Major Matina Jewell (Retd) Travels from Gold Coast, QLD

Major Matina Jewell (Retd) CSP grew up in the hinterland of Byron Bay and joined the Army at age 17. During her 15 year military career, Matina:
• Served on five missions and earned eight war medals
• Is the only Australian to receive two Republic of Lebanon war medals for bravery on the battlefield and wounded in combat
• At 23yo, was appointed Officer in Command of the Army Department and Diving Officer for HMAS Kanimbla, then Australia’s largest Navy ship
• Was the first woman in the Australian Army to complete the physically demanding ‘Navy Diver’ course
• Worked with the elite SAS and American Navy Seals
• Tracked-down militia leaders in the Solomon Islands
• Fast-roped from helicopters
• Boarded smuggler ships in the Arabian Gulf
• Trained in three languages (Bahasa Indonesian, Arabic and English)
• Gained her Masters in Project Management
• Was selected as a Peacekeeper with the United Nations in Syria and Lebanon

Since being medically retired, Matina has continued to champion change for veterans and others in honorary and advisory roles, including:
• Prime Ministerial Advisory Council
• National Mental Health Forum
• ANZAC Centenary Commission, alongside former Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and the Malcolm Fraser
• National Suicide Prevention Commission Advisor
• Australian Peacekeeping Memorial Project – Ambassador