Compensation should be same

I AGREE entirely with the thoughts and reaction of Captain I.J. Stewart, of DMO at RAAF Williams (Letters, August 14), regarding the difference in compensation for those injured or killed during service.

As a member of the Working Group involved in the drafting of the new Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Scheme (MRCS) I can assure you that it was not a stipulation by the ex-servicemans’ organisations to have a larger amount for those killed in warlike circumstances.

During the drafting process the focus was on “like compensation for like injury” regardless of location, which I believed was a majority concensus.

It is an insult and makes peacetime service look second class to pay $100,000 to a war widow/er and pay $40,000 to a peacetime widow/er. This also carries over for injuries.

As CAPT Stewart rightly stated, the impact on a family emotionally, financially and pyschologically is the same regardless of whether it happened in Australia or overseas.

The Injured Service Persons Association (peacetime injuries) vehmently opposes any difference in compensation for death or disability and will continue to call for “like compensation for like injury” regardless of location. Our response to the Draft MRCS can be found on our website at www.ispa.asn.au.

Ray Brown
National President
Injured Service Persons Association (Peacetime Injuries)

Cadets seek mess kits

THE Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) need the assistance of serving and discharged Air Force SNCOs and officers.

They require the donation of any mess kits that are either not wanted or do not fit any more. While the Air Force supports the AAFC with uniforms and training, it does not supply mess kits for any eligible staff or cadets.
Cadets are only permitted to wear white (summer) mess jackets.

The donation of mess kits opens the opportunity for current and past Air Force personnel to help senior cadets to “live” the traditions of the Air Force during dining in/out functions.

For cadets and their families this is a financial burden that most cannot afford.

Many of the 8000 members of the AAFC are located in country areas of each state that do not have the exposure or access to mess kits through normal Air Force channels or contacts.

Australia has eight AAFC wings organised on state lines and 136 squadrons in rural and suburban Australia.
Activities include flying training, visits to Air Force units and aerospace companies, camps on Air Force bases, wing/squadron dining in/out functions, gliding and parachuting.

It is interesting to note that more than half the most senior ranks in the ADF came from our cadet ranks.
Staff and instructors of the AAFC see this donation as an investment in the potential future leadership of the ADF and an important part of training in mess protocols. The value of the pride and cultural exchange between cadets and the Air Force is well proven and your assistance will bring continued service within the reach of many more cadets.

When the cadets reach retirement age (20 years old), they are required to return all issued items to pass on to new cadets, so all donations will remain with the AAFC.

So, clean out those wardrobes and talk to friends and colleagues about supporting the future airmen/women and officers of the Air Force.

For any donations or further information, contact an AAFC unit near you. A list of addresses may be found at http://www.aafc.adfc.gov.au/squadrons.asp.

SGT Grant Prunster (ret’d)
Bonython, ACT

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