Heston Russell – Forging the will to fight
Heston Russell has one of the most recognised faces in Australia today. It has been in the public view in either a military service context or that of veteran advocacy/politics. His military service was predominantly with the Special Forces of the Australian Army, and at this time of publication of this Book Review, he is highly active in veteran advocacy in a range of ways. If you do not know him personally, you will probably know of him.
The title of this book is well chosen. The story is about the whole person, not just his service in uniform and the extraordinary series of accusations made against him in the media over the past few years. Across his childhood, his active army service including overseas deployments and counter-terrorism roles on mainland Australia, his fight to defend himself and his men against accusations of war crimes, his business endeavours, a brief political foray and his personal life – this is a compelling narrative.
Heston entered the army through the Australian Defence Force Academy and Royal Military College, following which his first posting to 2 RAR resulted in operational deployment to East Timor. Subsequent operational tours of duty included Iraq and then Afghanistan, one of the latter tours as November Platoon Commander 2 Commando Regiment (Force Element – Bravo (FE-Bravo) within the SOTG – Rotation 18, Task Force 6). The book addresses his experiences and his leadership style well; he rose to and met the most testing of challenges many times and earned the respect of his men in the process. What you can actually do, rather than anything else, is all that mattered in having one’s persona accepted by other for what it is; doubly significant in a Special Forces environment where life was often literally on a knife edge, even during training.
He emphasizes the centrality of physical and mental fitness, endurance and resilience in every aspect of life as key drivers to succeed. One question that arises is why he chose to write this book with such emphasis on his sexuality throughout; clearly this is an issue with which he has wrestled. Publishing in this manner seems a necessary outlet of energy for him to write so much about that element of his life in the wider story we are presented. Life has certainly been a challenge for him, not just during his military service. Suicidal ideation is raised as one of several frank consequences of a lifestyle full of fighting – soldiering, accusations of alleged war crimes, his sexuality, business ventures, international activities, veteran advocacy and even a recent foray into federal politics. He sure hasn’t done things like most of us.
The book is full of remarkable experiences and battles both in and out of the Army, reflecting his theme of developing and sustaining the will to fight even when all seems lost when the cards apparently seemed stacked against one. A classic example is the 2023 defamation case won against the ABC and two of its reporters for false reporting on alleged war crimes still fresh in our memory. Another is his very detailed description of preparing for and undergoing the arduous selection process for Special Forces. Few Australians would remain unaware of this remarkable character as he faces numerous challenges which require an extraordinary will to meet.
Heston has a crisp writing style that carries the story nicely, accompanied by appropriate imagery. It is delivered in a candid and unafraid manner, perhaps with more emphasis on his sexual identity and associated travails in that part of his personality that might perhaps be necessary. But this is his story, not ours. And he clearly has the need to tell it. He has certainly lived a full life in his 40 years to date.
My own brief contact with Heston, coupled with reading public communications and monitoring his activity in the media suggests that he is a man of strong conviction and remarkable endurance; not one to be brushed aside as a passing sensationalist. Form your own opinion on whether you agree or not that he exhibits authority, determination and dedication, especially in pursuit of a ‘fair go’ for all veterans.
Unlike most books about military service/memoirs, this is a life story still unfolding, even if the days of soldiering in uniform are now past for the author. He fights on. For a man whose leadership style as stated by him and quoted by one of his NCOs: ‘I would rather have to rein in a stallion than kick a mule up the arse…’ I expect that we will hear much more from Heston Russell. Being able to fit into a team as its leader is as much about maximizing the talent of that entire team as it is about being the one with the command authority bestowed by earned rank.
I recommend his book for both its historical value and its social statements at a time when there has been so much upheaval and contest currently reshaping both Australian society and the Defence Forces. One can hope that this publication will contribute positively to that unfolding social phenomena.
Reviewer: Lieutenant Colonel Russell Linwood, ASM (Retd)
