True Blue Conversations Podcast

John Brien - 8 RAR Platoon Commander, Vietnam / Australian Special Forces Special Air Service Regiment Veteran: Vietnam, the unpopular war Today on True Blue Conversations, I'm joined by John Brien — Vietnam veteran, former 8RAR Platoon Commander and SASR operator, whose life is a powerful story of service, sacrifice and transition. John's early years took him from Sydney to Adelaide and then Queensland, where he spent his teenage years in high school and surfing. He had planned to become a surfboard maker, but medical issues changed that path. In January 1967, John joined the Australian Army to attend Officer Cadet School, graduating later that year before serving at the Jungle Training Centre at Canungra. He was posted to 8RAR, served in Malaysia, and in November 1969 deployed to South Vietnam, where he spent a year commanding a rifle platoon during the Vietnam War — an unpopular conflict that would profoundly affect many Australian veterans, particularly when they returned home. Following Vietnam, John was recommended for SASR selection by his former Company Commander, Mike Jeffrey, who would later become Governor-General of Australia. John passed selection and went on to spend more than a decade in Special Forces, including service with US Special Forces at Fort Bragg. After leaving the Army in 1988, John faced another major transition. He studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, including four months in China, and eventually practised as a doctor for 35 years before retiring in 2025. For many veterans and first responders, transitioning away from service can be one of life's greatest challenges — finding purpose, identity and direction beyond the uniform. Today, John shares his story of service, transition and life after the military.
HOST: Adam Blum
GUEST: John Brien
Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with Arron Ferguson, a former 23-year NSW Police
Detective and 24-year Australian Army 1st Commando Regiment Special Forces
Operator. Arron joined the army first as a commando, and two years later, he was
offered a spot on a deployment to Timor. However, the NSW Police also offered a
full-time policing position at the academy. Arron lived a double life as both a
Detective and army Special Forces reserve soldier. Arron was involved in hundreds
of domestic police investigations and then deployments to Timor and highly kinetic
operations in Afghanistan as part of the special operations task force. He was forced
into early retirement due to a genetic muscle disease, which took a toll on his mental
health and, not to mention, his physical capabilities. In this podcast, Arron talks
about the loss of mates while he was deployed in Afghanistan, how policing has
changed from when he joined and the true mental cost of serving as a first responder
and in the military. Arron also talks about the mental health aspect of loss of purpose
and finding purpose again after being diagnosed with this genetic muscle disease,
and what every veteran and first responder struggles with transition back to civilian
life after living a high kinetic life that veterans and first responders live.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Arron Ferguson
Editor: Kyle Watkins

Welcome back to True Blue Conversations. Today's conversation is with a man whose journey is a powerful example of how one decision can completely change the direction of a life. Clancy Roberts spent 12 years in full-time service with the Australian Army — six years serving with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and six years with the 2nd Commando Regiment as a Special Forces operator. Before joining the Army, Clancy says he was on a path to nowhere. He had little direction in life and had found himself in trouble with the law. But he made the decision to join the military — a decision he has never regretted — and that choice ultimately transformed the direction of his life. He went on to become one of the Australian Army's elite 2 Commando Regiment Special Forces operators, serving on three combat tours of Afghanistan and completing two deployments protecting Australian personnel in Iraq. Clancy was also the combat first aider within his team, a responsibility that would place him at the centre of one of the most tragic moments of his life. In 2012, while serving in Afghanistan, Clancy was on the ground following the tragic helicopter crash that killed his team mates Mervyn McDonald and Nathanael Gallagher. That experience, along with everything else he carried from his years of service, forms an important part of today's conversation. After leaving the Army in 2015, Clancy spent three years managing security training and planning for the Sydney Opera House, before continuing to navigate what so many veterans and first responders know all too well — the transition away from service and finding a new sense of direction and purpose. This is a raw and honest conversation about the true cost of service — not just to the individual, but to their family as well. We talk about service, combat, friendship, loss, the experiences that stay with you, finding direction after the military, and the challenges of rebuilding your identity when the uniform comes off.
Host : Adam Blum 
Guest : Clancy Roberts
Editor : Kyle Watkins

