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27 Apr 2015 NVN's April newsletter
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27 Apr 2015 Prime Minister Abbott visits Anzac in Turkey
On the eve of the centenary of the Gallipoli landings, the crew of HMAS Anzac was joined for breakfast by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Tony Abbot, and the Chief of the Australian Defence Force Air Chief Marshall Mark Binskin, while near Gallipoli, Turkey.  More.....
25 Apr 2015 Australians Unite To Commemorate Anzac Day
Across the country and around the world, thousands paused today to honour the Australians and New Zealanders who first landed on the shores of Gallipoli 100 years ago, and to commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has been involved.  More.....
25 Apr 2015 AE2 remembered 100 years on
Against the bitterly cold wind of the Turkish Sea of Marmara HMAS Anzac hosted a solemn ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the actions of the HMAS AE2 crew ahead of the landings at Anzac cove.  The service hosted by the Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett included the Shadow Minister for Defence the Hon David Feeney, MP as well as the Commander of the Turkish Fleet Vice Admiral Veysel Kösele.  More.....
24 Apr 2015 On The Record
Letter to the Editor – Fairfax Media

I am disappointed that Fairfax media has chosen to publish an erroneous op ed that fails to contribute to what should be a constructive discussion about military and veterans’ mental health care.  More.....
24 Apr 2015 Ministerial visit to France
Today I met with my French counterpart, Minister for Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian.  France has been indentified as a potential international partner for Australia’s future submarine programme.  As part of my programme, I will tour the Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS) shipyards.  More.....
23 Apr 2015 The 'Silent ANZAC' legacy
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli and, in turn, the birth of the ‘Anzac legend’ but how was that born for the Royal Australian Navy?  It can be said that it was born through the deeds of a submarine crew, building on the exploits of HMAS Sydney (I) off the Cocos Islands and events in German New Guinea at the start of the war.  More.....
23 Apr 2015 STS Young Endeavour Arrives at Gallipoli
Australia’s national sail training ship STS Young Endeavour has arrived at the Gallipoli Peninsula to participate in Anzac Centenary Commemorations, four months after setting sail from Sydney. Twenty-four youth from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey joined the Royal Australian Navy crew in Spain for the 21-day voyage across the Mediterranean Sea, which included passages through the Messina Strait in Italy and the Corinth Canal in Greece.  More.....
23 Apr 2015 Bilateral meetings in Germany
Today I met with Minister for Defence, Dr Ursula von der Leyen, marking the first official visit by an Australian Defence Minister to Germany in more than 15 years.  Germany has been indentified as a potential international partner for Australia’s future submarines program.  As part of my program, tomorrow I will tour the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyards.  More.....
23 Apr 2015 
ADSO UPDATE – 23 April 2015
The objective of this monthly (or as required) publication is to keep you (our ADSO Members Organisations, Action Group Leaders at the State and Federal Electorate levels, Advisors and our supporters) informed on current matters that affect our objectives.  Please pass its relevant content to your member and social networks with encouragement to relay to a wider public network.  Read.....
23 Apr 2015

