From service to support

Ashleigh (Ash) Marshall started her advocacy career in the same way that many veterans do – by serving in the Australian Defence Force.

“I served for 15 years in the Royal Australian Navy – seven years as a full-time combat systems operator, and eight years as a part-time reservist,” Ash says.

“I also have family connections to Defence. My dad was in both the Air Force and Army and served pretty much his whole life, joining as an apprentice at age 15 before retiring in his 50s. My husband is also recently retired from the Army.”

Ash discharged from the Navy in 2016, finished Reserves work in 2024 and now works as a Level 1 Compensation Advocate at RSL Queensland. The role involves meeting with clients, compiling their claims and submitting them to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

She was drawn to advocacy after the poignant experience of personally navigating the DVA claim process for both herself and her father.

“When I started looking at my own DVA claims, I questioned my dad on his claims through the DVA as he was medically discharged as well. I was surprised to hear him say that he wasn’t entitled to anything, so he never bothered,” Ash recalls. 

“It didn’t sit right with me, so I started investigating and teaching myself how to do all the claims. I started doing it all for him and while he was reluctant to begin, he’s come around to it and trusted me enough to start submitting them. 

“Once I started doing his, I realised there are probably so many more veterans out there who are overwhelmed and don’t understand the process of how to get their claims in. It made me sad, so I thought I’d see if there were any advocate positions out there. It lined up perfectly that RSL Queensland was hiring.”

Compensation Advocate Ash Marshall from RSL Queensland and Mark Gallagher from Manly-Lota Sub Branch.

Bettering people’s lives

Advocacy represents a new chapter in Ash’s career. Since joining RSL Queensland in March 2025, she has already started working with clients and is loving the change.

“On a personal level, this job is not just about putting in the claims,” Ash explains.

“It’s knowing how the claim impacts the veteran’s life as a whole, gives them recognition for their service and has flow-on effects for their whole family, bettering their lives too.”

Compensation Advocates Carey James and Ash Marshall.

Two of Ash’s recent clients have benefited substantially from her help.

“One of the most recent clients I helped contacted us for a simple claim. He wanted help for hearing loss, tinnitus and a sore neck. He didn’t want compensation, just cover for those conditions,” Ash says.

“After a quick conversation going over his service history, he told me he had served in the Vietnam War in active duty. Under the legislation, because he has qualifying service, he’s automatically entitled to a Gold Card to have everything covered. He was grateful and surprised by the outcome.

“Another client only wanted help with claims he’d already submitted to the DVA but wasn’t sure of the process leading to their outcome. After talking to him, I realised that he was under financial hardship, which kicked off the process of applying for incapacity payments on his behalf.

“He was homeless until just a few weeks ago. We’ve applied for incapacity payments, and once they’re approved, he’ll start receiving a full fortnightly payment. Knowing his claims are finally moving forward, and that his compensation could come through much sooner, has already turned his life around.”

Connecting with an advocate

Having been both a claimant and an advocate herself, Ash shares some insights for veterans who might feel daunted by starting the DVA claims or appeals process.

“When veterans are faced with submitting DVA claims, they are usually in a very vulnerable position and may not be able to navigate the process. It can be overwhelming and complicated,” she explains.

“The biggest misconception that veterans have is that DVA is working against them. However, DVA is incredibly helpful and wants the best result for veterans, but they’re held accountable by legislation.

“That’s where it’s good for us to step in, because we understand the legislation and framework, and can put their service and conditions into that framework using the language that DVA need to have their claim accepted.”

Ash also emphasises other benefits to using an RSL Queensland Advocate.

“If we notice that our clients need something else, RSL Queensland has so many support avenues we can put them through, like wellbeing, employment, homelessness and emergency relief programs,” Ash says.

“I don’t think there’s any organisation quite like RSL Queensland. It’s a one-stop shop; if you come here, you can get all the help that you need. The main goal is to help veterans – nothing else."