Welcome back to True Blue Conversations. Today's conversation is with a man whose journey from the Royal Australian Air Force, to the Australian Army, and ultimately to the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, is a story of determination, sacrifice, self-belief and overcoming doubt. Dan Sultanowsky enlisted in the RAAF in February 2006 as an Airfield Defence Guard, posting to 2ADFS at Amberley, Queensland. Dan deployed to Iraq in 2008 on SECDET 13, attached to 7RAR A Company, In 2010, Dan set his sights on one of the most demanding paths in the Australian Defence Force — SASR selection. Dan attempted SASR selection in 2010 at just 22 years old, and his journey was captured in the Australian military documentary Search for Warriors. Dan went on to pass selection and the required courses before eventually posting to the Special Air Service Regiment in Perth. Serving in the regiment from 2010 through to 2019, Dan deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 with SOTG 3 Squadron, followed by another deployment in 2016 on SOPT and two rotations of TAG - WEST. But Dan's deployment to Afghanistan in 2012 carries a particularly heavy memory. During that deployment, one of his fellow soldiers, Sergeant Blaine Diddams MG, was killed in action. Behind every deployment statistic is a person, a mate, a family and a story — and today, Dan opens up about that reality. In 2019, Dan made the decision to transition out of the Regiment and faced another challenge familiar to so many veterans and first responders — finding his identity and purpose after leaving the world he had known for so many years. But Dan had already been preparing himself for his next chapter. While serving in the Regiment, he taught himself how to code. That passion eventually led him into the IT industry, where he worked as a software engineer and later spent years writing code full-time enabling discreet operations for Defence. Dan eventually left Defence completely in May 2025 and is now working in the private sector, from home, for a US based company. Today, we have a raw and honest conversation about chasing the dream of serving in the SASR, silencing the doubts in your own head, and what it takes to push yourself beyond what you believe you're capable of. We talk about fighting alongside your mates, the realities of deployment, the loss of Sergeant Blaine Diddams MG, and the experiences that can stay with you long after you leave the battlefield. But we also talk about something that affects so many veterans, police, firefighters, paramedics and first responders — transitioning from a life of service back into the civilian world. Who are you when the uniform comes off? How do you find purpose again? And how do you silence the doubt that tells you that you're no longer who you were? Dan's story is one of service, resilience, loss, reinvention and ultimately finding a new purpose. This is a raw conversation about the reality of serving in Australia's Special Forces, the sacrifices that come with it, and the journey of finding your place again when the uniform comes off.
Host : Adam Blum
Guest : Dan Sultanowsky
Editor : Kyle Watkins

Welcome back to True Blue Conversations. Today, I'm joined by someone whose journey through the Australian Defence Force spans service, deployments, communications, international operations, and an enduring passion for defence, intelligence and geopolitics. Darwin Fermo enlisted in January 2000 as a Reservist, marching into 10th Light Horse Squadron as a Driver/Crewman before transferring to the Australian Regular Army in February 2001 as an Operator Specialist Communications Signalman. He was posted to the School of Signals, where he was completing his training when the world changed forever with the September 11 terrorist attacks. From there, Darwin was posted to Brisbane's 1st Joint Support Unit, serving with Radio Troop. His career would soon take him well beyond Australia, including a deployment to the Solomon Islands in 2003, participation in the first Talisman Sabre exercise aboard USS Boxer in 2005, and deployment to Iraq with AMTG2 later that year. He would go on to serve in Darwin with HQNORCOM, supporting Operation Resolute, while simultaneously undertaking university studies in Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism. Darwin ultimately made the difficult decision to leave the Army in 2008, choosing to pursue his university studies full-time. But the ADF never really left him. He was offered the opportunity to re-enlist in 2018, which he declined while preparing for his wedding. Then, in 2019, he sat an Officer Selection Board for the Maritime Warfare Officer role. Despite being assessed as highly suitable, an unexpected medical classification issue prevented him from progressing. Today, Darwin continues to maintain a deep interest in the ADF, international relations, security and geopolitics. But his service didn't end when he left the Army. Darwin went on to serve as an Australian Federal Police officer, bringing together his military communications background, operational experience and passion for security and national service. In this conversation, we're going to explore Darwin's journey — from a young Reservist joining the 10th Light Horse, through the School of Signals and the post-9/11 military, to the Solomon Islands, Iraq and Talisman Sabre, and ultimately his transition from the ADF into policing and transitioning out of the AFP. We talk about the decisions that shaped his career, the opportunities he pursued, the ones that didn't work out, and what it means to continue serving in a different uniform and finding purpose again after the uniform comes off.
Host: Adam Blum
Guest: Darwin Fermo
Editor: Kyle Watkins