MEMBER NEWS

The Air Force Association (AFA) is pushing forward with fresh momentum, as National President Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi (retd) shared updates from recent engagements in Melbourne, Russell and the Ex-Service Organisation Round Table (ESORT) in June.

A National Commemorative Service was held at the Australian National Korean War Memorial in Canberra on 25 June 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of Australian involvement in the Korean War.

To recognise the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific, the Air Force Band will conduct two commemorative concerts at the Canberra Theatre Centre on 14 August 2025 to honour the service and sacrifice of those who contributed to the victory during the Second World War.

The Air Force Association (South Australia) recently hosted the Hon Joe Szakacs, Minister for Veterans Affairs in South Australia, in Adelaide for the monthly Combined Ex-Services Mess in Veterans Lunch and to present two 60-year AFA Membership Certificates to 100-year-old South Australian World War 2 Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force Veterans.

The Air Force Association (South Australia) recently joined with RAAF Edinburgh in celebrating the centenaries of three World War 2 Air Force veterans as part of an ongoing local program to recognise the service of our World War 2 veterans who turn 100.

Defence Community Dogs (DCD), established in 2014 by the Defence Bank Foundation, trains and provides assistance dogs at no cost to serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members.

The Air Force Association Queensland Division has held its annual Bomber Command Commemorative Service, a solemn tribute to the Royal Australian Air Force’s enduring traditions.

The annual National Ceremony commemorating the Battle of the Coral Sea, a defining World War II victory, has been held at the forecourt of the Australian-American Memorial in Canberra. Immediate Past Vice President of the Air Force Association (AFA), AIRCDRE Peter McDermott AM CSC (Ret’d), attended the ceremony, representing the AFA and laying a wreath to pay tribute to the Allied forces’ heroism.

The Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust (AVCAT) is offering tertiary scholarships for 2026, providing $4,000 to $6,000 annually for up to three years to children and grandchildren of Australian ex-serving veterans.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Australian service in the Korean War, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will honour the occasion with a National Commemorative Service on 25 June 2025 at the Australian National Korean War Memorial on Anzac Parade, Canberra.
The event honoured Anzac and commemorated the 80th Anniversary of VE Day in early May.

AFA-SA recently proudly presented a unique storytelling event at the April Combined Ex-Services Mess in Adelaide, where Group Captain Greg Weller engaged with 102-year-old Ray Merrill DFC, one of South Australia’s few remaining RAAF WW2 Bomber Command veterans.

The event honoured Anzac and commemorated the 80th Anniversary of VE Day in early May.

Group Captain John Price has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Military Division (OAM) for his exceptional service as an Inquiry Officer and facilitator of administrative inquiries in the Royal Australian Air Force.

The popular charity ride Scootaville is hitting the road again in 2025 — and this year, it’s set to support both Legacy and the Air Force Association, raising funds and awareness for veterans and their families.