Soldier On Autumn 2021 by Countrywide Austral

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SoldierOnAust

Autumn 2021

Changing

Lives Course on the

Inside this edition:

Psychology

Pathways to success

Social Connection

Returning the service

For those who have served our country and protected Australia’s future, we’re returning the service. At Saab Australia, we are a proud supporter of Soldier On and their support of our veterans. saab.com.au

At Open Arms your wellbeing is our business. We offer free: confidential counselling for individuals, couples and families group programs transition workshops peer networks suicide prevention training information, education, self-help resources, and more...

To get support or find out more call or visit:

1800 011 046 | www.OpenArms.gov.au

Contents Corporate Updates 5 CEO Update 33 Fundaising Heroes 34 Ambassadors 36 Connect Hub 39 Activities Updates 48 Our Corporate Partners

Feature Stories 7 10 14 17

Parenting Support for Military Families Simon’s Story Carving a new business New year, new career?

OPEC College & Soldier On Scholarship winners announced

Ambitious Army veteran upskilling to step into Cybersecurity career

Soldier On wins Veteran Support Program of the Year

25 26 28 31

Soldier On Vet-Am Synergy Supports Soldier On Canberra’s Gerald Slaven

26 2

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Soldier On Get in touch Ph: 1300 620 380 Email: getsupport@soldieron.org.au

About Us As a national charity, we support more than 5,000 veterans and their family members through our Health and Wellbeing services, Employment Support, Learning and Education Programs, as well as Participation and Social Connection activities. Our services help individuals build resilience and create meaningful connections with family, community and employers. These programs are made possible through the generous support of the Australian Community, the Australian Government through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and our Corporate Partners. Soldier On is a leader in supporting those who have served and continue to serve in the Australian Defence Force. With an exemplary track record of providing practical and emotional assistance critical to building successful post-service lives, Soldier On is recognised as an essential first port of call for veterans and their families as they transition from the Defence Force to civilian life.

Advertising Advertisements in this journal are solicited from organisations and businesses on the understanding that no special considerations other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial dealings, will be given to any advertiser. Advertising funds the production, print and distribution of this journal, allowing Soldier On to get the word out. Countrywide Austral adheres to stringent ethical advertising practices and any advertising inquiries should be directed to:

Level 2, 310 King St, Melbourne VIC 3000 GPO Box 2466, Melbourne VIC 3001 Ph: 03 9937 0200 Email: admin@cwaustral.com.au Web: www.cwaustral.com.au

H O PE AND HEL P FO R THE NE XT M I SSI ON

They served their country well. It’s time to serve them well in return. We’re proud to support Australia’s veterans and those who serve in achieving a rewarding life beyond the battlespace through Soldier On.

collinsaerospace.com

CEO Update During 2020 Soldier On rose to challenges presented by COVID-19 and continue to deliver vital services to current and ex serving members of the Australian Navy, Air Force, Army, and their families. Soldier On is excited to start strong in 2021 with our upcoming March On campaign, Gala Balls, and other fantastic events and activities.

ven through the tumultuous year that was 2020, it is with great thanks to our amazing partners and supporters that Soldier On was able to almost double in size, and continue to expand to new centres in Australia, and provide additional support staff to existing areas, growing our veteran participant base by more than 50%.

102-year-old Seargent Bert Le-Merton continues to March On for contemporary veterans and their families. With Bert’s support as our Patron, the March On campaign has raised over $400,000. These funds will be invested into Soldier On’s health and wellbeing services to help prevent veteran suicide as well as our social connections programs.

Soldier On is proud to welcome new activities officers in our Brisbane, Manly and Kiama offices! We continue to expand the Pathways program thanks to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Enhanced Employment Support of Veterans Program, with new Pathways officers located in Darwin and Brisbane, a new Pathways Education manager, and recruitment for other areas continuing.

