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31 Mar 2019	Remembrance Bridge opens ahead of Anzac Day HOBART locals and visitors will have easier and safer access to the commemorative precinct in Hobart with the opening of the Remembrance Bridge today, less than a month ahead of Anzac Day. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the bridge would give people access to the cenotaph and Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue at the Queens Domain safely, without having to cross a busy highway. More.....
29 Mar 2019	New Zealand Navy’s new diving support vessel starts journey from Norway The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new diving and hydrographic support vessel has started her journey from Norway to Auckland, New Zealand. Formerly known as offshore support vessel MV Edda Fonn, the vessel was sold by Norway’s Østensjø Rederi to the New Zealand Navy in August 2018. The vessel was modified for navy needs and was repainted from a bright yellow to navy grey. More.....
29 Mar 2019	Warships flock to Glasgow for exercise Joint Warrior Ships from a number of European countries have started gathering in Glasgow, Scotland, ahead of the Royal Navy-hosted exercise Joint Warrior which kicks off on March 30. A total 35 warships, 5 submarines and 59 aircraft and helicopters from 13 countries are scheduled to take part in this year’s edition of the exercise. More.....
29 Mar 2019	Website launched to assist transitioning veterans to find employment A new website is making it easier for Australian Defence Force (ADF) members to transition to civilian work. Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon Darren Chester MP said the Australian Defence Force Transition and Civil Recognition website had been designed to assist ADF members seeking recognition of prior learning during service, and inform civilian employers of the professional skills, training and accreditation Defence veterans bring to the workplace. More.....
28 Mar 2019	Russia launches seventh Improved Kilo-class submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Russian shipbuilder Admiralty Shipyards launched the first of a second batch of Improved Kilo-class submarines in a March 28 ceremony in St. Petersburg. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will also be the first Project 636.3 to be built for the Vladivostok-based Pacific Fleet. The first six units in the class were built for the Black Sea fleet. More.....
28 Mar 2019	HMAS Melbourne sets sails for final year of service On a clear autumn afternoon, before a backdrop of Sydney Harbour, HMAS Melbourne departed Fleet Base East this week for a voyage through the Pacific and South East Asian waters. The Commanding Officer of HMAS Melbourne, Commander Marcus Buttler said he was looking forward to the next few months. “It’s sad to think about those at home when we sail from Sydney on deployment, but I’m excited about what the ship and crew will achieve on this trip,” he said. More.....
27 Mar 2019	Search Ends for Vampire I Two Royal Australian Navy ships have finished an intensive underwater search for World War Two destroyer HMAS Vampire I. New data has been collected but the wreck’s final resting place off the Sri Lankan coast remains unknown. HMAS Vampire I sank during a Japanese air raid on 9 April 1942, but the ship’s precise location has never been identified. Nine Australian sailors died in the attack. Roughly 150 square miles of the sea floor was scanned based on new information from local sources, accounts of survivors, and photographic records from the battle in which Vampire I was lost. More.....
27 Mar 2019	Australian Government funds Shepparton Light Horse statue A sculpture commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of the First World War will be built in Shepparton thanks to a $170,000 grant from the Australian Government. The funding, which will be provided to the Greater Shepparton City Council, was announced today by Minister for Veterans' Affairs Darren Chester and the Federal Member for Murray, Damian Drum. More.....
27 Mar 2019	Australia’s future maritime surveillance capability: it’s not just about technology Over the past four years, Australia’s border security framework has been subject to ongoing landmark overhauls. On 1 July 2015, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service were officially amalgamated into a single agency. At the same time, the Australian Border Force was stood up within the new department. More.....
27 Mar 2019	Indo-Pacific Endeavour arrives in Colombo
27 Mar 2019	NVN's March Newsletter - download..... NOTE from Webmaster: If you are a member and haven't been notified that your monthly newsletter 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 Mar 2019	Navies gather to remember the Battle of Sydney A quiet and solemn ceremony was recently held at HMAS Kuttabul to commemorate and honour the lives lost in May 1942, when Japanese midget submarines launched an attack in Sydney Harbour. The Commanding Officer of the visiting Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force icebreaker JS Shirase came together with the Japanese Naval Attaché to Australia and the Executive Officer of HMAS Kuttabul to remember the event and lay wreaths at the HMAS Kuttabul Memorial. More.....
