Recognising the ADF’s youngest supporters

More than 150 Sydney-based children of ADF members have been presented with medallions, commending them for resilience and personal growth shown in response to challenges associated with military family life.

CAPTION: Parents, Sergeant Kim and Mrs Clare James with their kids, displaying their Child of ADF Medallions and certificates. Story by Ben Wickham. Photos by Ben Wickham.

Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) held the annual Child of the ADF Medallion presentation ceremonies at the Museum of Military Engineering, Holsworthy Barracks, and at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park this month.

DMFS Sydney-Liverpool area manager Aspasia Iosifidis said the events were about paying respect to the specialness of Defence children and how they contributed to their parents’ ability to serve.

“It’s a joyous occasion. Everybody is just really proud of their kids,” Ms Iosifidis said.

“The kids are jumping out of their skins; they’re really happy to receive an ADF Child of the Medallion.”

Two of the recipients were children of Sergeant Kim James and Clare James.

The family has moved interstate three times since their nine-year-old daughter Lyla was born, with seven-year-old son Liam in tow for the past two.

“They went to school in Darwin and they had to leave their friends and their sporting groups. It was a hard transition to come here,” Ms James said.

Sergeant James is posted to the School of Military Engineering at Holsworthy. The family wasn’t able to secure housing close to the base, so Lyla and Liam are enrolled at a school where there aren’t other military families nearby and the school doesn’t have a Defence school mentor.

“The kids have struggled a lot at the school, because the staff don’t quite comprehend the difficulties Defence kids go through,” Ms James said.

Sergeant James said the size of the schools compared to those in Darwin had also made it hard.

“That’s been a pretty wild experience for them, the volume of kids, making friends and all the stuff that comes with that,” he said.

The medallion gives children a tangible symbol of their perseverance and growth. It’s something they can wear with pride, and show to classmates and friends who may have no idea what it means to have a parent in the military.

Also at the ceremony were Trina Andersson, her soldier husband and their two daughters, aged seven and five.

Ms Anderson said the biggest challenge for the family had been having the girls’ father away for extended periods. It has meant she had to put her career on hold, as well as him missing milestones such as birthdays and starting school.

Ms Anderson said the medallion helped explain to the girls why their father was absent more often than many of their friends’ parents.

“It lets them reflect on how strong they’ve been through difficult times,” she said.

“It makes them proud of their dad’s career, and proud of what they’ve put up with because they have friends who aren’t in Defence and don’t have to sacrifice like that.”

The medallion program is open to all children aged 18 and under of serving permanent ADF members. Nominations for the medallion can be made by parents or guardians.

CAPTION: Some of the recipients of Child of ADF Medallions and certificates, with staff from Defence Member and Family Support Sydney/Liverpool.

For more information about the program and other support services for ADF families, visit https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families or phone 1800 624 608.

If you would like to learn about ways to support Defence children in your school, contact your local DMFS Area Manager or read about the ADF Aware Program www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/family-programs-services/support-for-children/adf-aware-program

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