RAAF Radschool Association Magazine

People can rave on as much as they like about Veterans’ Entitlements Act and TPI compensation but real numbers don’t lie nor bend the real truth! See the graphs below:

Today, VEA TPI Vietnam veterans "Loss of Income" compensation stands at $693.25 a week and does not meet today's Minimum Wage – hence no real value anymore because it was never indexed against a decent adult weekly wage value. Then there was that generous one off TPI “Base Rate” increase of $25 a week in 2007. Government from both sides of parliament trumpeted this as great. That one-off “Base Rate” increase stands at a sobering fifty-three cents (53 cents) a year, “Base Rate” increase over forty-seven years (1972-2019) because the TPI “Base Rate” payment has no benchmark

By denying VEA TPI’s a meaningful Loss of Income compensation and only offer what constitutes a liveable “retirement” income when all others in the community have paid houses off shows that our caring politicians are just waiting for Vietnam TPIs to drift into the sunset and die off, without ever paying VEA TPIs Injury compensation. Today, all VEA TPI clients suffer financially due only by poor government policy in not maintaining adequate Loss of Income compensation in the first place.

In fact those on fixed income go backwards in worth/value against net earnings now that there is more money in the pocket of those fortunate to have the health to be in the paid workforce just the same as DVA Disability Pensions went backwards against other pensions in 2009 under Rudd when all other pensions 3.3 million got a structural increase but the legislation was massaged to exclude 128,000 Disabled Diggers.

DVA think there are 47,000 Australian Vietnam veterans (based on the average ordinary death rate) but there is nothing “ordinary” about Vietnam veterans!

DVA have about 34,000 Vietnam era clients, of that number, some 20,500 are TPI.

"You have fingertips but don't have toe tips but you can tip-toe but not tip-finger"

Identity Crisis.

Ernie Gimm says:

I used to think I was just a regular person, but I was born white, which now, whether I like it or not, makes me a racist.
I am a fiscal and moral conservative, which by today's standards, makes me a fascist.
I am heterosexual, which now makes me a homophobe.
I am mostly non-union, which makes me a traitor to the working class and an ally of big business.
I was baptized a Christian, which now labels me as an infidel.
I am retired, which makes me useless.
I think and I reason, therefore, I doubt much that the mainstream media tells me, which must make me a reactionary.
I am proud of my heritage, which makes me a xenophobe.
I value my safety and that of my family and I appreciate the police and the legal system, which makes me a right-wing extremist.
I believe in hard work, fair play, and fair compensation according to each individual's merits, which today makes me an anti-socialist.
I (and most of the folks I know), acquired a fair education without student loan debts and little or no debt, which makes me some kind of an odd underachiever
I believe in the defence and protection of my country and I honour those who served in the Armed Forces, which now makes me a right wing-militant.

Please help me come to terms with the new me... because I'm just not sure who I am anymore! Funny ... it’s all just taken place over the last 10 years; prior to which I had no confusion or delusions about myself. As if all this nonsense wasn’t enough to deal with ...

Now I’m not even sure which toilet to go into!

Drabs!

Jim “Scotty” Potter wrote, "Could anyone please find me some drabs. The right size would be good but any to be used as a template to have some made would be great. Have matured in the last few years so here goes: Waist 36/38, Collar 16½, Chest 42/44. All are in inches by the way. Anyone who has a belt would also be appreciated. I’d like a set to wear at next year’s ANZAC Day Edinburgh Castle.

Also please start now to spread the word to anyone who is going to be in the area. Would love to grow the contingent and get you a really good article for the MAG. It does not have to be ANZAC Day, anyone in Scotland who wants can give me a shout anytime. You have my contact details so pass them on."

If you’d like to get in touch with Scotty, email us and we’ll pass it on – tb.

A Defence Force slowly dying?

by Ted Chitham

The Australian Defence Force is shooting itself in the foot over political correctness, but venturing opinions on PC is reminiscent of complaining in the old Soviet Union. It’s a glance over each shoulder before saying a word – to see if the Thought Police are listening; a ‘career-limiting move’.

The recent announcements by both Air Force and Navy that they will consider ‘gender’ in offensive operations is merely the latest bit of virtue-signalling foolishness. Announcements such as ‘The Royal Australian Navy Deputy Fleet Commander has ordered that “all operations and exercises” be conducted with consideration of a “gender perspective”’ are ridiculous. For it’s obvious to anyone with the slightest bit of knowledge of military operations that there is always consideration of the target before offensive operations commence.

