Filtering by Tag: Army

#118 Mark Mathieson

Alex Lloyd interviews former SAS psychologist Mark Mathieson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mark Mathieson was a psychologist in the Australian Army, including time as the SAS regimental psychologist. He deployed to Timor and 6 times to Afghanistan. This is our conversation about the psychology of Special Forces soldiers and the impact of war.

#116 Tony Dell

Thomas Kaye interviews Vietnam veteran Tony Dell.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Tony Dell is an army veteran of the Vietnam War. The national serviceman is also the only Test cricketer to fight in Vietnam. He was a fast-medium seam bowler who made his Test debut against England for the vital Seventh Test in the 1970-71 Ashes series, taking 5 wickets in that match. After war, sport gave Tony an outlet and place of mateship and camaraderie, but he could not escape that the war had scarred him. This trauma ultimately gave him a life-changing mission - Stand Tall for PTS. Tony spoke to Thomas Kaye about his military career and life after service, including the book written about him by Greg Milam: AND BRING THE DARKNESS HOME: The Tony Dell Story

Discover more about Tony’s organisation Stand Tall for PTS at http://standtall4pts.org 

The episode referenced at the end of this podcast is #102 Heston Russell.

#28 Mark Wales Vol II

Alex Lloyd interviews SAS veteran Mark Wales for a second time.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mark Wales is a veteran of the Special Air Service Regiment. He served in the Australian Army for 16 years, 6 of those with the SAS. Alex Lloyd first spoke with Mark about his military service and highlights of his post-army career in Season 2, #28 Mark Wales. Since then, Mark has written his memoir, SURVIVOR: LIFE IN THE SAS. This is a deeply revealing memoir, action-packed and a considered reflection on events in Afghanistan. It’s an important book for the soldier’s perspective it gives into Special Operations in Australia’s longest war, a response to the 2020 Brereton Report into alleged war crimes.

Alex - Mark’s publisher and editor of the book - invited him to the Pan Macmillan audio studio to talk more about Mark’s time in the military.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

To buy the book in print, ebook or audiobook (narrated by Mark), visit either the publisher’s website, Mark’s website or directly to your retailer of choice.

Mark returned to the podcast in 2024 to promote his debut novel OUTRIDER.

#101 Bob Hunter

Alex Lloyd interviews SAS veteran Bob Hunter.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. The Season 4 finale is with Bob Hunter, a former Squadron Commander in the Special Air Service Regiment. Bob was in command the night of the 1996 Black Hawk disaster, where two helicopters collided, and 15 SASR and 3 Aviation Regiment soldiers lost their lives. Bob spoke to Alex Lloyd about his years with the Australian SAS, his Middle East and Bougainville deployments, and about SAS culture and leadership.

To hear more about the 1996 Black Hawk disaster, listen to SAS Leadership Vol II with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis.

Bob was also featured in Season 4’s special holiday episode, Christmas on the Line Vol III.

This interview with Bob is the Season 4 finale. Life on the Line will return in 2021.

Christmas on the Line Vol III

Veterans of Season 4 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans and other guests of Season 4 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. These stories have not been previously featured on the podcast. Featured guests include Sarah Watson, Adrian Humphries, Ben Pronk, Tim Curtis, Bill Fitzgerald, Tony Park, John Cantwell, Tim Reynolds, David McCourt, Crystal Callender, Garth Callender, Glenn Azar, Alyssa Azar, Ian Roberts, Dan Keighran VC, Paul Cale, Renee Wilson and Bob Hunter. This episode is hosted by Angus Hordern.

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Daniel Keighran VC - Courage Under Fire

A trailer for COURAGE UNDER FIRE by Daniel Keighran VC.

Podcast host Alex Lloyd is a Senior Editor at book publisher Pan Macmillan Australia, and the editor of Daniel Keighran VC's autobiography. Dan's military memoir, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, is out 27 October. It's now available for preorder. Listen to this short podcast to find out more about the book and hear reviews of it by Mark Donaldson VC, Sir Peter Cosgrove, Dame Quentin Bryce, John Cantwell, Dr Brendan Nelson, Sir Angus Houston, David Hurley and David Morrison. COURAGE UNDER FIRE was written with Tony Park, an Afghanistan veteran and conversation #81 earlier this season.

Preoder now through your retailer of choice, including Booktopia, Dymocks, QBD Books, Amazon, Apple and more.

Preoder now through your retailer of choice, including Booktopia, Dymocks, QBD Books, Amazon, Apple and more.

#86 Susan Coyle

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Susan Coyle, currently on deployment to Afghanistan as Commander Joint Task Force 633.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Major General Susan Coyle CSC, DSM is a senior officer in the Australian Army. She is currently on deployment to Afghanistan as the commander of Joint Task Force 633, responsible for all Australian operations in the Middle East. She is the first woman to command the task force, which comprises 1200 personnel on Operation Okra. Susan spoke to Sharon Mascall-Dare about her extensive military career, including her deployments to East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan.

COVID-19 Taskforce with John Frewen

Alex Lloyd speaks with Lieutenant General John Frewen about the COVID-19 Taskforce and his military career.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC, AM, is currently serving in the Australian Army. He is leading the COVID-19 Taskforce established by Defence, to coordinate the ADF’s contribution to the whole-of-government response to the pandemic. John spoke to Alex Lloyd about highlights of his military career to date, and about the work our servicemen and women are doing in response to coronavirus – when the front line is at home. 

