As a veteran myself I have a special place in my heart for fellow ex defence members who may be struggling as civilians in ‘Life Outside’ the military.
During the interviews I conducted with veterans I wanted to gain their perspective on what are some of their struggles, triumphs and things they think the community can do to help support our soldiers when they leave the military.
A key take away from Jake who was an infantry soldier and sniper, is that, ‘it can be as small as someone talking to us that can make a huge difference in our lives. We are not psychos, we just might be having a ruff time.’
Brendan has gone onto become a helicopter pilot after leaving defence and he thinks that having a clear purpose once you leave the military is key to success on the outside. Finding or creating your own purpose will help you have direction when you are the now master of your own ship.
For Angus, finding a community is key to dealing with struggles on the outside. Having a group of like minded people that you can lean on in hard times and hold you accountable when building your new life.
For this Anzac Day please take the time to just say hello to a veteran. Because you never know what they may be dealing with and this small act of kindness can make all the difference.
Thank you for your service.
Luke