Life on the Line

Angus Hordern interviews Gulf War veteran Chris Oxenbould.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Chris Oxenbould was a Rear Admiral in the Royal Australian Navy. Among other deployments, Chris was the Commander of the Royal Australian Navy Task Group both during and after the First Gulf War. There, his task group became part of the largest grouping of warships seen since the end of World War II. It’s been said that it was probably the most powerful and complex naval force ever assembled.

The episode referenced at the end of the podcast is #82 John Cantwell Vol I.

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 Sarah Watson. Watch the video documentary episode now on YouTube!

An intelligence officer to Iron Man athlete to veterans advocate. Sarah Watson is the first veteran we feature in our series Life After Service.

In our podcast interview with her (#76), we discussed her time in the Australian Defence Force. In this documentary, we cover her challenges and successes in her time adapting to life after the military.

CLOSING CREDITS:

Guest: Sarah Watson

Also Featuring: George Watson, David Watson, Kevin the French Mastiff

Special Thanks: Striker Coffee Co., Valour Coffee Co.

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

Workout Soundtrack: RED STRIPES by Hunter Parks

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.

Watch the trailer for our new video documentary series on YouTube!

From World War II to modern-day conflicts and everything in-between, LIFE ON THE LINE has been bringing you the stories from veterans far and wide that have done their part for their friends, family and nation.

Covering their reasons to join, who they are behind the uniform and focus on their time in service.

LIFE AFTER SERVICE is a special series where we focus on their lives after the military and how they adapted to civilian life. Catch our first episode as we release it on the 23rd of March.

This podcast is the audio version of the trailer. Listen to discover our episode release schedule.

Alex Lloyd interviews army veteran Monika Georgieva.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Monika Georgieva was the first female to attempt selection for the 2nd Commando Regiment and the Special Air Service Regiment. She made two attempts at SAS selection, then went on to be Australia’s first female infantry officer, having commanded a rifle platoon and a reconnaissance/sniper platoon. In her conversation with Alex Lloyd, Monika talks about her childhood in Bulgaria, joining the Australian Army, details her various Special Forces selection attempts and her career beyond.

Episodes referenced at the end of the podcast include:

• #36 Mark Donaldson VC
• SAS Leadership with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis
• #68 Harry Moffitt
• SAS Leadership Vol II with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis
• #102 Heston Russell

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 2nd Commando Regiment veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, Heston Russell.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. This is the first episode of Season 5, our 207th podcast, and our 102nd veteran conversation. In all that time we've brought you stories from World War II to the modern era. Today's chat is with a Special Forces veteran of the 21st century conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, Heston Russell.

We recorded this episode on the outdoor balcony of Heston's Sydney apartment, so if you hear any background noise or ambience, that's why. We recorded outdoors because we also filmed this interview, which is a first for our podcasts. You can jump onto our YouTube channel to watch this chat with Heston. We will be doing a select number of video podcasts as the year goes on.

Heston Russell was an officer in the 2nd Commando Regiment. He already had a profile in the Australian community through his post-military career in the fitness world with Barry's Bootcamp. He rose to further national prominence in 2020, when an unnamed US soldier accused Heston's platoon of unlawfully killing a prisoner in Afghanistan. Heston counterattacked, speaking out on national media to strongly refute the claims. Since then, he's remained in the public spotlight, becoming a spokesperson for the veteran community in the lead-up to and in the wake of the Brereton report into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Alex Lloyd spoke to Heston in February 2021 to learn more about the man behind the headlines.

Follow Heston @hestonrussell on Instagram and Facebook. You can also find "Voice of a Veteran" on social media, YouTube, your favourite podcast app and www.voiceofaveteran.org.

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.

Welcome to Season 5 of LIFE ON THE LINE, Australia's first and leading veterans podcast, from Thistle Productions.

Season 5 of LIFE ON THE LINE begins next week! Subscribe to get all content. Continue to listen to breathtaking Australian stories as you've never heard them before. This year we will also do a handful of video podcasts, released exclusively to our YouTube channel. This is in addition to our upcoming video documentary series LIFE AFTER SERVICE. Our first podcast - video and audio - is out next week with 2nd Commando Regiment veteran Heston Russell. Subscribe in your favourite podcast app and on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Watch the video version of this trailer on our YouTube channel.

Also 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 Bob Hunter.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. The Season 4 finale is with Bob Hunter, a former Squadron Commander in the Special Air Service Regiment. Bob was in command the night of the 1996 Black Hawk disaster, where two helicopters collided, and 15 SASR and 3 Aviation Regiment soldiers lost their lives. Bob spoke to Alex Lloyd about his years with the Australian SAS, his Middle East and Bougainville deployments, and about SAS culture and leadership.