Some of John’s career highlights include his 1994 deployment to Rwanda, his exchange to the United States military in Hawaii during September 11, leading the international response to the Solomon Islands crisis in 2003, Afghanistan in 2007, back to the Middle East as Joint Task Force 633 commander in 2017, and now leading the COVID-19 Taskforce with military deputy Major General Paul Kenny. 

The military career conversation begins at 1:40 and the COVID Taskforce conversation at 24:35.

To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.

Willy Beating Cancer OAM

Alex Lloyd speaks again with Afghanistan veteran Matt Williams.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Corporal Matthew Williams is currently serving in the Australian Army. Willy, as he’s better known, had his 21st birthday on deployment to Afghanistan. On his 22nd birthday, he received a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer. But he never gave up the fight. He started what’s become a hugely popular Instagram page – Willy Beating Cancer – documenting his journey of physical and mental health as he fights his illness, increases awareness of it and raises money for it. Alex Lloyd interviewed Willy in 2018, in the post-Season 2 bonus episode ‘A Journey of Resilience with Matt Williams’, about his military service and cancer diagnosis. Two years after the original podcast, Alex brought Willy back on the show for an update on what’s been going on his life.

#81 Tony Park

Alex Lloyd interviews Afghanistan veteran and author Tony Park.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Tony Park served in the Australian Army Reserves in a variety of roles, including as a public affairs officer. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 and had his first novel published in 2004. He spoke to Alex Lloyd about what the army did for him, the challenges of readjusting to normal life after deploying, the military's relationship with the public and his writing career.

Find Tony Park online and his new book, LAST SURVIVOR.

Tony returned to the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol III. In 2021, he was featured in the documentary episode Life After Service - Tony Park.

#76 Sarah Watson

Alex Lloyd interviews Iraq veteran Sarah Watson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Sarah Watson was an Intelligence Officer in the Australian Army. She deployed to Iraq in 2006 and was the Intelligence Analyst for all Middle Eastern countries except Afghanistan during the Arab Spring. This is Alex Lloyd's conversation with Sarah about the challenges and victories she faced in uniform, and beyond.

Sarah returned to the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol III.

Sarah was also featured in the video documentary series LIFE AFTER SERVICE.

#75 Aaron Davis

Alex Lloyd interviews Australian Army veteran Aaron Davis.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. The Season 3 finale is a veteran’s story of trauma, growth and resilience, from battlefields overseas to how life in uniform is intertwined with life back home. Aaron Davis was an infantryman in 6RAR. He was deployed to Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. Between his times overseas, he was juggling his ever-growing family and his increasing difficulty to ‘switch off’ and transition from cams to civvies. This is his story, as told to Alex Lloyd.

Aaron returned to the podcast in the episode released for Remembrance Day 2019, Panel - Modern Veterans.

#72 Craig Cook

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Craig Cook.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Craig Cook has served in the Australian Army for 34 years, as a member of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. He has deployed to Somalia, Afghanistan and three times to Iraq - twice with US forces, who have recognised his achievements with a Meritorious Service Medal and a Bronze Star. Today he’s the Regimental Sergeant Major at 9th Brigade in Adelaide. Craig shared with Sharon Mascall-Dare stories of high intensity combat, having a bounty on his head and the effects of the military life on his family.

#56 James Medley

Alex Lloyd interviews East Timor and Solomon Islands veteran James Medley.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. James Medley has served his country in the Reserves for two decades, and in that time has had a range of deployments domestically and abroad. These include East Timor and the Solomon Islands (twice); border security operations with the Royal Australian Navy; security operations at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games; and assisting the firefighters in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

#45 Dr Sharon Mascall-Dare

Alex Lloyd interviews Iraq veteran Dr Sharon Mascall-Dare.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Dr Sharon Mascall-Dare is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author, and has deployed to Iraq with the Australian Army. Sharon has worked for the BBC, Radio France International and the ABC's Radio Australia, presenting news coverage of war and peacekeeping operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. She has a PhD in communication and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. Her area of research is ethnographic journalism and journalistic ethics in regards to coverage of veterans' affairs and Anzac commemoration. Sharon is a Major in the Australian Army Reserve, working now as a Public Affairs Officer with Headquarters 9th Brigade. She deployed to Iraq in 2016-17. Sharon began conducting veteran interviews for LIFE ON THE LINE in 2018. She also runs StoryRight, a veterans employment support program.

#31 Dr Dan Pronk Vol I

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Today's conversation is with Dr Dan Pronk, a former Special Forces soldier. Dan served with the regular army in East Timor before undertaking four tours of Afghanistan with Special Operations Units - the 2nd Commando Regiment and the Special Air Service Regiment. Dan spoke with Sharon Mascall-Dare about his journey to Special Forces, the trauma of combat and life as an elite soldier. This is the first instalment of a two-part episode.

Click here to listen to Volume II, after you've heard this episode.

Dan later returned to the podcast in the episodes:

Dan is currently the resident medic, ‘Dr Dan’, on Channel Seven’s SAS Australia.