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Your Say!

While the Association does not necessary agree or disagree with everything on this page,

we do respect the right of everyone to have their say.

Engage Website.

Laurie Lindsay sent us this:  "Something you may or may not be aware of; Defence has launched a new website called "Engage" to assist current and former members to find support. Engage simplifies the process of finding information and accessing free support and services by providing a common entry point that is electronically accessible from a range of platforms.

Engage connects users to free support and services from government agencies, not-for-profit service providers and charities, based on a range of criteria including needs, geographical location (local, regional, and national), and the support or service required.

Individuals do not need to register to access Engage, and individual use of the website is not tracked. Access the Engage website via https://engage.forcenet.gov.au/

For more info visit Engage FAQs page or contact engage.admin@defence.gov.au  or phone 02 6127 2100."

On 23 September, Defence will sponsor a dinner for DEFGLIS.

DEFGLIS has campaigned for homosexual marriage since 2012. It has also lobbied parliament to remove laws that provide freedoms for religious organisations.

If DEFGLIS gets its way, every private school in Australia will be required to implement the 'Safe Schools' program, which includes having children in year 7 role-play being in a same-sex relationship.

It is completely unacceptable that our taxpayer funds will be diverted to groups supporting the 'Yes' campaign via the Australian Defence Force.

It is completely unacceptable that Defence has no shame in supporting pro-homosexual marriage organisations during the marriage debate. Defence should focus on defending all Australians, not taking sides in the political campaign to redefine marriage.

I have launched a petition calling on the Minister for Defence to stop Defence support and funding of DEFGLIS. The petition is also going to the Shadow Defence Minister and Senator Cory Bernardi from the Australian Conservatives.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE!

Bernard Gaynor

And there's THIS

Arthur Comer.

I haven't got round to writing to the RAM before about a subject that I feel all defence personnel should be made aware of. I was reminded by the article in Issue 58 of the insidious, evil influence increasingly of Islam in Australia. So here goes:

Captain Mona Shindy (below)! You've heard the name. Head of the Guided Missile Frigate System Program Office, Captain Mona Shindy, is also the Chief of Navy's appointed Strategic Adviser on Islamic Cultural Affairs.

Now people who don't understand Islam may accuse me of bias, or the dreaded Islamophobia, but I say, beyond any doubt, Islam represents a long-term threat to the future peace and prosperity of Australia and other Western nations as well.

In a letter published in the Melbourne Herald Sun last year, I described Islam as a vile, disgusting caricature of religion, with its child-brides, polygamy, temporary marriages to prostitutes, female genital mutilation, honour killings and cold-blooded murders and massacres of men, women and children. Islam is based mainly on the Quran, a rambling tome most of which was written down by a desert Arab named Muhammad, who heard 'voices' he ascribed to a god he called Allah.

It is instructive to read some of the teachings and commands of the Quran and other 'sacred' Islamic writings. A selection can be found HERE.

A couple of years ago I purchased a book called 'The Third Choice' by Melbourne cleric Dr Mark Durie (Deror Press). I found it such a wonderful revelation of the true nature of Islam I ended up buying and distributing 46 copies. If I'd been a millionaire, rather than a 'thousandaire' I'd have purchased 50,000 copies.

If you want to better understand Islam, its origin, teachings, blood-stained history and practices, I commend this book to every current or ex member of our armed services. I suggest you get your own copy first, read it then buy fifty more for family and friends. A classic dictum is; 'Know your enemy'!

Get the book, get educated. You can contact Mark at mark@markdurie.com you can read reviews of The Third Choice via Google.

If you really care about Australia, and I'm sure you do, get this book. It’s not in any sense anti-Muslim, in fact Durie takes a Christian perspective and urges Christians to reach out in love to Muslims.

What is The Third Choice? Based on Sura (chapter) 9, verse 29 of the Quran, Islam offers forced conversion to Islam, death (mostly by beheading), or slavery, paying the jizya (a crippling tax, 50% of your income, for the privilege of keeping your head on your shoulders).

