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31 Jan 2016 A day on the water for the kids
HMAS Cerberus Water Ski Club has started the year with a splash, in a day to support children and families with cancer.  The club, for Navy members at the Navy's largest training establishment, joined with the Carrum Water Ski Club and the Challenge organisation to host a day of water activities at the National Water Sports Centre in Bangholme, Victoria.  More.....
31 Jan 2016 ADSO Comment On The Proposed Royal Commission Into DVD
ADSO is an alliance of some of the most long-standing defence and ex-service organisations in Australia.  Each in their own right has strong ties to both their inservice ADF constituencies and to the veterans with whom they once served and counted as colleagues.  Collectively, they now number over 90,000 members.  Recently a number of member organisations have been approached by the Australian Peacekeeper & Peacemaker Veterans' Association (APPVA) to support a call for a Royal Commission into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).  More.....
29 Jan 2016 Chief of Navy update – Mrs Wendy Malonyay briefs Navy Senior Leadership Group | On the Record
In November last year an ABC documentary ‘Hitting Home’ highlighted the scourge of domestic violence against women.  The documentary revealed the level of domestic violence in Australia with frightening statistics.  One of the cases presented was that of Elliott Coulson, a sailor who killed his girlfriend Kate Malonyay in April 2013.  The subsequent decision by Navy at the time to provide support at the funeral of Seaman Coulson caused great distress to Mrs Malonyay, her family and many in the community.  The documentary criticised Navy for this action and for not providing an apology to Mrs Malonyay.  More.....
26 Jan 2016 NVN's January newsletter
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23 Jan 2016 Veterans to benefit from latest round of community grants
Kitchen refurbishments, installation of disabled amenities and bus trips to reduce social isolation are some of the projects to receive about $320,000 in funding as part of the Veteran and Community Grants program, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Stuart Robert, announced today.  “Funding provided under the Veteran and Community Grants program continues to help ex-service organisations provide high quality services and support to the veteran and defence community and their families,” Mr Robert said.  More.....
21 Jan 2016 Joint Statement on Counter-ISIL/Daesh Cooperation by the Defense Ministers of Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States
In Paris, January 20, 2016
Today in Paris – at the invitation of French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian and U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter – we discussed opportunities to intensify and accelerate the counter-ISIL/Daesh military campaign in Iraq and Syria, our shared approach to defend against its global ambitions, and to ensure the protection of our citizens.  ISIL/Daesh are on the back foot.  But there is more we need to do.  More.....
Defence Minister Marise Payne's doorstop interview.....
16 Jan 2016 Creswell Oration 2016.
This years' Creswell Oration will be on 01st March 2016. VADM David Johnson AM RAN, Chief Joint Operations, will present the Creswell Oration 2016 "The Conduct of Current and Future Joint Operations".  Full details are on the 'Flagship Events' page.
16 Jan 2016 DDG1000 USS Zumwalt - The largest destroyer built for US Navy headed to sea for testing.
The largest destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy headed out to sea for the first time Monday 7 December 2015, departing from shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine and carefully navigating the winding Kennebec River before reaching the open ocean where the ship will undergo sea trials. More than 200 shipbuilders, sailors and residents gathered to watch as the futuristic 600-foot, 15,000-ton USS Zumwalt glided past Fort Popham.  View the video.....

USS ZUMWALT: EQUIPPED TO DOMINATE THE SEAS FOR DECADES

Displacement: 14,564 long tons (14,798 t)
Length: 600 ft (180 m)
Beam: 80.7 ft (24.6 m)
Draft: 27.6 ft (8.4 m)
Propulsion: Two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent-30 gas turbines driving Curtiss-Wright generators and emergency diesel generators, 78 MW (105,000 shp); two propellers driven by electric motors
Speed: Over 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Weapons:
20 × MK 57 VLS modules, with a total of 80 launch cells
RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), four per cell
Tactical Tomahawk, one per cell
Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC), one per cell
Two × 155 mm/62 caliber Advanced Gun System
920 × 155 mm rounds total; 600 in automated store with Auxiliary store room with up to 320 rounds (non-automatic) as of April 2005
70–100 LRLAP rounds planned as of 2005 of total
Two × Mk 110 57 mm gun (CIGS)

