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Picture supplied by Families of Veterans Guild

Today is War Widows Day the 19 October, the Families of Veterans Guild is urging Australians to honour and support over 32,000 war widows across the nation, acknowledging their sacrifices and addressing the issue of social isolation that so many of them face. While War Widows Day commemorates the immense contribution these women have made, it also serves as a reminder that more needs to be done by both the government and society to support the families of veterans.

Data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey reveals that loneliness is a major challenge for individuals after the death of a spouse, underscoring the critical importance of social interaction in alleviating this feeling of isolation. Across Australia, 15% of people experience social isolation and 16% feel lonely. However, among Defence families, particularly those who have lost a loved one to service, these numbers are significantly higher.

“Being a war widow can be a lonely and nuanced experience, shaped by the complexities of a life connected to the defence and service of Australia,” said Renee Wilson, CEO of the Families of Veterans Guild. “We saw during the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide that war widows and veteran families have often been silent pillars of strength for our country, sacrificing their own wellbeing while coping with the loss of their loved ones. As Australians, it is our duty to stand by them.”

The Families of Veterans Guild, formerly known as Australian War Widows NSW, has been supporting war widows for over 75 years. Founded by war widows for war widows, the Guild ensures that those connected to veteran families have access to support, recognition, and community. “It is both our privilege and responsibility to honour their sacrifices and ensure no war widow ever feels alone,” Wilson added.

Social isolation, particularly among war widows, can have severe effects on both mental and physical health. The recent NSW government’s inquiry into loneliness highlighted the broader societal issue, stressing the need for targeted solutions, especially for vulnerable groups like war widows.

NSW Premier Chris Minns commended the Families of Veterans Guild for its work, stating, “Veterans and their families make great sacrifices for our nation. The grief and isolation war widows face have lasting impacts, and their resilience deserves our recognition and support. I commend the Guild for raising awareness of social isolation on War Widows Day.”

Despite their resilience, many war widows continue to battle loneliness, a problem that could be mitigated with stronger community support and greater government action. While recognition and commemorative events are important, real progress requires sustained efforts from all levels of government to provide meaningful support to veteran families, including mental health services, social programs, and financial aid.

To mark War Widows Day, the Families of Veterans Guild is hosting several events and fundraisers nationwide, including:

• A commemorative service at Sydney’s Martin Place Cenotaph at 10:30 AM on 19 October 2024, open to war widows, veteran families, and the general public.
• Regional and rural commemorations organized by war widows or local service organizations.
• The “Buy a Widow a Coffee” campaign, supporting the Guild’s social clubs and events that help widows connect with others and combat isolation.
• The sale of limited-release wattle lapel pins, representing the resilience and strength of war widows, with proceeds supporting the Guild’s initiatives.

The Families of Veterans Guild encourages all Australians, even if they cannot attend an event or fundraiser, to reach out to the war widows in their lives. A simple act of spending time with them can have a profound impact on combating loneliness and reminding them that they are not alone.

This War Widows Day, let us not only remember the sacrifices made but also commit to supporting those who bear the weight of that sacrifice. With greater awareness, action, and government support, we can ensure that no war widow is left isolated or forgotten.

The Krakow Post

The Taliban’s Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has announced a new law banning images of all living things, including humans and animals, across Afghanistan. This regulation, set to be enforced gradually, is expected to have a profound impact on the country’s media landscape, further restricting the freedom of the press and isolating the nation from the global community.

For journalists and media outlets in Afghanistan, this new law represents a significant hurdle. The ban on images will force broadcasters, newspapers, and online platforms to dramatically alter their content. The ability to provide accurate, detailed reporting on events may be hindered, as many reports rely on visual evidence to illustrate stories.

The ban could also prevent coverage of major developments, such as humanitarian crises or government actions, limiting the international community’s understanding of Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Media outlets, already operating under strict conditions, now face additional constraints that could silence dissenting voices and obscure the reality on the ground.

While the ministry has announced that the rule will be implemented gradually, journalists have already been informed that they must prepare for these changes. The phased approach indicates that the Taliban is likely assessing the response to its new law while testing the resilience of media organizations. However, no clear timeline for full enforcement has been given, leaving journalists in limbo.

This gradual enforcement may also be a strategic move by the Taliban to mitigate backlash, particularly from the international community, which has already expressed concerns over Afghanistan’s media freedom since the Taliban’s return to power.

The ban on images is yet another step in the Taliban’s broader effort to control the flow of information within Afghanistan. By curbing the media’s ability to share visual content, the regime is tightening its grip on how the public—and the world—perceives its rule. This measure is likely to further isolate Afghanistan, as international news agencies may struggle to report accurately without the use of images.

