Four Veterans, Four Conversations: Introducing Our Podcast Mini Series

Meet the voices of our Veterans Stories podcast mini series

Every veteran carries a story that goes far beyond the uniform. As part of our Veterans project, Tawasul Foundation sat down with four Australians who served, to talk about leadership, identity, resilience and life after service.

The result is a four-part podcast mini-series, with a full transcript and profile for each episode. These conversations are honest, personal and often unexpected. Service was just the beginning.

Meet the guests

Episode 1: Rach Ranton

From a small town of 1,500 people to Afghanistan and beyond, Rach reflects on what 11 years in the Army taught her about leadership, courage and finding purpose after the uniform.

Episode 2: Shamsa Nasr
A second-generation Australian with Palestinian heritage, Shamsa served in the Air Force for 14 years. She talks about identity, leadership and why being different was always her greatest strength.

Episode 3: Mona Shindy
Mona arrived in Australia from Egypt at age 3. She went on to spend three decades in the Royal Australian Navy, write a book and start a foundation. She is now one of Australia’s most compelling voices on leadership, identity and belonging.

Episode 4: Kevin O’Callaghan
Kevin started work at 16 with the Department of Army in Broadmeadows. His career took him from logistics to senior Defence leadership, years in the Army Reserve and a lifetime of volunteering with the SES. He is also quietly determined that the veterans of Craigieburn are never forgotten.

Why these stories matter

At Tawasul, we believe stories build understanding. These episodes show that Australian veterans come from every background, and that the values of service, community and belonging are shared far more widely than we often realise.

Whether you are discovering veterans’ experiences for the first time or finding familiar values in unexpected places, there is something here for everyone.

Listen now

Every episode is available with a full transcript, so you can listen or read at your own pace.

Listen to the series on our Stories page

Know a veteran with a story to share, or want to support our work? Get in touch with the Tawasul team.