Australian Navy Under Fire For Free Boob Jobs

Australia's navy is coming under fire for giving female sailors breast enlargements at no cost, that are paid for with public money.

An armed forces spokesman has defended the operations, saying they were carried out for 'psychiatric or psychological reasons' reasons, and not to make sailors 'look sexy'.

Brigadier Andrew Nikolic says the 'holistic needs' of service personnel were considered under defence policy.

"We do consider the broader needs of our people, both physical and psychological," Brig Nikolic said.

"But that is a long way from saying that if someone doesn't like their appearance, Defence will fund things like breast augmentation as a matter of routine - that is just not correct."

He was speaking after one plastic surgeon said he had carried out breast enlargements on two female sailors, aged 25 and 32 for about $9,000: "I don't know why the navy pay for it," said surgeon Kourosh Tavakoli. "There's no breast augmentation, that I know of, for medical purposes."

Neil James, head of a military lobby defended the policy: "Just as there are in civilian life, there are some females who feel their breasts are too small and if their breasts were bigger, they might be more of a 'normal' woman. If they were lacking in self-confidence, this might provide the measure of self-confidence that would help them tackle their wider job."

The navy has not disclosed how many women have undergone the taxpayer-funded operations.

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