MEDIA RELEASE: Senior Veteran organisation leaders are calling on the federal government to direct the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) General Angus Campbell to respect the presumption of innocence for soldiers accused of yet to be proven war crime allegations and to suspend administrative action against soldiers and officers until legal proceedings have been concluded.

MEDIA RELEASE: The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) is closely monitoring moves for the return of honours and/or medals awarded to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who served in the Afghanistan war.

This follows the reported demand from the chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, for senior officers to justify why they should keep awards, an outcome of the Brereton Inquiry into alleged war crimes and subsequent inquiries.

hanistan War veterans.

MEDIA RELEASE: Australia’s Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) sector has called for a national peak body to represent and advocate the needs of Australian veterans, their families, and ESO organisations. The move follows a forum coordinated by the RSL and attended by representatives of more than 50 different ESOs.

MEDIA RELEASE: RSL Australia is conducting extensive research, including inviting input from its national membership, non-member veterans, and interested parties to help shape its future direction and enable it to better serve veterans and their families.

National President Greg Melick said the research project would help the organisation to better understand the current needs and priorities of both member and non-member veterans so RSLA can continue to meet the needs of today’s veterans well into the future

MEDIA RELEASE: The public will be stopped in their tracks this Friday as the Last Post is played by buglers stationed at significant landmarks across the country.

This street activation led by several State Branches of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSLA) is aimed at encouraging Australians to remember to remember at 11 AM on 11 November as they go about their day-to-day activities in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

RSL Australia will host a National Forum for Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs), the first in a series of planned events to address the emerging findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

The event, which will be held on Tuesday, 15 November 2022, will give representatives from Australia’s leading ESOs an opportunity to meet in person to discuss how they can collaborate to help meet the urgent needs of the Defence community, veterans, and their families.

RSL Australia is calling on Australians to again pause this Friday, 11 November 2022, to remember and honour those who have sacrificed in serving our nation.

In a national message to mark Remembrance Day, RSL Australia President Greg Melick asked all Australians to unite and ‘remember to remember’ the service and sacrifice made by our veterans and currently serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) for over a centenary.

Remembrance Day can be commemorated by attending a state or local service hosted by an RSL Branch or Sub-Branch …

Remembrance Day is day to reflect and honour those who served and sacrificed in all wars and conflicts. Whether you attend a service, wear a poppy or simply pause for a minute of reflection, there are many ways you can commemorate this Remembrance Day. Whatever you choose, it is important we all ‘Remember to Remember’.

The much-anticipated veterans’ catalogue of services web application, now branded as the ‘Veterans’ Catalogue’, went live today (Tuesday, November 1, 2022). The app has been developed with a vision of empowering veterans and their families to more easily find and access services and support when needed.

This coming Remembrance Day on the 11th of November 2022, a special #RememBEARance campaign has been launched by Defence Families and Legacy which has received RSL Australia’s support.

To acknowledge the strength and service of our Defence families, the campaign encourages families attending commemorative services to lay a small bear alongside their wreaths to acknowledge the families of veterans and current serving Australian Defence Force members.

RSL is pleased to see key policy matters addressed including reforms recommended by the current Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and moving forward on the establishment of a network of additional Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs.

Invitation to RSL Members: You are invited to attend the 31st Annual Commemoration National Merchant Navy War Memorial, Kings Park Canberra on Sunday 23 October commencing at 1100 hours followed by morning tea on site.

The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) says the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and existing war memorials and Cenotaphs around the country should remain exclusively to honour Australian Defence Force personnel and peacekeepers who have served in wartime theatres of conflict.

While the RSL supports the establishment of memorials to mark those killed in frontier conflicts, these should be separate from the Australian War Memorial and the Cenotaphs located around Australia.

The RSL is proud to be supporting the nightly Last Post Ceremony, to ensure it can be livestreamed across the nation, and the inspiring stories of so many fallen veterans told widely.

Senior Counsel and retired Army Reserves leader Greg Melick has been re-elected as National President of the Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL).

Greg Melick was first elected President of the national ex-service organisation in May 2019 and his re-election was confirmed at the Annual General Meeting in Canberra today.

Greg Melick said he was honoured to be returned as President of RSL Australia and committed to continuing the efforts to secure better outcomes for veterans and their families.

In September The Last Post magazine featured a multi-page editorial on RSL Australia covering topical articles and interviews with its leaders. Download a copy to read a Q&A with Greg Melick (RLS National President) discussing the role of RSL today, the challenges ahead and a vision for the future plus more…

Olive Jardine (nee McNeil,) who served in World War II with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), is one of only 47 female veterans over the age of 101. This is Mrs Jardine’s story and some of her memories of her time in service.

The RSL commended the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh on his apology in Federal Parliament to serving and former military personnel who he said had been let down by his Department and the Department of Defence over numerous decades. In its own submission in response to the Royal Commission’s Interim Report, the RSL has strongly endorsed all 13 recommendations, saying they are sensible, significant, and vital.

The RSL has condemned yesterday’s burning of the Australian National Flag by anti-monarchy protesters in Melbourne. National President Greg Melick said the protestors’ burning of the Australian National Flag and campaigning against the monarchy on the National Day of Mourning, demonstrated a gross level of disrespect that would be denounced by all reasonable Australians.

In 1947, the Returned Sailors’, Soldiers’, and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia sent the then Princess Elizabeth a special wedding gift as a token of the League’s loyalty and best wishes for her marriage.