True Blue Conversations Podcast

G'day, and welcome back to True Blue Conversations. Today's guest is a man who has lived a life of service, resilience, and excellence. Ryan Wilson began his military career in the Australian Army Reserve before taking on one of the toughest challenges in the world—Special Air Service Regiment selection. After successfully earning his place in the SASR, Ryan went on to serve on multiple operationa...

Today on True Blue Conversations, we sit down with an extraordinary woman whose story is built on resilience, service, family, and an unbreakable mindset. Eva Clarke is a former Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force Physical Training Instructor, a mother, a wife to a serving military member, and one of Australia's most accomplished fitness endurance athletes. A multiple Guinness World Rec...

On this special episode of True Blue Conversations, we sit down with Australian Army Combat Medic veteran and Distinguished Service Medal recipient Damien Silva. This man has faced some of the most confronting moments of Australia's war in Afghanistan. From the chaos of the battlefield to the split-second decisions that mean life or death, Damien opens up about serving as a combat medic alongside...

G'day and welcome back to True Blue Conversations — where we sit down with Australians who've dedicated their lives to service, leadership, and shaping the nation we're proud to call home. Today's guest is Major Damien Batty, a retired Australian Army Officer who served with distinction for more than 26 years in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps and broader Defence organisation. Appointed in...

G'day and welcome back to True Blue Conversations — where we sit down with Australians who've dedicated their lives to service, leadership, and shaping the nation we're proud to call home.   Today's guest represents the very heart of Australian values — integrity, service, and a deep commitment to community. We're honoured to be joined in the special 150 th episode by Her Excellency Sam Mostyn AC...

G'day and welcome back to True Blue Conversations — where we share the stories of those who've stood the line, served their country's communities, and carried the weight of responsibility most will never truly understand. In this episode, we sit down with Sue Osborn, whose career is anything but ordinary. Sue spent 27 and a half years in the Australian Army, operating in some of the most demanding...

G'day and welcome back to True Blue Conversations — where we share the stories of those who've stood the line, served their communities, and carried the weight of responsibility most will never truly understand. Today's guest represents something rare — not just service, but endurance at the highest level. Forty-eight years in policing. Nearly five decades of showing up, day in and day out, throug...

G'day and welcome back to True Blue Conversations—where we sit down with the people who've served, sacrificed, and continue to give back long after the uniform comes off. Today's guest is a man who has taken a life of service and turned it into something truly special. Barry Randall is a current serving Victoria Police Officer with over 32 years of service, having seen the job from the frontline....

Service doesn't end when you hang up the uniform—it evolves. And for some, the next mission becomes even more personal. Today on True Blue Conversations, we sit down with Jared Purcell—Australian Army veteran, former 2RAR soldier, and the voice behind the Broken Fathers podcast. Jared has lived the highs and the hardships of military life, but it's what came after service that shaped his next chap...

Welcome back to True Blue Conversations, where we sit down with those who've lived extraordinary lives in service, leadership, and beyond. Today's guest is someone who has quite literally operated at the edge of human performance. Mandy Hickson is a former Royal Air Force fast jet pilot who flew the Tornado GR4 on combat and operational missions around the world. In an environment where precision,...

On this week's podcast, I speak with Lana Boland, a dedicated Canadian police officer who has served her community with courage and compassion. From navigating high-stress investigations to mentoring young officers, Lana has seen it all. But beyond the badge, she's a voice for mental health in policing, shining a light on the human side of law enforcement. Join us as we explore her journey, the ch...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Western Australia WA Police Detective Meg Jarvis, who has spent years on the front line of some of the most confronting and complex cases imaginable. Meg's career in policing exposed her to the realities most people never see—trauma, crisis, and the human side of crime. But what sets her apart is what came next. Drawing on her lived experience, she's tra...

Welcome back to part 2 of our chat with Michal Dawson, BM. A man who has lived a life defined by service—both in uniform and beyond. Michael is an Australian Army veteran serving as an EW operator and in the Military police as a dog handler. He is a recipient of the Bravery Medal—an honour awarded to those who display extraordinary courage in the face of real danger. From his time in the Army to t...

