Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories.
Episodes
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Alex Lloyd speaks with Lieutenant General John Frewen about the COVID-19 Taskforce and his military career.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC, AM, is currently serving in the Australian Army. He is leading the COVID-19 Taskforce established by Defence, to coordinate the ADF’s contribution to the whole-of-government response to the pandemic. John spoke to Alex Lloyd about highlights of his military career to date, and about the work our servicemen and women are doing in response to coronavirus – when the front line is at home.
Some of John’s career highlights include his 1994 deployment to Rwanda, his exchange to the United States military in Hawaii during September 11, leading the international response to the Solomon Islands crisis in 2003, Afghanistan in 2007, back to the Middle East as Joint Task Force 633 commander in 2017, and now leading the COVID-19 Taskforce with military deputy Major General Paul Kenny.
The military career conversation begins at 1:40 and the COVID Taskforce conversation at 24:35.
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.
Monday Aug 10, 2020
Monday Aug 10, 2020
Alex Lloyd interviews a former captain of the Royal Australian Navy, David McCourt.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. David McCourt served as a career officer in the Royal Australian Navy. After a range of seafaring postings, David was deployed to East Timor and twice to the Arabian Gulf.
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.
Thursday Aug 06, 2020
Thursday Aug 06, 2020
Alex Lloyd speaks again with Afghanistan veteran Matt Williams.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Corporal Matthew Williams is currently serving in the Australian Army. Willy, as he’s better known, had his 21st birthday on deployment to Afghanistan. On his 22nd birthday, he received a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer. But he never gave up the fight. He started what’s become a hugely popular Instagram page – Willy Beating Cancer – documenting his journey of physical and mental health as he fights his illness, increases awareness of it and raises money for it. Alex Lloyd interviewed Willy in 2018, in the post-Season 2 bonus episode ‘A Journey of Resilience with Matt Williams’, about his military service and cancer diagnosis. Two years after the original podcast, Alex brought Willy back on the show for an update on what’s been going on his life.
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.
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Angus Hordern interviews Iraq veteran and cancer survivor Tim Reynolds.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Tim Reynolds served in the Australian Army for 27 years. He joined as a mechanic and retired at the rank of Major. He had multiple deployments during his service, including to Iraq in 2005. He began a new civilian career in his 40s before being diagnosed with a terminal cancer. This is Tim's conversation with Angus Hordern of a life in uniform, deployments overseas and overcoming adversity against the odds.
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.
Thursday Jul 30, 2020
Thursday Jul 30, 2020
Alex Lloyd speaks with Samantha Gash about being married to an SAS veteran.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. On this podcast, many veterans have remarked on how vital the support of a partner or loved one has been to them; that not enough is said of just what a difference it is they make. This is the first ‘partners’ episode of Life on the Line, and we hope to do more in the future. Today’s conversation is with Samantha Gash. Samantha is a professional endurance athlete, social entrepreneur and a motivational speaker. She’s run over 20,000km across every continent on Earth and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity while advocating for women’s empowerment, social change and access to education. In 2017 she was a contestant on the reality TV show Australian Survivor, where she met former SAS officer Mark Wales. Sam and Mark are now married and have one young son, Harry Locke Wales.
You can hear #28 Mark Wales in Season 2. In Season 5, Mark returned to the podcast to promote his memoir SURVIVOR: LIFE IN THE SAS. Mark returned again to the podcast in 2024 to promote his debut novel OUTRIDER.
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.
Monday Jul 27, 2020
Monday Jul 27, 2020
Sharon Mascall-Dare interviews father and son veterans Dean and Alan Bretherton.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. In this podcast Sharon Mascall-Dare conducts two interviews with a father and son: Dean Bretherton, a veteran of the New Zealand Air Force, and his son Alan Bretherton, who is currently in the Middle East on operations with the Australian Army.
Dean served in the New Zealand Defence Force for 22 years. He spoke to Sharon about his own service and his family’s deep military history.
Captain Alan Bretherton is currently on operations as the Deputy Plans Officer for Joint Task Force 633. He’s also serving as the Gender Advisor to the commander of JTF633, Major General Susan Coyle. Alan spoke to Sharon about his career to date, and what it’s like to be an officer in today’s Australian Army.
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.
