Episodes
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On this week’s Military Life Podcast Episode, Dr Peggy Brown, one of the three commissioners tasked with leading the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, speaks about the release of the lived-experience book Shining a Light: Stories of Trauma & Tragedy, Hope & Healing.
The trauma-informed book, authored by journalist Patrick Lindsay AM, showcases the lived experience of suicide and suicidal behaviour of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families.
These experiences, which have been at the heart of the Royal Commission during its inquiries, were bravely and generously shared through submissions and evidence.
Commissioner Brown and I also speak about;
- What motivates and fuels her to get up every day and work toward making a difference as one of the Commissioner’s heading the 58th inquiry examining veteran suicide.
-What she thinks needs to happen to ensure the outcomes of this Royal Commission are different and that some significant change occurs.
-What the Commissioners learnt about defence and veteran families.
-Her concern around Defence Families Australia being in caretaker mode for 12 months and working at 65% capacity at such a critical time.
-Why it was important to encourage those with varied experiences and not just those who have been impacted by suicide to step forward and be heard.
-Her frustration at the amount of work she believes Defence still needs to do to support families.
-Thoughts around transition and what is needed to make it a better experience for veterans and their families with better outcomes.
-What has happened following the release of the Royal Commission’s Interim Report, which made 13 urgent recommendations?
-The proposed new entity to follow the Royal Commission and what the commissioners envision that new entity being responsible for.
-How the everyday current serving ADF member and those in leadership positions connect with the findings of the Royal Commission and understand how they can be part of the change.
- What happens when the final report is handed down in September 2024, and who determines whether the responses and the changes are good enough or what the veteran community needs?
*The establishment of the Royal Commission was the product of tireless advocacy by a determined group of individuals with lived and living experience of suicide and suicidality in a military context.
Over the past three years, the Royal Commission has received 5,889 submissions, published 1,011 submissions, received 6,662 phone enquiries, held 886 private sessions, heard 346 witnesses at hearings, and had over 164,000 Livestream views.
Together with Commissioners Brown, Kaldis, and Douglas’s final report, due to be handed down in September, it is hoped the ‘Shining a Light’ book will help drive real and lasting change and lead to a greater understanding of the sacrifices made by those who defend our country, our ADF members and their loved ones-Us.
If you would like to read the ‘Shining a Light’ book, follow the link below to access it for free. A variety of publicly available information regarding the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide can also be accessed via the website.
https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/shining-light
https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/
*TRIGGER WARNING- There is some discussion of suicide in this episode. If this episode brings anything up for you, please contact FREE ADF mental health service Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or, in case of emergency, call 000.
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On this week’s Military Life Podcast episode, I speak with Acting CEO of Defence Bank Marnie Fletcher about her leadership style and how she aligns her values and purpose while working in the financial services sector.
Marnie and I also speak about;
-How her parent's past financial difficulties motivate her to help people create a better life through good financial decisions.
-Joining Defence Bank in 2021 and leading Defence Bank through a period of growth and innovation.
-Learning about the needs of Defence families through engagement with members around the country.
-Working in the financial services sector for over 25 years and how it has shaped her leadership style.
-How Defence Bank being member owned enables better decision-making in the interests of members.
-How Marnie empowers herself and the women around her to lead others, especially in a male-dominated field.
-The best leadership advice Marnie received in her career and life.
Click on the link below to learn more about Defence Bank and the available products and services.
https://www.defencebank.com.au/
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Missing episodes?
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This week's Military Life podcast episode is about the FREE mental Health service available to Defence Partners, current ADF Members, Veterans, and their immediate Families—OPEN ARMS and the recently introduced Model of Care.
This week I caught up with Leonie Nowland, First Assistant Secretary of Open Arms, and Dr Jon Lane, Senior Psychiatrist Advisor with Open Arms and member of the Open Arms National Advisory Committee.
In this episode, we speak about;
-Who can access support and services through Open Arms, and when
-What they know about current serving families and their mental health support needs.