I think most readers will have some idea of the frequency and magnitude of Islamic atrocities. There are numerous websites, such as jihadwatch, Qsociety, etc, where a record is kept.

Back to Captain Shindy. To whom is her first allegiance given? Certainly not to Australia. To Islam first, possibly to Labanon second, with Australia somewhere further down. Sadly, I don't believe any fair-dinkum Muslim should ever be allowed into our defence forces, our police forces, our broadcasters, or our parliament.

Opinion!

It is interesting to see the breakup of religions in Australia (as per the 2016 Census):

30.1% of Australians profess to having no religion.

Over the past 50 years, the Christian religions have markedly diminished yet most of the non-Christian religions are on the march. See the table below:

People specifying “no religion” have also markedly increased, see below:

It’s my opinion the increase in the number of people following the Islamic and other non-Christian faiths, is due to the number of like-minded people coming to our shores as a result of our current Immigration policy. This is to be expected, people migrating to another country tend to maintain their current customs, beliefs and they stick together.

Their kids don’t.

The current problem with “Islamic Terrorists” is just that – current. It is today’s problem and as the current immigrants age and fade away, in time the home-grown problem will disappear from our shores. Perhaps the second but definitely the third generation will be moulded into the Australian way of life through mixing with other kids at school, playing and watching sport, listening to music and watching films and through general socialising, peer pressure is just far too strong to ignore. Religion and old customs will not be such an important part of those “New Australians” kid’s lives and just as the Italian and Greek immigrants stood out like sore toes back in the late 50’s, early 60’s, (remember the Mafia?) today you couldn’t pick their descendants if your life depended on it.

We’ll have to put up with the problem for a few more years, but it will heal itself.

And for the record:  

Captain Mona Shindy was born in Egypt in 1968 and migrated to Australia with her family at the age of three. She holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Hons) degree and a Masters of Commerce (Advanced Major in Organisation and Management Studies) degree from the University of New South Wales. She also holds a Masters of Politics and Policy from Deakin University and a Diploma in Export Management.

In our opinion, "Dusty" Martin, Richmond, is one of the best footballers going around today, despite having a funny hair-cut and a bunch of tattoos. If you didn't know who he was you could possibly think he was a football no-body. 

Just by the way he looks.

Judging people by the way they look, by the way they dress, against your narrow minded and perceived ideology is quite silly as nearly always you will be wrong.

Until and unless you know a person you are really in no position to judge at all.

tb

Our nation’s finest now suffering in silence as suicide rates rise.

‘We have failed to look after those who have served their country’.

Graham Richardson

Among other things, Townsville is a garrison town. Soldiers and their families are doing it tough in a city where unemployment is more than 11 percent, twice the national average, resources there are really stretched to try to give them support. Too many veterans are falling through the cracks there and also in the rest of the country. In a city like Townsville the result of the lousy effort we have made to look after those who have served their country in war zones from Korea to Malaya, to Vietnam, to Iraq and Afghanistan and Somalia and Timor is broken marriages, domestic violence, homelessness and, worst of all, high rates of suicide.

In raw numbers, there are more than 10,000 Army and Air Force personnel in Townsville and an even greater number of veterans and their families. Soldiers have different reactions to post-traumatic stress disorder but few veterans are unaffected. It is difficult to track the number of suicides because while the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has 300,000 on their books, there is twice that number not in the system. Veteran support groups have great difficulty in getting exact numbers of suicides. The number most widely used is 78 last year with 39 so far this year meaning little or no ­improvement this year.

I took an interest in this problem and spoke to a number of veterans about two years ago. Sadly while I communicated with two veterans affairs ministers, I achieved little because I spent the last eight months in hospital after my cancer operation and then had a long recovery. I spoke to men who lived as hermits, abused drugs and alcohol, who had no real hope of being in a good enough mental state to be able to work.

All had one thing in common — they complained the DVA treated too many of them very poorly indeed. When I put some complaints to Stuart Robert during his short tenure as minister, there was some improvement in the way the Department treated its clients. But it wasn’t long before their behaviour regressed and I wasn’t around to push the envelope a bit further.

