The unique nature of military service

The nature of military service is unique and unlike any other employment or vocation. The Department of Defence has observed that ‘…[a]lmost every aspect of uniformed life comes with a risk or cost to the member and/or to their families’ which in extreme cases ‘can lead to the ultimate sacrifice’ (p. 8).

Evidence provided to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide underlines the physical and psychological risks experienced by military personnel:

Even during peacetime, serving members are exposed to risks and hazards through physically intense training, live fire exercises and the use of explosives, and training that simulates war-like conditions. This is intended to ensure that members retain the level of skill, reaction, response and operational readiness required to support the Defence mission (p. 10).

When an armed forces member is killed or injured during non-operational activities, such as training exercises, it is a solemn reminder that preparing for war is dangerous.

Recognition of lives lost in non-operational activities

There have been calls, going back many years, to recognise the dangers of military training by officially commemorating those who have died as a result of non-operational activities. In 2016 the Australian War Memorial (AWM) recognised ‘the sacrifice of Australians who have died in training exercises’ with a plaque in the Commemorative Area. Then Director of the AWM, Brendan Nelson, stated:

The Black Hawk tragedy of 20 years ago, in which 18 Australian soldiers were tragically killed, is one example of the heartbreaking sacrifice our servicemen and servicewomen can make during training exercises. They deserve to be acknowledged and remembered for what they gave to protect us.

More recently, the National Capital Authority approved the building of a national monument on Anzac Parade in Canberra. The Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans’ Association explains:

While operational deaths are formally recognised, there is currently no national monument dedicated to those who lost their lives while training for operational readiness in the defence of Australia. This project will provide a permanent place of reflection for families, veterans, and the Australian community, ensuring their sacrifice is acknowledged with dignity and national significance.

Medallic recognition

In 2021 the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (DHAAT) conducted an inquiry into recognition of members and families of members of the ADF who have been injured, wounded or killed in or as a result of service. DHAAT’s report, Recognising their sacrifice, noted Defence’s submission, which outlined the complexities encountered when considering appropriate recognition of a service member’s death under a variety of circumstances (p. 61). Defence had considered ‘a memorial package’ option that might include a Service bereavement pin; a medallion like the UK’s Elizabeth Cross and the Canadian and New Zealand Memorial Crosses; a commemorative scroll; and other unspecified items.

DHAAT recommended a Memorial Clasp and accompanying scroll to recognise service-related deaths and a Memorial Star and accompanying scroll recognising ‘the sacrifice of the family of a veteran whose death was service-related’ (p. 93).

The government’s September 2025 response to a Senate committee inquiry into the Defence honours and awards system stated that it was still considering the DHAAT recommendations (p. 3).

Bereavement pins

The DHAAT report notes that each Service offers bereavement pins to family members of those who died in service, regardless of the cause, as a mark of commemoration (pp. 28–30).

The Air Force was the first to introduce a bereavement pin in 2006, which recognises ‘the contribution and value of Air Force members who have died and passing that appreciation to families’.

The Navy Bereavement Pin was commissioned in 2008 for ‘families who lost a relative while they served in the Navy’ so family members would have a ‘discreet memento of the service of their loved one’.

The Army Remembrance Pin was commissioned in 2015 to recognise ‘the family of an Australian Army member who has died in service’ and ‘acknowledges the sacrifice made by the families of Army’s men and women’.

Commemoration

While the AWM lists on the Roll of Honour the names of some personnel killed during training exercises, including the ‘Kapooka Tragedy’ that occurred during the Second World War, the eligibility criteria generally exclude those who died during peacetime activities.

The Kapooka Tragedy occurred near Wagga Wagga NSW on 21 May 1945. It involved an accidental bunker explosion during a training exercise that resulted in the deaths of 26 men. This was Australia’s largest loss of life during a military training exercise until 10 February 1964 when HMA Ships Melbourne and Voyager collided during night exercises off the coast of Jervis Bay NSW, resulting in 82 lives lost.

While memorials are often erected in commemoration of such accidents, such as the Voyager Memorial Park in Jervis Bay and the Kapooka Army Training Accident Memorial in Wagga Wagga, as well as a commemorative plaque and streets named after those lost, in some instances, official events commemorating specific incidents have taken decades. There were 2 royal commissions into the HMAS Voyager accident, but the first official Defence commemoration did not take place until 1991 and the first official commemoration of the Kapooka Tragedy did not occur until 2008 (p. 12).

Assessment of publicly available information suggests that over the last 30 years, around 49 ADF members have died in training activities, demonstrating the importance of commemorating all deaths in service.