.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's not to make national service compulsory. We could make it so it is meaningful, purposeful and train some of the skills I think this generation appears to be lacking.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> "It would be nation-building. One of the greatest investments and a generational investment we could make.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think there is something unique about this generation coming through that is good and bad but I think my mind turns more to the bad than the good.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think this is a response we need, a dramatic response."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NEIL MITCHELL:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/derryn-hinch-on-life-death-and-why-he-hates-the-human-headline-nickname/800f089a-b140-4e3c-a9fb-af417a42b55e" rel="" target="" title="Derryn Hinch on his final act"><strong><span>Derryn Hinch on his final act</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ADF already runs a gap year program for year 12 students.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They are paid around $50,000 a year and can leave after that time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is designed as a recruiting program.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 725 people took part last year and around half usually sign for regular service.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Moffitt says that gap year is beneficial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They develop this great sense of camaraderie. It's a life-changing experience.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't know many people who have served at any level for any period of time that don't say it impacted them in a huge way.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's not so much the militarism as it is their shared suffering, the shared adversity.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If anyone thinks of the great teams they have been a part of in their life a common feature would be that they have shared something remarkable together."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/sas-soldier-talks-about-collection-of-battlefield-bats-in-new-book/7113adf1-7077-4500-aaee-62e8f14363ae" rel="" target="" title="SAS soldier's collection of battlefield bats"><strong><span>SAS soldier's collection of battlefield bats</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The scheme he suggests would not be compulsory, but highly promoted and recommended.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Would the Army want to manage it? Would the government "bean counters" finance it?</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Inevitably, he has ideas about funding.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Get over yourself, bean counters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are dozens of huge military industrial complex businesses making gazillions off the top of our taxpayer money.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So you want to build tanks for us? Come and help us build a program."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Moffitt said more work needed to be done to assess whether the program could be used in court sentencing of minor offenders.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A two-year form of national service, later restricted to 18 months, ran in Australia from 1964 to 1972.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An earlier, shorter scheme, ran from 1951 to 1959.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Moffitt scheme is not designed to build army numbers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is more of a "boot camp" to help young Australians on their way in life.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Coincidentally, the Victorian opposition last weekend launched an idea for a compulsory live -in scheme, called ReStart, designed as a responsibility and discipline program but only for young offenders aged 12 to 17.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The theory behind the Moffitt plan is that military life can teach valuable skills and a sense of mateship which puts the kids on a good path, although a key question would be how many would then return to school.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nobody would claim a well-structured gap year would turn around the lives of a generation of 16-year-old Australians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But it may help.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Regardless, Moffitt has been a human performance manager for the SAS, our best and bravest soldiers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He now lectures them on ethics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has put his life on the line countless times for his country over almost 30 years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With his military background and psychology training, he has a deeper understanding than many about the concept.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has thought it through and is passionate about it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Like it or not, when this man walks through the door of any federal minister he deserves a hearing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As a nation, it is the least we owe him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Neil Mitchell's podcast is posted each Tuesday through Nine Podcasts.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Harry Moffitt has released a book on how to maximise high performance called The Fourth Pillar.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>It is published by Macmillan.</span></em></div></div>