156.No Choice but to Live Apart-Supporting a Child with Additional Needs Vs Defence Life
Release Date: 08/03/2023
182.An Assistance Dog saved my Veteran
Military Life
RE-RELEASED EPISODE This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with Army spouse Mel about a service dog called Maxx and how he saved her husband Damien. Mel and I also speak about; -What it’s like when your Husband deploys every two years -Her Husband’s decision to be proactive in seeking mental health support -Why a service dog was the right fit for her Husband and their family -Defence Community Dog program and the support the Defence Bank Foundation give the program -The impact Maxx has had on her Husband’s everyday life and their family life -The type of support Maxx provides...
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181.A Focus on the Wellbeing of Army Families
Military Life
This week on the Military Life Podcast, I had the privilege of having an authentic, informative, and real defence family-focused conversation with the Chief of Army Australia, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart. I have now met and spoken with Lieutenant General Stuart several times, in various settings, focused on discussing a range of defence family topics. There have been ten-minute conversations at defence events and hour-long conversations in Lieutenant General Stuart's pretty impressive office in Canberra for this podcast episode (even though the recording was supposed to be a 30-minute...
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180.PART TWO-Helping Spouses take their Careers to the Next Level!
Military Life
This week on the Military Life podcast, Veteran Spouse Jo returns for PART TWO of her episode. In episode 179/PART ONE, Jo detailed her 15-year Defence Partner journey over 9 postings across New Zealand and Australia, her husband’s transition, and her decision to take her career in a new direction. In PART TWO, Jo and I speak about; -Why she decided to pursue Career Coaching and focus on helping Defence Partners -What a Career Coach does and why it is so much more than helping people with their resumes -The joy and satisfaction Jo gets from helping Defence Partners take their careers...
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179.PART ONE-15 year Defence Partner journey over 9 postings
Military Life
On this week’s Military Life podcast episode, Veteran Spouse Jo details her 15 year Defence Partner journey over 9 postings across New Zealand and Australia. In PART ONE, Jo and I speak about; -Embracing support, finding community, and making lifelong friends -Discussing her spouse experience vs that of the 2024 Defence Partner -How she ensured her relationship with her Defence Member stayed strong -Communication, understanding & the mental load a Defence Partner carries -Resilience vs Limits and the point of impact on the Spouse and Defence Kids -Choosing transition, figuring out...
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178.Let's CELEBRATE 175 Episodes with Words of Wisdom & Real Talk from Defence Partners PART 2
Military Life
This week on the Military Life Podcast, I have put together a compilation episode with real talk and words of wisdom offered by some of the Defence Partners who have been gracious enough to tell their story on the podcast over the last 5 years! FIVE YEARS…. Can you even believe it? What a huge milestone for all of us to celebrate. Five years of the podcast, 175 episodes and 100,000 downloads. I want to say thank you to all of you for sharing your stories, listening, supporting, connecting, building this community with me, empowering yourselves and each other by accessing and sharing...
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177.Let's CELEBRATE 175 Episodes with Words of Wisdom & Real Talk from Defence Partners PART 1
Military Life
This week on the Military Life Podcast, I have put together a compilation episode with real talk and words of wisdom offered by some of the Defence Partners who have been gracious enough to tell their story on the podcast over the last 5 years! FIVE YEARS…. Can you even believe it? What a huge milestone for all of us to celebrate. Five years of the podcast, 175 episodes and 100,000 downloads. I want to say thank you to all of you for sharing your stories, listening, supporting, connecting, building this community with me, empowering yourselves and each other by accessing and sharing...
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176.A Focus on the Wellbeing of Navy Families
Military Life
This week on the Military Life Podcast, I had the privilege of having a genuine, insightful and defence family-focused conversation with Chief of Navy Australia Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. Throughout my time as not only a Defence Partner but also now through my work in the defence family space, I have interacted with people from all services, various ranks, departments, and positions, and you get a feel when someone is genuine. You get a feel when someone wants to listen, wants to understand, wants to acknowledge, and values the defence family perspective. Vice Admiral Hammond is one of those...
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175.Buying & Selling-Making your Money and Defence Allowances work for YOU!
Military Life
Posting to a new location is a huge life event. Whether you do it every few years or, like me, have long stretches between moves because you choose to URF (unaccompanied Resident Family), it can be a lot. Throw in selling a property, and the TO DO list can seem overwhelming. It’s understandable that maybe you just want to take a minute between selling in one location and buying in the next so that you can catch your breath, unpack, and explore your new location. Soooo, in the meantime, what do you do with the funds from the sale of your property, and which defence allowances can you access?...
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174.PART 2-Posting Overseas-Spouse Nicole's Experience
Military Life
On this week’s Military Life podcast episode, I ask Defence Partner Nicole, who is currently posted in the USA with her ADF member and two children, ALLLL the overseas posting questions you didn’t even know you needed answered! In PART TWO, Nicole and I talk about; - The regret Nicole and her Husband felt about moving overseas once the dust had settled - The impact on her mental health when the reality of being so far from home set in - Feeling like everything is hard and different and figuring out their new normal - Finally settling into living overseas and finding the positives - Being...
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173.PART 1-Posting Overseas-Spouse Nicole's Experience
Military Life
On this week’s Military Life podcast episode, I ask Defence Partner Nicole, who is currently posted in the USA with her ADF member and two children, ALLLL the overseas posting questions you didn’t even know you needed answered! In PART ONE, Nicole and I talk about; -Why the timing was right for their family to apply for an overseas posting -What happens once you get the official word your family will be posted overseas -Differences between the overseas posting Nicole and her Husband did 10 years ago and now -The practical stuff like paperwork and appointments that need to get done and STAT...
info_outlineOn this week’s Military Life *Parents Edition* podcast episode, I speak with Defence Partner Chrissy who went on a blind date with an ADF member 13 years ago and never looked back.
Chrissy and I also talk about;
-Why, after backpacking solo for five years, the Defence lifestyle really suited her
-How her attitude to the unknown of defence life changed once children came into the picture
-Balancing Defence life with career & the needs of her son, who is autistic with a mild intellectual disability
-Why their family is now living apart after her RAAF husband received a posting to Richmond
-The reasons that forced her hand when it came time to decide whether to post with her husband
-The lack of support and services available for Defence families with a child with additional needs
-How living apart has been going and being faced with living apart for another 7+ years
-Questioning whether choosing stability and support for their kids over living together was the right decision
-Stepping back into the workforce after an eight-year gap and balancing all the things
-Staying connected thanks to Facetime and spending quality time together on weekends
Did you know that Defence Partners, defence children and those considered to be a recognised other person, who have additional needs, can apply to get those additional needs recognised?
Defence may provide special needs benefits for resident family members with physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, sensory impairments, learning or behavioural difficulties, speech disorders and other medical illnesses or impairments.
To apply, your ADF member will need to download a copy of the Application for Recognition of member with dependant with special needs (AC832) form from the Web Forms portal on the Defence Protected Network (DPN).
To find out more info visit the Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) website here
https://pay-conditions.defence.gov.au/register-resident-family-members-special-needs
You can also access support online or in your area via the Defence Special Needs Support Group (DSNSG) here http://dsnsg.org.au/