Comments by "" (@pwillis1589) on "‘Not an answer’: Major move to boost defence recruits criticised" video.

  1. I did 35 years, why do you think military service entitles you to a home on discharge? While you were in they provided subsidised housing, seems a pretty weak argument to me.
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  2. @Azoth5876  The problem with conscription or any sort of compulsory service is yes you will get a some quality people but you will also get some rubbish and alot who just don't want to be there. Better in my opinion to just recruit quality in the first instance.
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  3. When Russia instituted conscription shorty after its invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Russian men immediately left the country.
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  4. And your evidence for this claim is?
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  5. ADF discharge rate is around 11.5% which is again around the historical average. Not sure what you mean by addressing something that is relatively normal.
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  6. @yeahnah773  No. I received generous subsidised home loans and allowances as do all current military members. As well during my service I received generous subsidised rent on my married quarters. Anybody who suggests the ADF doesn't assist financially in helping its members to buy a home is literally lieing.
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  7. Who defends a country for a politician? We defend Australia for its ideas and principles. You have a very warped idea of patriotism.
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  8.  @Innocentcarbon  Snowflake.
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  9. @OrthodoxStuart Well getting all worked up and declaring you wouldn’t defend your country just because some place names have been changed to indigenous names is the essence of being a snowflake.
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  10.  @guuguuberra  I understand where you are coming from, I just don’t think it’s practical. An 18 year old leaving the military at 28 after 10 years and receiving the minimum wage till death at average age would receive $millions in pension. Far more than any previous schemes . It just isn’t going to happen. I got out reasonably fit and healthy after 35 years with a very (in my opinion) generous lump sum and fortnightly super. I hope it all goes well with you. The mining industry is a hard job, my brother worked in mines in Tassie and Mt Isa.
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  11. The French have never had a problem. 5 years in the Foreign Legion and you are granted French citizenship. Why not do the same here?
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  12. $389 a week on the dole or $1789 as a private in the Australian Army. You choose.
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  13. @VK6AB-  In the time I was in the ADF there were 7 Defence White papers (which is Australian Defence Strategy) plus the recent SDR. Both Liberal and Labor governments have initiated these papers for the express purpose of public information and debate, so I'm not sure what more you expect them to do? The government has already created (some years ago) a Cyber warfare unit. It has had some name changes since then. So again, I'm not sure what extra you expect them to do? My experience in the ADF was entirely positive both from a leadership perspective and treatment, but i certainly accept that was not the case for everyone.
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  14. Absolute garbage. From an unskilled 19 year old straight out of school, the Navy will train you (12 months) and deploy you on a Submarine and you will be on $120000 a year. Even your basic grunt private is on $90000 a year. You have no idea about what you are commenting on.
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  15. That is not entirely true. Firstly, are they visible, ie on your lower arms or neck and face? If they are on your neck or face then yes there is no chance, however if they are just on your lower arms then it should be OK unless of course they are considered to be offensive ie racist or homophobic. Tattoos on your arms would exclude you from some postings ie Federation Guard, recruitment, and any sort of high visibility position, but other than that you should be OK. Have you been to a recruitment office and asked? If on your neck or face you could consider laser removal?
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  16. @dieinvincible  To be fair to the ADF there are many other jobs that won't employ someone with facial tattoos, but you are right a tattoo certainly doesn't affect your aim.
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  17. @squizzal4636  I did 35 years myself, so I appreciate your service, but I disagree with you completely about where this country is at. It has never been better. Not perfect and room for improvement, but i look at the Army I joined in the 80s and the one I left a few years ago and it is so much better. Better equipment, better systems, better morale, and the soldiers were first class.
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  18. @xioncorp  In times of full employment, like now where unemployment is below 4% the military has always had problems recruiting. It's not like this is a new phenomenon or hasn't happened in the past. Also the previous Conservative government significantly increased the authorised staffing of the ADF and then didn't do anything about actually increasing it. Great to say you will do it, but they didn't do anything about it. At least the current government is trying a few different things.
