Military crackdown: ADF says no defence for cyber-racism

ADF member Joel Buckley... an enthusiastic poster of extreme racism on social networking sites Facebook. Tracker has blacked out some areas due to extreme language.

NATIONAL: An investigation has been launched into two members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) after they repeatedly posted racist comments on their Facebook pages earlier this year.

Soldiers Sam Borrett and Joel Buckley have both come under fire for their use of the popular social networking site, after their racist rants were exposed on a blog – www.theanti bogan.wordpress.com.

Sam Borrett, who describes himself as a seaman in the Royal Australian Navy, earlier this year remarked that he “was going through a few magazines at the local abo shelter, was having soooooo (sic) much fun until the rifle jammed”.

Nine of his Facebook friends gave his comment a ‘thumbs up’.

Another comment from Mr Borrett posted on the blog, dated 12 June, is directed at the Muslim community.

“…they say if a Muslim is born in Australia it is an Australian, LIKE HELL!!!!!! if (sic) a dog is born in a stable its (sic) not a horse!!!!”

Another eight friends ‘liked’ his comment.

Joel Buckley, who poses in his military uniform in the back of a helicopter in one of his Facebook pictures, has been the subject of a series of articles by ‘the antibogan’ website, in particular for derogatory comments he has repeatedly made towards Muslims.

His comments are at the extreme end of the scale (see pic above right).

He is also depicted posing shirtless in front a Nazi symbol, after changing his Facebook name to “Joel Panzerfaust”, a reference to a German military offensive used during World War II.

Mr Buckley also issues a call out for friends to join an anti-Islam, anti-immigration rally held in Newtown earlier this year, and organised by the Australian Protectionist Party (APP). He advocates for friends to join the protest, noting he is “looking forward to putting more boot to more lefty, gutless arse”.

In a couple of photos, Mr Buckley is draped in the Australian flag.

Numerous attempts to contact Mr Buckley were unsuccessful. His girlfriend acknowledged an attempt to contact him, but then ceased correspondence with Tracker after becoming aware we were researching a story.

However, Mr Borrett did respond. He claimed he was at sea with the Navy when the posts were made, and that his account must have been hacked.

Prominent Indigenous photographer Wayne Quilliam, who joined the Australian navy in 1979 at the age of 15, says that he was surprised how much the defence force had changed.

“The funny thing is, when I read (Sam Borrett)’s comment, and when I was sent that racist comment, I sort of sat back and tried to recall whether it was like that when I was there. And it wasn’t,” Mr Quilliam told Tracker.

“Absolutely not. Whether you were a blackfella or not, you basically worked alongside, you fought alongside, you lived alongside. It didn’t matter your race, colour, creed or religion.

“Discrimination wasn’t tolerated.”