Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [1984]-

Call Number
Nef 362.86840994 VET
Created/Published
[Canberra] : [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
Issue
Vol. 34 No. 3 Spring (September - November 2018)
Images
20
View Catalogue

Contents

VETAFFAIRS 1
A new name for VVCS: Open Arms 1
Sharing the news about DVA in Iraq 1 , 3
Events to honour women unite defence community 1
NEWS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thank you, DVA 2
Reflecting on Vietnam 2
The 'Senior Service' tag 2
Advertising 2
NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT 2
VETAFFAIRS ONLINE 2
Share your story 2
Call for entries for expanded Veterans’ Employment Awards 3
FROM THE MINISTER THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE 3
Free advocacy support can show the way 4
Rebrand will extend vvCS's reach: advocate 4
Annual increase to travel allowances 4
Take the 10,000 Steps Challenge 4
Mental health pilot trials digital coaching app 5
DVA nurse honoured for care during war site Visits 5
Additional support for older Australians 5
Changes to incapacity payments for veterans studying 5
How DVA manages abuse claims 5
ESO NEWS Legacy helps student find her way 6
Veterans rally to offer disaster aid 6
'Journey's End' to open Veterans Film Festival 6
Great War bear project helps students learn of service 6
WIDOWS NEWS Contemporary widows connect during retreat 7
A symbol of women’s silent sacrifice 7
Upgrades to Sydney memorial 7
Advertising 7
TRANSFORMING DVA Veteran insight improving online experience 8
Digital DVA health cards now available 8
Streamlining online services for veterans and their families 8
INVICTUS GAMES Unconquered together 9
Garry Robinson 9
Peter Rudland 9
The very best of the human spirit 9
INVICTUS GAMES TEAM AUSTRALIA 10
How sport saved my life 10
Games give DVA added focus to improve veterans' lives 10
INVICTUS GAMES Meeting challenges head on 11
Sharing in the healing power of sport 11
INVICTUS GAMES It's game on Down Under 12
Stay up to date and have your say 12
ABC line-up celebrates the unconquered 12
TRANSFORMING DVA Sharing the benefits of yoga 13
Regional access trial extended 13
Tailored support for veterans who need it most 13
Better transition for separating ADF members 13
HEALTH Saluting carers – our unsung heroes 14
Free mental health care and subsidised medicines 14
FROM THE CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER AND PRINCIPAL MEDICAL ADVISER Making it easier to access treatment 15
DVA-funded mental health care available to some Reservists 15
Department to cover diabetes organisation membership fees 15
COMMEMORATIONS Allied soldiers' cave graffiti to be protected 16
Diggers' Requiem makes Australian debut 16 , 17
PJ 'Banjo' Paterson's farewell to the fallen 16
Advertising 16
Poppies project reaches full bloom 17
Bells to ring out in remembrance 17
Pipe bands to join in global rendition of 'Battle's O'er' 17
Advertising 18
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL Memorial honours Invictus spirit 18
The Last Post Ceremony story 18
Advertising 18 , 19
MEDALS – LOST & FOUND 19
REUNIONS 19
Advertising 20

Text

VETAFFAIRS  

Vol. 34 No. SPRING 2018 ISSN 0819-8934  

DVA’S FREE NEWSPAPER FOR AUSTRALIA’S VETERAN COMMUNITY  

new name for VVCS: Open Arms  

CENTENARY OR  

ARMISTICE SM  

Blooms, bagpipes  

and bells  

PAGE 17  

INVICTUS GAMES  

SYDNEY 2018  

Your lift-out guide  

PAGES 9-12  

The Veterans and Veterans Fami-  

lies Counselling Service known  

to many as WCS will be officially  

relaunched as ‘Open Arms Veter-  

ans and Families Counselling’ by  

the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs,  

Darren Chester, ahead of the Invic-  

tus Games Sydney 2018.  

Following strong advocacy by  

Vietnam veterans, the service was  

established in 1982 as the Vietnam  

Veterans Counselling Service. In  

2007, it was renamed WCS (the  

Veterans and Veterans Families  

Counselling Service) to reflect the  

fact that the expanded service was  

now available to all Australian  

combat veterans, including peace-  

keepers, and their families.  

The rebranding as ‘Open Arms  

Veterans and Families Counsel-  

ling’ reflects that eligibility has  

again significantly expanded. The  

service is now available to anyone  

who has served day in the ADF,  

and their family.  

The rebranding was led by the  

independent WCS National Advi-  

sory Committee (NAC), which  

unanimously agreed to the new  

name and tagline. The NAC  

includes representatives of all  

of WCS’s client cohorts, includ-  

ing Vietnam veterans, veterans  

and families, as well as other key  

stakeholders.  

The Open Arms brand was co-  

designed with Vietnam veterans,  

currently serving ADF personnel,  

Reservists, partners and families,  

contemporary veterans and WCS  

peer network advisers.  

Open arms are powerful sym-  

bol of support, safety and security  

to the veteran community, par-  

ticularly for Vietnam veterans.  