Some 11 months ago the Prime Minister announced a trial of methods to reduce the number of suicides. At the time, it was deemed a “priority”. It is only over the last month or so that any sign of the promised “priority” trial has been detected. The announcement came just days before a big article on soldier suicides was about to appear. Therein lies the problem. Taking care of veterans is only ­important when the lack of decent care has a light shone upon it.

Politicians love to stand next to the troops when the cameras are rolling. They bask in the glory that always surrounds those courageous enough to fight for their country. When there are no lights or cameras though, the easiest Australians to forget are the very same ones the pollies love to be seen to support. Australia is welshing on its debt to our veterans and it’s about time we paid up. If there are real policies to be developed on this front, it would not be a bad idea to throw some of the money in the direction of Townsville where soldiers, veterans and their families make up more than 20 percent of the population.

Old Officers’ Mess – Ballarat.

Peter Schoutens.

The Ballarat/Victorian Airforce Association is looking forward to occupying a section of the renovated ex Officers Mess of the late RAAF Base Ballarat.

They have come forward with the following suggestion:-

To erect a Memorial Monument in front of the Officers Mess, remembering the names of graduated WAGS who then went on to do their vital job during WW2 and lost their lives.

Two shapes have been discussed:-

1.    Similar to the “Prisoner of War” memorial at Lake Wendouree. or

2.    Similar to the “Vietnam Veterans” memorial in Seymour.

Any other suggestion would be welcome.

L-R:  Peter Schoutens,  Carl Schiller,  Keith Pitman.

Pete says:  “I recently conducted an interview with the Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Victoria, Danielle Green MP, on my radio program here in Ballarat, re the release of 4 Grants by the Victorian Government via the Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford MP. (organized by Craig Wilson, Jaala’s media rep.)

The Grant under the heading ‘Victoria Remembers’ exactly covers the erection of our proposed Monument. The application needs to be in before the 26th Aug 2017.

The members of the Vic/Blt Airforce Assc. would appreciate a meeting with the Council’s Representatives involved with the Hut 48 project.

The RAAF School of Radio Association are also very interested in the Hut 48 project, seeing as Ballarat RAAF Base was home to the School of Radio from 1946 till 1961.”

Peter Schoutens.

Airforce Assc. Committee Member.

RAAF Radschool Association Member.

Australia Day

Ernie Gimm sent us this: 

“The anti-Australia Day campaign has begun, and I need your help to fight back.

On the 26^th January, 1788, the First Fleet sailed into Port Jackson. It was the beginning of Western civilisation in our vast, great continent. All the achievements of the West were brought here: the inventions and innovations, the economic development, the arts and architecture, music and literature, and of course, Western democracy and the parliamentary system.

It’s been a magnificent success and we commemorate those triumphs by celebrating Australia Day every January 26.

Everyone loves the 26^th January, except for the left-wing elites who want to move Australia Day because they claim it is ‘culturally insensitive’.

"Yet the date is not an offence to Indigenous people".

The date is a wonderful celebration of what makes Australia great. The drive to erase history and move Australia’s national day is simply a grab for power. And caving in will not solve any problems -- it will only embolden the hard Left.

2018 will see the biggest anti-Australia Day campaign yet. The Australian Local Government Association has said it will fight for a change, while senior Coalition figures like Ian Macfarlane and Jeff Kennett have said they no longer want Australia Day on January 26.

Imagine if a Shorten Labor Government was elected: the Labor/Green alliance would ditch Australia Day immediately.

"We know this grab for power is coming, but we can be ready for it."

It’s six months away but we need to begin our defence now. Let’s fight back and "Save Australia Day."

Click here to sign the petition to save our history and Save Australia Day!”

All the best,

Mark Latham

The Rebel Australia.

Laverton Met Station.

Leslie Medew got in touch, he said:  “Years back I think I can remember a weather balloon facility which was up the back across the road from the Laverton Airbase?  Did they launch balloons regularly from there?  What I would like to know is was the facility up and running in the sixties, did they supply the weather bureau data and was it tracked with the radar at Laverton airbase. There was a webpage with a bit of history about it but I cannot find it now, then I thought it might be in one of your mags.