-Understanding the Open Arms services the 43,000 clients access with 38% being current serving members and families.
-The introduction of the first Open Arms Model of Care. Why now, how it was developed, and what does it mean for Open Arms clients?
-The importance of setting the record straight when it comes to misinformation surrounding the new Model of Care.
-The confusion around whether Open Arms clients will or won’t have a 3-6 month/10 session limit of support and…. is there a 3 month waiting period before accessing further services?
-The Open Arms National Advisory Committee's purpose and representation of current serving families.
-We discuss whether the experiences of Veterans vs Family Members are different and should be acknowledged.
-Why Open Arms clinicians, peer support workers, and contractors are military-aware and what that means when it comes to partners and families.
-Do you have to start fresh with a new Open Arms clinician when you post to a new location, or can you continue with your previous provider?
-Current wait times defence partners, members, veterans, and immediate family are experiencing when it comes to accessing services.
-The trauma defence partners and families experience living defence life and why it is important to acknowledge the various stressors encountered on a daily basis.
-Understanding how and when Defence Kids and Teens can access mental health support via Open Arms and the current limitations.
-Why Open Arms can’t provide services for Australian Defence Partners and Families who post to an overseas location.
-Where to access and read the Model of Care https://www.openarms.gov.au/about/our-model-care
Open Arms is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week FREE service. For further information or to access mental health support, you can call 1800 011 046 or visit the website www.openarms.gov.au
Please note: Anyone who has served at least one day in the ADF, their partner, and immediate family members can access support via Open Arms. Even if you are new to military life and haven't completed your paperwork (to be recognised as a couple), you can still reach out for support, and Open Arms will talk you through whatever you are struggling with and also, if needed, refer you to other services.
Ready to join the ML community? Click through the link below to get connected xx
www.militarylife.com.au
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Re-released Episode- Military Life Community Connectors EXPLAINED PART 2
Maybe you have heard about Military Life Community Connectors, or maybe you want to know more about them. This episode is all about who they are, what they do, and why I felt there was a need for the Military Life Community Connector Program.
No one quite gets you like a fellow Defence Partner, but finding and connecting with other partners can be both tricky and nerve-wracking!
It took me 10 years to find a Defence Partner friend. Partly because I didn't realise what I was missing out on. Partly because I was downright scared to step forward to connect. Partly because I was reluctant to put my hand up for support. Partly because I wasn't given the opportunity to connect and belong in my community.
So, when I finally found what I didn't even know I was missing, that connection and support only fellow Defence Partners can give, I felt a weight lift off of me. I caught my breath. I felt like I belonged and wanted every Defence Partner to have what I had found.
That's why I created the ML Community Connector Program and where Community Connectors come in! I wanted to give every Defence Partner the opportunity to CONNECT and BELONG in their community just like I had because I knew in my heart what a huge difference it made having Defence Partner friends in your corner who just got you and defence life.
ML Community Connectors play a vital role for Defence Partners by bringing them together to create meaningful connections with each other, offering peer support and information, empowering Defence Partners with confidence to access local and defence community-related services, and acknowledging the importance of belonging.
Community Connectors are amazing Defence Partners around the country who have stepped forward and put their hand up to volunteer to help connect spouses in their community- the defence community by providing consistent and welcoming spouse-focused events (on weekends and child-free) that ALL Defence Partners can attend.
We currently have ML Community Connectors in Amberley and Enoggera QLD, HMAS Cerberus VIC, Sutherland and Williamtown NSW, Rockingham WA, Adelaide SA, and Canberra ACT. Community Connection events take place regularly (every 6 weeks or so). If you would like to become a Community Connector in your location, get in touch via [email protected]!
Have a listen to Episode 168 (PART 1) first to find out more. If you would like to learn more about a Community Connection Event happening in your area, click through to your ML Closed State/Territory Facebook group for details (links below).
