2016 Election Commitment Honoured

Minister for Defence Personnel Dan Tehan today announced the Coalition Government had honoured its 2016 election commitment that all personnel leaving the Australian Defence Force (ADF) would have access to their necessary personal documentation prior to discharge to facilitate a smooth transition to civilian life.

Mr Tehan said the Coalition had promised a ‘No discharge without documentation’ policy at the 2016 election to ensure all ADF personnel had the necessary documentation to claim benefits from other government agencies, including the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

Now all ADF personnel leaving the military have an individual transition plan, a record of professional military education and training, unit posting and employment history, final payment and leave entitlement summaries and copies of medical and dental records.

Defence currently provides transition services to approximately 5,200 ADF members each year, through 13 transition centres located across Australia.

“Leaving the ADF is a significant life-changing event so it is critical that we make the transition from military to civilian life as smooth as possible,” Mr Tehan said.

“Ensuring veterans have the necessary paperwork removes stress and makes it easier to apply for jobs, submit claims and access Government services.

“The Government has also introduced career coaching where personnel are provided a transition plan based on their unique skills, interests and career aspirations.

“Defence can now better support each member’s transition, including where they may need assistance submitting claims to DVA, the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation or accessing Government services like Medicare.”

“To deliver this election commitment the Government established a joint Defence and DVA Transition Taskforce to identify barriers to effective transition and to recommend actions to address those barriers.

ADF members and their families can get more information and dates for upcoming transition seminars in their area on the Defence Community Organisation website: www.defence.gov.au/dco/transition