Long-serving senior military members are among those being investigated by a far-reaching taskforce probing allegations of abuse - including rape - in the ranks.
The Defence Abuse Response Taskforce has received more than 2400 complaints dating back to the 1950s, and has referred 18 cases to police for prosecution in its first year of operation.
"We've got people going back decades who've suffered very serious abuse, who've never told anybody ... and they come to us and they can tell that story," taskforce head, retired Army Reserve major general and former Supreme Court judge Len Roberts-Smith told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
The taskforce looks at allegations of abuse - bullying, hazing, sexual harassment and rape - up until April 2011 and reports to Australian Defence Force commanders with recommendations.
In some cases the review has found inadequate handling of complaints.
"What we have seen in some instances is an allegation which was obviously rape, being downgraded into misconduct ... and treated as a minor disciplinary matter," Gen Roberts-Smith said.
"I've been very surprised at the range and the extent and the nature of the abuse that have come forward to us."
The so-called "ADFA 24" case, which alleges numerous cases of rape against five female defence force academy cadets between 1994 and 1998 is also forming part of the taskforce's review.
"There are some 12 people still serving in the defence force who are in some way the subject of recommendations from the taskforce to the chief of the DF in relation to that," Gen Roberts-Smith said.
He confirmed that in some cases, the taskforce was investigating serving military members up to the rank of major.
Some $7.37 million has been paid to people mistreated in the defence force.
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