Reflections
Third Prize in the AVCAT Essay Prize 2020, ‘Reflections' by Jo Hagen. By Jo Hagen It seems fitting that I begin this story on 18 August 2020, National Vietnam Veterans’ Day. It’s been five years. Five years since Dad’s first suicide attempt. I’d been in a yoga class. Feeling serene, I...
Safe
Second Prize in the AVCAT Essay Prize 2020, 'Safe' by Jane Wotherspoon. By Jane Wotherspoon “Posttraumatic stress disorder may be one of the most important explanations for the effects of deployment on the sons and daughters of military personnel reported on here.” “Sons and daughters have been found to constantly...
The 30th of April 1975
The winning essay of the AVCAT Essay Prize 2020, 'The 30th of April 1975' by Jade Washbourne. By Jade Washbourne The 30th of April 1975, a distant memory to many but also an unforgettable one, its significance has lingered on despite the decades that have passed because for many it...
2020 AVCAT Essay Prize – Winner Profiles
We are delighted to introduce the winners of the inaugural AVCAT Essay Prize. The essays will be first published in the next issue of Debrief Magazine, and here on AVCAT’s website. First Prize – Jade Washbourne Essay: The 30th of April 1975 I’m a 22-year-old from the beautiful Bega Valley...
AVCAT Essay Prize Judging Panel
AVCAT is proud to announce the judging panel for the inaugural AVCAT Essay Prize is Paul Livingston, Karen Blackwell and Major General Bill Crews AO (Retd). The panel reports that the judging process was difficult due to the high quality of the entries and the moving stories they told. Paul...