26 Mar 2019	NUSHIP Sydney capability upgrade to occur at Osbourne A significant capability upgrade to the Hobart Class Destroyers will allow NUSHIP Sydney to enter into operation one year ahead of schedule. Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, said Defence was able to streamline a technical upgrade to the third ship of the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer during its build at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and fast-track its operational schedule. More.....
26 Mar 2019	Seven Australian soldiers identified from the Battle of Fromelles Seven Australian soldiers who fought and died in the attack at Fromelles in France during World War One have been formally identified by the 2019 Fromelles Identification Board. - 352 Private Arthur George BATT 32nd Bn. A.I.F. age 32 of Hilton, South Australia - 4188 Private Edward James HOPE 54th Bn. A.I.F. age 28 of Penrith, New South Wales - 641 Private Leslie Clark DUNN 31st Bn. A.I.F. age 28 of West Melbourne, Victoria - 1291 Private George HONEY 32nd Bn. A.I.F. age 31 of West Guilford, Western Australia - 715 Lance Corporal Ralph JOHNSON 31st Bn. A.I.F. age 19 of Middle Brighton, Victoria - 77 Lance Corporal John Alexander CRAWFORD 32nd Bn. A.I.F. age 32 of Hindmarsh, South Australia - 3433 Private Peter Paul SHANNON 53rd Bn. A.I.F. age 35 of Merriwa, New South Wales More.....
25 Mar 2019	Battle of the Coral Sea The Stanthorpe, Queensland sub-branch of the NAA have arranged a Ceremony followed by a Dinner Dance at the Stanthorpe Civic Centre on 25 May 2019. For those interested download full details.....
25 Mar 2019	Independent inquiry into the administration of Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits scheme commutation arrangements The Government will commission an independent inquiry to examine the information provided by scheme administrators and relevant departments to members of the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB) superannuation scheme. The DFRDB scheme, which was established in 1972 and closed to new members in 1991, allowed members to commute (exchange) part of their pension for a lump sum. There are different views among some in the veteran community about certain areas of the scheme and the appropriateness of information provided to members at the time. The Government recognises the importance of open and transparent discussion around veteran concerns and we will consult with the ex-service community about the terms of reference for the inquiry, as well as panel membership. Ex-Service Organisations and scheme members will have the opportunity to make submissions to the inquiry and raise any other concerns relevant to the scheme. The inquiry is on the agenda for the next Ex-Service Organisation Round Table, to be held on 2 April 2019. ENDS
25 Mar 2019	New rigs on trial A new look multi-cam uniform is being put to the test, for Navy, with trials of the sea-going variant taking place across the Fleet. The cut, design and pattern of the prototype Maritime Multi-cam Pattern Uniform (MMPU) is based on the Australian Multi-cam Combat Uniform, which is used by the Australian Army and Air Force. The laboratory-tested MMPU sea-going variant fabric is required to be flame resistant, while being lighter than the Disruptive Pattern Navy Uniform (DPNU) - theoretically allowing it to be more comfortable in warmer climates. More.....
21 Mar 2019	ASC readies keel for first Australian Navy Arafura-class OPV The keel for the lead ship in the new class of Royal Australian Navy Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel has officially been constructed, Australia’s defense minister has announced. More than 50 tonnes of Australian steel has been assembled at Osborne Naval Shipyard, satisfying the contractual requirement for keel construction of the lead ship. More.....
21 Mar 2019	HMAS Choules Vanuatu Enhanced Regional Engagement
21 Mar 2019	Search for the wreck of HMAS Vampire I
20 Mar 2019	Veteran pensions set to increase Pension payments for veterans, their partners, war widows and widowers are set to increase from 20 March 2019. The first pension paid after payday 28 March 2019 will comprise a component of both the old and new rates. The new pension rates will be fully effective from pension payday 11 April 2019. More.....
20 Mar 2019	Statement regarding Anzac Day Services at Anzac Cove The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is continuing to make plans to conduct the traditional commemorative services at Anzac Cove on 25 April 2019. The Australian Government is closely monitoring the security situation in Turkey and regards the safety of Australians who plan to visit the Gallipoli Peninsula as its highest priority. I advise anyone planning to travel to Turkey for Anzac Day to monitor the latest travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The current advice is for travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Ankara, Istanbul and in Turkey overall. More.....