ACT- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongact/
QLD- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongqld/
TAS- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongtas/
VIC- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongvic/
NT- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongnt/
SA- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongsa/
NSW- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongnsw/
WA- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongwa/
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Re-released Episode- Military Life Community Connectors EXPLAINED PART 1
Maybe you have heard about Military Life Community Connectors, or maybe you want to know more about them. This episode is all about who they are, what they do, and why I felt there was a need for the Military Life Community Connector Program.
No one quite gets you like a fellow Defence Partner, but finding and connecting with other partners can be both tricky and nerve-wracking!
It took me 10 years to find a Defence Partner friend. Partly because I didn't realise what I was missing out on. Partly because I was downright scared to step forward to connect. Partly because I was reluctant to put my hand up for support. Partly because I wasn't given the opportunity to connect and belong in my community.
So, when I finally found what I didn't even know I was missing, that connection and support only fellow Defence Partners can give, I felt a weight lift off of me. I caught my breath. I felt like I belonged and wanted every Defence Partner to have what I had found.
That's why I created the ML Community Connector Program and where Community Connectors come in! I wanted to give every Defence Partner the opportunity to CONNECT and BELONG in their community just like I had because I knew in my heart what a huge difference it made having Defence Partner friends in your corner who just got you and defence life.
ML Community Connectors play a vital role for Defence Partners by bringing them together to create meaningful connections with each other, offering peer support and information, empowering Defence Partners with confidence to access local and defence community-related services, and acknowledging the importance of belonging.
Community Connectors are amazing Defence Partners around the country who have stepped forward and put their hand up to volunteer to help connect spouses in their community- the defence community by providing consistent and welcoming spouse-focused events (on weekends and child-free) that ALL Defence Partners can attend.
We currently have ML Community Connectors in Amberley and Enoggera QLD, HMAS Cerberus VIC, Sutherland and Williamtown NSW, Rockingham WA, Adelaide SA, and Canberra ACT. Community Connection events take place regularly (every 6 weeks or so). If you would like to become a Community Connector in your location, get in touch via [email protected]!
Have a listen to Episode 168 (PART 1) and 169 (PART 2) to find out more. If you would like to learn more about a Community Connection Event happening in your area, click through to your ML Closed State/Territory Facebook group for details (links below).
ACT- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongact/
QLD- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongqld/
TAS- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongtas/
VIC- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongvic/
NT- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongnt/
SA- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongsa/
NSW- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongnsw/
WA- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mlstrongwa/
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This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with spouses Emma and Elise about their participation in Cowork Coplay, an amazing program that aims to give Defence Partners the time and space to focus on their career goals and projects, be they related to study, business, or job-hunting.
Emma and Elise went into the Cowork Coplay program, which ran in Adelaide in early 2023, with different expectations, and both walked out of the program with positive outcomes.
Emma and I spoke about;
-Why taking part in the Cowork Coplay program gave her the permission and courage to show up for herself and her goals
-The supportive and understanding environment the Cowork Coplay program creates for participants
-How the Cowork Coplay program helped her feel energised and realise she had so much to offer an employer
-Understanding the value of her skills and deciding to take her career in a new direction
-The confidence fellow participants gave her to be open to new opportunities, apply for jobs, and secure employment by the end of the program
-Connecting with support, services and the Defence community and the positive impact it had on her wellbeing
Elise and I spoke about;
-The impact her remote job was having on her well-being and setting boundaries
-How the career development sessions helped her get clarity around whether to stay in her current role or look for new opportunities
-The incredible support and understanding that was offered by fellow Cowork Coplay participants
-Being seen as more than JUST a Defence partner, setting intentions, goals and figuring out next steps to take action
-The importance of having dedicated time to focus on herself and what she needed to get career focus
-How the Cowork Coplay program helped her fall in love with her job again and see all of the positives it had to offer
As we heard from Emma and Elise’s stories, it is so important Defence Partners are supported with innovative programs like Cowork Coplay to not only support their wellbeing but also provide the time and space for professional development by combining the things that matter: meaningful work, community and family.
