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In this episode of the Defence Connect podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Australian Army Corporal (Ret’d) and Afghan veteran Matthew “ Willy” Williams (Order of Australia Medal) to discuss citizen conflict reporting and his coverage of the ongoing Ukraine War.
Corporal Williams was previously deployed as a private to Afghanistan with the Australian Army, leaving as a corporal in 2020 and undertaking a radical career change to operate the 130,000-subscriber Willy OAM independent journalism YouTube channel.
The pair discuss Willy’s experiences as a veteran, the support he received after leaving the Army, and his sideways career choice to become a travelling civilian conflict reporter.
They then discuss the impact of a terminal brain cancer diagnosis on his 22nd birthday, his efforts to promote brain cancer awareness initiatives, and receiving an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List.
They also discuss his ongoing daily analysis of the Ukraine War through public crowd-sourced maps and how to split fact from fiction in the modern world of military propaganda.
They then detail Willy’s own interactions and interviews with military volunteers – from Australia, the US, and Russia – their motivations, and concerns.
Finally, the pair take stock of the conflict, discussing worst-case scenarios, what it’s like on the ground, and how it’s likely to end.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team
Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:
Episode 522: PODCAST: Threats, theatre and tariffs in Trump’s world, with the Defence Connect team
Episode 521: CONTESTED GROUND: Regaining the qualitative advantage
Episode 520: CONTESTED GROUND: What’s in store for 2025? Part 2
Episode 519: PODCAST: Boosting women’s involvement in defence industry, with Rachel Falzon, Women in Defence Association
Episode 518: SPOTLIGHT: Delivering a sovereign small arms and load carriage capability, with Aquaterro’s Graeme Bulte
Episode 517: PODCAST: Royal Australian Navy minehunters’ new purpose after service, with Frank van der Linde
Episode 516: CONTESTED GROUND: What’s in store for 2025?
Episode 515: PODCAST: Building a robust, fit for purpose ADF, with Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh MP
Episode 514: CONTESTED GROUND: What Trump’s Panama Canal comments mean for maritime law
Episode 513: SPOTLIGHT: How AIR 6500 will defend Australia’s shores, with Lockheed Martin Australia’s Liam Catterson
