Life on the Line

This is the audio-only version of our Life After Service episode with Tamara Sloper-Harding. Watch the video documentary episode now on YouTube!

Tamara Sloper-Harding served in the Royal Australian Navy as an intelligence officer and saw deployments to East Timor and Bougainville. 

In this episode of Life After Service, Tarama catches up with an old navy colleague, Angus Hordern, and reflects on her life post service, including a little village called Soibada that captured her heart. 

If you want to find out more about the charity and support the efforts of Tamara and co, you can find out more on Facebook, or you can reach out to them at: pittwaterfriendsofsoibada@gmail.com

CLOSING CREDITS:

Guest: Tamara Sloper-Harding

Special Thanks: Avalon Beach RSL Club

Brought to you by Thistle Productions: Thomas Kaye, Alex Lloyd, Angus Hordern

Intro Music: THREE METRES by Stephen Keech

Episode Soundtrack: THE HELL BEYOND by The Externals

Images courtesy of: Tamara Sloper-Harding & Pittwater Friends of Soibada Incorporated

Fuelled by Striker Coffe Co.

Copyright Thistle Productions 2021

THISTLE PRODUCTIONS, LIFE ON THE LINE and TECI

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Timor and border protection veteran, Chad McLaren.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Chad McLaren served in the Australian Army as an infantryman and deployed to East Timor in 2000. He then transferred to the Royal Australian Navy and served as a medic, including on border protection. At the Torrens Parade Ground in Adelaide, Chad spoke with Sharon Mascall-Dare about his military career, the role of sport in his life in and out of the military and the importance of veteran storytelling. Chad is one of the founders of Walk for a Veteran, with the 2021 walk set for August.

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.

Alex Lloyd interviews an Afghanistan veteran and the first female in an Australian Army combat corps, Carly Box.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Carly Box was in the Australian Army for 11 years. She was the first female to enlist into a combat corps in the army. She enlisted into Artillery and was an operator of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, commonly known as Drones). She deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as a ScanEagle operator, spending over 1000 hours flying the drone, and again in 2013 as a Shadow mission commander. Today she co-owns and co-runs the Barracks Gym in Brisbane.

The episode referenced at the end of the podcast is #103 Monika Georgieva.

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.

This is the audio-only version of our Life After Service episode with Tony Park. Watch the video documentary episode now on YouTube!

Tony Park is a fiction and non-fiction international bestselling author. Before that, he served in the Australian Army Reserves in various roles, including as a public affairs officer.

In 2002, he was deployed to Afghanistan alongside the SAS, with his first novel published in 2004.

In this episode of Life After Service, Alex Lloyd spoke with Tony about what the army did for him, the challenges of readjusting to normal life after deploying, the military's relationship with the public, and his writing career journey.

To find out more about Tony and keep up to date with his work, be sure to look at his website. https://www.tonypark.net/

CLOSING CREDITS:

Guest: Tony Park

Special Thanks: Hornsby RSL Club

Brought to you by Thistle Productions: Thomas Kaye, Alex Lloyd, Rohan Viswalingam

Intro Music: THREE METRES by Stephen Keech

Episode Soundtrack: THE HELL BEYOND by The Externals

Fuelled by Striker Coffe Co.

Copyright Thistle Productions 2021

THISTLE PRODUCTIONS, LIFE ON THE LINE and TECI

Angus Hordern interviews former commando Keith Wolahan.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Keith Wolahan is a former commando, a veteran of 3 tours of Afghanistan. He’s also a lawyer and barrister, and now has been pre-selected for the Federal seat of Menzies for the Liberal Party.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #44 Mick Bainbridge
• #54 'H' Vol II
• #68 Harry Moffitt Vol II
• #54 'H' Vol IV
• #92 Dean Parkinson Vol II
• #100 Gary  Wilson
• Life After Service: Glenn Kolomeitz

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 a RAEME veteran of the Middle East, Ken Whitton.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Ken Whitton joined the Army Reserves as a gunner in 1988. He then went full time, serving as an Electronics Technician in the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, known as RAEME. He deployed on border protection operations, and to Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, he is transitioning into a civilian career at Babcock, in Defence Industries. He spoke with Sharon Mascall-Dare, who also works at Babcock. 

The episode referenced at the end of the podcast is #45 Dr Sharon Mascall-Dare.

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.

Alex Lloyd interviews SAS veteran Mark Wales for a second time. 

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Mark Wales is a veteran of the Special Air Service Regiment. He served in the Australian Army for 16 years, 6 of those with the SAS. Alex Lloyd first spoke with Mark about his military service and highlights of his post-army career in Season 2, #28 Mark Wales. Since then, Mark has written his memoir, SURVIVOR: LIFE IN THE SAS. This is a deeply revealing memoir, action-packed and a considered reflection on events in Afghanistan. It’s an important book for the soldier’s perspective it gives into Special Operations in Australia’s longest war, a response to the 2020 Brereton Report into alleged war crimes. Alex - Mark’s publisher and editor of the book - invited him to the Pan Macmillan audio studio to talk more about Mark’s time in the military.