19 Mar 2019	Senior Australian soldier next Repatriation Commissioner For the first time, a former Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army has been appointed as the new Repatriation Commissioner with outgoing Commissioner Major General Mark Kelly AO, DSC completing his appointment on 30 June this year. Minister for Veterans' Affairs Darren Chester today announced Mr Don Spinks AM, who recently retired from the Australian Defence Force with almost 40 years' experience, had been appointed as the new Repatriation Commissioner and as a Member of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission for a period of five years from 1 July 2019. More.....
19 Mar 2019	US Coast Guard joins North Korea sanctions enforcement in East China Sea US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf pulled into Sasebo, Japan, earlier this month after supporting the enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) sanctions on North Korea. Bertholf was tasked with preventing illicit ship-to-ship transfers that violate North Korea sanctions. More.....
19 Mar 2019	US Navy’s fifth Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyer named USS William Charette The US Navy’s fifth Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer will be named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient, Hospital Corpsman Master Chief William Charette, US Navy secretary Richard V. Spencer has announced. Charette, a native of Ludington, Michigan, joined the Navy in 1951 and served in the Korean War in the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) as a hospital corpsman attached to Company F, Third Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. More.....
19 Mar 2019	Japan commissions tenth Soryu-class submarine JS Shoryu The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force welcomed its tenth Soryu-class submarine into service in a delivery and commissioning ceremony in Kobe on March 18. The submarine was delivered by Japanese shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries, sixteen months after it was launched in November 2017. More.....
19 Mar 2019	Cerberus supports Navy vets in AIF swim HMAS Cerberus recently answered the call when a request was made for two Navy swimmers to join a servicemen’s relay team at the 2019 Australian Imperial Forces National Swimming Carnival at Noble Park in Melbourne. “It was a surprise when Captain Mike Oborn, the Commanding Officer of HMAS Cerberus, and Lieutenant Andrew Fenn, President & Coach of the Cerberus Swimming Club, volunteered to join us,” Navy veteran Ron Giveen said.
19 Mar 2019	First dual Replenishment At Sea for IPE19
19 Mar 2019	Creating stronger ties on IPE19
18 Mar 2019	West Head 60th celebrations go off with a bang The gunfire paused on March 12 as staff, students and local community members gathered at West Head Gunnery Range in Flinders, Victoria, to celebrate 60 years of training weapons operators and maintainers for the Fleet. First used by Australian Colonial Forces in the 1890s as a shore battery to deter a possible Russian invasion, the rugged cliff faces of West Head were then again used by the Australian Army during the Second World War. More.....
16 Mar 2019	From CN: Navy Group Commendation We are proud to confirm that a Navy Group Commendation will be presented to all members of HMAS Westralia’s Ships’ Company who were serving on board during the fatal fire of 5 May 1998. Four crew members died when fire erupted in the ship’s engine room. The Group Commendation recognises in a small way the heroic actions and the lasting impact that day had on all those on board. A commemorative service will be held at HMAS Stirling, Fleet Base West on 5 May 2019 for those involved. Chief of Navy Australia has written to the families of those who perished as well as to every member of the HMAS Westralia (II) crew on duty on 5 May 1998. If you have not received a letter, please email Navy Events via navy.events@defence.gov.au. Lest we forget.
15 Mar 2019	Navy Band performs at St Andrews Cathedral
15 Mar 2019	Government commits $2.1 million to anti-malarial initiative Funding has today been announced for a new $2.1 million initiative to support veterans who are concerned about having taken the anti-malarial drugs mefloquine or tafenoquine. Minister for Veterans' Affairs Darren Chester said this initiative will be implemented from 1 July 2019, and deliver a national program to concerned veterans with the option to receive a comprehensive health assessment to identify service-related illness, disease and injury. More.....
14 Mar 2019	Scotland hosting 13 countries for tri-service drill Joint Warrior Scotland is set to host 35 warships, 5 submarines and 59 aircraft and helicopters from 13 countries for this year’s edition of exercise Joint Warrior which is starting on March 30. More than 10,000 military personnel from the UK’s Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and their allies will carry out two weeks of joint operations involving different forces and units and against a range of current and future threats. More.....
