DFA Interview with Charlotte Webb

INTERVIEWED BY: Viv Kleemann & Hannah McFarlane

Meet Charlotte Webb... DFA Advocate, Army veteran, single mother of three daughters and co-parenting with a serving member for the last three years, after ten years of being a defence spouse! Charlotte has experienced every aspect of the ADF lifestyle and wholeheartedly understands the unique challenges that impact various demographics within the Defence community.  Being the National DFA Advocate for nearly 2 years has been Charlotte’s biggest blessing after ‘sitting on the sidelines’ for many years and seeing opportunities for change. Charlotte is now taking action in her DFA position, listening to the needs of the defence community, advocating for change with Defence leadership and driving real outcomes for Defence families.  

We are proud to share Charlotte’s story and her passion for Defence community:  

I grew up on a cattle station in central Queensland, as the middle child of three girls. I was the tom boy, and I love being hands-on and getting my hands dirty around the station – I had a phenomenal childhood, and I loved the independence of that lifestyle.

I always wanted to join the Defence Force since high school when the recruitment team visited my school, but I had originally intended to join the Air Force. I enlisted many years later as an Army reservist when I was 35 and my youngest child had just turned one, so being fit was really important to me. I knew that if I was physically fit, then I only needed to focus my energy on being mentally ready for every challenge.  I trained hard and I wanted to see if I could do it! I served almost 4 years in Transport corps and loved being hands-on in the military environment – it was so rewarding!

I would have liked to serve for longer in the ADF, however I feel passionate about advocating for Defence families, so I jumped at this opportunity.  

What inspired you to join Defence?

My Grandfather was a Rat of Tobruk and he died when I was six. We were a really close family living on the cattle station together and he taught me how to shoot and heaps of other awesome life skills. I always had a connection to Defence and a huge amount of respect for people who served – I always saw myself being involved in some way.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about enlisting?

Find a mentor. Go to the recruitment days and find someone who inspires you. Figure out your core reasons for enlisting and hold onto that motivation – it will help to get you through the challenges.

What was your biggest challenge in Defence?

My biggest challenge while serving would be that I was ‘older’ (I enlisted when I was 35) and female. It was physically challenging, particularly through basic training and pack marching – I was not prepared for that. If I could turn back time, I would have enlisted when I was a lot younger!

I also struggled with the alone-ness and not having family support when things went wrong (which they often do when your partner is on guard duty or away). Raising children alone and not knowing many people when we arrived in Darwin during Covid, there were times when I came to the stark realisation that it was up to me to work through every day challenges, find solutions and make decisions for our family.

What’s a life skill that you learned in Defence that you still use today?

I use this often with my kids; sense of urgency! Walk with purpose and be purposeful in what you’re doing. This has stuck with me and it’s something I’m trying to instil in my daughters.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were in Defence?

I wish I knew that DMFS existed. My lack of knowledge around support services made life harder than it needed to be. I was heavily pregnant when we were posted to Toowoomba and my husband was deployed, and I was in and out of hospital, and mowing our lawns, but I didn’t realise that I could connect with services to check in with me. That is what drives me in my DFA role; to make sure that no other Defence partner or family feels unsupported or struggling with the unique challenges of this lifestyle. We have amazing services and systems available to the Defence community, and I want every Defence family to know how to access services if they ever need anything. 

How did you find yourself in your current role within DFA?

I have always had a passion for community and connecting people to services and support to improve wellbeing. I was the Manager of the Riverina Veteran Family Wellbeing Hub in NSW and helped to establish frameworks for the new hub, so I enjoyed the opportunity to absorb myself into learning about available services and to share this information with the Defence community.

I had just received a grant from DVA and the Minister for Defence Personnel for the Hub and I was really interested in having conversations with key Defence stakeholders and decision makers to support the needs of Defence families and children. The DFA role became available, and it felt like the perfect transition, allowing me the opportunity to take action and drive change at a higher level.

What have been your biggest challenges with your current DFA role?

My biggest challenge would probably be understanding that systemic advocacy takes time. I can be extremely impatient, and I am very results driven, so if I don’t see things happening, I feel like I’m letting everyone down. But having learned how the advocacy system works and how many levels of approvals are required to make things happen, you start to understand that systemic advocacy takes time. We do our best to help with ‘bandaid’ solutions along the way, but real change happens when the core of the issue is addressed through multiple levels of government.  

What is your proudest achievement with DFA?

There’s been so many achievements already with DFA, but the opportunity to advocate for the Defence community is an honour. I have been involved in high level conversations with Defence leadership about co-parenting within Defence, and I was asked to speak to the Human Rights Commission around the terms of reference for the enquiry into sexual misconduct within Defence. It has given me opportunities to be a voice for Defence families and various demographics that don’t fit the usual mould of what a military family typically looks like. For example; navigating the challenges of co-parenting with a defence member and the impact of the military lifestyle for the parent who is no longer linked to the Defence community, but is still required to live and work around military training schedules, postings and raising resilient children who navigate change between the military and civilian lifestyles after a relationship breakdown.

What do you wish everyone knew about DFA?

I wish that Defence families would tell us everything - the highs and lows. We want to know the good and we want to know the bad and I wish Defence families knew that we are here to advocate and give them a voice. 

Can you share what projects you have been working on for DFA?

We have been systemically working with states and territories to have a unified day of recognition for Defence families. During Families Week, we will be acknowledging and recognising the sacrifices of Defence families and having a day that is specifically for them. Some state governments have already committed to celebrating defence families, which has been a very rewarding project for our team.

What are your top tips for families preparing to post to Darwin:

I wish I had known what supports and services were available in the Top End and actually mapping it out so I knew which doctors we wanted to go to, what our entitlements were and being more prepared for what we needed and how we wanted to live. Gather information and learn as much as you can to make your life easier!

What’s your favourite things about the Top End?

I used my RLLT to visit Tiwi Islands and I love fishing - it was amazing! I also love our close proximity to Kakadu. I am an outdoors girl; the sun setting over the ocean, the boatshed, the free waterparks and the variety of things to do. You’re never going to be bored here. There’s always something to do with the kids – lots of community entertainment, free events and the lifestyle is brilliant!  

What’s your proudest achievement in life?

My daughters. Being a single parent in a leadership position, in this current climate and doing that all by myself, is probably my proudest achievement. My girls understand my commitment to everything I do and we support each other.

Thank you to Charlotte Webb for taking the time to chat to our team.