In a national message to mark Remembrance Day, RSL Australia President Greg Melick asked all Australians to unite and ‘remember to remember’ by observing a minute’s silence at 11 a.m. this Saturday to honour those who have bravely served our country and continue to serve our country today.

The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) has applauded today’s lifting of the Veteran Access Payment for certain general practitioner services and says the incentive should improve access to medical services for many veterans.

Remembrance Day is day to reflect and honour those who gave their lives in service. Whether you attend a service, wear a poppy or pause for a minute of reflection, you can commemorate this Remembrance Day in many ways. Whatever you choose, it is important we all ‘Remember to Remember’.

Social media comments that the RSL has released a new Remembrance Day commemorative poppy pin incorporating the pride rainbow are incorrect.

The deadline for submissions to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is less than a month away. The RSL is calling for a National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Wellbeing to lead implementation of the forthcoming recommendations of the Royal Commission; to ensure there is a mechanism to keep a permanent watch on this issue and continue to hold Government, Defence and others to account.

RSL Australia is pleased to announce that Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh MP, the Defence Force Chief of Personnel Lieutenant General Natasha Fox, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Alison Frame and Royal Commissioners Kaldas, Brown and Douglas will address the forthcoming National Forum for Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs) on 10 October. Forum sessions will be co-facilitated by leaders from across the ESO sector.

The RSL has called on the Federal Government to increase defence spending and ensure that our nation’s Defence Forces are balanced and appropriate for the current unstable strategic environment in our region. Responding to this week’s major re-organisation of the Army and particularly the northern deployment emphasis, the RSL said the Government must address its earlier decision which saw resources denied to the Army to fund appropriate enhancements to Australia’s Navy and Air Force.

The Japan-Australia Grassroots Exchange Program is available to descendants of Japanese POWs. It aims to deepen the mutual understanding between Japanese and Australian people by inviting descendants of former POWs to tour Japan in the spirit of post-war reconciliation.

The pilot of the ‘Veterans’ Catalogue’ launched by the RSL in partnership with Servulink has been hailed as a success.  The online catalogue connects veterans and their families to the complex range of services available to them throughout Australia.  The 12-month pilot attracted more than 8,000 users over the past nine months who engaged 1,127 service providers across 12 categories more than 35,000 times. 

The RSL has expressed its sincere condolences following the deaths of the three United States Marines in today’s crash of an Osprey aircraft at Melville Island. The marines were participating in the joint Predators Run exercise, involving troops from the United States, Australia, the Philippines, East Timor, and Indonesia.

RSL Australia will honour and commemorate the thousands of Australians who served in the Vietnam War on this week’s 50th Anniversary of the end of the conflict. We acknowledge the service of those deployed as well as the sacrifices of those who supported from home including service families. 

RSL Australia has called for the establishment of a National Office for Defence and Veteran Wellbeing headed by an Independent Commissioner, supported by a cross-organisational Advisory Group. The proposed entity would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

This is the true story of Van Nguyen (Minh), a Vietnamese orphan rescued by the RAAF’s Operation Babylift in 1975. Minh embraced life as an Australian, joining the Australian Navy Cadets and the Royal Australian Navy Junior Recruits and serving eight years in the Navy.

RSL Australia has paid tribute to the last two members of the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion (TSLIB) who recently passed away. “They served with dedication, bravery, and distinction and should have been recognised for their Service at the time,” Greg Melick said.

Each year RSL Australia provides scholarships for children and grandchildren of veterans to assist them to undertake tertiary education in Australia. This year’s deserving recipient is Matilda Langham.

RSL Tasmania submitted a business case to the Australian Commonwealth Government applying for funding for Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs. The application was successful. RSL Tasmania will now commence the implementation of VeteranHub across the state.

A ceremony will take place on July 27, 2023 to unveil the Perth Korean War Memorial which marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of the Korean War.

The RSL has demanded urgent community attention to the report Give Me Shelter: Leave No Veteran Behind and the staggering incidence of veteran homelessness it exposes − an issue now costing Australia $344 million a year due to veterans not participating in the economy or employment, and veteran deaths by suicide. RSL Australia President, Greg Melick said the numbers and costs were unacceptable and called on Federal, State and Territory Governments to take urgent and immediate action.

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is raising money for scholarships, as well as funds to have a statue of a female nurse erected at the Australian War Memorial (AWM). This is known as the Bullwinkel Project, named after Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED. The RSL encourages its members and the Australian community to support the ACN’s Bullwinkel Project.

Representatives from over 40 ex-service organisations (ESOs) attended the second National Forum for Ex-Service Organisations in Sydney on 30 May. The Forum was established by RSL Australia and its State Branches, in response to discussions across and outside of the ESO sector, to facilitate a process to enable representatives from across the sector to come together to address the emerging issues from the ongoing Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.