Moreover, this law raises pressing questions about the future of press freedom in Afghanistan, which continues to erode under Taliban rule. The ban is not just an attack on journalism; it is a stark reminder of the regime’s determination to maintain control by restricting freedom of expression and manipulating public perception.

Australian Defence Magazine (ADM – updated.

The 1st Armoured Regiment is set to test a modified version of the electric Protected Mobility Vehicle (ePMV) prototype as part of its new experimental role. This trial marks a key step forward in Army’s exploration of hybrid vehicle technologies aimed at modernizing its fleet.

Initially unveiled at the 2022 Chief of Army Symposium in Adelaide, the ePMV boasted a 113-kilowatt-hour battery. At that time, its main advantages were highlighted: a significantly lower thermal signature than the standard Bushmaster, the ability to operate silently for extended periods, and the capacity to export power easily. These features were seen as groundbreaking for improving operational flexibility and stealth capabilities.

However, the all-electric design came with limitations, most notably its range. The ePMV could only travel about a third of the distance of the standard Bushmaster and required deployable generators for recharging, which posed logistical challenges in the field.

To mitigate these drawbacks, the Army is now converting the ePMV into a hybrid diesel-electric configuration. This upgrade will enable the vehicle to achieve a range comparable to the standard Bushmaster PMV while maintaining a similar logistics footprint. The new hybrid configuration seeks to preserve the benefits of electrification, such as silent operation and reduced emissions, while addressing the range and recharging limitations.

“The Australian Army is working with Australian defence industry to upgrade its prototype electric Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle (ePMV) to a diesel-electric hybrid. This upgrade will provide the ePMV with a range comparable to the standard Bushmaster vehicle,” a Defence spokesperson told Australian Defence Magazine (ADM).

Once the hybrid-electric ePMV prototype is ready, the 1st Armoured Regiment will conduct field testing and evaluation. As the Army’s experimental unit, the regiment is responsible for assessing new technologies and operational concepts. However, details regarding the total cost of the program and future service plans for platforms based on the hybrid ePMV remain unclear, as Defence has not provided specific responses on these questions. The timeline for field testing is also yet to be disclosed.

This hybrid-electric vehicle project reflects the Army’s ongoing commitment to exploring innovative solutions that enhance capability while reducing environmental impact and improving battlefield efficiency.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is processing claims at record levels as a consequence of the significant additional funding provided by the Government. DVA is focusing even more effort on processing outstanding claims as quickly as possible, which will get much needed help to veterans and families sooner.

As part of our commitment to routinely, publicly, and meaningfully reporting on claims processing progress, each month DVA releases updated data via the claims processing page.

A snapshot of September 2024:

• DVA received 7,845claims, compared to 6,509 in September 2023
• DVA made 7,704determinations, compared to 8,170 in September 2023
• 70,258claims were with an officer for processing and 9,373 claims were yet to be allocated for processing
• The average time taken to process a MRCA IL claim was 306days in the 2024-25 financial year to date (FYTD) (1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024), compared to 426 days in the corresponding 2023-24 FYTD.

Please contact us or an advocate if you have any questions about submitting a claim. More information about making a claim for a service-related condition and eligibility for benefits and payments is available on the DVA website.

Naval Warfare Post

Washington DC: Faced with the massive demands of the AUKUS submarine program and a planned doubling of the nation’s surface navy, Australia today announced a formal plan to develop a military shipyard and port complex in Western Australia. The project, valued at up to $20 billion, is expected to create up to 10,000 jobs. However, the funding so far remains modest, with only AUD $127 million (USD $85 million) allocated for a three-year planning and feasibility study, crucial to the nation’s long-term naval strategy.

At the heart of this ambitious development is a new “graving dock,” commonly known as a dry dock, which will likely be part of the HMAS Stirling base. Australia has not constructed a major dry dock since World War II, when the Captain Cook dock in Sydney took four years to complete. This new dock will be essential for servicing and maintaining the nuclear-powered attack submarines to be stationed at Stirling, and it may take inspiration from the $3.4 billion USD (AUD $5.9 billion) dry dock project currently under construction in Pearl Harbor, designed to support Virginia-class submarines for decades.

Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm, who leads the Royal Australian Navy’s AUKUS infrastructure efforts, recently voiced urgency regarding this dry dock. She warned that unless critical work on the dry dock and adjacent shipyards begins soon, Australia’s ability to host, build, and maintain nuclear-powered submarines could be jeopardized.

The dock will be a key component of the broader expansion and consolidation of shipyards at HMAS Stirling, with US and UK nuclear submarines expected to begin rotations there from 2027. While a temporary floating dock might be leased in the meantime, it would not be able to provide the level of maintenance required for submarines over time.

Defence Minister Richard Marles called the expansion of the shipyards the most significant defence investment in Western Australia since its federation in 1901. The new defence hub will be located at the southern end of the Henderson shipyard, where new landing craft for the army and general-purpose frigates for the navy will also be constructed.

