Proposed Title
Moral Injury Across Generations:
A Case Study of the Children Overboard Affair and Chaplaincy-Led Moral Repair
Supervisors
Principal Supervisor: Geoffrey Broughton
Co-Supervisor: Bernard Doherty
Summary
This research investigates the intergenerational impact of moral injury (MI) within military contexts, with particular attention to the role of chaplaincy in facilitating moral repair. While MI is well established as affecting individual service members, its effects on families and across generations remain under-examined. Using the Children Overboard Affair (2001) as a qualitative case study, this project explores how experiences of institutional betrayal, leadership failure, and moral dissonance may extend beyond the individual to shape family relationships, identity, and wellbeing.
Guided by a bio-psychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) framework, the study employs semi-structured interviews with veterans, chaplains, and family members, alongside analysis of policy and archival sources. Theologically, the project draws on Shelly Rambo’s work on trauma and “remaining,” attending to the enduring presence of wounding and the complex, non-linear nature of healing. This lens deepens understanding of MI not simply as injury to be resolved, but as a lived reality requiring accompaniment, witness, and practices of moral repair over time.
The research aims to generate new theoretical insights into intergenerational MI, articulate the distinctive role of chaplaincy, and provide evidence-based recommendations for military policy, training, and family support.
Why I chose Charles Sturt
My pathway to a PhD at Charles Sturt University has developed through a combination of professional experience, academic study, and emerging research interest. As a Senior Chaplain in the Royal Australian Navy, I have worked extensively in the area of moral injury, contributing to training, policy, and pastoral care initiatives across the Australian Defence Force. This practical engagement raised critical questions about the broader and longer-term impacts of moral injury, particularly on families and across generations.
While completing my Master of Ministry through CSU and St Mark’s National Theological Centre, I began to explore these questions more deeply in a research context. The academic environment, supervision, and theological grounding at CSU provided a natural pathway to extend this work. The proposed PhD builds directly on this foundation, integrating professional experience with scholarly inquiry to address an under-researched and practically significant issue within military and chaplaincy contexts.
Engagement and Memberships
I am actively engaged in several professional and academic associations relevant to my research in moral injury, chaplaincy, and military wellbeing. I am a member of the Australasian Military Medicine Association (AMMA), which provides a multidisciplinary forum for research and practice in military health. I also serve on the conference committee for the inaugural Australian and New Zealand Moral Injury Conference (ANZMIC) 2026, contributing to scholarly engagement and development in this emerging field.
In addition, I am a member of Spiritual Care Australia, supporting professional standards and research in chaplaincy and spiritual care, and the Baptist Union of Western Australia, reflecting my ongoing ministerial accreditation and theological grounding. These memberships connect my academic research with national and international professional networks, ensuring both scholarly rigour and practical relevance within military, health, and chaplaincy contexts.
Publications
Publications and Research Outputs
- Hynes, D. C., Carey, L. B., & Broughton, G. (2025, in press). The Chaplain’s Compass: Navigating Moral Injury and Companioning the Military Soul. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy.
- Hynes, D. C. (2025). Responding to Moral Injury: The Role of ADF Chaplaincy in a Maritime Crisis. Master of Ministry Thesis, Charles Sturt University.
- Hynes, D. C. (2020). Moral Injury: Biological, Psychological, Social and Spiritual Impact. QuickSeries Publishing (ADF Chaplaincy edition).
- Hynes, D. C. (2016). Spiritual Wellbeing: A Life Well Lived. QuickSeries Publishing (ADF Chaplaincy edition).
- Hynes, D. C. (2015). Kings and Kingdoms: The Greatest Story Never Told. Amazon Publishing.
Conference and Academic Presentations
- “Responding to Moral Injury in a Dynamic Maritime Crisis.” Australasian Military Medicine Association (AMMA) Conference, 2025.
- “Responding to Moral Injury: The Role of ADF Chaplaincy in a Maritime Crisis.” Australian and New Zealand Moral Injury Conference (ANZMIC), 2026 (accepted).
- “Moral Injury and Command Responsibilities.” Australian Command and Staff College, 2025.
- “An Introduction to Moral Injury.” Peace Operations Training Centre, Canberra, 2025.
Research Profiles
