Senators from all sides of politics are urging the Turnbull government to urgently overhaul the care provided to veterans following a long-running inquiry into veteran suicide.
The bipartisan Senate committee , tabled in parliament on Tuesday, makes 24 recommendations to tackle the issue, after receiving more than 450 submissions.
Committee chair Labor senator Alex Gallacher said the inquiry had heard harrowing evidence from current and former service members who frankly described their self harm and suicide attempts.
It had heard from widows, parents and friends who shared stories of tragic loss.
"Some of these personal stories have been hard to read," he said.
"It is difficult to imagine the trauma of living through the experiences described."
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The report recommends the government fund a range of services and suicide prevention programs for veterans, including a trial program to provide assistance animals for veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
It recommends the government set up a bureau of veterans' advocates to represent veterans and establish an independent review to determine whether vulnerable veterans are adequately protected when dealing with the Veterans' Review Board.
It also recommends the government establish a veteran suicide register and ask the Productivity Commission to review the compensation and rehabilitation system for veterans.
There are also several recommendations aimed at improving processes within the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Veterans' Affairs Minister Dan Tehan said the government would carefully consider the report and respond shortly.
Senator Gallacher said modern veterans were more likely to die from suicide and self harm than overseas operation service.
"Unfortunately, the effort to address suicide in the veteran community is likely to be a struggle that has no end-point," he said.
Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie, who instigated the inquiry, called on veterans to unite and pressure the federal government to implement the recommendations as soon as possible.
"United we stand to demand the government take action. Divided we will continue to fall," she said.
More support for transition to civilian life
The report also recommended greater support for recent veterans transitioning to life outside the defence force, with a Transition Taskforce to investigate gaps in existing support systems, barriers to employment and deterrents to undergoing further work and study.
Further recommendations were made around a two-track transition process for serving personnel leaving the military, which would identify 'at risk' groups and make intensive support available to them.
Such intensive support would cover additional help with management of claims, healthcare and mental health support and employment assistance programs.
The issue of transition was covered on , which examined how prepared Australian servicemen and women are for their re-entry into civilian life.
"The transition from a military mindset to a civilian one has been probably the hardest thing I've had to do," James Hancock, a 29 year-old former soldier who toured Afghanistan twice, told Insight's Jenny Brockie.
Finding employment was particularly difficult for him in the years since leaving the army, even experiencing rejection from major supermarkets for entry-level positions.
He was joined by peers from throughout the ADF who had experienced difficulties - and successes - in their transitions.
Like Hancock, Kiel Goodman struggled to translate his army experience into desirable workplace skills.
Within 12 months, he says he'd applied for close to 150 jobs and received only two interviews.
"To someone that used to be so proud of what they were doing," he says, "then getting out of the military and realising you can't get a job ... that's a massive, massive hit to your self-esteem."
Goodman experienced severe mental health and substance abuse issues during and post-service. He also attempted to take his own life.
Now working for ex-service organisation, Mates4Mates, he wants to see transition support begin before discharge.
"It needs to starts before people get out, before it's a massive problem."
It needs to starts before people get out, before it's a massive problem.
The report also made recommendations around improving the employability of veterans, with an option to undertake work experience with an external employer as part of the Career Transition Assistance Scheme.
Garth Callender, an ex-military commander now running a veteran employment program for the NSW government, says statistically, the number of veterans who are severely incapacitated after leaving the service is quite small.
He is keen to minimise the perception among potential employers that the majority of veterans have trouble transitioning.
"I think that there is a really strong rhetoric around the fact that veterans, as a whole, bring 'baggage'; that there’s wide-spread mental health issues," he says.
"I think that makes it really hard, particularly from an employment perspective, for when you sit in front of an employer, they might be the best employer in the world, but if they have in the back of their mind, even subconsciously, that this person is a military person and maybe they're a bit broken, that's going to mean that they're going to employ somebody else who doesn't have that cloud over them, as opposed to the veteran."
Speaking on ABC Radio, Defence Minister Marise Payne said the government was making "significant progress" in helping veterans acquire work.
"We know that they are overwhelmingly well skilled, highly talented, extraordinarily strong contributing Australians and we want to make sure we can support them in their engagement for whatever future they choose."
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467.
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78.