The AWM pic at right shows a WAAAF Met Assistant about to release a met balloon from the Met Section at Laverton, but it was taken in 1944. I’d like to know if it was still functioning in the sixties.”

If you can help, let us know and we’ll pass on your info to Les - tb.

Serving in the Military.

Ernie Gimm sent us this too:

“Nobody has a ‘right’ to serve in the Military – Nobody!  What makes people think the Military is an equal opportunity employer? Very far from it.

The Military uses prejudice regularly and consistently to deny citizens from joining for being too old or too young, too fat or too skinny, too tall or too short. Citizens are denied for having flat feet, or for missing or additional fingers. Poor eyesight will disqualify you, as well as bad teeth. Malnourished? Drug addiction? Bad back? Criminal history? Low IQ? Anxiety? Phobias? Hearing damage? Six arms? Hear voices in your head? Self-identify as a Unicorn? Need a special access ramp for your wheelchair? Can't run the required course in the required time? Can't do the required number of pushups? Not really a "morning person" and refuse to get out of bed before noon? All can be reasons for denial.

The Military has one job. War. Anything else is a distraction and a liability.

Did someone just scream  "That isn't Fair"? War is VERY unfair, there are no exceptions made for being special or challenged or socially wonderful. YOU change yourself to meet Military standards. Not the other way around. The Military doesn't need to accommodate anyone with special issues. The Military needs to Win Wars.

If any of your personal issues are a liability that detract from readiness or lethality... Thank you for applying and good luck in future endeavours.

Who's next in line?”

And this!!

‘Self-aware’ Army officers to get coached in ‘cross-cultural competence.’

The Australian Army is hiring private “executive coaches” to teach its senior officers “self-awareness”, “emotional intelligence”, “cross-cultural competence” and “interpersonal maturity” in an effort to combat perceptions that they are too “authoritarian, assertive and angry”.

It has also commissioned “psychometric and psychological testing” as part of the Australian Defence Force’s push to transform its culture to fit with modern standards. The Department of Defence has tendered for “executive coaching services” for private and group sessions with its top brass that would not be out of place on the bureaucratic satire Utopia. The top priority referred to in the tender documents is “Self Awareness of Strategic Leadership Style”.

Defence describes this as: “Exploration of personal values, beliefs, attitudes and associations and their impact on personal leadership behaviour.” The 12-month contract — which can be extended for further years — is for a program of up to six sessions for 24 officers, with individual coaching for Brigadiers and Major-Generals and group coaching for Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels. In an accompanying document entitled “Why the Australian Army needs a co-ordinated Executive Coaching Program”, the tender refers to an open letter by Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell to his senior leadership group.

“General Campbell reflects that perceptions of Army officers as bureaucratically authoritarian, assertive and angry do not fit with the evolving cultural requirements of Army and are not helpful in a joint strategic environment,” the document states.  “General Campbell suggests that what is helpful is ethically informed, values based leadership that inspires, resources and enables subordinates to achieve their best work.”

One characteristic the Army is seeking to instil in its officers is described as “cross-cultural competence”, which it defines as “understand(ing) cultures beyond one’s professional and national boundaries”. Officers will be expected to “work effectively with those from other cultures, generations, departments and gender”.

The Army is hiring private executive coaches to teach ‘emotional intelligence’, but the Australian Defence Association argues there’s no need to change leadership style. Another is called “interpersonal maturity”, which is described as “the ongoing development of self-awareness and emotional intelligence”. It also seeks to develop “‘small p’ political sense”, which is “exerting influence across organisations and teams” and communications skills to “succinctly help others to understand complicated issues” and exert “interpersonal influence”.

The document also expects officers to know their “identity” which is “understanding of one’s own values and how they shape leadership style”. Australian Defence Association executive director Neil James said it was a mistake to think the Army needed to change its leadership style.

“You don’t want your army to change too much,” he said. “You want your army to win wars.” Mr James, who served in the army for 31 years, also said it was a popular misconception that the Army was full of officers who were too aggressive. “Armies don’t work because people yell at people,” he said. “It’s teamwork that drives the army, not shouting.” He said leadership skills were already taught extensively within the Army and this program seemed to be more directed at officers dispelling that misconception when dealing with other people and organisations, rather than actually changing themselves.

