Soldier On and Invictus Australia have launched a new partnership designed to strengthen connections, opportunities and support for Australian Defence personnel, veterans and their families as they navigate life beyond military service. The partnership was formally established through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Soldier On CEO Paul Singer and Invictus Australia CEO Michael Hartung at an event held onboard HMAS Canberra in Sydney.
Hosted by Nine Network television personality Ally Langdon, the launch brought together veterans and families, Defence and government representatives, ex-service organisations, corporate partners and leaders from across the veteran community. General the Honourable David Hurley AC CVO DSC (Retd), Founding Patron of Soldier On, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Retd), Patron of Invictus Australia, and Soldier On Ambassador and Invictus Games alumna Sarah Watson each spoke at the event, acknowledging the value of two national organisations working closely together in the interests of veterans and their families.
The partnership brings together two organisations with complementary strengths. Soldier On supports veterans and their families through its HELP model, spanning health and wellbeing, employment, learning and education, participation and social connection. Invictus Australia uses sport and physical activity to support veterans and their families to build connection, confidence, resilience and purpose.
Soldier On CEO Paul Singer said the partnership reflected the importance of connecting veterans and families with different forms of support throughout their journey beyond service. “For veterans and their families, life after service is not a single pathway. At different points, people may need connection, community, sport, employment, education, wellbeing support or simply the opportunity to find a new sense of purpose. Invictus Australia brings an extraordinary understanding of the power of sport and community to create connection and confidence. Soldier On brings a broad range of services and support that can help veterans and families build on those connections as they navigate what comes next. By bringing our organisations together, we have an opportunity to strengthen those pathways and make it easier for veterans and families to find the support and opportunities that are right for them. This is what meaningful collaboration across the veteran sector should look like – combining our respective strengths, resources and networks to achieve better outcomes for the people we are here to serve.”
Michael Hartung, CEO of Invictus Australia, said: “As part of the global Invictus movement, we’ve learned that lasting impact for veterans and families comes when sport understands the unique needs of our Defence community, when it is connected to broader support systems and collaboration drives impact. This partnership with Soldier On brings together two organisations with distinct strengths but a shared purpose: helping veterans and families thrive beyond service through tailored and varied opportunities. Together, we can create stronger outcomes, reach more people and demonstrate the power of genuine collaboration across the veteran sector.”
General Hurley said the partnership reflected a principle familiar to anyone who has served: when responsibility is handed over, you do not simply walk away – you make sure the next person is ready and has what they need to succeed. “When a member of the ADF takes off the uniform for the last time, our responsibility to them does not end. Nor does our responsibility to their family,” General Hurley said.
He said the partnership demonstrated how organisations could combine their strengths rather than working in isolation. “Sport and support. Connection and opportunity. Recovery and a pathway forward. That is a powerful combination.”
Sir Peter Cosgrove added, “Throughout my military career, I learned that success is rarely achieved alone. It comes from people and organisations working together towards a common purpose. This partnership between Soldier On and Invictus Australia reflects exactly that spirit. By combining their respective strengths, they are creating stronger pathways of support for veterans and families and demonstrating the value of genuine collaboration across the veteran community. Ultimately, this is about ensuring those who have served our nation, and the families who have stood beside them, have every opportunity to live healthy, connected and fulfilling lives beyond service.”
The partnership also reflects the need for greater collaboration across the veteran sector, including between ex-service organisations, government and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. By bringing together the organisations’ reach, programs, events and resources, Soldier On and Invictus Australia will work to strengthen connections and pathways for veterans and families.
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