Email claims soldier's death 'unnecessary'

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A storm is brewing in Australian military circles over the release of an email claiming troops in Afghanistan don't have enough front line support and are dying as a result.

The email should never have been printed, a defence lobby group says.

Written by a digger, the email says his mate Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney would still be alive if troops had been given adequate fire support and better intelligence.

Corporal MacKinney was killed while accompanying Afghan troops in the Tangi Valley near Deh Rawood last month.

The unnamed soldier said it was a miracle five or six more Australians had not been killed during the battle.

His email, published by News Limited this morning, said the army had exposed troops to unnecessary risks.

"That contact would have been over before Jared died if they gave us f.....g mortars," the soldier wrote.

The email also detailed how no intelligence reports had prepared the two sections of about 24 men each for a confrontation with up to 100 enemy attacking from multiple firing positions as close as 80 metres away.

"We were at times pinned down by a massive rate of fire but we stuck to it," he wrote.

"The army has let us down mate and I am disgusted."

Australia Defence Association spokesman Neil James said the email should not have been released.

"They are fighting a particularly hard war and the last thing you want is something that will interfere with the group dynamics of that team," he told ABC TV.

"By irresponsibly printing the entire email this morning, News Limited papers have unfortunately made that task harder."

Mr James said printing the email wouldn't help the situation.

"We have no problems at all with whistleblowers ... so long as we can do something about it in a measured and professional fashion," he said.

"Publishing the email won't achieve as much as behind the scenes negotiations will."

While the email's author would no doubt have the support of his fellow diggers, Mr James said he could now face problems from "intermediate" levels of army command.

- AAP