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26 Feb 2021	Ancient tradition followed for modern ship A naval tradition dating back to the ancient Romans has been followed to bring good luck to the future crew of Navy’s first offshore patrol vessel. A mast-stepping ceremony, in which a coin is placed into the base of the ship’s main mast, took place at the Osborne Naval Shipyard – South in Adelaide on February 25 for the Arafura-class vessel that will be known as HMAS Arafura once it is commissioned. More.....
26 Feb 2021	Click here to download the February edition of "BROADSIDE"..... NOTE from Webmaster: If you are a member and haven't been notified that your monthly copy of 'BROADSIDE' is available to download, the email address you supplied on joining is incorrect or out of date. To correct this, contact the webmaster at: and he will copy and amend your address.
26 Feb 2021	Statement — Anzac Day spirit to continue in 2021 ANZAC Day is the most sacred day of commemoration on the Australian calendar. It provides all Australians with the opportunity to remember and reflect on the service and sacrifice of our past and current service personnel as well as honour the more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation. On the health advice of Australian authorities due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, Anzac Day services overseas will not go ahead as normal in 2021. This includes the Australian and New Zealandled Anzac Day services in Turkey and the Australian services in France. The day will still be recognised in these countries however, with locally-based officials holding private commemorations in honour of all those who have served our country in uniform, and those who died in service. More.....
26 Feb 2021	Navy League of Australia(Vic-Tas Div) February newsletter is now available to download.....
26 Feb 2021	Sailor a testament to Defence values Operation Bursa was only really known by those engaged in it at the time – the secretive counter-terrorist operation raised to recapture any of the strategically important oil rigs in Bass Strait if taken by terrorists. The Fleet Air Arm Wessex and Sea King helicopters of No. 723 Helicopter Combat Support, No. 816 Helicopter Utility, and No. 817 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadrons, and their aircrew, maintainers and support staff were involved in providing the capability for inserting the airborne component of the Special Air Service Regiment/Clearance Diving Team Tactical Action Group from August 1980 to December 1989. More.....
25 Feb 2021	Federal Judge Awards USS Pueblo Survivors and Families $2.3 Billion in Damages Sixty-one crew members and 110 surviving family members of USS Pueblo (AGER-2) are entitled to more than $2.3 billion in damages suffered in the capture of the intelligence-gathering vessel in 1968 in international waters off Wonsan, North Korea, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled this month. Mark Bravin, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told USNI News today that the damages awarded are among the largest ever awarded in a state-sponsored terrorism case. More.....
25 Feb 2021	New Details of Russian Belgorod ‘Doomsday’ Submarine Revealed Russia’s latest super-sized submarine, Belgorod, has been a conundrum for interested observers. While its existence is far from secret, Moscow has gone to great pains to keep certain key details out of the public domain. While navies traditionally hide the screw, or propeller, from the cameras, in Belgorod’s case the reverse was true: the screws were on display at the 2019 launch ceremony, but no photographs of the forward section were ever published. More.....
25 Feb 2021	Minehunters flex muscles during exercise HMA Ships Gascoyne and Diamantina flexed their mine-hunting muscles this week during the first phase of their Fleet Certification Period in Jervis Bay. The Huon-class minehunters have been conducting mine-hunting and laying exercises, as well as putting their crews through their paces in engineering, damage control and ship handling exercises. More.....
22 Feb 2021	WWII veteran visits base where his service began A World War II veteran has returned to the shore establishment where his career in the Royal Australian Navy began almost seven decades ago. Former Able Seaman Ron Bergman, aged 94, served in the Royal Australian Navy between 1942 and 1947 as an AA3 gunner. More.....
22 Feb 2021	HMAS Stirling continues to grow Drive over the causeway to Western Australia’s Garden Island and a number of Navy vessels sheltered along the island’s eastern side come into view, contrasting the pristine beaches to the west. These beaches wouldn’t be too different from what Dutch explorers saw in the late 1600s or what the French witnessed when they named the island "Ile Buache" about 100 years later. More.....
22 Feb 2021	Submarine spotting skills put to the test Guided missile destroyer HMAS Hobart and submarine HMAS Sheean combined off the coast of South Australia this month so Hobart’s crew could practise its submarine detection and tracking skills. Hobart’s crew attempted to visually identify Sheean while she was at periscope depth, a task which proved much more difficult than anticipated. More.....
22 Feb 2021	Remembering the First Gulf War 30 years on Australia has a proud military history that spans more than a century and on 28 February we will commemorate 30 years since the official end of one of our more recent conflicts, the First Gulf War. Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the international community responded quickly, with the United Nation’s Security Council imposing sanctions on Iraq, giving it until 15 January 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait. More.....
20 Feb 2021
20 Feb 2021	How's that fresh paint job HMAS Canberra has left Australia's biggest dry dock this week after its first deep level maintenance since her commissioning in 2014, and with a fresh coat of Haze Grey paint. Canberra is the lead ship of the two ship Canberra Class Amphibious Assault Ships, otherwise known as a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD).
