Sydney
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon today released a new commemorative pin for Defence families.
The pin is the culmination of the efforts of Milan Nikolic, a former UN peacekeeper who served in Rwanda, and Deb O'Neill, the Member for Robertson and Milan's local MP, who suggested to the Prime Minister that families of Defence Force members deserve official recognition.
Designed to recognise the sacrifice Defence families make when our military personnel are away from home, the pins will be provided to families across Navy, Army and the Air Force.
This is a small but important way of recognising the family members that go through the emotional and at times difficult experience of having a loved one deployed overseas.
As a nation, we appreciate the bravery and service of our military personnel, however, we should also remember the sacrifices of their families, going for long stretches without their loved ones, and the heightened anxiety knowing they are deployed in a conflict zone.
Following an announcement in April by the Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Department of Defence has worked on the pin's design with family support organisations including Defence Families Australia.
This is the first time that a universal and official pin of recognition has ever existed to recognise the contribution made by the families of Defence Force members.