On Sunday 11 October, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) held a national commemorative service at the Australian War Memorial to mark the 25th anniversary of Australian service in Afghanistan.
The service honoured all those who served in our nation’s longest conflict, and the families who support them.
DVA acknowledges the profound sacrifices made by the families of veterans, particularly those whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice. The service aimed to recognise the experiences and importance of veterans' families' voices and their impacts from service. For the first time at a DVA commemorative service, a family member laid the first wreath ahead of government representatives, and another family member delivered a reading, reflecting the central role families play in service and sacrifice. The service was also shaped by a consultative committee including members of the veteran community, and we acknowledge their valuable contribution.
A range of activities were undertaken to promote the service and encourage attendance by veterans, families and the broader community.
In particular, efforts were made to directly contact families of the fallen who are commemorated on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour. The nation owes these families a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid.
These families were notified of the service using the contact details available and we acknowledge that some families did not receive this correspondence.
We are deeply sorry that notification of the service did not reach everyone who should have had the opportunity to attend.
There has been media reporting on this issue, including reports that correspondence about the service was sent to a fallen soldier. This is not correct. The Australian War Memorial addressed and sent correspondence to family members using the next-of-kin contact details available through its Roll of Honour.
DVA will review and further improve its outreach processes for future commemorations and will work with the Australian War Memorial as it reviews and updates next-of-kin contact details associated with the Roll of Honour.
DVA recognises the importance of commemorative services in honouring the service and sacrifice of all those who have served our nation. We remain committed to the enduring promise that Australia will remember and honour that service, and support those who have served, and their families.
The service is available to view on ABC iview. Veterans, current serving members, families and members of the broader community can also request a free commemorative coin as a lasting acknowledgement of 25 years of Australian service in Afghanistan through the DVA website.
Open Arms counselling
Veterans and their families can access free counselling support, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day through Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling. Access military-aware counselling day or night on 1800 011 046.