“It doesn’t matter what coaching you give, there’ll be people out there in society who think that. But that’s society’s problem, not the army’s.”

The individual coaching would apply to 10 Brigadiers and/or Major Generals for six two to three hour sessions each in one year. The group coaching would involve six four hour sessions for 14 lieutenant colonels and/or colonels. The tender also asks for providers to have expertise in applying psychometric testing during the coaching sessions.

“It is preferred that the supplier is also able to demonstrate suitable qualifications and expertise in the use of a range of psychometric and psychological testing and assessment tools for use within coaching, as determined by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency or similar body,” it states.

It also raises the question of officers being psychologically re-evaluated over their careers and whether this should be included in the course, stating: “Defence does not have a standardised program that assesses personality styles or psychological types throughout officers’ careers.”

AND.

The ADF aims to be an inclusive and progressive organization that maximises capability through capitalising on a diverse workforce.

The Strategy identifies immediate diversity priorities for Defence. These priorities align with each stage of the employment life cycle of Defence people - attract, recruit, develop, retain and transition. They also reflect those groups in Defence requiring priority attention, including:

• Women,

• Indigenous Australians,

• People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds,

• People with Disability,

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) persons,

• Mature age and an Intergenerational workforce, and

• Youth.

See HERE.

CRAMMOND CTR20

Robert Hyland got in touch, he said:  “I recently acquired a transceiver (garage find) and have been combing the HAM forums trying to get info on it. I was referred to this site where you have pictures of the same radio posted. The radio I am referring to is CRAMMOND CTR20 (Crammond Radio MFG. CO PTY LTD. Brisbane.  I am hoping to get info on this and am contacting you in the hopes you can shed some light on it.  Kind regard Bob (VK5FRLH)”.

If you can help Bob, let us know and we’ll put you in touch with him.

Bon Hall.

Shirley Paterson (nee Hall) writes:  “Uncle Bon was one of my father’s younger brothers and I was amazed to see the article about him in your magazine, Vol19, Nov 2007 on the internet.

There is mention of an interview on an ABC programme about his time on the Burma-Thailand railway and although we have his books, Dad lost contact with him after attending a Primary School at Fassifern in 1975. If at all possible could you advise me of the programme - I have tried to contact the ABC however I have been told they are unable to help me.

Any assistance you can give me, either pictures or information would be most appreciated.”

If you can help Shirley, please get in touch with us and we’ll pass on your details to her – tb

Caribou into Lord Howe.

Jake Jocobsen got in touch, he says:  "I have a friend who is doing some research into early aviation history at Lord Howe Island. A 38 Squadron Caribou, A4-140, was apparently sent to the island on a medical emergency evacuation flight to transport a badly injured local to the mainland. This was during August 1974.

Apparently due to lousy weather, five attempts were made to land before achieving success. Once on the ground it had to be tied down to a large roller on the runway - I assume due to strong winds.

He would like to know more general interest details about this incident.

If you can help, let us know and we'll pass on your info to Jake  tb.

Australian Army reportedly shuns male recruits in favour of women.

(Ernie Gimm sent us this too)

Army reportedly enforces man ban.                                                              5:32am Aug 11, 2017

Staff at the Australian Defence Force have been told to turn their backs on male recruits in a bid to boost the number of females enlisted.

Australian Defence Force personnel have been told to recruit only women, including for frontline combat roles, or risk being reassigned, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Of 50 army jobs posted this week, only 15 are available to men. The newspaper reports the navy and air force have similar quotas.  Only one of 18 navy jobs listed for the next six months is open to men, and the air force has none at all.

Bernie Gaynor, a former Army officer and Australian Conservatives party member, says the ADF's “politically correct policies have gone beyond bonkers”.  "It is now openly discriminating against males for its combat roles in the Army," he told News Corp.

The Army announced a goal target of 25 percent female staff by 2025.

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