A Remembrance Day message from Chief of the Defence Force Admiral Mark Hammond
Each year, on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, we pause to remember those who have served our nation, and honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Remembrance Day is a time to reflect on the courage, service and sacrifice of generations of Australians who have answered the call to serve, and the families who supported them.
From Gallipoli and the Western Front, to the deserts of North Africa, the islands of the Pacific, the hills of Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, and more recent operations across the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, Australians have served our nation in times of war, conflict and crisis.
More than 103,000 Australians who lost their lives in service are commemorated on the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour.
Each represents a life cut short. An Australian son, daughter, brother, sister, mum or dad who placed the interests of the nation before their own.
Many lie in unmarked graves or are buried at sea, with 33,000 Australians commemorated on Memorials to the Missing.
This Remembrance Day, 11 of those Australians can once again be remembered by name, having been identified more than a century after giving their lives in the First World War.
It is a powerful reminder that service and sacrifice are never forgotten, and that our nation’s commitment to honouring those who served endures across generations.
This year also marks 25 years since Australia commenced operations in Afghanistan, our nation’s longest military campaign.
More than 35,000 Australian sailors, soldiers and aviators served over two decades of operations.
Forty-seven Australian Defence Force members died as a result of their service, more than 260 were wounded, and many continue to carry the visible and invisible impacts of their service.
For those who served, their families, friends and colleagues, those sacrifices remain deeply personal.
Their legacy extends beyond the history they shaped. It lives on in the values that continue to define service in the Australian Defence Force.
I had the privilege of knowing many who deployed to Afghanistan, and some of the names recorded on the Roll of Honour are people I knew personally, including childhood friends.
Their loss continues to be felt by those who loved them and those who served beside them.
Yet their legacy extends beyond the history they shaped.
It lives on in the values that continue to define service in the Australian Defence Force: service, respect, courage, integrity and excellence.
These are the qualities Australians have come to expect of their Defence Force, forged through the example, sacrifice and steadfast commitment of generations who wore our nation’s uniform.
The freedoms and security we enjoy today have come at a profound cost.
Today is a day for all Australians to come together and reflect on that cost and to remember those who have given their lives in service to our nation.
It is also a time to acknowledge the families who have shared in that sacrifice, and the veterans who continue to carry the legacy of their service, and today stand ready to perform the nation’s most dangerous work, under the most challenging of circumstances.
As we observe a minute’s silence, let us remember all who have served, all who have sacrificed, all who never returned home, and reflect on the legacy of service carried by today’s veterans.
Lest we forget.
