Drouin RSL Sub-Branch

05/06/2026

26/05/2026

Baw Baw Veterans and Families Centre manager Ben Vahland fears restricting veterans' access to funded allied health services would lead to higher su***de rates.

24/05/2026

Happy 100th birthday to Grace!! 🎉🎂

Grace served in the Navy during WW2 decoding signals.

Grace and Gwen have known each other for 71 years!

19/05/2026

Well said!

Ben Vahland [Manager of Baw Baw Veterans and Family Centre] raises serious concerns as to the affects of the budget relating to the capping of certain treatments for Veterans.

Allied Health Cap For Veterans - As announced in the Budget.

Ben shares his concerns with Mary Aldred and others.

Open Letter to the Honourable Member for Monash

18 May 2026

Dear Mary,

I am writing to you not only as an injured veteran, but as someone who has spent years advocating for veterans and their families.

Through my leadership positions in an Ex-Service Organisation, advocacy work and my own lived experience, I have seen firsthand the consequences of inadequate support, delayed treatment, chronic pain, trauma, isolation, and systems that fail the very people they were meant to protect.

That is why I am deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s decision to introduce a $5,000 annual cap on allied health care for veterans.

For many Australians, allied health services may sound optional. For injured veterans, they are not. They are a necessity.

Physiotherapy helps manage lifelong physical injuries sustained during service. Psychology supports veterans living with trauma, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Exercise physiology and occupational therapy assist veterans to remain employed, support their families, maintain independence, and retain some quality of life after service.

These services are not luxuries. They are essential.

What concerns me most is that this cap will force injured veterans to make impossible decisions about which aspects of their health they can afford to prioritise. No veteran should have to choose between managing physical pain or protecting their mental health simply because of an arbitrary funding limit.

That burden of decision-making is being placed on people who are already unwell, already vulnerable, and already carrying the long-term consequences of their service.

The reality is that many injured veterans will exceed this cap quickly. Service-related injuries do not disappear after a handful of appointments, nor do they neatly fit within a budget measure.

When the funding runs out, veterans are left with impossible choices: pay out of pocket, stop treatment, or watch their physical and mental health deteriorate further. Maybe even the decision of if their family is better off without them.

It is my strongly held belief that this policy will increase the rate of veteran su***de.

Not because veterans are weak, but because untreated trauma, chronic pain, financial stress, loss of support, and isolation are all recognised risk factors for su***de. Reducing access to care does not reduce need. It simply leaves vulnerable people with fewer supports during periods of crisis.

I also request that this letter is provided to the former Commissioners of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Su***de, particularly Mr Nick Kaldas, whom I spoke with personally during the Royal Commission process.

It is my strong belief that policies which restrict treatment and rehabilitation access for injured veterans are entirely contrary to the intent and spirit of the Royal Commission’s work and findings.

The Royal Commission heard countless stories from veterans and families who suffered after falling through gaps in care, support, and accountability. Its purpose was to prevent further harm — not create additional barriers to treatment for those already struggling.

Australia asked us to serve. We accepted the risks and responsibilities that came with that service. Many of us returned home carrying injuries that will last a lifetime.
To now place arbitrary financial limits on essential care sends a devastating message: that injured veterans are no longer viewed as people deserving support, but as costs to contain.

I also wish to express my profound disappointment with the manner in which this policy was presented publicly by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Mr Matt Keogh. Assurances that veterans will not miss out on healthcare simply do not align with the lived reality of injured veterans who rely on ongoing treatment to function day to day.

I ask you to publicly oppose this cap and advocate for veterans to retain access to the treatment and rehabilitation they need.
Supporting veterans must not end once the uniform comes off.

Please also provide this letter to the Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, The Hon. Michael McCormack MP.
Copy also sent to the Honourable Member for Narracan, Mr Wayne Farnham.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Vahland

15/05/2026

Our noticeboard in the clubrooms has been updated with photos from Anzac Day.
Thank you to Liz for keeping it up-to-date

12/05/2026

RIP
Lest we forget

The RSL extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Warrant Officer Class Two Lachlan Muddle, a Special Air Service Regiment soldier fatally injured during a parachuting training course at Jervis Bay Airfield on 11 May 2026.

RSL National President, Peter Tinley AM, said: "Every Australian who puts on a uniform accepts a level of sacrifice that most of us will never be asked to make. WO2 Muddle was training to serve and protect our country, and that commitment deserves our deepest respect and gratitude. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers at this incredibly difficult time."

One other soldier was injured in the incident but did not require hospitalisation. We wish them a full and swift recovery.

The RSL stands ready to support veterans and their families through these difficult times.

If anyone in the veteran community needs support, please reach out to Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 or Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14.

09/05/2026

Well look at that!! 🤣🤣🤓

Jenni Coombes' service with the Royal Australian Navy was more than a job, it was where she formed lifelong friendships and connections with people she can still rely on today.

05/05/2026

Make sure you get a copy of the Gazette today.

01/05/2026

The Australian Defence Medal (ADM) was introduced in 2006 to recognise Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who have served their country since the conclusion of World War Two.

For some time, the ADM has, incorrectly, been referred to as the “Four Year Medal” due to the belief that you were only awarded it after 4 years of ADF service in the Regular or Reserve forces.

It is awarded to a member who has completed their “fixed period of enlistment”, or a period of four years, whichever is the lesser. To put this in context, in the 80’s some categories of service in the Army only required you to commit to a fixed period of service of three, and sometimes 2 years, particularly in the case of females. So, if your fixed period of enlistment was 3 years, and you completed that enlistment, then you are entitled to the ADM.

Former members who did not complete the qualifying period may also be eligible if they:
- Died in service;
- Were medically discharged;
- Discharged from service due to a discriminatory Defence policy of the time; or
- Discharged from service as a consequence of mistreatment (bullying and harassment etc).

Of note is “discriminatory Defence policy”. This relates to circumstances that would have resulted in a member’s early termination from the ADF, with such policy not existing today due to advances in equality, diversity and human rights in general.

Now deemed as ‘discriminatory policy’, was early termination of enlistment due to;
- Identifying as Transgender – before 1 June 2010.
- Homosexuality – before 24 November 1992.
- Pregnancy – before 7 January 1975.
- Marriage – before 1 January 1970.
- Retention after Marriage – before 21 March 1984.

If you were unable to complete your initial period of enlistment, or four years, due to being terminated from the ADF for any of the above discriminatory policy, then you are entitled to be awarded your ADM.

For further information on the ADM and assistance in applying for the medal, please contact Ian (Sub Branch Secretary) email [email protected]

You deserve to be recognised for your service.

27/04/2026

Well done!

Private Andrew Gordon, a respected member of Warragul RSL, delivered a poignant performance of the Last Post at the MCG on ANZAC Day, moving a crowd of 100,000 spectators and an estimated 5-6 million television viewers. His dedication shone through in every note. Andrew later shared when asked how his nerves were, 'I was doing this for all who served,' highlighting his selfless commitment.