To buy the book in print, ebook or audiobook (narrated by Mark), visit either the publisher’s website, Mark’s website or directly to your retailer of choice.

Mark returned to the podcast in 2024 to promote his debut novel OUTRIDER.

This is the audio-only version of our Life After Service episode with Don Barnby. Watch the video documentary episode now on YouTube!

Former SAS trooper and Australian Federal Police officer Don Barnby is the third veteran featured in our Life After Service series. Don served in the Vietnam war as a special forces soldier, and at Cyprus, Bougainville and East Timor with the AFP. On a volunteer basis, Don has also been interviewing veterans for the Australian War Memorial.

CLOSING CREDITS:

Guest: Don Barnby

Special Thanks: Australian War Memorial

Brought to you by Thistle Productions: Thomas Kaye, Alex Lloyd, Rohan Viswalingam

Intro Music: THREE METRES by Stephen Keech

Episode Soundtrack: THE HELL BEYOND: The Ballad of of Old Mate Joe 'Rowdy' Sloan by The Externals

Closing Scene Music: HOPE ENDURES by Third Age & THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD by Caleb Etheridge

Fuelled by Striker Coffe Co.

Copyright Thistle Productions 2021

THISTLE PRODUCTIONS, LIFE ON THE LINE and TECI

2nd Commando Regiment veterans, friends and family share their memories of the late Sergeant Brett Wood MG, DSM.

Brett Wood was tragically killed in action by an Improvised Explosive Device on 23 May 2011. As the 10-year anniversary of Brett’s passing approached, Life on the Line was asked by one of Brett's close friends and fellow commandos to commemorate the day. We have done so by creating this special podcast, a celebration of his life. Alex Lloyd spoke with family, friends and colleagues of Brett - from those who knew him personally to those who served alongside him and marvelled at his professionalism. The list of those interviewed is available on our website.

To see photos related to today's episode, 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.

Alex Lloyd speaks with Mark 'Billy' Billingham, veteran of the British SAS.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. In this special bonus podcast, we feature a veteran of the British SAS who is currently in Australia, here for the filming of ‘SAS Australia’ Season 2 as well as his live tour of talks. Mark 'Billy' Billingham served for nearly two decades in the British Army’s Special Air Service - the SAS, serving in countless war zones, winning the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery and being awarded the MBE by HM the Queen. Upon leaving the SAS, he became a bodyguard to Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. He is now a DS and advisor on the hit TV shows SAS: Who Dares Wins in the UK and SAS Australia. 

Follow @billingham22b on Instagram for more information about his live events in Sydney (Friday 7 May), Brisbane (Sunday 9 May) and Melbourne (Monday 10 May).

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.

Alex Lloyd interviews Somalia veteran Greg Hopgood.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Greg Hopgood is a veteran of the Australian Army. He deployed to Somalia with 1 RAR as part of Operation Solace in the 1990s, our first battalion-sized deployment overseas since the Vietnam War. Greg spoke with Alex Lloyd about his experiences on patrols, the mate he lost and the confronting humanitarian crisis at the time, and how he still carries his experiences in Somalia with him today.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #47 Bram Connolly
• #54 ‘H’ Vol I
• #72 Craig Cook

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.

This is the audio-only version of our Life After Service episode with Glenn Kolomeitz. Watch the video documentary episode now on YouTube!

Former aircraft technician, military policeman and legal officer, Glenn Kolomeitz is the next veteran in the Life After Service series. In our podcast interview with Glenn (#22), we covered his early life, military career, and ongoing work in the veteran community. Glenn returned to the podcast in the special episodes Panel - Returning Home and Christmas on the Line. He was also featured in #44 Mick Bainbridge.

CLOSING CREDITS:

Guest: Glenn Kolomeitz

Brought to you by Thistle Productions: Thomas Kaye, Alex Lloyd, Angus Hordern

Intro Music: THREE METRES by Stephen Keech

Episode Soundtrack: THE HELL JUST BEYOND: The Ballad of of Old Mate Joe 'Rowdy' Sloan by The Externals

Fuelled by Striker Coffe Co.

Copyright Thistle Productions 2021

THISTLE PRODUCTIONS, LIFE ON THE LINE and TECI

Visit our website - www.lifeonthelinepodcast.com - and follow us on social media: @lifeonthelinepodcast on Facebook and Instagram, @LOTLpod on Twitter and 'Thistle Productions' on LinkedIn.

Angus Hordern interviews 2nd Commando Regiment veteran and IED survivor, Damien Thomlinson.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. This is our second video podcast - you can watch the whole conversation between Damien Thomlinson and Angus Hordern now on YouTube. Damien deployed to Fiji, Timor and Afghanistan with the 2nd Commando Regiment. He lost both his legs in Afghanistan, due to an Improvised Explosive Device, in 2009. He’s gone on to become a motivational speaker, author, actor, golfer, and more. This is an inspiring conversation about Damien’s military career, his life after the blast and how he turned that fateful day into the best thing that ever happened to him.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #29 Todd Vail
• #54 ‘H’ Vol V
• #92 Dean Parkinson Vol II
• #100 Gary Wilson

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.