Those who would like to hear from Fellow ADGies.
Alan Atherton...........02-6687-5920
Paul Tuck....................02-4991-1964
Mick Brodie................ 02-9940-4340
Paul Pannowitz...........02-49-500306
Yahoo! ID: midgetrock1
Real Name: Joe Martin (Budgie)
Location: Mansfield via Chester, England
Age: 47
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Male
Occupation: Government Service
More About Me
Hobbies: Football (watch anyone but support Chester City),Used to enjoy Booze but kidneys now knackered. Love anything to do with females,girls, women,members of the opposite sex. (It don't half upset the wife)
Favorite Quote
"'I'm Sorry,you've obviously confused me with someone who gives a shit!'
Pom,
Me and the missus (Judy) did a bit of touring a little while back and took a
look around the Cradle Mountain National Park. Never been up there before.
Not a bad looking place, they tell me it is spectacular in winter with the
snow.
The first photo is of Lake Dove with Cradle Mountain in the background, the
second one is out of a place called Sheffield, it is called Lower Crackpot
and it has a proper postcode number. There is a magnificient maze at the
back and inside is a pancake parlour and let me tell I have tried their
wares and it is the best I have tasted. Get a coffee and scones and jam and
cream and you have eaten enough to hibenate for a week.
Triff
VA79 Saturday 22 June 2002
$1 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING BENEFITS OLDER WA VETERANS
West Australian veterans, war widows and older members of the wider
community would benefit from more than $1 million in Federal Government
funding to help build new nursing homes and upgrade existing facilities, the
Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Danna Vale, said today.
"I am delighted to announce these significant grants, which demonstrate the
Federal Government's high regard for, and commitment to, our WA veteran
community," Minister Vale said.
Addressing the WA RSL Congress in Perth, Minister Vale handed over a Veteran
& Community Grant of $418,000 to WA RSL War Veterans' Homes to assist with
the cost of building a new 90-bed home at Menora.
The Minister also announced a further grant of $132,000 to RSL War Veterans'
Homes, for a fire safety upgrade of its facilities at Menora and Mandurah
and a $528,000 grant to the RAAF Association to help build a new nursing
home at its Merriwa Estate.
"The veteran population is ageing and we anticipate that the next decade
will see perhaps the greatest demand for aged care services for veterans in
the history of Australian repatriation," Minister Vale told the Congress.
"Since coming to office, this Government has provided strong support for
aged care services operated by ex-service organisations. These grants are
an investment in the future of aged care, not only for the veteran community
but for other older West Australians."
The $418,000 presented today will assist RSL War Veterans' Homes in building
a new residential care facility at Menora, providing 90 high and low care
beds. Older buildings on the site will be demolished as part of the
project, which is planned to ultimately include a range of accommodation,
health facilities and offices for the State RSL Headquarters.
The RSL will use the $132,000 grant to engage a consultant to conduct a fire
safety assessment of existing aged care accommodation at Menora and Mandurah
and to implement the consultant's recommendations.
Minister Vale said the RAAF Association would put its $528,000 grant towards
the construction of Edwards Lodge at Merriwa.
"This will be a 48-bed facility offering both high and low care, with
one-third of the beds dedicated to providing care for members of the veteran
community," she said.
"In keeping with the association's commitment to honouring the wartime
service of Australian aviators, I am pleased to note the lodge will be named
in honour of the late Sir Hughie Edwards, former Governor of Western
Australia and a decorated hero who won the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished
Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II."
I am a small-time military dabbler and have been searching for a copy of the wording to the Presidential Unit Citation from the US President awarded to 2 Squadron RAAF.
It was awarded for the squadron's courage and devotion to duty during World War II
Like the PUC awarded to D Company 6RAR at Long Tan, Vietnam, the ADF should also issue the names of those who were on posted strength to the unit during the period of the award.
If anyone can help, please forward a copy of the citation wording and the list of those who were with the unit at the time to me at 24 Mountain Ash Drive, Glenfields, Queensland 4557, or e-mail bob@bobbuick.com
Robert S Buick, MM
Glenfields
Queensland
Please advise your readers that momentum is building from Somalia vets still serving in the ADF and from those who have retired for a national reunion of all Somalia veterans to take place in Sydney on Anzac Day 2003.
The aim is to include all personnel who served with Op IGUANA, Op SOLACE, UNITAF, UNOSOM I and II. More information will follow later this year.
We want to keep the format as simple and cost-free as possible. The proposed format is to be for a rallying point to be found somewhere in the Sydney CBD, participation in the Anzac Day march, followed by a reunion at a venue TBA. Any offers of assistance or help would be appreciated.
The Somalia Veterans Association which formed in Mogadishu in 1993 is still going if anyone would like their name and contact details registered on the database (at no cost). Please contact Gary Conquest via e-mail at sweetfa@bigpond.com
Captain John O'Grady
Keswick Barracks
South Australia
=====================================
From: midgetrock1
Date: Thu Jun 20, 2002 12:28 pm
Subject: Re: welcome
Thanks for the welcome Pom.
Don't get too disheartened by the lack of activity. The 2 new RAF
Regiment clubs that have opened have a similar problem at the moment
but I think it is down to currently having a small membership.
Coupled with members having other interests and having a life away
from a computer there are bound to be quiet periods. Rest assured
that the whole site is quality and people will visit.
Keep up the good work
Per Ardua
Budgie
Thanks Budgie I'm sure that as time progresses things will improve.
The POM.
=====================================
By Neil Tyne
http://www.oocities.org/nrt_au/day_at_the_office.html?975732588710
There is a few more chopper pics on my webpage at that address if you dont
already have them
Tiny
Thursday 20 June 2002
GOVT MOVES TO END FREEZE ON WAR WIDOWS' income SUPPORT
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Danna Vale, today introduced legislation
into Federal Parliament to end Labor's freeze on the war widow's income
support supplement, implementing a key Howard Government election
commitment.
Minister Vale told Parliament the initiative, announced in the 2002-03
Federal Budget, would see the ceiling rate of the income support supplement
indexed twice a year to reflect movements in the cost of living. The change
will also apply to ceiling rate service pensions paid to eligible veterans
who are also war widows or widowers.
"The income support supplement is intended to provide financial assistance
to war widow's pension recipients with limited means," the Minister said.
"However, the ceiling rate was frozen by Labor in 1986 and since then has
risen only once, in July 2000, when it was increased by 4 per cent as part
of the introduction of the New Tax System.
"In addition to reversing Labor's decision to discriminate against war
widows who remarried prior to 1984 by restoring their war widows' pension,
this Government will continue to address the many anomalies left by Labor in
our repatriation system and end Labor's unfair treatment of our special war
widows."
The initiative is due to take effect from the next round of indexation
adjustments on 20 September 2002.
The income support supplement will be increased each year in September and
March by the same percentage as the service pension, reflecting movements in
the Consumer Price Index and Male Total Average Weekly Earnings.
Approximately 97 per cent of income support supplement recipients are on the
ceiling rate and some 81,000 war widows and widowers will benefit from the
abolition of the rate freeze.
A small group of war widows who still receive income support through
Centrelink are not covered by this initiative. These war widows will be
able to transfer to the Department of Veterans' Affairs income support
supplement to benefit from the indexation of the ceiling rate
"Passage of this legislation will be another step forward in meeting the
needs of the veteran community and particularly those Australians whose
partners have died as a result of their service to our nation," Minister
Vale said.
Media Contact: Rachael Thompson (02) 6277 7820 or 0417
265 289