Alex Lloyd interviews SASR and 2nd Commando Regiment veteran Peter Rudland.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Peter Rudland is a veteran of the Special Air Service Regiment and the Commandos, 4RAR(Commando) and when they became the 2nd Commando Regiment. Over a long career in Special Forces, Peter deployed to Cambodia, Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was seriously injured in the June 2010 Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan. In his post-service life, Peter is heavily involved in the veteran community, as a passionate advocate for physical health to create mental health, he started a company counselling soldiers, he has competed in three Invictus Games and is an ambassador for RSL Australia. Alex Lloyd spoke with Peter over Zoom in February 2024.
This episode was edited by Sophie Hu.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
Alex Lloyd interviews SASR veteran Doug Sheridan in the Season 7 finale.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Doug Sheridan is a veteran of the Special Air Service Regiment. He served for 33 years in the Australian Army, full-time and reserve. This included various deployments with the United Nations, the SASR and the Australian Federal Police to the Western Sahara, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. He also served for 10 years in the AFP as a Federal Agent and was one of the original Air Security Officers following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today he volunteers for Wandering Warriors, plays cricket and is studying an MBA at the University of Queensland and Harvard Business School. Doug spoke with Alex Lloyd at the Gaythorne RSL, Brisbane, in March 2023.
This episode was edited by Sophie Hu.
For another podcast about Matthew Locke, listen to #28 Mark Wales.
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Namibia, Iraq and Timor veteran Doug Langrehr.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Doug Langrehr began his career, now spanning close to four decades, as an engineer in the Australian Army. He served on operations in Namibia, Iraq and Timor. His military career culminated in moving to New York to work with the United Nations. Today he is the chief of the mission support and planning section for the United Nations office to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. While visiting Australia, Doug spoke to Sharon Mascall-Dare about his varied career.
Alex Lloyd speaks with founder of the veterans charity Working Spirit, Army and RAAF veteran Karyn Hinder.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and tells their story. This is a bonus episode focused on the veterans-run charity Working Spirit, in a conversation with its founder. Karyn Hinder is an army and air force veteran with over 25 years of service. She has deployed to Timor and the Middle East. Her passion today is assisting military veterans to find employment in their life after service. She launched Working Spirit in 2016, a registered not-for-profit charity. Karyn spoke with Alex Lloyd over Zoom.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
To see photos related to today's interview, visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - or follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Timor and Bougainville veteran, Lily Mulholland.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Lily Mulholland served in the Australian Defence Force for 24 years as a public affairs officer. She has deployed to Timor, Bougainville and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games on Operation Gold. During her time in the army, she also undertook an ADF expedition to Mount Everest. Lily shared her story with Sharon Mascall-Dare.
Angus Hordern interviews Afghanistan veteran and Federal MP Phillip Thompson.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Phillip Thompson is the Federal Member for Herbert and an Australian Army veteran. He deployed to Timor and Afghanistan, and was blown up by an improvised explosive device. He represented Australia at the Invictus Games in 2014 and now represents Townsville in Canberra. This is his conversation with Angus Hordern.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
Alex Lloyd interviews navy veterans Rebecca and Ashley Semmens.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Rebecca Semmens served in the Royal Australian Navy for 18 years, and was medically discharged in 2020 at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Bec was a medic, and deployed to Timor and Afghanistan. Her husband, Ashley Semmens, was a Clearance Diver, also serving in the navy for 18 years. Ash had multiple deployments, including to Afghanistan. He was a Clearance Diver, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal expert and was in Kabul during the evacuation as the Taliban retook the country in 2021. He medically discharged in 2022 as a Chief Petty Officer. Bec and Ash spoke jointly with Alex Lloyd at the Gaythorne RSL in Brisbane.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
Angus Hordern interviews Afghanistan veteran and artist Mike Armstrong.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Michael Armstrong joined the Australian Defence Force in 1998 as an aircraft technician. He went on to serve as a signals officer, deploying with 2 RAR to Timor and with the 2nd Commando Regiment to Afghanistan. He was on the last plane out of Afghanistan in Rotation XX. Throughout his time in the army Mike also taught as a hand-to-hand combat instructor, drawing on his martial arts background. He moved to work in Cyber before medically discharging. Today he keeps connected with the veteran community through his VOICES OF VETERANS artwork.
The episode referenced at the end of the podcast is #97 Paul Cale.
Alex Lloyd interviews former sniper team leader Ryan Shaw.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Ryan Shaw joined the Australian Defence Force in 2006. During his 14-year career in the military he was a sniper team leader, deployed to Timor and Afghanistan, and worked in border protection. Today he’s the Director of Gaythorne RSL, in Brisbane, where he spoke with Alex Lloyd.
