Proficiency in another language is always helpful, particularly when a discrete profanity is required. In a life not always well spent mixing with soldiers of multiple nationalities in exotic locations, discovering new swear words has proved a valuable education. What passes as unacceptably profane in one language may be acceptable in another particularly when the words […]

Written by Ross Eastgate Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade is on  Saturday, March 4. It’s a date for your diaries, though you had better be quick if you want to reserve a place. In the interests of maintaining the mutually co-operative relationship between the Bulletin and Defence PR, Defenders is proud to assist promoting ADF participation […]

David Morrison crawled away from his Australian of the Year role as he performed it, self-aggrandising, unapologetic and intellectually irrelevant. Good riddance except credit where credit is due as he finally made some concession to those he should have been representing all along by acknowledging Legacy and the Salvos. It was a pity he studiously […]

Once Australia’s premier veterans’ advocacy organisation, the Returned and Services League is in rapid if not terminal decline. Its leadership is failing the broad membership, which continues to provide support at local sub-branch level. The RSL national leadership has failed the challenge of the 21st century as sub-branches close, local leadership ages and resists change. Young […]

“Obama declines to bomb an ISIS convoy because burning trucks will boost CO2 emissions … Australia’s defence wallahs fret about rising seas and drowning air bases … alarmist ratbaggery distorts strategy and budgets. Military effectiveness has a new enemy: the climate-scam crowd.” This 31 December 2016 essay by Tony Thomas is highly recommended. It looks […]

HISTORY sometimes has a strange way of repeating. Each of Townsville’s three infantry battalions has spent time in their formative years in what was historically referred to as the “Far East”, though it was “near west” from an Australian perspective. All served in Malaya during the Emergency and later as part of Australia’s military contribution […]