Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australian Defence Force personnel play an important role, whether they are contributing to the rebuilding of Iraq, partaking in various United Nations peacekeeping operations or involved in multinational exercises within Australia or overseas. However, it is not just our military men and women who are serving our nation. So too are the spouses and partners of Australian Defence Force personnel and their dependants. The families of military personnel are their great enablers, their devoted supporters and play the largest role in influencing whether someone remains a member of the Defence Force. The families are also the ones who experience the reality of living with a member of the Defence Force. As their partner is moved around the country and the world to different rotations and deployment, they too get moved around and shuffled about. Many a Defence Force family has superb skills at packing and starting life again in a new town.

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