Opinion: "Pride in our Veterans"

Saturday, 24 April 2021

The transition from a life of military service to civilian employment is not easy.

Unacceptable rates of veteran suicide mean that analysing the psychological consequences of this life-changing event must fall within any terms of reference for a federal royal commission, which I fully support.

For veterans who have served in our SAS or Commando regiments in particular, this profound adjustment requires they do something uncomfortable

— promote themselves in university or job applications, as well as over online services such as LinkedIn.

It is uncomfortable because they have been immersed in a secret life of duty and service to others. Telling the world “how good I am” jars with their sense of humble professionalism.

As a society, we have come a long way since the Vietnam War, when many veterans chose to remove details of their service in job applications.

We now know better. On Anzac Day, and every other day, we properly recognise the service and sacrifice of our Vietnam veterans.

In the aftermath of the Brereton Report on allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, I fear that some special forces veterans may have additional cause to contemplate similar service-censorship.

With each “explosive” media report on war crimes, or twist and turn in the legal proceedings that are only commencing, the collective reputational grind can appear relentless.

Sadly, “toning down” your service might be considered by some to be a safe thing to do.

Yet I have never met an employer or university administrator who would see service in special forces as a negative.

Quite the reverse.

Many Australian institutions, from universities to state public services to big and small business, have publicly committed to hiring more veterans, with some recently singling out those from special forces.

This is a credit to initiatives brokered by many veteran welfare groups, including the Commando Welfare Trust, the SAS Resources Fund, and Wandering Warriors (to name a few).

Veterans should proudly display all their service, and our society does appreciate that they have commendable qualities, because they are: self-starters, problem solvers, disciplined, team players, selfless and compassionate.

We can all be proud of that.

KEITH WOLAHAN IS THE FEDERAL LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR MENZIES. HE SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN

Source: Keith Wolahan, Pride in our Veterans (Herald Sun, 24/04/2021).