Lieutenant General Campbell was at a service to mark the arrival of medals belonging to Captain Reg Saunders at Warrnambool RSL on Saturday.

From Purnim, the late Mr Saunders was the Australian army’s first Aboriginal commissioned officer.

Lieutenant General Campbell, whose office in Canberra overlooks a street named in Mr Saunders’ honour, said while the Australian army has been an equal employer since 1917, there have been some hurdles to clear.

“Uncomfortably, we have had a major general of indigenous heritage but he only told me this two years after he had retired,”  Lieutenant General Campbell.

“Thankfully those days of past. We now have colonels, brigadiers, captains and majors.

“We have about 860 persons who identify themselves as indigenous serving in the full-time force and about the same in the part-time force. I want more, I want more Australians of every background.

“I hope I can offer in the Australian army an experience that is absolutely an experience of equals serving together.”

Lieutenant General Campbell remembers as a young solider coming in contact with Mr Saunders.

“Wherever Reg, went there was a gaggle of people wanting to hear and wanting to be part of this story,” he said.

“This was because he knew how to lead and people respected and wanted to follow him. Wherever I go I want all Australians not only to consider serving in their army, but to be proud of what their army is and what it gives to our people and to our nation. Reg Saudners is an iconic example of a man who gave and gave and gave and we are as deeply proud of him as I know his family and community are.” 

Lieutenant General Campbell told a story which he said illustrated Mr Saunders stance on equality.

“There’s a story of his days in Korea,” he said.

“Some tired army officer through a battle turns and says ‘this is no place for a white man to be fighting war’ to which Reg drolly replied ‘yeah, it’s no place for a black man either’.”