Senator and retired Major General Jim Molan is saddened but not shocked by the findings in the war crimes inquiry.

The Brereton inquiry report uncovered 39 alleged unlawful killings of prisoners and civilians by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, in 23 separate incidents.

Senator Molan told Jim Wilson it’s important to “keep this in proportion” because it is “only a very, very small group of people within that particular unit”.

“We’ve seen others member of that unit come out with the statement: ‘They are not us’.”

He said he knows what these soldiers are going through, sharing that has experienced something similar.

“I have been consistently accused, by a number of people in our community, of war crimes.

“I was hurt more by that than by the fear of being killed or injured; because we are what we think we are, we’re defined by what we do.”

Click PLAY below to listen to the full interview

Senator Molan urged any soldier struggling with mental health issues to “put your hand up” for help or call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or www.openarms.gov.au

Other support services for ADF members and their families include: The Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) on 1800 628 036, and The Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636.

Image: Getty