This project is politically significant as Western Australia is seen as a key battleground for the ruling Labor Party in the lead-up to the next election, which must be held by September next year. Opposition shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie, a representative from Western Australia, criticized the government’s commitment as insufficient, saying the $127 million allocation was “barely enough to get works underway” and accusing Labor of delaying vital defence projects.

Hastie further criticized the government for not keeping pace with inflation in its defence budget, while warning that any further delays could compromise the nation’s naval ambitions.

An image from the Australian government showing build-out plans for future naval docks. (Australian MoD)

A new chain gun for ground threats and drones. A new dual-feed Bushmaster chain gun is now in development. Breaking Defence connected with Northrop Grumman‘s John McCollum, Program Lead for the Bushmaster Chain Gun, to discuss how the chain gun addresses ground and aerial threats.

ED: From my inbox – Thanks Steve

The origins of 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) trace back 79 years to the formation of the 66th Australian Infantry Battalion on 16 October 1945. This unit was part of the 34th Infantry Brigade, and its soldiers were largely volunteers from the 9th Division, who had seen combat in pivotal World War II battles, including Tobruk and El Alamein in North Africa, and in the Southwest Pacific campaigns. The battalion was first established at Labuan, British North Borneo, but soon relocated to the large Australian base at Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies, where it joined the 65th and 67th Battalions. One of the earliest sections to form was the battalion’s band.

In 1946, the battalion was transferred to Japan to serve as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) following Japan’s surrender. At this point, the battalion transitioned from being part of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF) to becoming part of the Interim Army, before being integrated into the Australian Regular Army—the beginnings of Australia’s modern professional army.

On 23 November 1948, the 65th, 66th, and 67th Battalions were redesignated as 1 AR, 2 AR, and 3 AR while still stationed in Japan. This date is celebrated as the Regimental Birthday. Shortly after, 1 AR and 2 AR returned to Australia. By the time 2 AR reached Puckapunyal, Victoria, only around 90 members remained in the battalion, and conditions were austere, with soldiers hunting rabbits to supplement their supplies. On 10 March 1949, the Australian Regiment received the Royal Assent, officially becoming the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR).

A unique aspect of 2 RAR’s history is the origin of its battalion march, “Ringo,” chosen from records brought back from the Occupation in Japan. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, many of 2 RAR’s soldiers were sent to reinforce 3 RAR, which was already deployed. During this time, 2 RAR also took on the vital role of training soldiers for Korea. In 1952, the battalion was aligned with the British Coldstream Guards, adopting their motto, “Nulli Secundus”—Latin for “Second to None,” which remains 2 RAR’s motto today.

As the battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment were formed, their colours were blue, red, and green. 2 RAR’s colour was red, and their flag featured a white “2.” Before the Korean War, 2 RAR informally adopted the colour black as a battalion tradition. Soldiers began wearing black scarves after hours, and black gaiters, while the battalion’s drums—originally red—remained black as a mark of respect after the death of King George VI. During the Korean War, the battalion’s black scarf became official, adorned with red diamonds and a “2” in the centre.

In Korea, 2 RAR distinguished itself in the Battle of “The Hook,” enduring over 4,500 rounds of enemy fire. For its actions, the battalion earned the battle honour “Samichon.” After the war, 2 RAR returned to Australia, being stationed at Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane, Queensland.

In 1955, 2 RAR deployed to Malaya for two years as part of the Malayan Emergency, the only conflict where Australian soldiers’ families were allowed to accompany them on active service. It was during this deployment in 1957 that 2 RAR officially adopted black as its colour. This tradition spread throughout the Australian Army, and now all Second Battalions bear black.

From 1961 to 1963, 2 RAR returned to Malaya, where it adopted the “Silver Soldier” as a symbolic part of the battalion. Upon returning to Australia, the battalion contributed soldiers to form 4 RAR and later helped form 6 RAR. During the Vietnam War, 2 RAR fought two year-long tours, losing its band after the first tour, before relocating to Townsville.

In 1973, 2 RAR was merged with 4 RAR to form 2/4 RAR, remaining linked until 1995. During this time, the battalion deployed troops to Malaysia, Rhodesia, Cambodia, Somalia, and Rwanda. Several enduring traditions originated during this period, such as the bearded sergeant, the Edgar Towner VC Club, and the Pipes and Drums.

Between 1995 and 2017, 2 RAR served as a light infantry battalion within 3 Brigade, deploying personnel on missions to East Timor, Iraq, Solomon Islands, and Afghanistan, among other locations. On 23 November 2017, 2 RAR was redesignated as 2 RAR (Amphib) and became a specialist amphibious battalion. This transformation marked its integration into the Australian Army’s Amphibious Task Force, where it continues to serve as a world-class pre-landing force.