Soldier On has recently become the beneficiary of two bequests, from Ms Margarita Aarts and Mr Anthony Clark. Ms Margarita Aarts passed away in May 2020 from illness at the age of 83. Ms Aarts served in the Australian Army from 1961 until 1976 and attained the rank of Captain, promoted to honorary Major when she discharged. Ms Aarts claimed to have an affinity for returned service personnel and had nominated Soldier On as the sole beneficiary of her estate, to support contemporary veterans. Her Tweed Heads property sold in January 2021 and proceeds from this are to be donated to Soldier On. Soldier On worked directly with the executor of the estate who was a close friend of Ms Aarts. Additionally, Mr Anthony Clarke passed away in 2020 leaving proceeds from much of his estate to Soldier On. Little is known about Mr Clarke following a conversation with his executor who was a neighbour in Anna Bay, NSW. Soldier On received the funds from Mr Clarke’s estate in October 2020 after working with his solicitors. We are truly grateful for these extremely generous bequests. This will enable us to deliver more services across the country and further expand to new areas to support more current and ex-serving veterans and their families. We intend to provide education scholarships for veterans from these bequests as well.

Due to the generous support we have had from our community, corporate partners, and the Australian government, we have been able to recruit more psychologists and counsellors across Australia, to considerably expand our mental health and wellbeing programs as well as more social connection staff. Our volunteer base continues to expand, with more than 300 active volunteers across all areas. We have received a Resources for Regions Grant in coordination with the Singleton Council for dedicated Employment and Education support for the Singleton local government area. A Soldier On employee will be working from the Singleton area, commencing in the first quarter of 2021. This partnership and grant mark a truly exciting opportunity to provide dedicated and local support in linking employment and education pathways to the veteran and family communities, bespoke to the Singleton local government area. We are excited to announce the return of our Gala Balls that we have not be able to hold due to COVID-19. Our National Gala Ball being the first in 18 months, is to be held in Canberra on the 20th of March. Synergy Australia has come onboard as the Platinum Sponsor for this fantastic event! In December of 2020 we held the inaugural Golf Vet-Am event in Canberra. The event was a fantastic success and highly regarded by all Soldier On veteran and corporate participants. Our next event will be held at the Royal Brisbane in Queensland. If you would like to sponsor an event, please contact our team via the website.

Our goal at Soldier On for 2021 and the years to come is to be able to deliver all streams of services (Health & wellbeing, Employment, Learning and Participation) to all our centres across the country.

Ivan Slavich, CEO #sidebyside

Psychology

Parenting Support for Military Families Soldier On Psychologists tackle some common parenting challenges for military families and revise the current research for supporting child development.

ne of the big things 2020 has taught us across the world is how much pressure parents are under. The Australian community was affected by the global pandemic, adjusting to home schooling and lockdown isolation, however, military families have always experienced a degree of isolation when they relocate regularly. The loss of a stable ‘village’, where there is consistency in the availability of community support, can lead to a lack of stress relief which can increase family tensions. This article will focus on common parenting struggles and those more specific to parenting as a Veteran and their partners.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

They look to their parents or attachment figures for this support, however, sometimes this can be difficult for parents. As adults, parents will experience their own stresses and therefore also their own emotional responses to a situation which can impact on how they will respond to the child in that moment. Psychologist Dan Hughes specialises in attachment for children and developed a model (PACE) which outlines how parents can assist their child’s development by helping them feel understood and supported. This model assists parents to support themselves and then support their children. He identified four qualities that a parent can adopt to support the child’s ability to develop emotional intelligence, self-awareness and resilience.

Children are dependent on their caregivers and form attachments to their parents for survival. The parent–child relationship is therefore understandably an important one. Relationships are essential to all humans. We are social beings, and we have an instinct to stay close to others because we survive in ‘’packs’’ made up of our families and communities.

