Australia's Chief of Defence Angus Campbell has apologised to veterans ripped off by dodgy advice about a retirement benefit scheme.
General Campbell acknowledged many veterans were misled by Defence.
"We apologise for providing incorrect advice to some (scheme) members and for the confusion and emotional impact that it may have caused," he said in a letter published on Wednesday.
His apology follows an ombudsman's report into a compulsory Australian Defence Force retirement scheme that began in 1973 and closed to new members in 1991.
ADF members were required to choose between taking a defined pension for life or a lump sum upon retirement, with a lower pension for life.
Most members did - and still do - choose the second option.
Many members were told if they took this option, their pension would subsequently increase to the higher rate once they reached a defined life expectancy age.
"This was false, and created an expectation of a more generous long term outcome than the law provided," Commonwealth Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe said.
Despite the misleading advice, the ombudsman found it was unlikely any members who took the lump sum and lower pension were financially worse off.
Even so, Veteran's Affairs Minister Darren Chester has also apologised.
"We recognise that the provision of misinformation has caused confusion and distress over many years," he said.
"If anyone believes they did incur a financial loss they can apply for compensation."
The government has no plans to change the scheme.
Australian Associated Press
