Rob Donkin speaks out on conflict and national service during the National Servicemen’s Association Memorial

A Vietnam veteran has chastised world leaders and condemned the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Here’s why he believes there is no room for conscription if the call for war comes.

National Servicemen’s Association Memorial on Monday (June 30, 2025) unveiled 18 new plaques for the 'nashos' who had passed away in the last 12 months.

A Vietnam veteran has spoken out against the idea of reinstating national service and criticised the ongoing global conflicts, questioning humanity’s failure to move beyond war.

During a poignant address at the National Servicemen’s Association Memorial on Monday, veteran Rob Donkin expressed his dismay at the state of international affairs and his sadness that today’s society has still not “progressed beyond war”.

“I find the beginnings of the war and its continuation in Ukraine so unbalanced and pointless,” he said.

“I find the Gaza fighting so brutal, uncompromising and frankly quite unhinged and most recently the abandonment of dialogue, with and by Iran as incredulous and to put it politely, idiotic.”

“I know that is a scant analysis but those three examples encapsulate so much as the fundamental utilities of war and conflict and the ineptness of leaders.”

Rob Donkin during his occasional address at the National Servicemen’s Association Memorial on Monday June 30, 2025.

“All three of them are so stark a reality of where peace has failed and all persist as harbingers of untold suffering and destruction.”

“There are no winners anymore.”

Mr Donkin said despite today’s volatile strategic environment, the discourse around reinstating national service should be abandoned.

“Let us not conflate the ideas I hear of reinforcing national service so as to invite discipline training to our youth,” Mr Donkin said.

“That is not the role of the military.”

He said the Australian Defence Force in its current state was full of “hard working” soldiers who would no doubt make the nation proud if called upon for war.

In recent years, the retention and recruitment issues plaguing the Australian Defence Force has increased discussions surrounding reintroducing conscription.

The current Australian Government has made it clear they have no current plan to reinstate mandatory military service.

Originally published as Rob Donkin speaks out on conflict and national service during the National Servicemen’s Association Memorial