Learning Experiences during Military Civilian Transition

Becoming a member of the Australian Defence Force involves significant training and education in all aspects of military life, ranging from formal employment specific skills to the less structured development of military identity through inclusion in a unit and process of socialisation into military culture. The reverse of this is not mirrored when members leave the military, with a lack of structured training programs available in Australia and high prevalence of identity and resocialisation issues noted in the veteran community. This study focuses on the lived experiences of military service members and veterans during military civilian transition, incorporating theories of adult education, military transition, and identity to describe individuals’ experience. Taking a social constructivist view and symbolic interactionism stance, this study uses semi-structured interviews with military service members and veterans of the Australian Defence Force in an attempt to identify the essence of the transition experience. In addition, current programs aimed at military service members and veterans currently available in Australia were examined to outline the education and training that is provided to determine whether it aligns with the identified needs of interviewed Australian military service members and veterans. Existing research on military civilian transition with a training or education focus is limited, primarily focused on vocational retraining or accessing higher education which often does not address the non-vocational training, education, knowledge, and skills needed for military service members and veterans of the Australian Defence Force to be successful in civilian life. This study attempts to bridge the gap between what military service members and veterans learn during their military civilian transition and what current veterans identify is missing from current programs that may have made their transition more successful.

RESEARCH PARTICIPATION

Learning Experiences during Military Civilian?Transition

What?is?this?study?about?

Volunteers?are?invited?to participate?in?a?study?examining the?learning experiences?of?ADF veterans?during?their?military civilian?transition.

Who?can?participate?

Former?members?of?theAustralian?Defence?Force?(with?at least?five?years?of?service)?who have?discharged?within?the?past five?years.

What?happens?during?the study?

One-on-one interview with the researcher, asking about your learning?experiences?during?yourservice?and?transition?from?theADF.

How?long?will?it?take?

The?interview?will?last?between?1-2?hours,?and?you?will?be asked?to?review?your?interview?transcriptand/or?participate?in?a?second interview?lasting up?to?1?hour.?Participants?will?be?reimbursed?with a?$25?gift?voucher for?their?participation in?this?study.

What?about?confidentiality?andprivacy?

Only?the?researchers?will?have?access?to?theindividual?information?provided,?so?your privacyand?confidentiality?will?be?assured?at?all?times.The?research?outcomes?may?be presented?atconferences,?written?up?for?publication?or?usedfor?other?research purposes,?however?theprivacy?and?confidentiality?of?individuals?will?beprotected?at?all times.?You?will?not?be?named,and?your?individual?information?will?not?beidentifiable?in any?research?products?withoutyour?explicit?consent.

How?can?I?participate?or?find?outmore?

Please contact us via email ([email protected]) for more?details?on?this study?including?how?to participate.

Approval

This project has been approved by Flinders University's Human Research Ethics Committee (Project ID 2574).