1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Compensation Mechanisms Available to Female Vietnam Veterans1.1 Background
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The Vietnam War was Australia's most significant military commitment since World War II. In total some 59 036 males and 484 females have been identified as being Vietnam veterans. Of these 501 died in service or were listed as missing, presumed dead, and 3 131 were wounded17.
Since the 1970s, Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs) have contended that the effects of Vietnam service have adversely affected the health of Vietnam veterans and their families. For many years these organisations requested that the Commonwealth Government ascertain the actual state of health of this group. As a consequence of these concerns the Commonwealth Government announced in the Budget of 1994/95 a series of measures to identify the health status of Vietnam veterans.
Firstly, The Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans54 was compiled. This Nominal Roll then served as the starting point for the study known as the Mortality of Vietnam Veterans: The Veteran Cohort Study17. A subsequent study, Mortality of National Service Vietnam Veterans,55 followed in 1997.
The mortality study concluded that there was evidence of excess mortality in male Vietnam veterans when compared with the Australian male population. With this in mind, and recognising ongoing representation from ESOs, the Repatriation Commission was tasked by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to undertake a review of the morbidity of Vietnam veterans. Thus this study, the Morbidity of Vietnam Veterans: A Study of the Health of Australia's Vietnam Veteran Community, commonly known as the Vietnam Veterans Morbidity Study (or Vietnam Veterans Health Study) was established.
The methodology for the study involved a survey of all locatable male and female Vietnam veterans. By definition this included veterans who served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Regular Army (ARA), the Citizen Military Forces (CMF), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), as well as civilian personnel accepted as veterans on The Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans54. The survey sought the self-reported health status of all these groups as well as their partner(s) and children.
Volume I of the study findings, the male veterans survey results, was released in April 1998.45 This report is Volume II, the female veterans survey results. Volume III, validation findings as a result of the recommendations contained in Volume I, will be released at a later date.
1.2 Compensation Mechanisms Available to Female Vietnam Veterans
It should be noted that of the female veterans, only those who served in Vietnam in the Army, Air Force, Navy and certain philanthropic organisations are eligible for benefits under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA). As this study was undertaken by the Repatriation Commission, its findings relate principally to that Act. Non-military female veterans should refer to Appendix A for further information.
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