A SUPPORT group aimed at uniting the Limestone Coast’s defence force personnel who have served in modern conflicts will meet this week.
The Post 1975 Support Group has invited Limestone Coast current and ex-service personnel to City Hall on Thursday for an information session to highlight veteran support services available in the Blue Lake city, across the state and nationwide.
Group member Lyndon Manser said the event would focus on creating networks within the service personnel community and create core support groups, with the initiative targeting people who served in conflict post 1975.
Guest speakers will include RSL (RSL) Care Adelaide’s Nathan Klinge, Community Health Connect’s Peter May and Warrnambool RSL’s Adam Kent in addition to Department of Veteran Affairs advocate Laurie Mann.
Formed by a group of six ex-servicemen, Mr Manser said the group came together after Barry Ward noticed a similar organisation in Victoria.
“He knew with the rate of health issues and all the things that are going on with people in service, it can often institutionalise people and realised we did not have a group here,” Mr Manser said.
“They come back and they do not have the spot for a while so our aim is to reach out into the general public area to network and make people aware there is an organisation there.
“We are not professionals and we cannot give assistance, but the aim is people can then network within the group and form smaller peer groups.
“We know that might take awhile to get to know each other, so in the meantime we are always happy to help where we can.
“We can direct them on where to go when they need help and if they want us to come along for support, we can do that too.”
Mr Manser said ex-service people who return to their “normal” lives often feel lost and unable to speak to family or friends about what they have witnessed in active duty.
“They come back on their own,” he said.
“In the army everyone comes together from across the country and create that bond, but when you come home you are often thousands of kilometres away from anyone you served with.
“You just float around and you cannot get back into normal life and you feel like you do not have anyone you can talk to about it.”
Mr Manser said it was vital service personnel had ongoing support.
“We are hoping to support people who served in places like East Timor, Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia, Iraq and Afghanistan – there are others who have served in places we do not even know about,” he said.
“There are probably 200-odd personnel in the Limestone Coast, which is more than you would think, but they are here and we need to support them.”
Mr Manser said the event was open to any service personnel, in the regular or reserve forces and even the emergency services like the South Australian Police, South Australian Ambulance Service, Metropolitan Fire Service, Country Fire Service and State Emergency Service.
The event will be held on Thursday between 6.30pm and 8pm at City Hall.
Contact Mr Ward on 0458 255 666 for further information.