19 Feb 2021	With the submarine threat on the rise, the US Navy looks to autonomous water sensor drones The U.S. Navy is collecting proposals for a new autonomous glider drone that can collect data — such as water temperatures over time — as a way to improve how it hunts for enemy submarines. The system will be the next generation of the current Littoral Battlespace Sensing Glider, which generally deploys from one of the Navy’s five oceanographic survey ships. More.....
19 Feb 2021	East Coast Navy Divers Take on a Minnesota Lake, As Service Eyes Greater Arctic Presence Sailors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 are currently in Minnesota for ice diving training, cutting through about two feet of ice to reach the water and donning their thickest drysuits while they rehearse operations in air temperatures of -22 degrees and 36-degree water temperatures. More.....
19 Feb 2021	Massive volunteer effort rescues nearly 1,000 cold-stunned sea turtles at NAS Corpus Christi A massive effort to rescue nearly 1,000 cold-stunned sea turtles at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi all started with a base resident wanting to help a couple of injured birds. Dozens of base retirees, Coast Guardsmen, sailors, soldiers and spouses joined agencies like the National Park Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Texas Sealife center and others to help save the turtles. More.....
19 Feb 2021	The Extremism Stand-Down - How and Why it’s Happening The U.S. Navy will not tolerate extremism in the ranks and announced its plans for a 60-day stand-down to get that message to everyone in the service. “The intent of this stand-down is to ensure service members and civilian personnel clearly understand the damaging effects of extremism and begin developing more effective, sustainable ways to eliminate the corrosive impacts extremist activity can have on our Force,” wrote Vice Adm. John B. Nowell, Jr. in NAVADMIN 044/21, released on Feb. 19. More.....
18 Feb 2021	HMS Montrose deals double blow to drug runners in £11m busts Drugs worth £11m will never reach the streets – or fund terrorist activities – after the Royal Navy swooped on traffickers twice in two days in the Middle East. HMS Montrose pounced on suspicious dhows in the Arabian Sea – resulting in a haul of nearly two-and-a-half tonnes of illegal narcotics seized in the back-to-back operations. More.....
18 Feb 2021	Ship's crew celebrate formation NUSHIP Stalwart’s crew celebrated its formation last month, marking the occasion by donning their ship’s caps and badges and hosting a barbeque for families of the ship's company. Stalwart is the second and final Supply-class auxiliary oiler replenishment ship. After commencing construction in Spain in August 2019, it will enter service later this year. More.....
17 Feb 2021	Statement by Greg Moriarty, Secretary of the Department of Defence – Global Switch Ultimo Australians can be assured that Defence’s data is safe. The safeguarding of Defence’s data is of the utmost priority for my Department. Defence has comprehensive security controls in place at the Global Switch Ultimo data centre to protect against compromise by a foreign power or other malicious actor. Control and access of the Defence data stored at Ultimo remains under full operational control of the Australian Government. All of the most sensitive data was removed from this facility in May 2020. More.....
17 Feb 2021	Young Endeavour returns to sea YOUNG Australians have returned to sea in STS Young Endeavour to develop their confidence and resilience, with measures put in place to deliver the program in a COVID-safe way. Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester said the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme was a remarkable program for young Australians aged 16–23, which used the challenging environment of a square-rigged tall ship to make them more effective leaders, communicators and team players. More.....
17 Feb 2021	Change in management fuels Navy capability The management and operation of refuelling services at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin were this month handed back to Navy personnel from contractors. The move is part of an ongoing transformation of the base and the Larrakeyah Defence Precinct. Commanding Officer Coonawarra Commander Moses Raudino said he was pleased to be able to sign off on the handover from the previously contracted workforce. More.....
16 Feb 2021	February 2021 MMHN Update These are clearly perplexing, unpredictable and unprecedented times. Just when we thought ‘it safe to go back into the water’ so to speak and that the pandemic tide had ebbed enabling a return to near normality, yet another COVID variant mysteriously penetrated our quarantine strategies and we face Lockdown again. We are grappling with mysterious, invisible viral mutations. And of course, perplexing, unpredictable and, dare I say, unfathomable (!) maritime heritage mysteries also confound us at sea. For example: More.....
16 Feb 2021	Navy cyber team take the flag The technical skills of six Navy Fleet Cyber Unit personnel have were put to the test during the annual TechNet International Capture-the-Flag Challenge. Hosted in January, the unit competed against 54 teams from across the globe, including Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. More.....
16 Feb 2021	Western Australian shipbuilding power on The unprecedented government investment in the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise and associated infrastructure continues at a rapid pace at the Western Australian Henderson shipyard. Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group’s Head Maritime Systems Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm said infrastructure construction and shipbuilding activities at Henderson were on schedule in support of a sovereign naval construction and sustainment industry in this country. More.....
16 Feb 2021	Young talent recognised by historical association Two generations of sailors were brought together last month when Honorary Secretary of the Hobart Association John Withers OAM visited HMAS Hobart. Mr Withers, a former Leading Seaman Radio Operator who served in Hobart II from 1969-71, toured the guided missile destroyer while it was alongside Fleet Base East in Sydney on January 29. More.....
