DVA collaborates with health providers and other organisations to deliver services and benefits for veterans and families. We do our best to assist veterans and families to navigate these benefits for their health and wellbeing.

We’ve heard from veterans that some third-party organisations and providers are contacting them directly. These organisations might have the word ’veteran’ in their business name or when describing their services, and use what’s called ‘direct marketing’ tactics. This includes contacting veterans by phone, email, on social media and even in person. Sometimes they might even suggest they are ‘DVA sponsored’ or contacting you on behalf of DVA.

This type of marketing is a highly targeted form of advertising that can look like you might be clicking on a link to get more information or enter a competition. However, you may actually be consenting to share or store your personal details on a data base.

For veterans who are targeted, direct marketing by its nature can solicit feelings of confusion and concerns about privacy. Veterans might wonder, how did they get my number – how do they know I am a veteran – does DVA fund the services they are offering?

You’re not alone if you’ve experienced uninvited telephone calls, junk pamphlets filling your letterbox, or junk emails that are cluttering your email inbox. Maybe you’ve seen an influx of ‘sponsored’ posts or spam messages across your social media accounts?

Health and wellness is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Australia. So, it’s no surprise that direct marketing is a popular tactic used by third-party organisations and providers to connect with existing, and attract new, veteran clients.

While direct marketing is not illegal, all consumers, including veterans, do have rights. There are some tactics that you can use to protect your information from direct marketers, which are important to know:

• If you aren’t sure how someone got your contact information – ask them, they have to tell you.
• Did you know that if a potential provider cold calls you, they must hang up if you ask them to?
• Regardless of how you’ve been contacted or how information is relayed, it is against the law for businesses to mislead consumers. This includes suggesting contact has been made on behalf of DVA. It makes no difference if they ‘intended’ to mislead you or not.
• Did you know you might be giving consent if you click on an image or links on social media, giving others access to your personal information such as your email address, phone number, as well as your location, even your likes and interests?
• If you don’t know who has contacted you, don’t share your personal information or discuss your health and wellness needs, regardless of whether it is over the phone, online or even in person.
• DVA will never refer you to or send you links to a provider or organisation without your consent.

Always be careful not to share your personal information with people you don’t know. If you have health concerns, the best person to talk to is your GP who can refer you to seek support and care from other health professionals. Your GP is the only one who can refer you to an allied-health provider to seek treatment for through your Veteran Card.

To learn more about Veteran Card entitlements and about DVA-funded health services, you should visit the DVA website or call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is Australia’s national competition, consumer, fair-trading and product safety regulator. Visit www.accc.gov.au to find out more about your rights as a consumer. If you have been scammed, we encourage you to report the scam to Scamwatch.

THE expression “May you live in interesting times” is often attributed to ancient Chinese philosophy, though this may not be strictly so.

One alternate view suggests it was British MP Austen Chamberlain whose Prime Minister brother Neville’s gullibility over German assurances led Britain into interesting times in 1939.

Last week China’s air force certainly created interesting times for an RAN Seahawk helicopter crew operating off HMAS Hobart in international waters in the Yellow Sea.

A Chinese Chengdu J-10 fighter jet released flares into the helicopter flight path, an act described as unsafe behaviour endangering the aircraft and crew.

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Interesting times a challenge for Australia | Australian Defence History, Policy and Veterans Issues (targetsdown.blogspot.com)

Amidst tensions in the South China Sea, the US Navy reported an encounter involving its destroyer, the USS Halsey, exercising navigational rights near the Paracel Islands, an archipelago at the centre of territorial disputes involving multiple nations.

China’s military responded by stating it had issued a warning to the US Navy destroyer in the contested waters. The USS Halsey was reportedly sailing near the Paracel Islands when the incident occurred.

According to a spokesperson for China’s military, naval and air forces were deployed to track and monitor the USS Halsey, with a warning issued to deter its presence. The statement emphasized that such actions infringed upon China’s sovereignty and security.

The People’s Liberation Army criticized the US, labelling it as the “source of security risks” and framing the incident as evidence of America’s dominance in navigation and militarization within the South China Sea.

In response, the US Navy defended its actions, asserting the USS Halsey’s exercise of navigational rights and freedoms in the area near the Paracel Islands. It clarified that following the operation, the destroyer departed from the disputed territory, continuing its operations in the South China Sea.

Furthermore, the US Navy condemned what it described as China’s “unlawful and expansive” maritime claims in the region, highlighting the threat they pose to freedom of navigation. These claims have been contested by several nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In a significant ruling in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated Beijing’s claims, citing a lack of basis in international law.

The Australian Defence Force will retire HMAS Huon (II), a Huon Class minehunter, on May 30 after 25 years of service. Originally launched in July 1997 and commissioned in May 1999, it was built by ADI Newcastle from an Italian design. Named after Australian rivers, it’s the second vessel with this title. HMAS Huon (II) boasted a unique low-magnetic hull for mine operations and advanced sonar capabilities. It was armed with an MSI DS30B Oerlikon 30mm cannon, unique to the Australian Defence Force. Recently, it participated in Exercise Talisman Sabre 23’s search operations near Lindeman Island, Queensland. Earlier this month, the crew of HMAS Huon marched through Huonville, Tasmania, in a Freedom of Entry ceremony, a tradition signifying trust and respect from the town.

China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, embarked on its inaugural sea trials from Shanghai, signalling a significant step toward bolstering the world’s largest naval fleet. Departing from the Jiangnan Shipyard, the trials are slated to take place in the East China Sea, approximately 130 kilometres away. These trials, crucial for assessing the carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems, mark a milestone for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

Launched in 2022, the Fujian, with a displacement of 80,000 metric tons, surpasses the PLAN’s existing carriers, the Shandong and Liaoning. Notably, its electromagnetic catapult system enables it to launch larger aircraft, extending its combat range and enhancing the PLAN’s “blue-water” capabilities.

Although the Fujian’s catapult system aligns it with the US Navy’s USS Gerald R Ford, the latter maintains advantages in power, size, and capacity. With nuclear propulsion and larger tonnage, US carriers boast greater endurance and aircraft capacity.

Despite these disparities, the Fujian’s sea trials underscore China’s strides in naval aviation, positioning it among top-tier carrier-capable navies. Analysts anticipate the trials to span up to a year, with commissioning expected by 2026. As China’s naval force burgeons, the Fujian stands as a prominent symbol of its maritime prowess, with plans for further expansion on the horizon.