Today's guest is a man who has lived a life defined by service—both in uniform and beyond. Michael "Smokey" Dawson BM is an Australian Army veteran serving as an EW operator and in the Military police as a dog handler. He is a recipient of the Bravery Medal—an honour awarded to those who display extraordinary courage in the face of real danger. From his time in the Army to the moment that would ul...

On this week's podcast, I speak with Captain Jonathan Finch, whose 27year journey in the Australian Defence Force reflects the evolution of a peacetime organisation into one operating at an intense operational tempo around the world. Finchy began his career in 1999, enlisting in the Army Reserve as a cook—just as the ADF was transitioning into an era marked by frequent deployments and complex miss...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Australian Army Combat Medic Jody Tieche, a man whose story is built on service, resilience, and the experiences that come from operating in some of the most demanding environments imaginable. Jody served as a combat medic with the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, a role that puts you right in the thick of it. When soldiers are wounded and every...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Australian Army Reservist and NSW Police Officer Matt Nicholson. Matt served in the NSW Police for 18 years. After leaving school, Matt joined the Army reserves and joined the Royal Australian Artillery Corps. In 2007, Matt was accepted into the NSW Police and headed to the academy in 2008. Matt spent his career as a general duties officer and later move...

On this week's podcast, I speak with Arron Ferguson, a former 23-year NSW Police Detective and 24-year Australian Army 1st Commando Regiment Special Forces Operator. Arron joined the army first as a commando, and two years later, he was offered a spot on a deployment to Timor. However, the NSW Police also offered a full-time policing position at the academy. Arron lived a double life as both a Det...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former NSW General Duties Police Officer Ben O'Brien. Ben was born and raised in Sydney. Ben comes from a strong ADF family background. Ben's grandfather was a World War II veteran. Ben had a Great uncle who landed on Gallipoli and an uncle who served in Vietnam. Ben's path to the Police wasn't the normal way. He was expelled from school; Ben went off the rails...

On this week's podcast, I speak with Mark 'Trigger' Tregellas. Mark is a former Victorian Police officer & Australian Army 1 st Commando Regiment Veteran & Author. From a teenage athlete, world adventurer, and martial artist, Mark's thirst for adventure led him to serve in the Special Forces Reserves and with Victoria Police. Stationed in remote towns over 26 years, Trigger spent most of his polic...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Queensland QPS Police veteran Brendan Haley BM. Joining the QUEENSLAND Police Service aged 18 years, Brendan spent 33 years serving the Queensland community in a variety of locations and roles. Starting his career in the shadow of Queensland's Fitzgerald Commission into police corruption, this young rural kid was thrust into intense urban policing, and t...

On this week's podcast, I speak with Talissa Papamau (TJ), an Afghanistan veteran and former combat medic who served in the Australian Army.  Her deployment as part of MTF5 spans the highest loss of Australian life in a 24hr period since the Vietnam War. In this podcast, TJ talks about trying to save the lives of 7 KIAs and 33 WIA Australian casualties in addition to scores of local national Afgha...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Australian Special Forces 2nd Commando Regiment veteran Kurt Ludke. Kurt was born in Invercargill, NZ, and later moved to Western Australia. Kurt joined the army in 1998. After basic training, he was posted to 1 RAR in Townsville. Kurt faced adversity early in his career looisng his Mum to an aneurysm. Kurt took a compassionate posting for a few months b...

On this week's podcast, I speak with Robert Kilsby, a former Australian Special Forces Special Air Services Regiment Vietnam combat veteran. Born on Boxing Day in 1951 in the small coal-mining town of Leigh Creek, South Australia, Robert's early years were steeped in the spirit of adventure—bushland escapades, go-kart races, and the kind of rugged independence that would come to define his life. B...

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Australian Special Forces Special Air Services Regiment Commanding Officer Colonel ret Paul Burns DSC & Bar. Paul served as both a soldier and an officer in the Australian Defence Force for 25 years, with operational tours to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. During his service, he commanded 1 SAS Squadron in the Western Desert during the invasion of Iraq an...