63.4.6 S6F Operational service - warlike and non-warlike service

Section 6F relates to a member of the ADF rendering operational service during 'warlike service' or 'non-warlike service', which essentially is service declared as such by the Minister for Defence.

These terms are defined in VEA S5C(1):

• non-warlike service means service in the Defence Force of a kind determined in writing by the Minister for Defence to be non‑warlike service.
• warlike service means service in the Defence Force of a kind determined in writing by the Minister for Defence to be warlike service.

This is a new classification introduced by the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Budget and Compensation Measures) Act 1997 commencing on 13 May 1997 to cover operations of higher risk than normal peace-time service. The intention is to give service personnel greater certainty about their eligibility under the VEA before they commence future overseas deployments and to minimise the potential for anomalies to occur in the future.

Service will be declared as 'warlike service' when the military activities involve the authorised application of force and there is an expectation of casualties. These operations can encompass, but are not limited to:

• a state of declared war
• conventional combat against an armed adversary, and
• Peace Enforcement operations.
• A declaration of 'warlike service' has been made, in respect of service in Vietnam between 12 January 1973 and 29 April 1975 inclusive.
• Service will be declared as 'non-warlike service' where the military activities fall short of war-like operations but there is a risk associated with the assigned tasks and where the application of force is limited to self-defence. Casualties could occur but are not expected. These operations can encompass, but are not limited to:
• Peacekeeping, and
• Hazardous service, as discussed in Section 63.6.