The secretary of Narromine's RSL says more should be done to support current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members to transition from the military following the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Defence personnel can receive civilian accreditation for military training when they transition from service, although Diane Beaumont said the process is long and difficult.

"It takes three to six months before they even get an answer," Ms Beaumont said. 

"I have a hard time trying to get them to approve white cards, gold cards and everything else. It does help the veteran, but if they haven't got it they are left out in the cold, they're left short of money and everything else. They've got to pay for things out of their own pockets. That's not fair.

"It makes me so cranky when I'm trying to help my people to get a better quality of life and they don’t care."

The commission's six-volume report, released on 9 September, found veterans are largely unaware of entitlements and support available with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).

Narromine RSL sub-branch secretary Diane Beaumont. PHOTO: Narromine Shire Council 

The report also found military training is often not readily transferable into civilian roles, either because it is not recognised by civilian institutions or was too specialised.

According to the commission, the majority of veterans who died by suicide between 2002 and 2021 were not DVA clients at the time of their death. 

"Job readiness supports are fragmented and inconsistent, and there is limited evidence of uptake and whether investment in this area is delivering better employment outcomes for ex-serving members," the report's fifth volume said.

"Ex-serving ADF members would benefit from greater support to translate their skills and experience for civilian employers who may not understand the value ex-serving members can bring to workplaces."

At least 1700 people in the Western Plains identified as former Defence members in the 2021 Australian Census.

The commission was established on 8 July 2021 to probe issues leading to suicide among current and former members.

"There's a lot of work to be done. There's a lot of our people that are on the streets where they should not be because they can't cope. They don't know how," Ms Beaumont said. 

Over 120 recommendations

The inquiry received almost 5900 submissions, hearing from nearly 350 witnesses at hearings. There were also 897 private sessions held.

It covered the military's culture, leadership and support for members after they left the ADF.

The final report made 122 recommendations, many addressing "unacceptable" behaviour, including preventing sexual misconduct.

The commission recommended changing the Defence Force Discipline Act to consider victim impacts in sentencing for sexual offences in military trials.

It also recommended allowing victims to read an impact statement out loud and consider it an "aggravating factor" in sentencing if the offender has a higher rank than the victim.