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In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by returning guest, Australian Army Corporal (Ret’d) and Afghan veteran Matthew “Willy” Williams OAM, to discuss the fall of Avdiivka in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and the emerging discussion around conscription in Australia.
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Corporal Williams was deployed as a private to Afghanistan with the Australian Army and left as a corporal in 2020, undertaking a radical career change to operate the 167,000-subscriber “Willy OAM” independent journalism YouTube channel.
He now acts as a travelling civilian conflict reporter following a terminal brain cancer diagnosis on his 22nd birthday and after being awarded an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List.
The pair discuss the recent withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from Avdiivka and the changing landscape of the battlefield in Ukraine.
They then discuss the controversial topic of war crimes in the conflict, as well as tackling issues regarding the donation of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine.
They also discuss Williams’ travels on the ground in Israel following the October attacks last year and use of drones in the conflict.
Finally, the pair discuss the public discourse around the possible conscription in Australia and the comparative effectiveness of called-up troops in Ukraine.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team
Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:
Episode 510: CONTESTED GROUND: Iran’s collapsing sphere of influence
Episode 509: DEFENCE PROPERTY PODCAST: Understanding the ever-changing landscape of regional property investment
Episode 508: PODCAST: A proud history of providing debate and connecting sailors, with Mark Schweikert, federal president, Navy League of Australia
Episode 507: SPOTLIGHT: GWEO – protecting Australian sovereignty, with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s James Heading
Episode 506: CONTESTED GROUND: Ukraine’s freedom of manoeuvre in the information domain
Episode 505: SPOTLIGHT: AUKUS Pillar II – how technology sharing is strengthening our national security, with FAS Stephen Moore and Dr Nigel McGinty
Episode 504: PODCAST: Unleashing Australian know-how to grow military power fast, with John Storey, Institute of Public Affairs
Episode 503: CONTESTED GROUND: The intersection of national security and Australia’s declining economic performance
Episode 502: SPOTLIGHT: Developing risk frameworks for Defence, with Atturra’s Andrew Balmaks
Episode 501: CONTESTED GROUND: Maritime competition drives need for an Australian Coast Guard, with Jennifer Parker