Cowork Coplay programs are delivered by Human Quotient Group, a veteran- and female-led Australian social enterprise. The program was created by Claire Harris, a Defence spouse, informed by feedback from the Defence community, her lived experience and professional expertise.
The good news is that the Cowork Coplay program will once again get underway in Adelaide, South Australia, thanks to the support of Veterans SA and for the first time, the Cowork Coplay program will be available in Perth, Western Australia, with the support of Navy.
To find out more information or register your interest in participating, visit the Cowork Coplay website www.coworkcoplay.com.au
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This week on the podcast, my Husband Scott and I talk about our current and past experiences with living apart and being MWDU (Member with Dependants Unaccompanied) or URF (Unaccompanied Resident Family) as it is called now.
In PART ONE, Scott and I also talk about;
• How our 5th MWDU experience went and the big decisions we needed to make
• Why communication and checking in with each other is so important
• How different life stages impact how you experience MWDU & living apart
• Finding out our next posting location and the big changes that are ahead
• Navigating a defence move after being in one location for 13 years
• Supporting our children through their first defence move
• Leaving our dream home so that we can finally all be together again
• Balancing the many emotions of leaving one location and starting fresh in the next
Click through to Episode 166 of the podcast to listen to PART TWO.
Ready to join the ML community? Click through the link to get connected xx www.militarylife.com.au
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This week on the podcast, my Husband Scott and I talk about our current and past experiences with living apart and being MWDU (Member with Dependants Unaccompanied) or URF (Unaccompanied Resident Family) as it is called now.
In PART TWO (click through and listen to PART ONE Ep165 first), Scott and I also talk about;
• Why we decided to wait to tell our children we were moving
• How we approached such a huge conversation with our children
• Shifting from owning our own home to living in a DHA property
• Making space to fully experience our new posting location
• Focusing on the importance of making a home wherever we all are
• Figuring out how to live and parent together again
• The things we are most looking forward to when we are back together
• The heartbreak that comes with saying goodbye to best friends, our chosen family
Ready to join the ML community? Click through the link to get connected xx www.militarylife.com.au
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On this week’s Military Life *Parents Edition* podcast episode, I speak with Spouse and Defence School Mentor Bianca about her new business, ‘Someone I Love is in Defence’.
Bianca and I also spoke about;
• Her journey from being an ADF member herself, transitioning out & finding her feet as a Defence Partner
• Navigating Defence life, starting a family and deciding to take up a role as a Defence School Mentor
• How being a DSM opened her eyes to the need for more and varied resources for Defence Kids
• Deciding to turn her ideas into activity sheets, colouring, activity and storybooks with specific themes for Australian Defence Kids
• Why the support of her Navy husband and FREE entrepreneur courses through the Prince’s Trust and Frontline Labs were key to establishing and launching her business
• The importance of the resources serving a dual purpose- to be entertaining and also facilitate meaningful interactions
• How her activity sheets and books encourage conversations and Defence Kids to ask questions, express emotions, and strengthen their bond with their ADF member
• Focusing on a variety of Defence Life topics like moving, deployment, living apart from your ADF member (URF) and the transition out of Defence
• The importance of co-designing her resources and books with Defence Kids and parents
• How to access free resources via her website and when the activity books and Army, Navy, RAAF books will be available for purchase
Follow Bianca on her ‘Someone I Love is in Defence’ socials via the below links or sign up for her newsletter on her website https://www.someoneiloveisindefence.com.au/ to be the first to know when her colouring, activity and storybooks will be ready to purchase.
Follow along on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/someoneiloveisindefence
Follow along on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/someoneiloveisindefence
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On this week’s Military Life Podcast Episode, enjoy listening to some real talk from a handful of Defence Partners who have previously detailed their spouse journey with us on past episodes.