For the crew and all those involved in designing, building, and readying this fantastic ship, this is a huge milestone,' the ship's skipper, Navy Capt. James Kirk, said before the ship departed.
The ship has electric propulsion, new radar and sonar, powerful missiles and guns, and a stealthy design to reduce its radar signature.
Advanced automation will allow the warship to operate with a much smaller crew size than current destroyers.
All of that innovation has led to construction delays and a growing price tag.
The Zumwalt, the first of three ships in the class, will cost at least $4.4 billion.
The ship looks like nothing ever built at Bath Iron Works.
The inverse bow juts forward to slice through the waves.
Sharp angles deflect enemy radar signals. Radar and antennas are hidden in a composite deckhouse.
The builder sea trials will answer any questions of seaworthiness for a ship that utilizes a type of hull associated with pre-dreadnought battleships from a century ago.
Critics say the 'tumblehome' hull's sloping shape makes it less stable than conventional hulls, but it contributes to the ship's stealth and the Navy is confident in the design.
Eric Wertheim, author and editor of the U.S. Naval Institute's 'Guide to Combat Fleets of the World,' said there's no question the integration of so many new systems from the electric drive to the tumblehome hull carries some level of risk.
Operational concerns, growing costs and fleet makeup led the Navy to truncate the 32-ship program to three ships, he said.
With only three ships, the class of destroyers could become something of a technology demonstration project, he said.
The goal is to deliver it to the Navy sometime next year.
'We are absolutely fired up to see Zumwalt get underway.
The Zumwalt looks like no other U.S. warship, with an angular profile and clean carbon fiber superstructure that hides antennas and radar masts.
Originally envisioned as a ‘stealth destroyer,’ the Zumwalt has a low-slung appearance and angles that deflect radar. Its wave-piercing hull aims for a smoother ride.
15 Jan 2016 Personal histories shared at Australian National Maritime Museum
An insight into life into sailors and officers in the Royal Australian Navy is on show as part of 'Action Stations', a new exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum Warship Pavilion.  A number of personnel, ranging from Seaman to Admirals, provided their personal histories for the exhibition, which is located between submarine Onslow and former warship Vampire.  More.....
15 Jan 2016 Recent reports on the use of mefloquine in the ADF -
On the Record
In recent months there have been numerous reports regarding the use of the anti-malarial drug mefloquine in the ADF.  The nature of the reporting will have caused concern for some current and former serving members of the ADF.  Despite comprehensive responses being provided to a number of media outlets over the past months, the Defence position and supporting evidence provided has continued to be used selectively in many of these reports.  More.....
13 Jan 2016 Indigenous graduates test Navy careers
Seventeen Recruits stood tall in front of friends and family on 16 December, at a ceremony to recognise their graduation from the fourth iteration of the Navy-led Defence Indigenous Development Program.  The program was established in North Queensland in 2010, and has proven to significantly increase Defence recruitment from indigenous Australia, strengthening diversity and therefore capability.  More.....
13 Jan 2016 Australia’s contribution to the fight against Daesh
The US has asked 40 or so other countries, including European countries, to consider expanded contributions to the coalition, following the attacks in Paris.  Australia has considered the request from US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter in light of the substantial contributions we are already making to train Iraqi security forces and to the air campaign.  The Government has advised Secretary Carter that our existing contributions will continue.  More.....
12 Jan 2016
Navy League of Australia (Vic-Tas Div) January newsletter is now available to download.....
12 Jan 2016 Community Consultation now open for Toowoomba and Wodonga VAN Shopfronts
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is asking ex-service organisations, DVA service providers and members of the veteran and ex-service communities to have their say about how best to deliver in-person services at Toowoomba in Queensland and Wodonga in Victoria.  The consultation was originally due to conclude on 20 January 2016.  However, because the consultations are being held during a traditional holiday period, DVA has extended the consultation period to 5 February 2016.  More.....
06 Jan 2016 Response to reporting regarding CAPT Mona Shindy - On the Record
Recently, a number of news articles and social media commentary have been published relating to comments made by CAPT Shindy.  The articles are critical of CAPT Shindy’s commentary and question Navy’s and Defence’s social media policies and efforts to support workforce diversity opportunities.  As part of Navy’s promotion of diversity within the Australian Defence Force, a Twitter account was established to promote Defence and Navy policy on employment diversity across Defence.  Initially, the account received mixed attention but in recent months, in line with increased public debate on Islam, it has attracted a growing number of contentious comments.  More.....
05 Jan 2016 1 January 2016 listing changes for over-the-counter products
As part of the 2015-16 Budget savings measures, selected over-the-counter (OTC) medicines have been delisted from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) effective 1 January 2016.  The measure made provision for the impact on veterans and allowed for the proposed delistings to be considered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Repatriation Pharmaceutical Reference Committee (RPRC).  The RPRC considered submissions and recommended items for transfer to the Repatriation Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits (RSPB) from 1 January 2016.  More.....
02 Jan 2016 Australian and Chinese navies conduct exercise off Queensland coast
HMAS Darwin has conducted a passage exercise with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) Escort Task Group 152 off the coast of Queensland.  The task group consists of three ships—the Luyang Class destroyer Jinan, (DDG-152), the Jiangkai Class frigate Yiyang (FFG-548), and the Fuchi Class replenishment ship Qindaohu. (AOR-886).  The task group will spend five days in Brisbane from 2 January 2016.  More.....
31 Dec 2015 Answering The Call
Photos from the 'Answering The Call' statue unveiling are now on the website. You can browse through them in the Gallery page.....
31 Dec 2015 End of year message from Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin.
"During the Centenary of Anzac, the men and women of the Australian Defence Force have honoured our military ancestors with hard work and commitment to service.  This was evident in the unprecedented number of Australian Defence Force personnel who supported more than 1,400 Anzac Day commemorations at home and abroad. It is also evident in the work they do every day - from operations and exercises through to the activities supported in the local community.  More.....
31 Dec 2015 Australian Defence Force support to Iraqi Forces in Ramadi
The Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral David Johnston, has congratulated the Iraqi Forces on retaking key territory in Ramadi and highlighted the Australian Defence Force’s contribution to the operation.  After months of fighting through the complex urban environment, the Counter Terrorism Service 1st Iraqi Special Operations Force Brigade (1st ISOF) raised the Iraq flag over the Government buildings this week, symbolising the liberation of Ramadi on 28 December 2015.  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.....