Sister ARC

27/03/2026

Today l contacted Department of Veterans' Affairs for clarity — just clarity.
I was told there was no update, no decision, no movement. Not even a submission on my claims.
Then moments later… a rejection appears in my MyGov inbox.
Just a decision about my life — delivered without a voice behind it.
I shouldn’t feel like a criminal for asking for help.
None of us should.

We are not numbers.
We are not cases.
We are not problems to process.

We are veterans.
And we deserve dignity, transparency, and basic human respect.

Something has to change.
Because this system is breaking the very people it was meant to support.

23/03/2026

I still remember the words.

When I told them I was pregnant,
the response wasn’t support… it was judgement.

“Well… if you were going to have children,
you would have been issued with them when you joined.”

Issued with them.

That was the mentality.

As if being a woman…
as if becoming a mother…
was somehow going against the system.

There was no understanding.
No support.
No plan.

They didn’t even know what to do with me.

No proper uniform.
No maternity wear.
No dignity in the process.

And the assumption?
That I was just trying to get out of work.

But it went deeper than that.

I was still expected to lift heavy loads —
20 kilos of potatoes,
six, seven months pregnant.

I was abused for going to sick bay.
Called lazy.
Sworn at.
Treated like I was a problem…
instead of a woman carrying life.

That hurt more than anything.

Because I had already proven myself.
Over and over again.

But in that moment…
none of it mattered.

Looking back now, I see it clearly —
it wasn’t weakness.

It was a system that didn’t know
how to hold women in both strength and motherhood.

And so many of us carried that.

Silently.

But not anymore.

💜
For every woman who served
and was made to feel like she didn’t belong
the moment she chose life outside the uniform…

You did nothing wrong.

You were never the problem.

We were just ahead of our time.

22/03/2026

I’m learning to live with this

There are survivors reading this who are in the position of being told to seek help for their PTSD— from the very institutions & organizations that caused their PTSD.

We need (way) more trauma recovery services not affiliated with major medical institutions or the military.

22/03/2026

There’s something I’ve been thinking about lately… that “all or nothing” way of living.

In the Navy, it was go, go, go —
long shifts, pushing through exhaustion, no matter what.
You didn’t stop. You didn’t slow down.
You just kept going.

And then… nothing.
One day off. Collapse. Reset. Repeat.

I didn’t realise at the time how much that pattern wired itself into me.

Even now, I still do it —
I go ALL in, push until it’s done… and then I fall into a heap.

For a long time I thought something was wrong with me.
But it’s not weakness… it’s conditioning.

What happens when strong women are taught to survive instead of being taught to pace themselves.

So now I’m learning something new —
not all or nothing… but something in between.

Because strength isn’t just about pushing through.
It’s also about knowing when to pause without falling apart.

And if you’re a woman who served,
and you feel this too… you’re not alone.

We were trained to endure.
Now we’re learning how to live.

💜

11/03/2026

The fastest growing group facing homelessness in Australia is women over 55.

Let that sink in.

Many of these women worked their whole lives.
Many raised families.
Many cared for others.

And some of them… served our country.

Women over 55 are now the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness in Australia, with thousands already without stable housing and many more at risk. 

In fact, the number of women over 55 experiencing homelessness rose by more than 30% in just a few years, and around 7,300 women in this age group were recorded as homeless in the 2021 Census. 

Many are the “hidden homeless” —
sleeping in cars, couch-surfing, or staying in unsafe situations just to have a roof over their heads.

For female veterans, this risk can be even higher.

Many left service with injuries, trauma, broken careers, or financial instability.

And yet we rarely talk about it.

Housing stability is not a luxury.
It is dignity.
It is safety.
It is recovery.

No woman who served her country should ever face homelessness.

If you or someone you know needs help, there ARE services available across Australia.

I’ve included some national housing and crisis numbers below.

Please save them.
Please share them.

And please check in on the women around you.

Because sometimes the strongest women are the ones silently struggling.

— Vikki
Sister Arc

10/03/2026

Many veterans don’t realise that the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs actually has three different pathways for managing complex or distressed clients.

In theory, these pathways are designed to either support veterans or manage communication when things become difficult.

The three pathways are:

1️⃣ Coordinated Client Support (CCS)
This is meant to help veterans with complex health, wellbeing, or life issues. A coordinator helps navigate claims, services, and support.

2️⃣ Triage & Connect
This pathway is for vulnerable veterans, often those experiencing mental health struggles, crisis, or serious life challenges. The goal is to link them quickly with support services.

3️⃣ Managed Access / UCC (Unreasonable Customer Conduct)
This is the restriction pathway, where communication with DVA may be limited to a single contact, email-only communication, or monitored interactions.

The concern many veterans raise is that sometimes people who are struggling, traumatised, or desperately trying to resolve claims can end up placed into the restriction pathway instead of a support pathway.

Understanding how these systems work helps veterans navigate DVA more effectively and protect their rights.

If you’ve ever felt like the system became harder to deal with when you needed help the most — you’re not alone.

Knowledge matters.
Share so more veterans understand how this system works.

PS l started at 1 and ended up restricted just saying! I had to fight tooth & nail to stop restriction. Appalling treatment from DVA

10/03/2026

Drop in comments your thoughts 👇🏼
What many veterans don’t realise about DVA Managed Access & UCC policies.
Sometimes veterans who are struggling the most end up having their communication restricted with the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Understanding how the system works helps veterans protect themselves and navigate it better.

Knowledge matters.

08/03/2026

Many women veterans have been asking about the timeframe of the current ADF class action and why it begins in 2003.

For those who served in earlier decades, this question can feel deeply personal.

Many women from the 70s, 80s and 90s served during a time when reporting systems were limited and protections were very different from today.

Legal cases often focus on periods where organisations had clear policies, records and documented responsibilities. That can make systemic claims easier to prove in court.

But that does not erase the experiences of women who served before those changes existed.

Every generation of women veterans helped shape the path forward.

At Sister Arc we believe those stories matter — all of them.

Supporting each other.
Listening to each other.
Making sure no one feels forgotten.

Vikki 💜

06/03/2026

🌿 Healing After Military Sexual Trauma

Every woman’s healing path is different.

For some it’s therapy.
For others it’s connection.
Sometimes it’s simply finding a quiet moment in the water, breathing, and remembering we are still here.

In Sister Arc, we recognise that recovery isn’t one single pathway. It can include:

• self-compassion
• safe support networks
• trauma-informed therapy
• meditation and nervous system regulation
• time in nature or water
• reclaiming personal strength and boundaries

If you are struggling right now, please reach out to one of the support services listed below. You do not have to carry this alone.

💜 Sister Arc – Female Veterans Support

05/03/2026

Thinking of you all 💜