Angus Hordern interviews Army Aviation veteran Rod Henderson.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Rod Henderson is an Australian Army veteran. He has served as an infantryman and in Army Aviation, working with Black Hawks and Chinooks, including as a door gunner. Rod has deployed on warlike and humanitarian operations to Timor, Pakistan, New Guinea and Afghanistan. He’s now a volunteer guide at the Australian War Memorial.
This episode was edited by Sophie Hu.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
Veterans of Season 6 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans of Season 6 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. Featured guests include Nick Howlett, Reg Chard, Paul Gebran, Dr Dan Pronk, Sabrina Smeaton, Michael Greenway and Curtis McGrath.
The episodes these veterans were featured in earlier this season include:
Our previous Christmas specials from Seasons 2-5 can be found here:
Alex Lloyd interviews former combat engineer, Paralympian and IED survivor, Curtis McGrath.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Curtis McGrath OAM is a soldier turned sporting superstar. He was a combat engineer in the Australian Army, and lost his legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2012. From there, he set himself a seemingly impossible goal – to compete in the Paralympics. Today, Curtis is a world champion paracanoeist, having won over a dozen gold medals at numerous Paracanoe World Championships and at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics. In the Season 6 finale, Curtis spoke to Alex Lloyd about his military career, the day of the blast in Afghanistan, his remarkable outlook on life, and how he turned a potentially life-ending moment into something remarkably powerful and life changing.
They returned to the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol V.
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Timor and Afghanistan veteran Graham Goodwin.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Brigadier Graham Goodwin CSC is currently the commander of 9th Brigade Australian Army. As a Reservist, Graham has had a significant career in the ADF and South Australia Police, including deployments to Timor and Afghanistan, and serving in recent domestic operations in response to bushfires and COVID-19.
Angus Hordern interviews Australian Army veteran Michael Greenway.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Michael Greenway served in the Australian Army for 36 years. He was in the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, and spent most of his career working in supply. He deployed to Namibia, Timor, Iraq, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan, as part of peacekeeping and military operations. Michael spoke with Angus Hordern about highlights from his career and the vital role of supply in allowing our armed forces to do what they do.
They returned to the podcast in Christmas on the Line Vol V.
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews army veteran Trent Burnard.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Colonel Trent Burnard has worn an army uniform for 32 years. He went from soldier to officer, deployed to Rwanda and East Timor, and worked in Intelligence. Today he focuses on teaching leadership and resilience as a co-founder of Hindsight Leadership.
Episodes referenced at the end of the episode include:
Thomas Kaye interviews army veteran Gareth Gardner.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Gareth Gardner served in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, deploying as a driver to Timor-Leste and Afghanistan. He transitioned from digger to officer, becoming a tank commander. Gareth spoke to Thomas Kaye about his military service, his love for teaching and instructing, and the work he’s doing today with the veterans employment program company WithYouWithMe.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
Veterans of Season 5 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans of Season 5 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. Featured guests include Chris Oxenbould, Greg Hopgood, Mark Wales, Wes 'H' Hennessey, Commando Jamie, Keith Wolahan, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Wayne Bemet. This episode is hosted by Thomas Kaye.
The episodes these veterans were featured in earlier this season include:
Alex Lloyd interviews former SAS psychologist Mark Mathieson.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mark Mathieson was a psychologist in the Australian Army, including time as the SAS regimental psychologist. He deployed to Timor and 6 times to Afghanistan. This is our conversation about the psychology of Special Forces soldiers and the impact of war.
Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:
Angus Hordern interviews General Sir Peter Cosgrove, former Chief of the Defence Force and Governor-General.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. General Sir Peter Cosgrove is one of Australia’s most significant public figures. As a soldier, he saw action in Vietnam, winning the Military Cross, and rose to the top, becoming Chief of the Defence Force from 2002 to 2005. After his military career, Sir Peter became Australia’s Governor-General, serving in that office from 2014 to 2019. In this podcast, he sat down over a Zoom video call to speak with Angus Hordern about some highlights from his life, and to mark the release of the paperback edition of his memoir YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE JOINED. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel or listen through your preferred podcast app and the player above.
Gary Wilson was a signaller attached to the 2nd Commando Regiment. On the 21st of June, 2010, Gary and then-fiancé Renee’s lives were changed forever when Gary was severely injured in a Black Hawk helicopter crash.
In this episode of Life After Service, Thomas Kaye speaks to the now-married couple, Gary and Renee, about the accident, the challenges they overcame and how they are helping pave the way to support others, both veterans and the families of those veterans.
Want to join the Wilsons and support veterans, their families and give back? Check out The Wilson Initiative. https://thewilsoninitiative.com.au/ Looking to have more energy, manage pain and optimise your health? Gary runs Bare Coaching, his personal coaching service. Find out more at: https://www.barecoaching.com/
Watch the episode on YouTube above, or listen to the audio-only version below.