Episode 163 is all about accessing Defence-related Support and making Spouse Friends.
As you will hear from listening to the stories of Defence Partners Hana, Emma, Jeni, Catherine, Chaia, Cheree, and Chantelle, our journeys are unique yet have many common threads that connect us.
So, get comfy and enjoy listening to this compilation episode that sheds light on the question…
What was it like accessing Defence Family-related Support and Making Spouse Friends?
To listen to the full episode, scroll to Ep121 (24/3/22) for Hana’s story, Ep103 (2/9/21) for Emma’s story, Ep155 (27/7/23) for Jeni’s story, Ep111 (26/11/21) for Catherine’s story, Ep136 (15/9/22) for Chaia’s story, Ep91 (6/5/21) for Cheree’s story or Ep107 (710/21) for Chantelle's story.
Did you know that you can access various Defence-related services and support? Check my online Defence Partner INFO Hub for all the contact details Defence Partner INFO Hub - Military Life or download the Defence Member and Family Information Guide (thanks to DMFS) Click HERE to read
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On this week’s Military Life Podcast Episode, enjoy listening to some real talk from a handful of Defence Partners who have previously detailed their spouse journey with us on past episodes.
Episode 162 is all about how Defence Partners support their Mental Health while living Defence Life.
As you will hear from listening to the stories of Defence Partners Chaia, Catherine, Rachael, Nicole, Kim, and Amanda, our journeys are unique yet have many common threads that connect us.
So, get comfy and enjoy listening to this compilation episode that sheds light on the question…
How do Defence Partners Support their Mental Health while living Defence Life?
To listen to the full episode, scroll to Ep136 (15/9/22) for Chaia’s story, Ep111 (26/11/21) for Catherine’s story, Ep131 (11/8/22) for Rachael’s story, Ep89 (15/4/21) for Nicole’s story, Ep82 (11/2/21) for Kim’s story or Ep87 (25/3/21) for Amanda’s story.
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Defence Partners + Career = Complicated!
On this week’s Military Life Podcast Episode, enjoy listening to some real talk from a handful of Defence Partners who have previously detailed their spouse journey with us on past episodes.
Episode 161 is all about how Defence Partners focus on and further their Careers while living Defence Life.
As you will hear from listening to the stories of Defence Partners Amelia, Brooke, Jade, Freya, Elle, and Bec, our Career journeys are unique yet have many common threads that connect us.
So, get comfy and enjoy listening to this compilation episode that sheds light on the question…
How do Defence Partners envision their careers actually working alongside Defence Life?
To listen to the full episode’s scroll to Ep54 (25/6/20) for Amelia’s story, Ep56 (16/7/20) for Brooke’s story, Ep63 (3/9/20) for Jade’s story, Ep146 (2/3/23) for Freya’s story, Ep19 (4/9/19) for Elle’s story or Ep41 (27/2/20) for Bec’s story.
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On this week’s Military Life *Parents Edition* podcast episode, enjoy listening to some real talk from a handful of Defence Partners who are already Parents or are planning for a family in the future.
Arusha, Bianca, Ashley, Anika and Bec have all previously detailed their spouse journey on past episodes, and as you will hear from listening to their stories, our experiences are unique yet have many common threads that connect us.
So, get comfy and enjoy listening to this compilation episode that sheds light on the question… How do you even plan for a family while living defence life, let alone support defence kids through the challenges and celebrations that come with it?
To listen to the full episode’s scroll to Ep23 (2/10/19) for Arusha’s story, Ep80 (28/1/21) for Bianca’s story, Ep7 (16/5/19) for Ashley’s story, Ep18 (28/8/19) for Anika’s story or Ep17 (21/8/19) for Bec’s story.
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This week on the podcast, enjoy listening to some real talk from a handful of Defence Partners who have previously detailed their spouse journey with us on past episodes.
