The reasons that ADF members separate from the ADF can be categorised into four broad groups:
- voluntary separation
- involuntary medical separation
- contractual/administrative change
- other involuntary separation.
The separation point used in this report reflects full separation from the ADF, that is, when a member is no longer permanent or reserve. Separation reason is therefore the reason recorded for leaving the last engagement with the ADF.
Due to a change in the way the reasons for separating the ADF was recorded during 2002, analysis is presented only for ADF members who left from 1 January 2003 onwards. These members comprise 41% of the total ex-serving members with at least 1 day of service since 1 January 1985.
The two top reasons for leaving the ADF were voluntary separation (45%), with the proportions similar for males and females and other involuntary reasons (30%), with males (31%) more likely to record this reason than females (25%).
Table 7: Reason for leaving the ADF, ex-serving members, 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2019
|
Separation reason
|
Males
(Number)
|
Males
(Per cent)
|
Females
(Number)
|
Females
(Per cent)
|
Persons
(Number)
|
Persons
(Per cent)
|
|
Voluntary
|
40,893
|
45.0
|
7,375
|
44.7
|
48,268
|
44.9
|
|
Other involuntary
|
28,080
|
30.9
|
4,050
|
24.5
|
32,130
|
29.9
|
|
Involuntary medical
|
12,674
|
13.9
|
2,818
|
17.1
|
15,492
|
14.4
|
|
Contractual/Administrative
change(a)
|
9,300
|
10.2
|
2,260
|
13.7
|
11,560
|
10.8
|
|
Total ex-serving with a
separation reason
|
90,947
|
100.0
|
16,503
|
100.0
|
107,450
|
100.0
|
(a) Contractual/Administrative change includes contract completed, data migration requirement and separation reasons that include contractual change and/or changes in Defence personnel system (e.g. transitioning of payroll system to PMKeyS introduced from 2001).
Source: AIHW analysis of linked Defence Historical Personnel data–PMKeyS–NDI data 1985–2019.
Of all reasons for separating from active service, the most common separation reason was resignation (28%), followed by separated non-contactable (13%) which are voluntary separation reasons. The most common other involuntary reasons were individual’s retention not being in the service’s interest (12%) and absence (8%).