Reason for separation
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%).
|
Separation reason |
Males |
Males |
Females |
Females |
Persons |
Persons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 |
9,300 |
10.2 |
2,260 |
13.7 |
11,560 |
10.8 |
|
Total ex-serving with a |
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%).