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Service in the Korean War

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Introduction

This topic covers qualifying service and operational service for the Korean hostilities, as well as, service in the Demilitarised Zone after the ending of the Australian commitment.    

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Qualifying service

To have qualifying service for a service pension an Australian veteran of the Korean war must have:

  • been allotted for duty in the operational area either individually or as a member of a unit, and
  • served in the operational area to which the person was allotted.    More →
Operational service

To have operational service, for Disability Compensation Payment, an Australian veteran of the  Korean war must have:

  • been allotted for duty in an operational area either individually or as a member of a unit, and
  • served in the operational area to which the person was allotted, or
  • between 28 April 1952 and 19 April 1956 (both dates included) served in Japan although their unit was allotted for duty in connection with the Korean Conflict.    More →
Operational service in the demilitarised zone

Defence force personnel continued to serve in Korea after 19 April 1956. Personnel were employed in a non-operational role as it was considered service had returned to normal peacetime conditions.

The exception to this was service as military observers in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). Such service in the DMZ is classified as Operational Service but not Qualifying Service.    

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Qualifying service is one of the criteria used to determine eligibility for certain benefits under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. Refer to section 7A of the VEA for the full defintion.

 

 

Operational service is generally service performed:

  • outside Australia,
  • during war like operations in which Australian Defence Forces were involved, and
  • in areas where the incurred level of risk is considered above that of normal peacetime conditions.

Refer to section 6 of the VEA through to 6F of the VEA for a full explanation of operational service.

For the purposes of determining a person's eligibility for entitlements under the VEA, being allotted for duty in an operational area (schedule 2 VEA refers) is a reference to a person or unit of the Defence Force, that is allotted for duty by written instrument issued by the:

  • Defence Force,
  • Vice Chief of the Defence Force, or
  • Minister for Defence (deemed allotted subsection 5R(1) refers)

Allotment may be retrospective or prospective.

 

 

Disability compensation payment (known before 2022 as disability pension), for the purposes of service pension, income support supplement and veteran payment, means:

  • a pension paid by way of compenstion for incapacity from war caused conditions, or peacetime, peacekeeping or hazardous service caused conditions (other than a war widow's or orphan's pension); or
  • temporary incapacity allowance; or
  • any other payment in respect of incapacity or death resulting from war or war-like operations in which the Crown has been engaged (usually paid by another Commonwealth country).

Please note that the Disability Compensation Payment is legally a pension by way of compensation under the VEA so that concessional benefits under state, territory and local government legislation to pensioners/pensions under the VEA are not denied.

 

For the purposes of determining a person's eligibility for entitlements under the VEA, being allotted for duty in an operational area (schedule 2 VEA refers) is a reference to a person or unit of the Defence Force, that is allotted for duty by written instrument issued by the:

  • Defence Force,
  • Vice Chief of the Defence Force, or
  • Minister for Defence (deemed allotted subsection 5R(1) refers)

Allotment may be retrospective or prospective.