This interview with Bob is the Season 4 finale. Life on the Line will return in 2021.

Veterans of Season 4 share their stories of a Christmas in uniform.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. Veterans and other guests of Season 4 share with the Thistle Productions team their experiences of Christmas in uniform, from deployments overseas and back home in Australia. These stories have not been previously featured on the podcast. Featured guests include Sarah Watson, Adrian Humphries, Ben Pronk, Tim Curtis, Bill Fitzgerald, Tony Park, John Cantwell, Tim Reynolds, David McCourt, Crystal Callender, Garth Callender, Glenn Azar, Alyssa Azar, Dan Keighran VC, Ian Roberts, Paul Cale, Renee Wilson and Bob Hunter. This episode is hosted by Angus Hordern.

For more from today's featured guests in Season 4, listen to the following episodes:

• #76 Sarah Watson
• #77 Adrian Humphries Vol I
• #77 Adrian Humphries Vol II
• SAS Leadership Vol II with Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis
• #79 Bill Fitzgerald
• #81 Tony Park
• #82 John Cantwell Vol I
• #82 John Cantwell Vol II
• #84 Tim Reynolds
• #85 David McCourt
• The Partners - Crystal Callender
• #90 Glenn Azar
• #94 Ian Roberts
• #43 Dan Keighran VC Vol II (ft. John Cantwell)
• #97 Paul Cale
• The Partners - Renee Wilson
• #101 Bob Hunter

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, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.

Thomas Kaye speaks with Renee Wilson about being the partner of a military helicopter crash survivor.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. This is the third ‘partners’ episode of Life on the Line. Today’s conversation is with Renee Wilson. Renee was engaged to Gary Wilson, a signaller attached to the 2nd Commando Regiment, when Gary was injured in a Black Hawk helicopter crash on 21 June 2010, where four Coalition soldiers were killed. In this moving conversation with Thomas Kaye, Renee details her memories of the day of the crash, Gary’s long road to recovery and how she put her own feelings to the side to be a pillar of strength for others. She also shares not just the challenges, but the inspiring story of all they have achieved and overcome in the ten years since that fateful night in Afghanistan. 

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, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.

Thomas Kaye interviews 2nd Commando Regiment veteran and Black Hawk crash survivor, Gary Wilson.

 

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Gary Wilson was a signaller attached to the 2nd Commando Regiment. Gary survived a catastrophic helicopter crash in Afghanistan, on 21 June 2010. Gary was severely injured, including a traumatic brain injury. Three Australians lost their lives in this crash: Ben Chuck, Tim Aplin and Scott Palmer; as well as a US serviceman. In this conversation with Thomas Kaye, Gary shares his story of military service, the Black Hawk crash and his recovery afterwards.

 

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, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.

Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews Timor, Indonesia and Middle East veteran, Phillip Condoleon.

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Sergeant Phillip Condoleon is currently serving in the Australian Army in the 1st Psychology Unit. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Infantry in 1994 as a reservist and became full-time in 1999. Phillip deployed to Timor in 2000 as a rifleman. He spent time as a Linguist, including a deployment to Indonesia after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. In 2008, he became an Examiner Psychological, and is currently deployed to the Middle East with Joint Task Force 633 in this capacity. He spoke to Sharon Mascall-Dare about his deployment experiences, family and psychology work in the ADF. 

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, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.

Alex Lloyd speaks with ABC journalist Siobhan Heanue about the relationship between the military, the media and the public. 

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Siobhan Heanue is an ABC journalist based in Townsville for ABC North Queensland. She was previously the ABC’s South Asia correspondent, where she reported from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal. She reported from Iraq in the lead-up to the Battle for Mosul in 2016, has covered terrorist attacks and humanitarian crises in East Africa, and repeatedly embedded with the Australian Defence Force. In the 200th episode of Life on the Line, Alex Lloyd spoke with Siobhan about her career in journalism, the media and public access to the ADF in the 21st century, and the relationship between the media, the military and the public in the wake of current stories being reported on alleged war crimes. 

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, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.

Angus Hordern interviews Vietnam veteran Madelon Heuke.

 

Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Madelon 'Del' Heuke was a nurse in the Royal Australian Air Force. In 1965 she was deployed to Butterworth, Malaysia, where she nursed Australian soldiers that had been wounded in action in the Vietnam War. She also flew into Vietnam for medevacs. She shared with Angus Hordern stories of her experiences overseas and the soldiers she nursed to health, giving a nurse's perspective to the Vietnam conflict.

 

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, and @LOTLpod on Twitter.