The Australian Defence Force is currently running a recruitment campaign promoting an upcoming deployment to Greenland in support of the United States. This campaign should be withdrawn immediately.

From the perspective of an ordinary Australian considering enlistment, Greenland is simply not an appealing or reasonable place to be sent. We do not want to spend months operating in extreme cold, limited daylight, and Arctic conditions that bear no resemblance to the environment we grew up in or expected to face when considering service.

Beyond the location itself, the campaign’s messaging is deeply flawed.

The central poster image features a disgraced former soldier whose public record includes drinking from a murdered man's prosthetic leg, being friends with Kerry Stokes and burning a laptop to destroy evidence. Regardless of whether this figure is meant to be symbolic or inspirational, using someone with that kind of reputation undermines the credibility of the ADF and sends the wrong message about values, accountability, and professionalism.

Australians should not be encouraged to enlist by glorifying people who represent the worst aspects of military culture. Nor should they be pressured into fighting in a frozen landscape when there are warmer places that could be attacked.

This petition is not about broader foreign policy debates or moral arguments about war. It is about common sense. Recruitment campaigns should be realistic, responsible, and aligned with the expectations of the people they are trying to attract. Promoting an Arctic conflict with poor role models does the opposite.

We call on the Australian Defence Force to:

• Withdraw the current Greenland-focused recruitment campaign
• Stop using disgraced figures as promotional symbols
• Reconsider whether Arctic warfare is something Australians should be encouraged to sign up for when there are more appealing destinations