14 Mar 2019	USS Zumwalt Arrives in British Columbia for Port Visit The namesake of the U.S. Navy’s newest class of guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), arrived in Esquimalt, March 11. “We are excited for this opportunity to visit Canada and further strengthen the close partnership between our navies and communities,” said Capt. Andrew Carlson, Zumwalt’s commanding officer. “By working together with partners like the Royal Canadian Navy, we help ensure the security, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.” More.....
14 Mar 2019	WWII aircraft carrier USS Wasp found in Coral Sea The wreck of another historic WWII aircraft carrier has been found by the expedition crew aboard research vessel (R/V) Petrel who discovered wreckage of USS Wasp (CV 7) on January 14. The ship was found in the Coral Sea, 4,200 meters (nearly 14,000 feet) below the surface. USS Hornet, another sunken US Navy aircraft carrier, was discovered by the late Paul G. Allen’s research vessel earlier this year. More.....
14 Mar 2019	Factsheet IS30 - Pension Rates, Limits and Allowances Summary Purpose This Factsheet provides the current rates and limits for: Service Pension; Age Pension; Veteran Payment; Income Support Supplement; Disability Pension; War Widow’s and Widower’s Pension; and all associated allowances under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA). Continuing reading at https://www.dva.gov.au/factsheet-is30-pension-rates-limits-and-allowances-summary
13 Mar 2019	US 7th Fleet flagship trains with Philippine Navy ahead of first visit to country in three years Command and control ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), the US 7th Fleet flagship, arrived in Manila, the Philippines, on March 13, for the ship’s first port visit to the Philippines in three years. The Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet team carried out a cooperative deployment with Philippine Navy (PN) frigate Davao Del Sur shortly before arriving in Manila. More.....
13 Mar 2019	Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 launches in Western Australia
13 Mar 2019	Improvements recommended to Veterans’ Advocacy Services A report on advocacy services for veterans and their families has identified a number of ways to simplify access to support and services. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the report of the Veterans’ Advocacy and Support Services Scoping Study, conducted by Mr Robert Cornall AO, was an important next step in the ongoing transformation of services for veterans and their families. The report, which was released today, puts forward 12 recommendations providing a pathway forward on advocacy services. The Minister is seeking feedback from the community before acting on any of the recommendations. More.....
12 Mar 2019	Thales UK sends first Collins-class replacement bow to Australia Thales UK announced it has recently completed the first of six new replacement bow sonar arrays for the upgrade of the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines. The company says that the bow sonar array was delivered in time to meet the Royal Australian Navy’s accelerated upgrade of HMAS Waller currently taking place at ASC in Osborne. More.....
12 Mar 2019	Royal Navy frigate rescues 27 from burning ship Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll rescued 27 sailors from the Italian Con/Ro ship Grande America which caught fire in the Bay of Biscay on March 11. The frigate was on her way home to Plymouth after nine months away in the Asia-Pacific region when she responded to a mayday during the night from the 28,000-tonne merchant ship about 150 miles southwest of Brest. The ship’s cargo of containers and cars caught fire and the crew were fighting a losing battle against the flames and were abandoning ship. More.....
12 Mar 2019	Veteran and Community Grants announced Funding of more than $390,000 has today been announced under the latest round of the Veteran and Community Grants Program. Minister for Veterans' Affairs Darren Chester said the 33 grants from this round would directly benefit veterans and their families. "The Government is putting veterans and their families first and provides more than $11.2 billion each year to deliver the essential services and programs they can rely on," Mr Chester said. More.....
12 Mar 2019	Leeuwin and Diamantina start Vampire hunt off Sri Lankan coast HMA Ships Leeuwin and Diamantina are on the hunt for the lost destroyer HMAS Vampire (I), 77 years after the Australian warship was sunk in battle. The hydrographic survey ship and minehunter are sailing off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean to scour the seafloor for signs of Vampire, which was destroyed after enduring air attacks from Japanese forces on 9 April 1942. More.....
12 Mar 2019	HMAS Success Freedom of Entry, Fremantle
12 Mar 2019	Submarine transition plan takes shape The future submarine has achieved key milestones with the signing of the overarching strategic partnering agreement on 11 February and in quick succession the design contract on 5 March. This is good news for the future submarine platform itself, but there have also been developments in the broader submarine transition picture. More.....
