Dad of two named as ADF rollover victim
A beloved father, who “would give the shirt off his back”, has been named as the soldier killed in a military training exercise.
Source: AAP
A young father who was killed in a military training exercise is being remembered as a mate who “would give you the shirt off his back”.
Corporal Brendan Hannam died during a rollover at the Mount Bundey training area in the Northern Territory on Monday evening.
The 28-year-old was a passenger in a troop-carrying vehicle when the incident occurred.
Five other soldiers were injured. Two are in hospital in Darwin in a stable condition and the other three are being cared for at nearby Robertson Barracks
Hannam, a father of two young children, was a “much-beloved junior leader” who would best be remembered for the “love and support he had for his partner and his kids”.
Brendan Hannam was a member of the 5th/7th army battalion. Photo: Supplied
“It is with deep and profound sadness that I can confirm we lost one of our soldiers yesterday,” Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle said on Tuesday.
“He has served and sacrificed on two operational tours to Afghanistan in 2019 … and also he trained Ukrainians with the British armed forces.
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“His mates tell me he would give the shirt off his back … and the thing he’ll be most remembered for is the love and support he had for his partner and his kids.”
Hannam was a member of the 5th/7th army battalion based in the NT.
The Mount Bundey area, about 120 kilometres south of Darwin, is used for Australian and US forces training, including live-fire exercises.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro offered condolences to Hannam’s family.
“The support of our entire community is there for all of our service personnel who will be feeling this loss immensely,” she told reporters in Darwin on Tuesday.
Corporal Brendan Hannam was killed during an exercise in the Northern Territory on Monday. Photo: Supplied
NT emergency authorities assisted with two medical evacuations to Royal Darwin Hospital by helicopter at 7.30pm local time on Monday.
Three more people were medically evacuated by plane two hours later.
NT police have sent officers to Mount Bundey to help with investigations into the death of Hannam.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the nation’s thoughts were with Hannam’s family and friends, and his injured colleagues.
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“There are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country’s name,” he said.
“This sad incident is a terrible reminder of what families take on when their loved one bravely puts on our nation’s uniform.”
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Hannam was “always thinking about his comrades and others”.
“I know that, for him, the greatest love in his life was his partner and his two children,” Marles said.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh also extended condolences to Hannam’s family.
“We also have been making sure our training systems are fit for purpose and the training is conducted in the safest way possible,” he told the ABC.
It was recognised there were unique circumstances when it came to defence force training and there were high levels of risk, he said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the incident was another tragic reminder that defence personnel put their lives on the line even when they were not on a mission.
The Coalition wished the five soldiers injured in the incident a full and swift recovery, Taylor said in a joint statement with defence spokesman James Paterson.
The death comes months after an Australian Defence Force member was killed in a training exercise in Jervis Bay.
Warrant Officer Class Two Lachlan Muddle, a Special Air Service Regiment operator, died after colliding with a fellow soldier during a parachuting exercise.
In October 2025, a soldier died and two others were hospitalised after a truck rolled over during an army training course.
Jack Fitzgibbon, the son of former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died in March 2024 after a parachuting incident at the Richmond RAAF base outside of Sydney.
-with AAP
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