A Christmas Note

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

As the holiday season approaches, I find myself reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the exciting changes that await us. I hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits.

First and foremost, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each and every one of you for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm deeply aware of the diverse faiths represented within our community, and I offer these greetings with the utmost respect for all religions, their followers, and their significant observances. My wish is for peace, joy, and prosperity for all, regardless of individual beliefs.

The coming year promises to be one of significant transition for our organization. We are on the verge of appointing our first Chief Executive Officer, a milestone that marks a new chapter in our journey. In this context, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Nathan Bradney for his exceptional service as interim CEO over the past few months. Nathan's dedication and leadership have been invaluable during this transitional period.

Speaking of changes, I anticipate that I, too, will be stepping down as we consider a new Chairperson. This transition, along with the welcoming of new directors to our board, will ensure fresh perspectives and continued strong governance for our organization.

I'm pleased to announce that the next issue of the Australian Peacekeeper Magazine is set for release in January. I encourage you all to look out for it, as it promises to be an engaging read.

Our advocacy efforts continue unabated. We are persistently pushing for a review of the Offsetting process. While this has caused some tension within DVA, I'm confident that our good relationships will see us through. Our goal remains clear: to define what Offsetting is, how it operates, and why different organizations have different interpretations. Most importantly, we aim to address the common denominator - the penalization of veterans - and work towards changing this.

We remain committed to our working groups, particularly those focused on retrospective recognition of service and medallic recognition. While these groups may go by different official names, their importance in acknowledging our veterans' contributions cannot be overstated.

On an administrative note, please be aware that the Canberra office will be closed throughout January as I embark on an Antarctic expedition with my wife. During this period, Mark Horner will be your primary point of contact for any urgent matters.

I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to acknowledge some key individuals who have been instrumental in our organization's success:

• Mark Horner, for his ever-present work as Company Secretary, keeping us in check.
• Guy Richardson, who has been performing much of the hard work in taking minutes of meetings and assessing and compiling our responses to government.
• All our directors, committee members, and State Representatives for their unwavering commitment.
• Rod Hutchings for his tireless work remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace.
• Karl Patterson and Gavin Benson, our editor and publisher respectively, for their excellent work on our magazine. It's wonderful to see it in the post again.

To each of you, and to all those who contribute to our organization in ways both big and small, I extend my deepest thanks. Your dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed.

As we close this chapter and look forward to the next, I wish you and your families a peaceful holiday season and good times in the coming year. May 2025 bring us closer to our goals and see our community grow stronger.

Yours in the Service of Peace

Ian Lindgren

Chairperson

Mark Horner Guy Richardson @Gavin