11 Mar 2019	Royal Navy frigate arrives in Japan on three-year deployment to Middle East Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigate HMS Montrose arrived in Japan on March 8, becoming the fourth Royal Navy ship to visit the country in a year. HMS Montrose pulled into Tokyo for a six-day stay at Harumi Wharf before starting exercises with Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force and the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet. More.....
11 Mar 2019	USS Zumwalt begins first operational underway The lead ship of US Navy’s Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers, the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), got underway from San Diego on March 8 to start its first operational underway. The underway represents a milestone for the new class of ships, of which only three will be built. Zumwalt’s crew recently completed a post-delivery maintenance availability designed to thoroughly evaluate the ship’s systems and equipment to include radars and engineering plant. More.....
11 Mar 2019	Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 launches in Western Australia Minister for Defence Industry, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC today launched Indo-Pacific Endeavour 19 (IPE 19), the third iteration of this activity, as it commenced with the departure of HMA Ships Canberra, Success, Newcastle, and Parramatta from Fremantle in Western Australia. Attending the launch on behalf of the Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Minister Reynolds said she was pleased with the level of engagement planned with Australia’s Indian Ocean Region partners over the next three months. More.....
09 Mar 2019	HMAS Ballarat drug interdiction
08 Mar 2019	HMS Protector encounters Bristol-sized iceberg The Royal Navy’s Antarctic patrol ship encountered an iceberg the size of Bristol as she began her final scientific mission of the season. HMS Protector came across the enormous mass of ice and snow – 11 miles long and five wide – as she returned to the frozen continent for the last time this winter – or summer as it is in the Southern Hemisphere. More.....
08 Mar 2019	South Korea: HHI take over of DSME to create global shipbuilding giant South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has signed a formal deal for the acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), thereby creating a global naval and commercial shipbuilding giant. The deal was reported by the news agency Yonhap which said that the merger of the two South Korean shipbuilders would create an entity with a 20 percent share in the market. More.....
08 Mar 2019	Commemorative Grants preserve our wartime heritage AUSTRALIA’S wartime heritage will be preserved with the help of more than $245,000 in funding through the Saluting Their Service Major Commemorative Grants program. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the nine projects receiving funding would contribute to Australia’s understanding of its wartime heritage and honour the service and sacrifice of its servicemen and women. More.....
08 Mar 2019	Former HMS Queen Elizabeth CO becomes Royal Navy’s new Fleet Commander Several months after returning the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier from F-35B trials off the US coast, the ship’s commanding officer took up the new role of the Royal Navy Fleet Commander. The March 5 ceremony took place in Portsmouth on board HMS Queen Elizabeth, which Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd commanded from May 2016 to December 2018. Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd takes up the role from outgoing Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Ben Key who is to become the Chief of Joint Operations at PJHQ, Northwood. More.....
08 Mar 2019	Definitely ‘More Powerful Together’ says Navy’s first female ship CO Jenny Daetz joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1986, shortly after the decision was made to let women to serve at sea. It was a brave new world. For the first time, women were allowed to join the Navy with their male counterparts, instead of having to join the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service. For those first female trailblazers, the idea of commanding a Navy ship was a distant pipe dream. Many sailors and officers within the Navy’s ranks still believed that females had no place at sea. More.....
08 Mar 2019	US Navy’s new subsonic aerial target reaches initial operational capability BQM-177A, the US Navy’s next-generation subsonic aerial target (SSAT) has reached initial operational capability (IOC) and is now ready to begin land-based operations in Point Mugu, California. When it reaches full operational capability, it will conduct both land and ship-based operations. The BQM-177A provides realistic threat representation for developmental and operational testing of major DoD and international weapon systems. More.....
07 Mar 2019	Anzac Day mail-out helps educate future generations Starting this week, thousands of schools, libraries, ex-service and other organisations will receive a package of educational resources in an Anzac Day mail-out to educate Australians about the different aspects of wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said Anzac Day was one of the most important commemorative dates in the Australian calendar, and that it provided an important opportunity to educate a range of audiences about the different aspects of wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. More.....
07 Mar 2019	OCEAN EXPLORER Task Group forms up in Geographe Bay Residents of Western Australia’s Geographe Bay were greeted with an impressive sight as a task group of five ships taking part in Navy’s Exercise OCEAN EXPLORER 2019 formed up in the bay to conduct briefings and preparations for the next phase of the exercise. Gracing the waters off Busselton was Navy’s flagship, HMAS Canberra, along with ‘battle tanker’ HMAS Success and frigates HMA Ships Newcastle, Parramatta and Stuart, as well as landing craft, seaboats and helicopters from the fleet of warships. More.....