Episode 159 of the Military Life Podcast is all about what it’s really like to become a Defence Partner and live Defence Life.
As you will hear from listening to the stories of Defence Partners Nicole, Rae, Katie, and Amanda, our experiences are unique yet have many common threads that run so deep and connect us.
So, get comfy and enjoy listening to this compilation episode that sheds light on the question… What was your introduction to Defence Life really like?
To listen to the full episodes, scroll to Ep89 (15/4/21) for Nicole’s story, Ep125 (28/4/22) for Rae’s story, Ep86 (18/3/21) for Katie’s story or Ep87 (25/3/21) for Amanda's story.
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On this week’s Military Life Podcast episode and as the Defence Community start to receive news of postings and possible moves, I re-release PART TWO of my chat with Defence Partner and Declutter Expert Tara Tuttle.
Tara knows the challenges of Defence Life and moving and packing and unpacking and all the things!
Tara also knows the challenges Defence Families can face when it comes to organisation, clutter, holding onto things, feeling overwhelmed and how physical and mental clutter are often connected.
In PART TWO, Tara and I talk about;
-Just in case items and how they hold us down
-When excess and clutter prevent us from living the way we want to live
-Setting aside time to declutter and organise and starting small in order to avoid overwhelm
-Taking time to find or create homes for our belongings when we post into a new location
-How that can allow us, mentally, to feel more settled
-How deciding to let go of stuff is just the first step in the process and how having a plan and committing to the whole process is key.
PLEASE NOTE: This podcast episode was recorded a couple of years ago, and while the content is still so relevant, it should be noted that Tara does not currently operate the Life Coach/Decluttering business she mentions in this podcast episode and is no longer recording new episodes of her BeUncluttered Podcast. To listen to past episodes, check it out here
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On this week’s Military Life Podcast episode and as the Defence Community start to receive news of postings and possible moves, I re-release PART ONE of my chat with Defence Partner and Declutter Expert Tara Tuttle.
Tara knows the challenges of Defence Life and moving and packing and unpacking and all the things!
Tara also knows the challenges Defence Families can face when it comes to organisation, clutter, holding onto things, feeling overwhelmed and how physical and mental clutter are often connected.
Tara and I talk about;
-The two types of people when it comes to decluttering
-How Defence Life can lead us to be less critical about our belongings
-How saying yes to having LESS physical possessions or mental clutter allows us to make space for what is really important
-All things decluttering and letting go
In PART TWO of this podcast episode, Tara and I talk about just-in-case items and how they hold us down, when excess and clutter prevent us from living the way we want, setting aside time to declutter and organise, and so much more.
PLEASE NOTE: This podcast episode was recorded a couple of years ago, and while the content is still so relevant, it should be noted that Tara does not currently operate the Life Coach/Decluttering business she mentions in this podcast episode and is no longer recording new episodes of her BeUncluttered Podcast. To listen to past episodes, check it out here
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On this week’s Military Life *Parents Edition* podcast episode, I speak with Defence Partner Chrissy who went on a blind date with an ADF member 13 years ago and never looked back.
Chrissy and I also talk about;
-Why, after backpacking solo for five years, the Defence lifestyle really suited her
-How her attitude to the unknown of defence life changed once children came into the picture
-Balancing Defence life with career & the needs of her son, who is autistic with a mild intellectual disability
-Why their family is now living apart after her RAAF husband received a posting to Richmond
-The reasons that forced her hand when it came time to decide whether to post with her husband
-The lack of support and services available for Defence families with a child with additional needs
-How living apart has been going and being faced with living apart for another 7+ years
-Questioning whether choosing stability and support for their kids over living together was the right decision
-Stepping back into the workforce after an eight-year gap and balancing all the things
-Staying connected thanks to Facetime and spending quality time together on weekends
Did you know that Defence Partners, defence children and those considered to be a recognised other person, who have additional needs, can apply to get those additional needs recognised?