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  19. That’s your reason for not defending your country? Because some place names have been changed to indigenous names. What sort of a snowflake are you? Your patriotism is about as thin as a piece of dunny paper.
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  20. What a snowflake! Your reason for not defending your country is some indigenous place name changes. Sorry your poor woke feelings have been so damaged . You should seek some counselling.
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  21. @TheChivasRegal  67% of Australians own their home, so I'm not sure what you are talking about. Are you suggesting a communist system of the state supplying everyone a home? Atrocities you a Green?
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  22.  @CraigLynch-y5o  The ADF already heavily subsidises home loans and pay allowances for all costs incurred in purchasing a home. Plus rental accommodation is subsidised as well.
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  23. @OrthodoxStuart My comment was directed to the actions of original commentator. You asked me why I thought they were a snowflake so I answered you. I didn’t mean you personally, I meant the original comment.
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  24. Not a single male around the recruitment age gives a rats arse about or is even remotely interested in superannuation. You could offer them a $million in retirement and it wouldn’t make the slightest bit of difference to recruitment numbers.
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  25.  @guuguuberra  If you had active service in your twelve years then at age 60 you will qualify for a war service pension (it is means tested however). You must have been in a super scheme, I was in MilitarySuper and ADF super, for you whatever it was it will be available to you when you retire. All Australians have access to the aged pension, but again it is means tested. So I don’t quite understand what you mean by a pension. If you mean a defined benefit like the old DFRDB, those days are long gone. Nobody not even politicians have access to defined benefit schemes any longer.
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  26. I did 35 years in the ADF.  I received generous subsidised home loans and allowances as do all current military members. As well during my service I received generous subsidised rent on my married quarters. While my pay was only a bit better than average my superannuation was extremely generous. I would encourage anyone to join the military.
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  27. @yeahnah773  A couple of different issues there. 1. So generally speaking Foreign nationals are prohibited from purchasing established homes 2. Foreign nationals make about about 1% of the housing market. 3. The average house price in Australia is $959300. 4. No corporation has ever sent me anywhere. The times I deployed were always at the express orders of the Australian government, and yes I always was prepared to do what the government and people of Australia expected me to do. I accepted my fate, that's what soldiers do. 5. Yes absolutely I would encourage my children as I did to join the army, and when my grandchildren are old enough I will encourage them. No regrets at all.
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  28. @VK6AB-  I'm Sercat 2 now, was 7 and spent a few years on 5 after I retired from the ARA. Why is that relevant?
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  29. @binks7988  Yes, I don't know how many soldiers I knew who felt they were hard done by the system when they separated from their spouses. It is the same for most people who go through a separation. Not fun.
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  30. @VK6AB-  Yes i know that, so what? Secondly, as far as I'm aware the eligibility for home loan assistance hasn't changed significantly since 2017 when i retired from the ARA. Happy to be fact checked on any data I presented.
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  31. @VK6AB-  I wasn't commenting on the news article. I was fact-checking the original comment on home ownership by simply pointing out that the ADF does, in fact, provide quite generous home ownership assistance. Recruitment and retention is a complex issue, and there is no "one" solution. Pay and allowances are certainly one factor.
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  32.  @VK6AB-  I wasn’t commenting on the news article I was fact-checking the comment on housing affordability for ADF members. Recruitment and retention is a complex issue, pay and housing is certainly a factor.
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  33. @Azoth5876  So, there is absolutely no suggestion or idea the ADF will take anybody national or foreign without first passing an entry test both physical and psychological. You can set that benchmark however you wish. The aim is to increase the personal in the ADF. If a foreign national is prepared to do that then I'm certainly happy for them to become a citizen.
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  34.  @kenfowler1980  Are you sure that is a solution in a free democracy? This isn’t modern day China or 1930s Germany.
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