The Alliance (ADSO) is the Defence Family’s advocate to governments, parliaments and the Australian people. It’s role is to care for the well-being of the Defence Family and protect their service entitlements.
Close Collaboration with Welfare Coordination Cell- West Nick Coenen and his team have been doing a great job trying to support those impacted by the Inquiry, more recently with 13 Individuals who have been issued with NTSC letters. Initially they were given 14-day notice to respond to these notices, but arrangements have been made to extend […]
The People’s Republic of China has tested Australia’s resolve over the last few weeks. Tariffs, toxic tweets and tough talk from so-called wolf warrior diplomats are designed to make us blink. We haven’t. Our Prime Minister has resisted economic coercion and diplomatic bullying. He has stood up for Australian sovereignty, values and interests. This week, Parliament […]
Threats to Australia are increasingly complex. As the Prime Minister warned us on 1 July at the launch of the Defence Strategic Update: “Coercive activities are rife. Disinformation and foreign interference have been enabled and accelerated by new and emerging technologies.” Such activity was on full display this week. The tweet by the People’s Republic of China was […]
Now is the time for a considered assessment of the findings of the Inspector General’s Report into alleged serious misconduct by Australia’s Special Forces in Afghanistan. It is an internal ADF Report that now is subject to ADF disciplinary and administrative processes. The appointment of an independent investigator working with the AFP is a part […]
‘Grieved’ and ‘shamed’ by the Brereton report, soldier turned federal MP Andrew Hastie says ‘we ignored the true nature of war and sanitised it’. Read this extract from his article printed in The Australian 24th November 2020 “I served in the SAS for the next five years, deploying to Afghanistan as a Troop Commander in […]
For the first time in the history of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, and after much internal deliberation, a small group of soldiers has made the collective decision to step out from the shadows to remind our country what they are, and what they are not. We are the soldiers, the ‘Operators’ as we […]
The next step has been taken in the Federal Government’s efforts to combat suicide in veterans and serving members of the Australian Defence Force with the appointment of the interim National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester welcomed the announcement made by the […]
IntroductionAnother short Update.CDDA ApplicationHerb has still heard nothing regarding his claim.Legal ActionWe have received a Departmental Reply to our Request for Amendment of the DFRDB Act, in which we requested: The amendment of the DFRDB Act; The recalculation of the retirement pay reduction for recipients yet to reach Schedule 3 life expectancy; The refund of all retirement pay […]
Prevention Bill 2020 and the Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020 On 3 September 2020 the Senate referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee the provisions of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020 and the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention (Consequential […]
Hi All, This Update although short in itself has reference to our letter to three Federal Government Minister’s, I commend it to you particularly the paper developed over a long period by Herb. I believe this paper clearly sets out our case and justifies the need for a detailed investigation that is not inhibited by dodgy […]
Opinion: Comment on the Afghanistan Allegations
“I have been following the public debate on the allegations that our soldiers have committed criminal acts whilst deployed on operations in Afghanistan. I feel compelled to take a moment to comment on the Brereton report and its allegations the SAS committed war crimes in Afghanistan over a period of 10 years. In my opinion, […]