Naval Historical Society Association(Vic)
-- President's April musings.....
22 Apr 2015 Labor’s indecision has left shipbuilding in a precarious and uncertain state
The Abbott Government is committed to a sustainable Australian naval shipbuilding industry.  The Government is in the early stages of an ambitious program to procure around 40 naval surface ships and submarines over the next two decades.  More.....
21 Apr 2015 The Future Royal Australian Navy - Alternative Surface Combatant Force Structures
The combination of Australia’s vast maritime territory and concurrent operational requirements points to the need for a large multi-role RAN surface combatant force, that is capable of contributing to high-intensity warfighting and ocean-going force projection operations.  SAM GOLDSMITH analyses three possible options for a better surface combatant mix for the RAN.  In considerable technical detail, this forensic examination is essential reading for naval personnel and anyone concerned with getting the best force for Australia’s future.  Download the paper.....
18 Apr 2015 Anzacs meeting 100 years on
In the western reaches of the Indian Ocean two Anzac class frigates, Australia’s HMAS Anzac and New Zealand’s HMNZS Te Kaha, met up with the Australian Navy’s battle tanker, HMAS Success, marking the next stage of the journey by the three ships to the Mediterranean for Centenary of Anzac commemorative events.  Anzac and Te Kaha are representing their respective countries at Gallipoli for Anzac Day, while Success will perform representational duties at Lemnos.  More.....
17 Apr 2015 Navy takes The Lemnians home
The island of Lemnos in the eastern Mediterranean Sea may not be a household name, but one group of Australians is proud of the role played by the island during the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915—1916.  Close to the Gallipoli Peninsula, Lemnos was a pivotal point for Australian and New Zealand troops en route to the landings at Anzac Cove, and was a critical location for Australian and Commonwealth hospitals which cared for those injured in the bloody campaign.  More.....
17 Apr 2015 ADF completes successful mission in Vanuatu
The Australian Defence Force has successfully completed post-disaster recovery operations in Vanuatu with the last remaining personnel and equipment now in the process of returning to Australia.  More than 500 soldiers, sailors, aircrew deployed during Operation Pacific Assist 2015, providing help across the archipelago and significantly assisting the recovery process in the wake of category five Tropical Cyclone Pam.  More.....
16 Apr 2015 A choice for Labor: get on board or miss the boat
Today the Victorian and South Australian Premiers confirmed that they would prefer to play politics with the future of Australia’s defence industry rather than work constructively with the Federal Government.  If the Premiers actually cared about the future of the defence industry in Australia they would have lobbied the former federal Labor government who, over their six years, did not commission a single naval vessel from an Australian shipyard.  More.....
16 Apr 2015 Release of the RAND Corporation report
Today the Government releases a comprehensive report into the Australian naval ship building industry, Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise – preparing for the 21st century by the RAND Corporation, one of the world’s leading defence think-tanks.  Although the report makes clear that Labor’s valley of death cannot be overcome, this Government is prepared to invest in the skills and knowledge base of the Australian naval ship building industry, and is prepared to commit to a long-term investment to make sure this important industry enjoys a future in Australia and these critical skills are maintained.  To this end, the naval shipbuilding industry must be prepared to work constructively with the Government.  More.....
15 Apr 2015 Statement on the Woolworths AD Campaign
Late yesterday I became aware of a joint Camp Gallipoli and Woolworths campaign featuring the word ‘Anzac’.  Under the Protection of Word Anzac Act 1920, permission for the use of the word ‘Anzac’ in any such material must be granted by the Australian Government.  More.....
15 Apr 2015 Every Australian Place Allocated At Anzac Day Gallipoli 2015
The ballot for attendance at Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli is now complete with all 8,120 places available for Australians allocated and accepted.  Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, said he was pleased the process had been completed 10 days out from Anzac Day, giving surety to those on the wait list.  More.....
15 Apr 2015

