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General Orders
10 Regular Servicemen
10.2 Policy
- 10.2.3 Effective Full-time Service
Means any period of continuous full-time service of a member of the Defence Force other than periods exceeding twenty-one consecutive days in one or more of the following categories:
- leave of absence without pay;
- absent without leave;
- awaiting or undergoing trial on a charge in respect of an offence of which he was later convicted; or
- undergoing detention or imprisonment.
NOTE 1: Separate periods of less than twenty-one days in two or more categories cannot be aggregated. Only continuous periods exceeding twenty-one consecutive days within a category are to be excluded from the total full-time service.
NOTE 2: A period of service which is not effective service as defined in the legislation does not break the continuity of service for the purposes of s.4AAA e.g. an applicant who enlisted before 17 August 1977 and had served a total of three years and thirty-six days but had thirty-six days non effective service during that period may still have his/her eligibility established.
NOTE 3: Where a person re-engages to serve as a member of the Defence Force for a period of continuous full-time service, he/she shall be taken to have engaged on his/her enlistment to serve until the expiration of the period for which he/she re-engages. A similar provision exists for officers.
10.2.3.1Broken Periods of Service. A member of the Forces who is discharged and subsequently re-engages, is not permitted to aggregate his/her periods of service for the purpose of qualifying if there is a break in service of one day or more. However, such a member may qualify by completing effective full-time service as required by the legislation.
NOTE: The following periods of service are not deemed to be effective full-time service unless the specified conditions are met.
10.2.3.2Appointment During Tertiary Studies. That period of service of an officer, who, on his appointment, was a student enrolled in a degree or diploma course at a university or other tertiary educational institution and was required by the appropriate authority of the Defence Force to engage in his studies or activities connected with his studies. This period is not regarded as effective full-time service unless the appropriate authority of the Defence Force has determined that it is effective full-time service.
NOTE: The Department of Defence has advised that all undergraduate service of a member who enlisted after 17 August 1977 is considered to be effective service for DSH purposes, provided the member graduates.
10.2.3.3Officer Cadet Training. Service while undergoing a course of training at the Royal Australian Naval College, as a member of the Corps of Staff Cadets of the Military Forces or as an Air Cadet of the Air Force is not regarded as effective full-time service unless the person graduates as an officer or, in the case of the Navy, is promoted to at least the rank of Sub-lieutenant.
10.2.3.4Students Appointed as Officers. A person appointed as an officer of the Defence Force while a student enrolled in a degree or diploma course at a university or other tertiary educational institution shall not be regarded as a regular serviceman where his or her appointment was bought to an end by his or her death or for medical reasons before the completion of the period of effective full-time service provided in the legislation.