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PRINT POST APPROVED PP100008161 WAR IN SOUTH CHINA SEA? MEFLOQUINE IN THE ADF THE ADF AT WORK NON LIABILITY HEALTH CARE CPL COSMOS REPORTS AND MUCH MORE! DEFENCE FORCE WELFARE ASSOCIATION www.dfwa.org.au THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE DEFENCE FORCE WELFARE ASSOCIATION Vol. 47. No. 2 Second Edition 2016 PROUDLY SERVING MEMBERS OF THE ADF AND THEIR FAMILIES SINCE 1959 EDITOR A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Mr Les Bienkiewicz This edition was difficult to compile given the date of the federal election, so there is little on PO Box 4166 DFWA policies etc. Nevertheless I trust you enjoy reading the magazine, and if you do, please KINGSTON ACT 2604 pass it along to a friend, neighbour or drop it off at your doctors etc office ! I also encourage P: 0411 444 248 E: [email protected] you to support our sponsors, whose advertisements are in the magazine. Les Bienkiewicz Please do not contact the Editor or National Office for membership enquiries etc. Branch contact details are at page 4, and in Branch News at the end of this magazine. If unsure, please CONTENTS SECOND EDITION 2016 then contact the National Office. Contact Details 4 From the President’s Pen 5 Camaraderie is produced with the object of keeping every member abreast of the more National Office Roundup 6 important actions taken by the Association on The Coming War for the South China Sea 7 behalf of its members, as well as keeping them informed about matters of interest. Letter to the Editor 12 It is published three times a year and distributed The ADF at Work - HMAS Darwin 13 free of charge to every member of the Australian Values 14 Association usually in March, July and December. The Use of Mefloquine in the ADF 15 Members are particularly encouraged to submit Mefloquine and PTSD - A Personal Experience 17 brief articles for consideration for publication in Camaraderie. My Experiences as a Muslim Soldier in the Australian Army 19 Articles by members about their own views or Non-Liablility Health Care 20 experiences often stimulate wide discussions Human Rights of Military Retirees Breached 21 and alert other readers to particular points not Service in North Russsia Wins Two Aussies the Victoria Cross 22 previously highlighted or appreciated. Money Matters: Do you have a Life Plan? 23 Members are also invited to send letters for publication as “Letters to the Editor”. Defence Suicides 24 Where is Defence Housing Headed? 25 Material for inclusion in the next edition should reach the Editor at the The DFWA submission to the Senate Hearing into the operations of the DHA 25 above address, ideally as a MSWord Letters to the Editor 30 document attached to an email, no later than 3 November 2016. What is a Lexofile? 31 The views expressed in individuals’ CPL Cosmo 32 authored articles are theirs and do DFWA Membership - Remember things have changed!! 33 not necessarily reflect the views of DFWA Shop 34 the Association, except where expressly stated. The ADF at Work 2 - Building for Education 35 Copyright: All articles and illustrations are Application to Join or Renew 36 copyright unless otherwise stated. They should How can I access my Old Service Records? 37 not be sold or passed on to non-subscribers in The Veteran Reintegration Study 37 any form. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the Branch Reports 38 Editor. Donation Slip 42 Liability: Although material used in Camaraderie is checked for accuracy no liability FRONT COVER can be assumed for any losses due to the use of Formation flight with a Bristol F2B Fighter (aircraft type flown by No. 1 Squadron in World War 1) and F/A-18F any material in this magazine. Super Hornets from No. 1 Squadron. The flight was in aid of No. 1 Squadron's Centenary celebrations and was designed to specifically mark No. 1 Squadron's first operational sorties on 12 June 1916. The Bristol F2B Fighter Advertising: All enquiries to the editor. was provided by TAVAS (WWI vintage aircraft society) and flown by Jack McDonald. The Bristol was painted in This edition published by: WWI-era 1 Squadron colours and had the tail number B1229. The tail number was flown by Ross McPherson Defence Force Welfare Association in Smith who achieved 10 of his 11 victories in this aircraft. Photo courtesy of Defence Media association with Rotary Down Under Incorporated. CAMARADERIE 3 DEFENCE FORCE WELFARE ASSOCIATION Patron: His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) President: David Jamison Executive Director: Alf Jaugietis National Treasurer: Paul Jones Past President: Adrian Clunies-Ross Vice President, Reserves Jim Barry FOUNDED 1959 Vice President, Conditions of Service: Les Bienkiewicz Vice President, Advocacy & Compensation: Kerry Mellor Vice President, Defence Widows: Annette Sadler Editor Camaraderie: Les Bienkiewicz Honorary Families Advisor: Robyn Richie Honorary Legal Advisor: Don