Defence may provide special needs benefits for resident family members with physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, sensory impairments, learning or behavioural difficulties, speech disorders and other medical illnesses or impairments.
To apply, your ADF member will need to download a copy of the Application for Recognition of member with dependant with special needs (AC832) form from the Web Forms portal on the Defence Protected Network (DPN).
To find out more info visit the Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) website here
https://pay-conditions.defence.gov.au/register-resident-family-members-special-needs
You can also access support online or in your area via the Defence Special Needs Support Group (DSNSG) here http://dsnsg.org.au/
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On this week’s Military Life podcast episode, I caught up with Defence Partner Jeni, who was a guest on the podcast on ep98.
Back in 2021, Jeni and I spoke about her upcoming move across the country for her husband’s first posting, the transition from civilian to defence family life after being together for 13 years, leaving friends and family and helping their kids start fresh in WA.
We also spoke about acknowledging your capacity when taking on the mental and physical load of the household while also figuring out Defence Life.
In this episode, Jeni updates us on how the move went and what the first few years of Defence Life have been like for their family.
We cover it all. Settling kids, experiencing their first deployment, finding employment, living in DHA housing for the first time, being on the other side of the country from friends and family and everything familiar.
Scroll back to ep98 if you would like to refresh your memory by listening to Jeni’s original episode, but be sure to come back and listen to this ep (155) because it has such great insight regarding the first few years of Defence Life!
Ready to join the ML community? Click through the link to get connected xx
www.militarylife.com.au
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On this week's Military Life *Parents Edition* podcast episode, I speak with spouse Simone about the first 5 years of Defence Life and supporting her two kids through huge changes.
Simone and I also talk about;
-Her husband’s connection to Defence & how that played into his decision to join
-Why Defence Force Recruiting told her Husband to come back in a year or two
-The importance of making the decision to become a Defence Family together
-Why no amount of research or advice could prepare them for living Defence life
-The true toll separation takes on the spouse, the kids and the ADF member
-Expectation of what Defence life would be like vs the reality
-First Posting, First Deployment and Everything in between
-Supporting kids who had to get used to Dad not being home every night
-The balance of looking after her needs, the kids needs & the ADF members
-The pros and cons of posting to the same location they lived in before joining Defence
-The first deployment and why it helped connect Simone to the bigger Defence picture
-Possible future postings and why Defence might not be a ‘for life’ option
NEW to Defence Life? Pop over to the Defence Partner Info Hub. I’ve translated all that ‘defence speak’, untangled information and laid it all out in one easy-to-navigate space in easy-to-understand language https://militarylife.com.au/defence-partner-info-hub/
Ready to join the ML community? Click through the link to get connected xx www.militarylife.com.au
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In this week's podcast episode and as part of Pride month, I re-release my chat with Racheal Cosgrove, President of DEFGLIS, the Defence LGBTI Information Service.
Racheal and I spoke about;
How and why DEFGLIS started Who DEFGLIS support and represent How DEFGLIS has changed and evolved over the years The impact DEFGLIS has had on the lives of LGBTI Defence members and their families Why it is important to have a group like DEFGLIS The safe and secure space DEFGLIS offers for LGBTI members and their families Why DEFGLIS are working to stamp out discrimination in the workplace Some of the ways DEFGLIS have helped change Defence policy & practices Why it is so important DEFGLIS continue to advocate for policy change How DEFGLIS help connect the LGBTI defence community The impact of not feeling as though you can come to work as your whole self creates Why feeling misunderstood or unsupported at work leads to a reduction in output and how that impacts capability How to be an ally for fellow defence families who are part of the LGBTI community How those who are part of the LGBTI Defence community can reach out for help and supportIf you would like to find out more information about DEFGLIS or pass on the links to someone who might be interested, there are a few ways to do so;
Website- https://www.defglis.com.au/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/DEFGLIS
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/defglis/
Ready to join the Military Life community? Click through the link to get connected xx www.militarylife.com.au
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