RE-RELEASED EPISODE This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with my Husband Scott, who has, just days ago, returned from a 6 month deployment. We speak about; -The ins and outs of deployment from the Defence member’s perspective. -What happens when the ship pulls away from the wharf and sets off on its journey? -How it feels for the Military member to be away from their family for long stretches. -Scott answers all those little questions you might have but never get the chance to ask.   Ready to join the ML community? Click through the link to get connected www.militarylife.com.au ..read more

RE-RELEASED EPISODE This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with the National Music Director of the Australian Military Wives Choir, Cath Parsons, about her journey as a spouse and where the idea for the AMW Choir came from. Cath and I also speak about;   -How the Choir went from being a handful of people in Canberra to locations around Australia -Why the Choir is about what we do as spouses rather than what our military partners do at work -How the Choir creates a safe space for spouses and why all singing abilities are welcome -Why the Choir isn’t about rank or service with the ..read more

RE-RELEASED EPISODE This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with Susan, who has just hit the one-year mark of being a Defence spouse. Susan and I speak about; -The huge changes she and her Husband went through during the first 12 months of living Defence Life. -What Susan expected Military life would be like versus the reality. -How she adjusted to going from seeing her Husband everyday to months of separation. -The decision to give birth to their second child without her Husband by her side. -The impact having a second baby alone and solo parenting had on her mental health. -How she r ..read more

This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with Open Arms Community and Peer workers Jess and Sarah after the program recently celebrated its 5-year anniversary. Jess, Sarah and I speak about; -The Community and Peer program and how it aligns with the mental health supports Open Arms provides. -Why the Community and Peer program was established and how important it is that Peer workers have lived experience. -What draws Veterans and Defence Partners to become Community and Peer workers? -Why Community and Peer Workers are an important part of the Open Arms ‘Stepping Out’ program -How the ..read more

On this week’s Military Life Podcast Episode, Dr Peggy Brown, one of the three commissioners tasked with leading the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, speaks about the release of the lived-experience book Shining a Light: Stories of Trauma & Tragedy, Hope & Healing. The trauma-informed book, authored by journalist Patrick Lindsay AM, showcases the lived experience of suicide and suicidal behaviour of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families. These experiences, which have been at the heart of the Royal Commission during its inquiries, w ..read more

RE-RELEASED EPISODE This week on the Military Life Podcast, I speak with Army spouse Mel about a service dog called Maxx and how he saved her husband Damien. Mel and I also speak about; -What it’s like when your Husband deploys every two years -Her Husband’s decision to be proactive in seeking mental health support -Why a service dog was the right fit for her Husband and their family -Defence Community Dog program and the support the Defence Bank Foundation give the program -The impact Maxx has had on her Husband’s everyday life and their family life -The type of support Maxx provides and why ..read more

This week on the Military Life Podcast, I had the privilege of having an authentic, informative, and real defence family-focused conversation with the Chief of Army Australia, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart. I have now met and spoken with Lieutenant General Stuart several times, in various settings, focused on discussing a range of defence family topics. There have been ten-minute conversations at defence events and hour-long conversations in Lieutenant General Stuart's pretty impressive office in Canberra for this podcast episode (even though the recording was supposed to be a 30-minute chat ..read more

This week on the Military Life podcast, Veteran Spouse Jo returns for PART TWO of her episode. In episode 179/PART ONE, Jo detailed her 15-year Defence Partner journey over 9 postings across New Zealand and Australia, her husband’s transition, and her decision to take her career in a new direction.   In PART TWO, Jo and I speak about; -Why she decided to pursue Career Coaching and focus on helping Defence Partners -What a Career Coach does and why it is so much more than helping people with their resumes -The joy and satisfaction Jo gets from helping Defence Partners take their careers to ..read more

On this week’s Military Life podcast episode, Veteran Spouse Jo details her 15 year Defence Partner journey over 9 postings across New Zealand and Australia.   In PART ONE, Jo and I speak about; -Embracing support, finding community, and making lifelong friends -Discussing her spouse experience vs that of the 2024 Defence Partner -How she ensured her relationship with her Defence Member stayed strong -Communication, understanding & the mental load a Defence Partner carries -Resilience vs Limits and the point of impact on the Spouse and Defence Kids -Choosing transition, figuring out w ..read more

This week on the Military Life Podcast, I have put together a compilation episode with real talk and words of wisdom offered by some of the Defence Partners who have been gracious enough to tell their story on the podcast over the last 5 years! FIVE YEARS…. Can you even believe it? What a huge milestone for all of us to celebrate. Five years of the podcast, 175 episodes and 100,000 downloads. I want to say thank you to all of you for sharing your stories, listening, supporting, connecting, building this community with me, empowering yourselves and each other by accessing and sharing informatio ..read more