I spent a while some years ago in Baghdad being shot at by various groups who hated us. We had large pieces of artillery linked up to radar which saw the rockets the second they launched. Did we indiscriminately fire back? We did not. We conducted an assessment, in a moment, of the target area where the enemy had launched from. If it was, as it often was, a primary school playground, or a hospital roof, we did not fire back. It was ever thus. Did the British use their nuclear weapons in the Falklands War? These recent announcements are merely a way to show how much in tune with the screaming minority ADF ‘leaders’ can be. But it’s not helping the armed forces, it’s damaging them.

Anyone who’s served for years in the forces knows what it used to be like. Opinions were forthright, sometimes with salty language, but one of the best aspects was that it was a big family, and family fights are common. But it was shoulder to shoulder against the enemy. Serving in a combat zone with the ADF then made you realise how good they were, united with the best in Aussie ingenuity and mateship. That cohesion is disappearing.

Political correctness is setting one member against another. A small coterie have determined to use PC agendas to advance their careers, a habit becoming all too common. One male general decided to wear women’s high heels so he could experience walking a woman’s mile. Their argument has often been that to meet recruiting targets the forces has to be ‘fully inclusive’ of the community. This is rubbish. Armed forces always have attracted a small part of the communities they represent: people who can cope with the physical and mental demands of deployment to harsh environments, where they will be subject to fierce mental and physical needs. You simply take anyone who can do the job.

One irony of the present PC situation is that traditionally the armed forces have been the place where everyone was treated equally. It didn’t make any difference whether you were Aboriginal, Greek or short. You were expected to soldier. When society allowed females to be recruited, then they were gone after with enthusiasm. Why not expand your recruiting base by 50 per cent? But Western society then went too far: it insists that there is no difference between females and males in demanding trades such as the infantry – when there clearly is.

Years ago, the Australian Defence Force Academy used to be one of the jewels in the Defence crown. It was everything you expected a university-level entrance to being a young officer to be. Squads of students marched everywhere, heads held high. No officer-instructor was safe from an ‘eyes right’ from the class and a salute from the squad leader. Even though the ranks held all sorts of multinational types: they’d all made the decision to serve their country.

Now, insiders report this university campus is more interested in recruiting students from China and the Middle East; from countries that do not share Australian values, ironically against the ‘inclusion’ mentality of PC. Uniformed staff report habits such as spitting on the formerly sacrosanct grounds, or in the military-manned pools, is now normal. Civilian students talk in overseas languages, walking on the grass in whatever shoddy clothes they like, whilst young officers wear uniform and march on the pavement.

The university has lost its way, coming to be disinterested in Defence and fascinated by the $32 billion international education market. The university is distancing itself from Defence in word and in deed. Where once the slogan was ‘The University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy’, now it is ‘UNSW Canberra’.

Outside, the PC madness continues. Recent obsessions include making all toilets on defence bases ‘gender-free’. This actually costs money, with buildings altered and new signage installed. The money of course, comes at the expense of military hardware, operations, and training. As do gender reassignment operations, and breast enlarging and reducing. Muslim advisors are needed; when for a hundred years we never had such people. Then again, nor did we have the ridiculous situation where the 40-year veteran at general rank does the same compulsory ‘awareness’ training in relation to suicide, or that you really shouldn’t use a Defence credit card for a holiday to Vanuatu, as one soldier did, as the newest recruit.

We hear of bans on the wrong words, or badges, which might suggest that the business of Defence is to kill the enemy. I assume the RAAFs new C-27J ‘Spartan’ aircraft will have to change its name therefore, and the winged dagger of the SAS will be re-designed.

The expense of all of this foolishness is the destruction of unit cohesion, with the force splintering into groups, with many resentful of what some get at the expense of others. Time was when essential words in the ADF were ‘teamwork’ and ‘leadership’. Now, to get promotion, or cushy jobs, such concepts matter much less.

Most of the public are no fools. They see such attitudes are traitorous. Many see our country as being unable to fight if war comes: we will be too under-equipped and too lacking in fierce warrior types. So when you want an aggressive focused leader like the American General Patton, or our own WWll Navy’s Harry Howden, or the Air Force’s Clive Caldwell, they will have been hounded out and it will be too late to get them back.

Fred (Fernando) Chilco.

Peter Chilco is trying to find some details about the service career of his dad Fred (Fernando) Chilco. He says: “Dad is still going OK, though he's slowing down a bit. His memory is getting a bit hazy so I'm trying to get information and piece things together while I can. I've been getting bits and pieces of information from various people and it's been really useful”.