Tuesday Jul 21, 2020
Tuesday Jul 21, 2020
Alex Lloyd continues his interview with 2nd Commando Regiment veteran 'H' about his combat deployments to Afghanistan.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. This is the fifth part of Alex Lloyd's conversation with Wes 'H' Hennessey, a senior and highly decorated Special Forces veteran. They discuss H returning home after his combat-heavy 2008 deployment to Afghanistan and then move on to his experiences in 2010, where he was in more of a leadership role, and the contrast between the two deployments.
Also listen to, in Season 3, Volume I (the beginning & TAG East), Volume II (Afghanistan 2006) and Volume III (coming home), and in this season, Volume IV (Afghanistan 2008).
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.
Monday Jul 20, 2020
Monday Jul 20, 2020
Alex Lloyd resumes his interview with Special Forces veteran 'H' about his combat deployments to Afghanistan in 2008.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Today's conversation is the fourth part of Alex Lloyd's conversation with 2nd Commando Regiment veteran Wes 'H' Hennessey, which began in a three-part interview in Season 3. This instalment focuses on H's intense combat experiences with Special Forces, in Afghanistan in 2008.
Also listen to, in Season 3, Volume I (the beginning & TAG East), Volume II (Afghanistan 2006) and Volume III (coming home), and in this season, Volume V (Afghanistan 2010).
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.
Tuesday Jul 14, 2020
Tuesday Jul 14, 2020
Angus Hordern continues his interview with Australian Army veteran John Cantwell.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Today's episode is the second instalment of the conversation with Major General John Cantwell AO, DSC, picking up after John's second combat tour in Iraq in 2006 and being made Deputy Chief of Army in 2007. In this episode, John talks to Angus Hordern about commanding forces in Afghanistan, the responsibility of command, and the importance of talking openly and honestly about trauma.
John returned to the podcast in #43 Dan Keighran VC Vol II (ft. John Cantwell), later in Season 4.
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.
Monday Jul 13, 2020
Monday Jul 13, 2020
Angus Hordern interviews retired Major General John Cantwell AO, DSC.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. John Cantwell AO, DSC served in the Australian Army for 38 years, retiring at the rank of Major General. He had tours of duty in the First and Second Gulf War, and the War in Afghanistan. He began his career as a Private, saw intense frontline combat and in his final tour was the Commander of Australian Forces in the Middle East Area of Operations. John was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 2012 for his “inspired leadership, deep commitment to his people and superior performance on operations”. He is the author of the bestselling memoir, EXIT WOUNDS. This is the first instalment in a two-part conversation with Angus Hordern.
John returned to the podcast in #43 Dan Keighran VC Vol II (ft. John Cantwell), later in Season 4.
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.
Monday Jul 06, 2020
Monday Jul 06, 2020
Alex Lloyd interviews Afghanistan veteran and author Tony Park.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Tony Park served in the Australian Army Reserves in a variety of roles, including as a public affairs officer. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 and had his first novel published in 2004. He spoke to Alex Lloyd 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.
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.
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Angus Hordern interviews Rwanda and Afghanistan veteran Robyn White.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Lieutenant Colonel Robyn White is currently serving as the Senior Medical Officer of 6 Brigade in the Australian Army Reserve. During her service with the full-time army and Reserves, she deployed to Rwanda and twice to the Middle East, including Afghanistan. She shared with Angus Hordern some key experiences from her time in uniform, and how her experiences in Rwanda inspired her to become a doctor.
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.
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Alex Lloyd interviews SAS veteran Harry Moffitt for a second time.
Life on the Line tracks down Australian military veterans and records their stories. Harry Moffitt had eleven deployments over eleven years with the Special Air Service Regiment. His first conversation on the podcast was in Season 3. In this follow-up episode, Harry shares with Alex Lloyd more highs and lows from deployments overseas – including the death of Sean McCarthy – as well as stories about The Externals, the cricket bats he took to war, and leadership in the SAS and beyond.
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.
Listen to THE EXTERNALS on Spotify. Tracks featured in today's episode, in order of appearance, include "Edge of the World", "Bushranger Rock", "I Don't Believe" and "I Can Taste You". Music by The Externals will be featured throughout Season 4, used with their permission. For more backstory on The Externals, beyond this episode, listen to "Who Sings Wins", a season 1 episode of The Unforgiving60 podcast.