15 Feb 2021	WWII veteran wants to be buried in Navy uniform, so she made one Joseph Hall walked into Causeway Alterations at the beginning of January with a strange request. The 96-year-old veteran still had his original U.S. Navy uniform that he wore when he enlisted in 1941. He wanted to be buried in it, but it no longer fit. Could someone there make a new one? Seamstress Susan Williams heard him while working in the back of the shop. Her father had been in the Navy in Korea, and she remembered what his uniform looked like. She poked her head out and asked, “Dress blue or white?” More.....
15 Feb 2021	Xi licenses Chinese coastguard to be ‘wolf warriors’ at sea Xi Jinping’s control over the China Coast Guard, together with a new law that authorises the coastguard to use force against foreign ships in places China defines as in its own, is a big change that has so far attracted far less attention than it deserves. More.....
15 Feb 2021	Our February 2021 Hero Commodore Dacre Henry Deudraeth Smyth AO RAN. Dacre Henry Deudraeth Smyth was born in London on 5 May 1923, the son of British military hero General Sir Nevill Smyth, who won a Victoria Cross under Lord Kitchener at the Battle of Omdurman in Sudan in 1898. Dacre joined the RAN in September 1940 and after six months training at the Royal Australian Naval College, was posted as a Midshipman to the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, joining in Sydney in May 1941. Australia subsequently became Flagship of the Australian Squadron and was Flagship of the Support Group during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Later and when just 21, he took part in the D-Day landings at Normandy, France. On 6 June 1944, his ship HMS Danae operated off Sword Beach bombarding German shore batteries. In 1977, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. In 1994, on the 50th anniversary of D-Day, he was made an officer in the French Order National du Merite for his service at Sword Beach and in 2004 he was granted the Legion d' Honneur from former French president Jacques Chirac at the 60th anniversary of D-Day. His full story can be found in our Heroes section.....
15 Feb 2021	Able Seaman Cooper Blackwood's Recovery Story Able Seaman Boatswains Mate Cooper Blackwood sustained a serious injury to his C5-C6 vertebrae in January this year after diving into a swimming pool in Bali during the reduced activity period. The injury left him paralysed from the chest down. After major surgery he underwent rigorous physiotherapy. His forward thinking positive attitude has meant his recovery through the physio has day by day, week on week allowed him to regain his movement and see him back on is feet walking again.
14 Feb 2021	Australia helps boost PNG's fire capability Five fire trucks are on the way to Papua New Guinea (PNG) on board HMAS Choules after being donated by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES). The trucks will be delivered to the PNG Fire Service to assist with their local firefighting efforts. Minister for Defence, the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said Australia welcomed this opportunity to acknowledge and thank PNG for their support 12 months ago during the Black Summer Bushfires. More.....
14 Feb 2021	Naval Historical Society of Australia (Victorian Chapter) President's February Musings are now available to download.....
13 Feb 2021	Remembering our 'Nashos' TOMMOROW, on National Servicemen’s Day, we honour those who have served our nation through compulsory military service, recognising their contribution to the nation’s defence. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said it was important to remember the significance of their service, stepping up to meet the nation’s needs. More.....
12 Feb 2021	Grants support commemorating our military history APPLICATIONS for the 2021–22 Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program are now open and organisations are encouraged to apply for funding to support their commemorative projects and activities. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the program, now in its 25th year had supported thousands of projects nationally, but there were more projects across the nation still to be done. More.....
12 Feb 2021	Sailors dig in to help veterans Defence Force School of Signals – Maritime Communication and Information Systems Wing students have rolled up their sleeves to help Victorian veterans with their gardening and yard duties. After a call to Australian veterans’ charity Legacy, 20 intermediate course students based at HMAS Cerberus, volunteered to help tidy gardens across Frankston, Mornington, Chelsea Heights and Patterson Lakes in Melbourne. More.....
11 Feb 2021	What’s up with the Royal Australian Navy’s weapons program? Last month, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds put out a media release announcing a boost to Australia’s maritime security. Its focus was the navy’s weapons program. The announcement had a medley of numbers—a $1 billion investment in weapons, a $24 billion investment in weapons, a $75 billion investment in maritime capability and a $183 billion naval shipbuilding plan. It also referred to a broad range of weapons: long-range anti-ship and extended range surface-to-air missiles; advanced lightweight torpedos; and maritime land strike missiles with a 1,500-kilometre range. More.....
09 Feb 2021	Enhanced Employment Assistance For ADF Partners PARTNERS of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members will receive simpler and faster access to employment support and opportunities through improvements to the Partner Employment Assistance Program. Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester said ADF partners have access to up to $1,500 to help gain employment and improvements were making the application process simpler and faster. More.....
09 Feb 2021	Darwin Defenders Commemorative Service The 79th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin Commemorative Service at the Shrine of Remembrance Forecourt, Melbourne Friday 19th February 2021 at 10:00am The service will honour those who served and those who died during the attacks on Darwin during 1942 - 1945. It is an opportunity for veterans, their families, dignitaries and school students from across Melbourne to participate in a respectful service that aims to remind us all of the cost of preserving peace and democracy in Australia.