07 Mar 2019	Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Single Treatment Pathway) Bill 2019 On 14 February 2019 the Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives. The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Single Treatment Pathway) Bill 2019 amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to simplify treatment pathways for medical treatment. The amendments replaced the current dual treatment pathway model with a single treatment pathway model. More.....
07 Mar 2019	Australia needs a real debate on a national security strategy In a series of contributions to The Strategist over the past few months, Senator Jim Molan has been making the case for Australia to develop a national security strategy. It’s a notion that has merit. As Molan notes, ‘there’s only limited consensus on the main security challenges we will face in the years to come’. This a highly contested policy area and even the process of debating the purpose, horizon and value of such a document would be an important exercise. More.....
07 Mar 2019	Public hearings for the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal review of recognition for Edward 'Teddy' Sheean RECOGNITION for the late Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean will be reviewed by the independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal in Hobart later this month. The review follows an application by Tasmanian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Guy Barnett MP, who is seeking a Victoria Cross to recognise Ordinary Seaman Sheean’s actions during the sinking of HMAS Armidale during the Second World War. More.....
07 Mar 2019	Search for lost Australian WWII destroyer to begin off Sri Lanka One of the remaining maritime mysteries of World War II may soon be solved, thanks to a joint operation between the Royal Australian Navy and the Sri Lankan Navy. Nine sailors died when the destroyer HMAS Vampire sank after enduring an intensive Japanese air attack off the Sri Lankan coast. The Vampire had been attempting to protect the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes on 9 April 1942. Commander of Australia’s Fleet, Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead said the ship’s precise location had never been confirmed but that a new lead had recently emerged. More.....
06 Mar 2019	Navy League of Australia(Vic-Tas Div) March newsletter is now available to download..... This month's newsletter includes Director General Submarines Commodore Tim Brown's 19th Creswell Oration.
06 Mar 2019	Recognition of families left behind One of the priorities of the newly established Council for Women and Families United by Defence Service will be to consider a request from the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester to identify an appropriate form of recognition for the families of service personnel who are killed or wounded in action and service. “It is important to honour the Australians who mourn those killed or injured in the service of their nation,” Mr Chester said. More.....
04 Mar 2019	DISCONTINUATIONOF THE USE OF THE RANR POST-NOMINAL W3N WBA 1. AS WE REFORM AND GROW OUR WORKFORCE UNDER PLAN PELORUS 2022, I HAVE DECIDED THAT THE RANR POST-NOMINAL TO DISTINGUISH RESERVE OFFICERS FROM OTHERS IS NOW REDUNDANT. HENCEFORTH, SERVING AND RETIRED RESERVE OFFICERS ARE TO ADOPT THE POST-NOMINAL RAN AND RAN (RTD) RESPECTIVELY. More.....
04 Mar 2019	Perth (I) survivor’s ashes committed to sea as three navies commemorate Battle of Sunda Strait Officers and sailors from HMA Ships Diamantina and Leeuwin were joined by their counterparts from Indonesia and the United States to mark the 77th anniversary of the loss of HMAS Perth (I) and the USS Houston during the Battle of Sunda Strait. The service aboard the Indonesian patrol corvette KRI Usman Harun was held off the coast of Java over the wrecks of both ships, which were sunk by Japanese forces in the early hours of 1 March 1942. More.....
01 Mar 2019	Funding Announced to Support Younger Veterans MORE than $1 million worth of grants have been provided to organisations supporting the needs of younger veterans and their families. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the grants, under the Supporting Younger Veterans (SYV) program, would assist with mental health training for veterans including a train-the-trainer qualification and an establishment of a Best Practice Framework for Peer Led Younger Veteran Wellbeing Programs. More.....
01 Mar 2019	Semaphore 02/2019 Australian Naval Anniversaries and Commemorations by John Perryman During the last four years the Royal Australian Navy has been commemorating significant 100th anniversaries in connection with the centenary of the First World War. It was a war that saw many Australian seamen leave their homeland in late 1914 and not return until mid 1919 following the end of hostilities and the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet. More.....
01 Mar 2019	FlyBy A periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia. March issue.....

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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

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

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