Navy League of Australia (Vic Div)
April newsletter......
14 Apr 2015 Battle Tanker joins NATO Operation
In a Royal Australian Navy first, HMAS Success was recently assigned to a NATO counter-piracy operation in Middle Eastern waters.  Operation OCEAN SHIELD is a NATO-led counter piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa that is tasked with providing Naval escort and deterring piracy with the goal of increasing general security in the region.  More.....
14 Apr 2015 HMAS Tobruk completes life-saving mission to Vanuatu
HMAS Tobruk commenced her return to Townsville after three weeks supporting Operation Pacific Assist in Vanuatu.  HMAS Tobruk provided life-saving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support to isolated communities throughout the cyclone devastated archipelago in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Pam, delivering more than 25 tonnes of supplies, equipment and reconstruction teams by landing craft, helicopter and crane.  More.....
08 Apr 2015 Statement by Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett on deaths at HMAS Stirling
Navy acknowledges the ABC 730 report into the deaths at HMAS Stirling between 2011 and 2012.  Navy again offers its sympathy to those who have been affected by these tragic losses.  At the time of the incidents Navy initiated a mandatory intervention that required all Bosun Mates to attend a suicide awareness program as well as briefs from Navy Chaplains and the Alcohol and Drug Program Advisor.  More.....
Watch the 7.30 Report on ABC Iview dated 7/4/15.......
03 Apr 2015 Release of Gulf War Veterans' Follow Up Health Study 2015 Release
After 5 years of work the subject study has been released on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website on 1 April 2015.  The release of the study is an important event for DVA and the Australian Gulf War and broader veteran community.  The study will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the long-term health and wellbeing of Australian Gulf War veterans.  The final reports for the study are online at http://www.dva.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing/research-and-development/health-studies/australian-gulf-war-veterans-follow.
02 Apr 2015 Embassy staff gather to remember Shark 02
Australian military and civilian staff have gathered at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta to mark the 10th anniversary of the Nias Sea King crash.  On 2 April 2005, nine Australian Defence Force members lost their lives when the Navy Sea King helicopter 'Shark 02' crashed at Amandraya on the Indonesian island of Nias.  Two members survived the crash after being dragged from the wreckage by locals.  More.....
01 Apr 2015 March Leader of the 2015 100th Anniversary Anzac Day Commemoration March Melbourne
Former CPO Butcher, Doug Symes, has been given the great honour of Leader of the 2015 Melbourne ANZAC Day March.  Doug served in the Pacific during WW11 as a Stoker 3rd Class, post WW2 as a Butcher, serving in Korea, Malayan Communist Emergency and the FESR, his period of service stretched over 20 years 1941-1962, upon paying off, he Joined the Commonwealth Public service and became the L School Librarian at HMAS CERBERUS.
01 Apr 2015 Armed Merchant Cruisers / Landing Ship Infantry (AMC/LSI) Association March 2015 newsletter.....
01 Apr 2015 Future of surface fleet on the agenda
Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, provided a keynote address at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's conference on Australia’s Future Surface Fleet in Canberra on 31 March.  Vice Admiral Barrett outlined lethality, 'effects' and ship availability as key considerations in the design of the future surface fleet for the Royal Australian Navy.  More.....
01 Apr 2015 Australian Government Supports Creswick Veterans
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, today officially opened the new entrance and disability ramp at the Creswick-Smeaton RSL in Victoria.  More.....
01 Apr 2015 First Principles Review of Defence
Today the Government releases the First Principles Review of Defence.  The Review delivers on a Coalition election commitment to ensure that Defence is appropriately structured and organised and has the right business practices in place to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in the 21st century.  More.....
31 Mar 2015 Minister Launches Phoenix Australia: Centre For Posttraumatic Mental Health
Launching the Phoenix Australia: Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health at The University of Melbourne, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, today highlighted the Government’s ongoing commitment to posttraumatic mental health.  Phoenix Australia is the new name of the former Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, now in its 20th year of operation.  More.....
31 Mar 2015 ASPI Australia’s Future Surface Fleet Conference
It is a great pleasure to address this conference of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).  For more than a decade, ASPI has positioned itself as a significant contributor to the national security debate in Australia and our nation is richer for this contribution.  Your contribution has gone beyond ASPI’s role of providing contestable advice on defence issues.  More.....
30 Mar 2015 Australia’s most decorated canine has died
Australia’s most decorated canine war hero, Sarbi, has died after a short battle with brain cancer.  The former Australian Army explosive detection dog, who went missing for almost 14 months in Afghanistan, suffered a number of seizures in recent weeks and scans revealed a brain tumour.  “Sarbi had a wonderful life serving Australia as an explosive detection dog and as a pet at home for the last five years,” Warrant Officer Class Two Simpson said.  More.....
30 Mar 2015 Transcript – Press Conference
with Vice Admiral David Johnston and Air Commodore Joe Iervasi – Update on Australian Defence Force Operations
Read.....
27 Mar 2015 First Pass approval for ANZAC Air Search Radar Replacement
The Australian Government had provided First Pass approval for project SEA 1448 Phase 4B – ANZAC Air Search Radar Replacement. The ANZAC frigates use their air search radar to scan at long ranges for potential threats.  The radar is an integral part of a modern warship and important for ensuring the safety of the vessel and other friendly ships in dangerous areas.  More.....
27 Mar 2015 New flight simulator for Navy helicopter crews
The Minister for Defence, Kevin Andrews, and the Member for Gilmore, Ann Sudmalis, today announced that the first of two Navy MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ flight simulators had been commissioned into service.  The Seahawk Romeo training system is part of the $3.2 billion dollar investment that will deliver 24 new Seahawk Romeo naval combat helicopters.  More.....
26 Mar 2015 Minister for Defence -Media Statement –
Opposition Announcement on Submarines

Today, Bill Shorten and the Labor Party proposed to delay the Future Submarine Programme by an additional five years, on top of the six years of delay and inaction when Labor was in government. Defence advises that a formal limited tender process would take around five years – not the 18 months Labor claims – delaying even further the essential work of developing and building the future submarine.  More.....
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Information of Interest

Request for Committal of Ashes to the Sea.  Download form.....


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
Factsheet CON02 - Concessions in Vic
Factsheet CON03 - Concessions in QLD
Factsheet CON04 - Concessions in SA
Factsheet CON05 - Concessions in WA
Factsheet CON06 - Concessions in Tas
Factsheet CON07 - Concessions in NT
Factsheet CON08 - Concessions in ACT


War Service


Check your ship's eligibility for war service.....