Fred was a WOff radio tech (ground). If you can help you can contact Peter here (pchilco@yahoo.com)

Stuart Henry Bosanquet.

Pat Johns wrote, he said: “My father, Stuart Henry Bosanquet No.A1259, was in the RAAF. I have the following pieces of information but would be grateful if someone could give me a fuller picture of what my father's work entailed, live as a BCOF member, what the courses he attended were about, etc.

He was a signal-comms member/telegraphist with 381 Squadron in Japan as part of BCOF in 1947-48 He attended the Air and Radio School in Ballarat in 27/1/1949.”

If you can help, contact Pat Johns direct (pmandjcjohns@yahoo.com.au)

Kerry Seibold.

Kerry Seibold wrote, he said “I joined the RAAF in May 1968, started on 4TMT up to end of mechs, then 15 hours flying at Pt Cook on 73 Pilots (failed 15 hr test), back to Radschool and completed 29 Radtech Air in April 1970, a brief 8 months at 10 Squadron, then started 17 course DCS at Frognall in Jan 1971 and finished Diploma Electronic Engineering in December 1973. I spent 1974 to 1978 as an officer instructor at Radschool and got out in Aug 1978.

I enjoyed reading about the latest Froggers reunion in Canberra. I was delighted to see the Rugby jumper and background banner in the 13 course photo and so I thought I would send you this photo of my 1971 Froggers Rugby T-shirt that I found deep in the dark recesses of my shed a couple of weeks ago. Was truly surprised to find that it is almost in mint condition!! As I remember the T-shirts were of dubious origin supplied by myself and a non RAAF mate, and I believe that the drawing was by Ken Thomson.”

Click the pic.

TPIs Outraged at Unfair Compensation.

The Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) Federation of Australia has called on the Government and Opposition parties to recognise and address a glaring inequity in compensation payments to our Defence Force Veterans who are left unable to work and provide for their families as a result of their Service.

TPI Veterans, including WW2 Veterans now in their 90s and disabled Veterans from a range of other conflicts, are only receiving 63% of the gross minimum wage as compensation for not being able to work, due to their Service caused incapacities. This fails the community’s basic minimum wage benchmark.

The TPI payment is made up of two compensation components, pain and suffering, and economic loss. While the pain and suffering component has remained stable, the economic loss compensation component has eroded to such an extent that it only rates at approximately 63% of the gross minimum wage.

The TPI Federation President, Ms Pat McCabe OAM, said the Federation met with Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, on the 13th March 2019. Mr Morrison noted that the TPI Federation had a compelling case for the restoration of the economic loss compensation to at least the gross minimum wage but would not commit to restoring the payments to that level. Ms McCabe said that the TPIs have proudly served their country and paid a massive price for that Service. They now need to be on the same footing as those on the barest minimum standard of living. As history now shows, the Government failed to deliver for the TPI Veterans in Budget 2019.

After 6.5 years, TPI Veterans remain at a considerable disadvantage as a consequence. Since that meeting, the Prime Minister has agreed to yet another review of the TPI Federation request. This will be the fifth review on this in the last 6.5 years and the facts, as they have been presented repeatedly, are yet to be altered and are yet to be refuted. “TPI Veterans have been left permanently disabled as a result of their Service for Australia, yet by no fault of their own, they find themselves receiving well below the minimum wage for their economic loss compensation while trying to live a normal life for themselves and their families,” Ms McCabe said.

“The TPI Federation not only welcomes a recognition of the Service that Veterans have rendered, but concrete actions that support the restoration of the ‘economic loss’ compensation for our most disabled Veterans – thereby providing a basic community recognised benchmark for a TPI’s ‘economic loss’ that is commensurate to that of the gross minimum wage.”

Ms McCabe said this erosion and shortfall was very difficult for Veterans who had served their country, and suffered as a result, along with the burden equally shared by their supportive families.

“TPI Veterans and their families should not have to bear the financial burden of years of Government mismanagement and failures,” Ms McCabe said. “The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and the Department of Finance are required to maintain the value of the Veteran’s compensation. They failed! The nation’s 28,000 TPIs urgently require a restoration in compensation to restore a Veterans’ minimum standard of living.

“That is only fair and is the right thing to do.”

Freedom you say??

Derek Harper got in touch, he writes:

Let's thank Israel Folau for enlightening us about homosexuality and educating us regarding God’s Law, however, I do need some advice from Israel regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Papuans, but not New Zealanders. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own New Zealanders?
I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?
Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?
I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

Thanks

I think it’s funny anyway!! Click the pic below if you’re game.

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