During the Vietnam War, many  

Australian soldiers saw the Bell  

UH-i Iroquois ‘Huey’ helicopter as  

lifeline as it provided critical sup-  

plies to them during an operation,  

and carried them to safety after-  

wards. To let the pilot know where  

to land, soldier had to stand in  

field with open arms, completely  

vulnerable. The Open Arms logo  

reminds us of those brave soldiers.  

It also represents families wel-  

coming soldiers home, ground  

crew directing planes and the  

counselling service’s policy of wel-  

coming those who need support  

with open arms.  

Members of the veteran commu-  

nity who took part in focus group  

testing found Open Arms posi-  

tive, welcoming and memorable.  

The name resonated with person-  

nel in all three services, while also  

appealing to partners and families.  

The renamed organisation will  

provide the same professional  

service through the same tele-  

phone number, but under more  

recognisable and memorable  

brand.  

To gain access to Open Arms’s free  

and confidential support 24/7, call  

1800011046.  

See also ‘Rebrand will extend  

WCS’s reach: advocate’ on page 4.  

Sharing the news  

about DVA in Iraq  

DVA has in recent weeks for the  

first time taken the message about  

its services and support directly  

to Australian Defence Force (ADF)  

personnel on deployment in Iraq.  

Major Lance Johnson OAM,  

senior member of DVA’s trans-  

formation team, has presented  

series of briefings to ADF col-  

leagues while on deployment  

as an Australian Army Reservist  

with Task Group Taji-7, north of  

Baghdad.  

Task Group Taji-7 is training Iraqi  

Security Forces as part of Opera-  

tion Okra the ADF’s contribution  

to the US-led Global Coalition to  

combat the Daesh terrorist threat  

in Iraq and Syria.  

Major Johnson is serving as  

Unit Safety Officer and Health  

Adviser during his six-month  

deployment. The DVA briefings  

have been ‘bonus’ with the  

support of the Task Group’s Com-  

mander rather than planned part  

of his deployment, and have been  

welcomed by Major Johnson’s  

colleagues.  

‘They love it, they absolutely  

love it,’ he says.  

‘Because we’re on war-like  

operation, every single person has  

an entitlement from the start of  

the deployment, so they’re very  

keyed into the presentation.’  

Major Lance  

Johnson  

OAM  

Major Johnson has, during  

initial longer briefings, offered  

attendees broad overview of DVA  

entitlements and how these tie in  

with relevant legislation. Shorter  

follow-up sessions will remind  

ADF members to cover off with  

their doctor any issues they’ve had  

while deployed.  

Attendees at the sessions have  

appreciated hearing the informa-  

tion from current serving/veteran  

point of view, according to Major  

Johnson.  

‘When they get spoken to by an  

ADF person, talking in their lan-  

guage back to them, they re always  

very keen to listen,’ he says.  

‘lt helps to have that lived experi-  

ence to be actually able to reinforce  

those messages.’  

Continued page  

Events to honour women  

unite defence community  

Attendees at the Last Post  

Ceremony outside the  

Australian War Memorial.  

Hundreds of women connected  

by their own or family member’s  

Australian Defence Force (ADF)  

service attended unprecedented  

events in Canberra in September  

recognising their contribution.  

Organised by the Honouring  

Women United by Defence Service  

committee (with members from  

the War Widows’ Guild of Australia  

NSW, Legacy, RSL NSW, TPI Fed-  

eration of Australia, the Women  

Veterans Network Australia, the  

ADF and DVA), the historic Last  

Post Ceremony and sold-out din-  

ner on 11 September 2018 marked  

the first occasion at which all  

of these organisations worked  

together.  

They were also the first significant  

events at which mothers, daughters,  

sisters and grandmothers of ADF  

members were recognised alongside  

widows, wives, partners and cur-  

renffy and former serving women.  

Timed to coincide with the  

events was DVA’s third Female Vet-  

erans and Veterans’ Families Policy  

Fomm, which provided an oppor-  

tunity for attendees to influence  

and inform current DVA projects.  

Chair of the Honouring Women  

initiative, War Widows’ Guild of  

Australia NSW President Rhondda  

Vanzella OAM, said it was fitting in  

the final year of the Centenary of  

Anzac 2014-18 to recognise women,  

who were often overshadowed in  

national campaigns related to mili-  

tary service.  

She believes the connections  

made through the initiative and  

the resulting momentum have the  

potential to make real difference.  

‘By working together, we can  

bring about stronger voice, better  

support and better understanding  

for all women united by defence  

service/ Mrs Vanzella said.  

Planning is under way for further  

events, including function hon-  

ouring families united by defence  

service during the Invictus Games  

Sydney 2018.  

To learn more, visit facebook.  

com/honouringwomen.  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1168560012

APA citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. (). Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, Retrieved May 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1168560012

MLA citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Canberra]: [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], . Web. 22 May 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1168560012>

Harvard/Australian citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. , Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], [Canberra] viewed 22 May 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1168560012

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  | author1=Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  | title=Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs
  | year=
  | section=v. : ill. ; 35-40 cm.
  | issn=0819-8934
  | issue=Vol. 34 No. 3 Spring (September - November 2018)
  | location=[Canberra]
  | publisher=[Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1168560012
  | id=nla.obj-1168560012
  | access-date=22 May 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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