Malcolmson Honorary Medical Advisor: Mike Dowsett Honorary Communications Advisor: Trevor Dixon Honorary Industrial Relations Advisor: Marcus Peake Honorary ADF Vocational Training Advisor: Ken Grierson Postal address: PO Box 4166 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Telephone: (02) 6265 9530 (+Answering service) E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.dfwa.org.au Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 0900 to 1630 hrs Administrative Assistant: Chelsea Wilson BRANCH DETAILS The Association has active Branches in: QUEENSLAND (ph 07 32334480) - [email protected] NEW SOUTH WALES (ph 02 83355447) - [email protected] ACT (ph 02 62659496) - [email protected] VICTORIA (ph 03 92824959) - [email protected] SOUTH AUSTRALIA (ph 0409 577 035) - [email protected] WESTERN AUSTRALIA (ph 08 93834055) - [email protected] Members of the Association are members of a State Branch of their choosing. Members from Tasmania are normally managed by Victoria Branch, and members in the Northern Territory are normally managed by Queensland Branch. Members with membership queries including change of address, or seeking advocacy advice, should contact their respective Branch. Full Branch details, including contact details, can be found on our website www.dfwa.org.au and in the Branch Reports at the end of this magazine. If in any doubt, contact the National Office. DFWA WELFARE TRUST FUND The Association maintains a Welfare Trust Fund for the welfare of members of the Association and regular members of the ADF and Reserves on fulltime duty or their widows/widowers and dependants who are in urgent and necessitous circumstances involving real hardship. The Trustees are: Major General Adrian Clunies-Ross AO, MBE (Retd); Commodore Phil Mulcare (Retd) and Mr Geoffrey White. Applications for a loan or grant are made via State Branches. 4 CAMARADERIE CAMARADERIE FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PEN In July Australians will be voting for their future but our national promise to remember. We owe more than the respect of history, as at the time of writing this (mid June) it is unclear or solemn acknowledgement of honoured memory. ..... Our obligation is for what the Coalition stands for in its view on our practical help, a caring arm and a helping hand for those who come home society. and better support for their families.” The ALP has made its view clear and will take us in These are fine sentiments, but we have heard it all before, haven’t we !!! a direction away from our former established If they are to mean anything, they must be followed up with policy norms which are based on the Judeo/Christian decisions that have a positive impact on the defence community. These world view to one which is more heavily influenced must address the long standing policy failures of successive governments by the humanism world view with its relativism. I and ensure our veterans, particularly those of the more recent conflicts, am tempted to think this is also the direction favoured by the Liberal can easily access the DVA support they need without the current Party as well; all this in an increasingly uncertain and unstable region obstacles of the adversarial and bureaucratic processes causing further surrounding us with yet a different world view based on Islamic harm to them. Too many of our younger veterans suffer mental and teachings. Australia’s tolerance of alternative viewpoints is something emotional harm simply trying to navigate their way to obtain the help we need to cherish and we must resist any move to restrict this or our the Nation owes them. freedom to express our point of view. Our freedoms have been hard won and the men and women of our defence force have and continue We must ensure our newly elected representatives live up to their to pay a very heavy price for them. We owe it to them to vote responsibilities and ensure the Nation in the words of former PM Billy intelligently at the election. At the time of penning this, it is not clear Hughes, “does its duty to them”. The need for a “Military Accord” or who will prevail on 2 July but the choice seems to be between two sides covenant has never been evident. The absence of a formal written wanting head in a similar direction who are promising to spend tax compact that acknowledges the unique nature of military service and payers money in slightly different ways to court our vote, but also adding the demands this places on defence members, means government to the national debt our children will have repay. Of course the defence policies and legislation have nothing against which to be benchmarked. community yet again seems to taking a low priority with not much This has been a significant factor leading to the unsatisfactory treatment proposed to fix the long standing issues adversely impacting serving and of serving and former ADF members and their families meted out to former ADF members and their families.