Throughout its storied history, 2 RAR has remained true to its motto, “Second to None,” proudly upholding its heritage and traditions as a key element of the Australian Army.

Australia has long prided itself on its military history, often glorifying its martial past in a way that elevates the nation’s identity on the world stage. From the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign during World War I to more recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the contributions of the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) are etched into the national consciousness. However, despite this glorification of military service, Australia’s treatment of its veterans paints a disturbing picture of neglect and systemic failure, exemplified by the findings of the recent Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

The Royal Commission’s final report serves as a damning indictment of Australia’s military establishment and government. Commissioner Nick Kaldas, in his scathing remarks, described Defence’s treatment of veterans and serving personnel as “a catastrophic failure of leadership at all levels.” This revelation speaks to decades of neglect, where young, energetic, and intelligent individuals, once celebrated for their service, are too often cast aside when their physical and mental health deteriorates due to the very demands of that service.

Veterans’ Health Week, with its theme of “Keep Connected,” emphasizes the importance of social connectedness for veterans and their families. While well-intentioned, this focus is a stark contrast to the reality faced by many veterans. For decades, those who have suffered physical injuries or mental trauma in the line of duty have been marginalized, isolated, and stigmatized. The military’s swift disconnection from its personnel once they are deemed medically unfit is a troubling hallmark of this failure. Rather than rehabilitating or supporting these individuals, Defence often opts for medical discharge, severing ties in ways that only exacerbate the trauma.

This institutional abandonment is not new. The Royal Commission’s findings merely add to a vast and largely ignored body of evidence, compiled over decades, that highlights the systemic mistreatment of veterans. Official inquiries into veteran care have produced hundreds of thousands of pages of reports, but action has been woefully lacking. Successive governments have repeatedly failed to address the issues raised, leaving countless veterans and their families to fend for themselves. Yet, every year, Australia’s political class and military top brass are front and centre during national commemorations of military history, basking in the reflected glory of a narrative that often ignores the pain and suffering of those who return home damaged.

In less than a month, Australians will gather to commemorate Remembrance Day, a solemn occasion to honour the nation’s military dead. This day holds immense significance, though it pales in comparison to the overwhelming nationalism of Anzac Day, which marks Australia’s participation in the Gallipoli campaign. Gallipoli, a military failure that resulted in the deaths of over 8,700 Australians, has been mythologized as the birth of the Australian nation. However, the personal toll of this conflict, and others like it, is often swept aside in the pursuit of national pride.

World War I left many survivors deeply scarred, both physically and mentally. Over 152,000 Australians returned home wounded, and many became victims of addiction, homelessness, domestic violence, and suicide. The broader society was ill-equipped to handle the fallout, with much of the suffering playing out behind closed doors. Politicians and military leaders, quick to showcase Australia’s military service, were often just as quick to ignore the personal toll on veterans. The many limbless, facially disfigured, or mentally broken were pushed to the margins, out of sight and out of mind.

Australia’s treatment of its veterans, however, suggests that Defence is more comfortable celebrating battlefield heroes than caring for its discharged casualties. This is why the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, and the federal government’s response, is so crucial. Civil society should not abandon those who have sacrificed so much. Yet, in a cruel irony, Defence’s legal conduct during the Royal Commission revealed precisely why the institution seems so incapable of meaningful cultural change.

As the federal government contemplates its formal response to the Royal Commission, Australia must confront its long history of neglecting its veterans. It is time for real change, not just symbolic gestures. Only then can we truly honour the sacrifices made by those who serve.

In a significant shift from earlier statements, the Australian government is providing 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of its latest military aid package, valued at A$245 million. This new contribution raises Australia’s total military assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to A$1.3 billion, with overall support now totalling A$1.5 billion.

Earlier in the year, Defence Minister Richard Marles had downplayed the possibility of such a donation, stating in February that it was “not on the agenda.” However, government sources explain that the transfer required approval from the United States, as Australia originally purchased the tanks from Washington, and there was a formal process that needed to be followed.

Pat Conroy, Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, announced the decision while in London en route to the NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels. During the meeting, Conroy is expected to meet with Ukraine’s defence minister. Australia, alongside New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, forms the “Indo-Pacific Four,” a group of non-NATO countries attending the summit in support of Ukraine.

The 49 M1A1 tanks being sent to Ukraine are nearing the end of their operational life, meaning a small number will require repairs before delivery. Alternatively, they could be used for spare parts, depending on Ukraine’s preference for a faster deployment. Australia will retain a small number of these tanks to assist in its transition to the newer M1A2 fleet.

Minister Conroy reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to Ukraine, stating: “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion. These tanks will provide crucial firepower and mobility, complementing the broader support from our international partners.”