11/11/2020
On 11 November 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. With their armies retreating and close to collapse, German leaders signed an Armistice, bringing to an end the First World War. From the summer of 1918, the five divisions of the Australian Corps had been at the forefront of the allied advance to victory. Beginning with their stunning success at the battle of Hamel in July, they helped to turn the tide of the war at Amiens in August, followed by the capture of Mont St Quentin and Pèronne, and the breaching of German defences at the Hindenburg Line in September. By early October the exhausted Australians were withdrawn from battle. They had achieved a fighting reputation out of proportion to their numbers, but victory had come at a heavy cost. They suffered almost 48,000 casualties during 1918, including more than 12,000 dead.
In the four years of the war more than 330,000 Australians had served overseas, and more than 60,000 of them had died. The social effects of these losses cast a long shadow over the postwar decadedd.
Today It’s a tragic but telling fact that Australia’s ex-services personnel endure a 30.2% unemployment rate, despite their specialist training and service history.
Not only is the veteran unemployment rate staggeringly high, the underemployment rate amongst veterans also sits at 19%, meaning for many, they may have a job, but it fails to meet their financial or skilled needs.
As a result, Australians view veteran applications as a risk, preferring civilian applicants with trusted institutional qualifications. The financial burden on the Government and taxpayers keeps increasing as they provide necessary health support to high numbers of ex-ADF personnel who are struggling in a system that serves them poorly and leaves them floundering on the fringe.
In monetary terms, each ADF member will have $2.5m of training invested into them during seven years of service. But too often, this training fails to translate.
Core9 is honoured in being able to aid and assist in veterans returning into civilian world and we will continue with that legacy....
We will remember them
lest we forget
