Portfolio — 23 April 2026

Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel Matt Keogh used a media release on 23 April to present a broad account of portfolio activity across three intersecting domains: Defence Force workforce sustainability, implementation of the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide, and the transition of senior Defence leadership. The timing — the eve of Anzac Day and one day before the Deputy Prime Minister's launch of the updated National Defence Strategy and Investment Implementation Plan — gave the release a consolidating character, positioning recent gains against ongoing challenges [TA-260423-dva-977f4dd9d952].

On workforce, the headline figure is the largest Defence Force recruitment cohort in 15 years, with over 7,000 enlistments in the last financial year alongside separation rates at record lows [TA-260423-dva-977f4dd9d952]. Application processing times have been compressed from over one year to approximately 260 days, with critical-role positions handled in around 150 days [TA-260423-dva-977f4dd9d952].

The Minister was direct that this progress is incomplete: current recruitment numbers exceed the prior year but fall short of the expanded target for the current financial year, and further acceleration of processing times remains necessary. Recruitment advertising has shifted to social media, in-game platforms, and TikTok to reach younger cohorts, and the Defence Force is now directly recruiting into Space Operations and nuclear submarine roles — both capability domains with long lead-time workforce requirements.

Three senior appointments take effect following the departures of Chief of Defence Force David Johnson and Chief of Army Simon Stuart. Vice Admiral Mark Hammond becomes Chief of Defence Force — the first submariner in that role and the first to rise from enlisted rank. Lieutenant General Susan Coyle becomes Chief of Army, the first woman in the service's 125-year history.

Rear Admiral Matt Buckley becomes Chief of Navy [TA-260423-dva-977f4dd9d952]. The appointment of Hammond, a submariner, carries particular weight given the AUKUS nuclear submarine program's centrality to the forthcoming National Defence Strategy update.

On Royal Commission implementation, the Department of Veterans' Affairs has actioned over one quarter of the 122 recommendations, with two-thirds targeted for completion by year end [TA-260423-dva-977f4dd9d952]. A statutory oversight body has been operational since September 2025. The new Defence Wellbeing Agency — a direct Royal Commission recommendation — is scheduled to commence mid-2026, providing support across the full arc of service transition: pre-departure preparation, immediate post-service adjustment, and longer-term civilian career progression.

The portfolio's framing explicitly counters a perception that all veterans are injured or struggling, positioning support structures instead as enabling positive transitions for the majority.

Employer and education pathways have been expanded in parallel. The Veteran Employment Covenant has been restructured into a tiered recognition system, from basic veteran employment through to Veteran Employer of Choice status. Defence has enhanced trade qualification recognition to align with civilian vocational standards.

A Recognition of Prior Learning program funded through university grants allows Defence skills and experience to count toward advanced tertiary standing, with strong uptake reported in Queensland [TA-260423-dva-977f4dd9d952]. Eligibility for in-service study has been broadened by removing the requirement to demonstrate direct role-to-course linkage, allowing personnel to pursue qualifications matched to intended post-Defence careers.

On veteran community representation, the co-design of a new peak body following Royal Commission recommendations runs alongside the Department's Young Veterans Consultative Forum. The Minister noted that younger veterans often do not identify with traditional organisations such as the RSL or Legacy, while acknowledging that the newly elected National RSL President Peter Tinley and most State Presidents are contemporary veterans — a generational shift within those structures that may affect how the new peak body is positioned relative to them.

Keogh will represent Australia at Anzac Day commemorations in Papua New Guinea. The portfolio's Anzac observance program extends to all schools nationally through educational materials and flagpole funding.