08 Feb 2021	Ship's whistle sends kayakers paddling A long blast from the whistle of HMAS Hobart sent kayakers on the River Derwent in Hobart paddling furiously. Hobart officially started the annual kayak race on February 7, held as part of the 183rd annual Royal Hobart Regatta. The ship was an impressive backdrop for the Regatta, sitting at anchor on the River Derwent for the festivities, which included fireworks. More.....
05 Feb 2021	New Shrine Of Remembrance Chair Appointed The Andrews Labor Government has welcomed the appointment of naval veteran Stephen Bowater as incoming Chairperson of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees. A veteran of more than 40 years’ service, Captain Bowater was most recently the Executive Director of the Royal Australian Navy’s Commander Shore Force and takes over from Air Vice-Marshal Chris Spence who is stepping down after a nine-year term. More.....
05 Feb 2021	Naval News Monthly Recap - January 2021
05 Feb 2021	Royal Navy’s new torpedo put through its final trials Submarine HMS Talent has put the world’s most advanced torpedo through its final trials – including firing the lethal weapon at itself. The Trafalgar-class boat – whose mission is to hunt and, if necessary, kill hostile submarines – fired the upgraded Spearfish on the ranges near the Isle of Skye to rigorously test it before it enters service. More.....
05 Feb 2021	Remarkable wartime album brings 150 sailors back to life Historians need help reuniting relatives with a unique piece of wartime Royal Navy history spanning the Atlantic. They hope to trace the descendants and relatives of every sailor hosted by a New York family during World War 2. The Caseys from Douglaston in Queens welcomed around 150 British personnel into their home, offering the men food, pastimes and a friendly family environment away from the horrors of war. More.....
05 Feb 2021	Australia’s naval presence in the South China Sea is nothing new In recent years, China has taken a dim view of Australian naval and air activities in the South China Sea. Australia is considered an intruder, an external power that has no right to deploy into the area. But the fact is that Australian units have operated regularly, if not continuously, in the South China Sea and its surrounds for more than a century. They have been there because their activities were and are considered to contribute to the safety and security of the region, on which Australia’s own security has long depended. More.....
05 Feb 2021	Defence's New Weapon is a Sapphire Clock An artificially grown sapphire the size of a fist will be at the heart of Australia's early warning defence system. The Australian-developed sapphire clock is world-leading technology, 1000 times more precise than other commercial timepieces. When combined with radar, it can zero in on aircraft and ships with extreme accuracy thousands of kilometres offshore. More.....
05 Feb 2021	HMAS Hobart heads to Tassie for regatta Growing up in the town of Beauty Point in northern Tasmania, Leading Seaman Jake Beams had big dreams of an exciting career and travelling the world. Enlisting at Anglesea Barracks in 2011, Leading Seaman Beams’ travel began immediately with initial entry training at Navy’s Recruit School at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria. More.....
05 Feb 2021	Official Opening - Cockatoo Rise War Veterans Retreat 26 High Steet Macarthur, Victoria (the old pub) Saturday 06 March 2021 *Opened by Senator Jacqui Lambie* Good morning, Cockatoo Rise War Veterans Retreat opening has attracted a lot of interest, 150 plus attending at present has demonstrated your support for such a sanctuary. Please note we don't have credit card facilities, so all sales will be cash. For those coming I look forward very much to sharing this special day with you. Kind Regards Greg Carter Mobile: 0409 418 332 email: website: https://cockatooriseretreat.com.au/
04 Feb 2021	ANZAC DAY 2021 - MELBOURNE From: David "Speed" Dwyer OAM Senior Navy Marshal Melbourne ANZAC Day March Ladies & Gents, I attended a meeting of the ANZAC Day Commemorative Committee at ANZAC House Melbourne today, Thursday 4/02/2021. This year 2021, there will not be a Gunfire Breakfast, nor an ANZAC Day March in Melbourne as we know it. Serving ADF Veterans will Parade March from a little way up Birdwood Ave and then into the Shrine Of Remembrance (SOR) grounds. The RAAF will lead, as this is their Centenary year. No non-serving Veterans will march, family members nor Foreign Veterans. Some Banners will be located on a very small piece of the SOR Grounds. Banners and Bearers will be organised by the RSL. The service will be live streamed, as will the Governor's address. Only the Governor and one Veteran will lay wreaths. This year only 1500 Victorians will be permitted to attend and the 1500 will be chosen via Ballot, (SOR will arrange this) and an area will be roped off for the lucky ones. The after Parade Service will be conducted in the Sanctuary (again live streamed). The ANZAC Church service during Evensong at St Pauls will go ahead on Sunday 18 April. Numbers may be limited to 100, stand by, as this may change without a lot of notice.
02 Feb 2021	Defence personnel return from Fiji More than 600 ADF personnel who deployed on Operation FIJI ASSIST have arrived back in Sydney on HMAS Adelaide, following a five-week deployment to the Republic of Fiji. The Joint Task Group deployed on Christmas Eve following a request for assistance from the Fijian Government in response to devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Yasa. More.....
01 Feb 2021	Boost in support for veteran mental health Mental health providers, social workers and community nursing providers who provide vital services to our veteran community are set to receive a boost in funding from the Australian Government with an increase in fees from today. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the Government committed $94.3 million in the Budget to increase fees paid to mental health, social work and community nursing providers, and ensure continued high quality care for our veterans and their families. More.....
01 Feb 2021	Facts about NUSHIP Supply (Part 1)
01 Feb 2021	FlyBy A periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia. February issue.....

