OFFICIAL Commando News Magazine Edition 15 2023

AUSTRALIAN COMMANDO ASSOCIATION
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Alex Mellienus Pat Bigland Clint Wong Brandan Paterson
President Vice President Treasurer Secretary
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
12 MAY 2023
ANZAC Day
Thanks to everyone that joined one or all of our
ANZAC events, it was great to catch up with
you. We note that our banner needs an
upgrade, and we will make it a priority for next year to
have it updated with the 1 and 2 Commando patches
and we will invest in some appropriate poles (as
opposed to the Bunnings bits of wood we are using
now).
A few of the committee members attended the
SASR-ACT pre-ANZAC dinner which was a very good
night. We heard from the current CO and Mr Joe
Buffone PSM how he started his career in 2 Commando
Company and then continued to SASR and a dis tin -
guished Public Service career in Emergency Manage -
ment.
War Widows NSW
Before ANZAC Day, some of the team worked with
the War Widows NSW and members of 7 Sig Regt to
support the Keats family to remember Al Keats. We got
them wreaths commemorating SOCOMD and Al
(image attached). For those who didn’t know Al, he was
a giant of the SIGINT world, and a model of the silent
achiever support staff. He got dudes on time on target
through numerous deployments supporting SOCOMD
deployments, was a great SIGINT mentor to many in
his later civilian life in Australian Signals Directorate,
and was a long time member of 301 Sig Sqn, 1 Cdo
Regt, when he died in Nov 2019.
Black Tie event
In regard to our Black-Tie event at the Australian
War Memorial on the 21 st July we are honoured to have
BRIG Ian Langford, DSC & Bars as our keynote speaker
and Penelope Twemlow as our MC. A number of
sponsors are already committed but if you have any
organisations you’d recommend please get in contact
ASAP. For all our members – you will soon be invited to
purchase discounted tickets before we open to a
broader audience.
We are also keen to hear from prospective
members, and as short sales pitch, a year membership
and a ticket to the dinner will almost be the same cost.
The Federal Labor Govt
delivering for veterans:
$47 million for 10 Veterans and Families
Hubs around Australia
$3.6 million for Darwin's Scott Palmer Centre
$24 million for the Veteran Employment
Program
$234 million for 500 new DVA staff to reduce
compensation claims backlog
$24 million for more support for veterans
having DVA claims processed
$46 million to boost Defence personnel
and veteran home ownership
(08) 8928 0180
Luke.Gosling.MP@aph.gov.au
3/266 Trower Road, Casuarina, NT 0810
Luke Gosling MP
Authorised by L. Gosling, 3/266 Trower Road, Casuarina NT 0810
Authorised by L. Gosling, ALP, 3/266 Trower Road, Casuarina NT 0810
COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 15 I 2023 7