Kirstin Ferguson graduated the highest ranked Air Force cadet from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1993 and went on to serve at one of Australia’s F-111 Squadrons. She has since left the RAAF and qualified as a lawyer in NSW and QLD and is currently the National Operations Manager of a top national law firm.
Kirstin is married to a serving RAAF officer - an F-111 Navigator - and knows all too well the risks associated with such a profession. Kirstin Ferguson lost close friends in the last F-111 fatal crash and has seen the impact of the accident on the families first hand.
“All too often we see widows and families being forced to take action in the media and the courts” she said.
Kirstin Ferguson states that this is an issue which arises time and again - she lists the Black Hawk disaster, HMAS Westralia fire and recent F-111 crashes as just some examples of military accidents which have seen families having to fight for justice.
“Whilst monetary compensation is a vitally important aspect which the government has again addressed this month, it is also important to look at non-financial support since all too often there are inadequacies at this level which prompt families to seek justice however, and wherever, they can.”, Ms Ferguson said.
“I believe that the Government is genuinely interested in improving the conditions for service widows and families and that they have learnt many lessons from the experiences of service families in the past. However, there is always scope to do more and I hope to investigate innovative strategies as part of the Churchill Fellowship.”
Kirstin Ferguson cites the US military as an example where the compensation paid is relatively small compared to Australia, however there appears to be much lower level of litigation and adverse public comment.
“I will be travelling to the US as part of this Fellowship to investigate the levels of non-financial support and how it is integrated into the procedures of the US military services, as well as non-military organisations such as the Red Cross, NASA and the major US airlines,” she said.
Kirstin also sees this research as having a wider benefit for the Australian community.
“The benefit of this research is that it is applicable to any organisation which has a moral responsibility to care for the families of an employee who dies – this may include such groups as the police, emergency services or even mining companies. Each of these groups operate in a high risk environment and organisations need to consider not only the financial support they will provide families, but also non-financial issues. Tackling these issues can prevent resentment and suspicion building amongst affected families. That can only help everyone involved.”
Kirstin hopes to be able to consult with these organisations to see what lessons may be taken from the experience of the Australian Defence Force and applied elsewhere.
Kirstin would like to speak with any families affected by an ADF service death and hopes that their experience can help others in the future. This includes families who have lost loved ones in a service accident, or through another cause of death whilst serving in the military.
“The experience of families who have been through such a tragedy is invaluable in providing help for families in the future,” she said.

Kirstin will be travelling to the United States in December – January and if you have any contributions to make to this research you can contact Kirstin by email on ferguson@optusnet.com.au

{body}