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Current Repatriation Benefits for Gold Card Veterans -
As of 01 January 2018
This is a list of products that are available on a Doctor's prescription for Gold Card Repatriation Patients. Download the list.....

DVA Mobile Apps

The new Operation Life mobile application is designed to help those at risk deal with suicidal thoughts and is recommended to be used with the support of a clinician.

The High Res (High Resilience) app helps you manage stress, build resilience and optimise performance on the go.

The PTSD Coach Australia app can help you learn about and manage symptoms that commonly occur after trauma.

ON TRACK with the Right Mix mobile app from the Department of Veterans Affairs helps you to keep track of the number and types of drinks you consume; the amount of money it's costing you and lets you know about the impact the alcohol has on your wellbeing and fitness levels.

Guide to the assessment of rates of veterans’ pensions
Guide to the assessment of rates of veterans’ pensions (GARP) is used to assess the extent of incapacity from war caused or defence caused injury or disease for the purposes of determining the rate of pension. Download.....

Planning ahead kit
Overview: Planning Ahead is a publication designed to help veterans and their families prepare for bereavement. There is also a checklist that can be used to record the contact details of important people, businesses and organisations that may need to be notified in case of your death. Download.....

DVA Concessions Fact Sheets
Factsheet CON01 - Concessions in NSW
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