Alex Lloyd hosts a panel on the veteran suicide crisis, with Wes ‘H’ Hennessey and Renee Wilson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. On 11 August 2022, the Interim Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was submitted to the Governor-General, and then to Parliament. While this podcast sees itself as a veterans storytelling platform first and foremost, topics as exceptional as this are an ongoing part of the stories of veterans and families around the country. As a nation, we’ve lost more veterans to suicide than we did to combat in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. This Royal Commission was something tirelessly campaigned for by veterans and families, so this interim report is an important measure of whether it’s achieving what so many wanted it to.

To discuss the interim report, host Alex Lloyd welcomed back two previous guests. Wes ‘H’ Hennessey is veteran of the 2nd Commando Regiment, a deeply experienced and well-decorated soldier after many combat deployments to Afghanistan. Renee Wilson is the CEO of Australian War Widows NSW, an ambassador for the Commando Welfare Trust, and is a staunch advocate for veterans and their families. She is also the wife of veteran Gary Wilson, who was significantly injured in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

You can listen to this episode in your usual podcast app, or watch our Zoom recording on YouTube. 

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• Panel - Returning Home

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.