PACE MODEL

Children are physically developing every day, especially their brains, so they often have a lot going on internally. There are certain skills that adults have had the time to acquire that children are still developing and consolidating, for example; impulse control, the ability to self-reflect and emotion regulation. A child’s behaviour is something that many parents struggle with, for example; not doing what they are told, not listening or anti-social behaviour like hitting or kicking. It can be very difficult to understand what is going on for a child when we see them behaving in dysfunctional ways like this. You may think of it as the child ‘acting out’. Canadian Physician Gabor Mate has suggested that this is a child trying to act out what is going on for them emotionally because they are unable to communicate it in any other way. A little like what an adult might do if they arrived in a country where they could not speak the language. Behaviour therefore can be seen as a window into a child’s internal or emotional world.

Acceptance – unconditionally accepting a child makes

Children need a greater amount of assistance to manage both their emotions and behaviour as they are still learning.

Playfulness – the ability to be calm, open, engaged and relaxed.

Being able to laugh and giggle can reduce tension and put things in perspective. This can reduce defensiveness and allow more reflection. them feel safe, secure and loved.

Communication that you accept their feelings, urges, thoughts, motives and wishes behind the behaviour that they are expressing. It is ok to be firm with limiting the behaviour and be accepting of the motives behind it. E.g., ‘’I understand that you feel angry right now. It is not appropriate to hit your brother’’.

Curiosity – supporting children to become aware of their inner world without judgment.

Quiet and accepting tones to convey a desire to understanding the child. Can be as simple as: “What do you think was going on?” “How do you feel about that?”. Avoid using the word ‘’why’’ as this often generates a defensive internal position if it makes the child feel challenged, blamed or accused.  continued on page 9 #sidebyside

Over 25 years of delivering leading edge training solutions to equip our Service men and women for operations.

We are proud to continue supporting those men and women through our sponsorship of Soldier On’s excellent work.

Head Office Suite 401, Level 4, 4 Railway Parade, Burwood NSW 2134, Australia. www.mmcld.com.au

Psychology

 continued from page 7

Empathy – a sense of compassion for the child and their experiences.

Staying with the child emotionally, providing support and comfort. Showing the child that sharing their distress will not be too much and that “we can get through this together.” PACE is a great way for a parent to validate and understand a child’s feelings. It limits shame, promotes compassion and encourages mutual support. Supporting a child to contain and regulate their emotions eventually leads to the child learning to do this themselves. For further information about this model please look to: https://ddpnetwork.org/aboutddp/meant-pace/

MILITARY CHALLENGES Parenting as a military family can add its own unique difficulties that might make parents feel alone or different from others. This can include extended periods of time away from family, deployment, traumatic experiences and mental health difficulties. These factors can result in parental feelings of disconnection from children, feelings like they are a different person or parent than before deployment and added stressors which inhibit their ability to support and contain a child’s emotions. Sometimes a child can be left feeling confused about what is happening. Here are some ways for both parents to support children through this: §§ It can be helpful to be open and honest with your child in an age-appropriate and containing way. For example, being honest about deployment and why a parent is away from home or being open about how you are feeling when struggling. §§ Consistency is really important for children; therefore, it can be helpful to maintain even small routines as this can help a child to feel safe and secure at time where there might be a lot of change or uncertainty. §§ Being available to the child wherever possible as well accepting that they are likely to have an emotional reaction to what is happening. §§ Allowing them to express how they are feeling is important and time to express your own emotions. This can be particularly difficult if you are struggling to manage your own emotions and may need to involve some external support for this. §§ Normalising that they are not alone. There are other military families going through the same difficulties. Some great resources for military kids can be found at https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/

TUNING INTO KIDS PROGRAM Tuning in to Kids (TIK), is an evidence-based program developed through Melbourne University and listed on the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare site. It is a group parenting programme, focussing on supporting parents to develop emotion regulation skills in themselves and their children through emotion coaching and emotion regulation strategies. Targeting emotion regulation has been found to be a transformational factor in targeting disorders such as depression and anxiety in children. Research also indicates that children with high levels of emotion regulation are better at managing conflict (e.g., fewer friendship conflicts), are better able to self-sooth, have better selective and sustained attention levels, have fewer childhood illnesses, perform better at school and have more satisfying and stable relationships as adults. Military families manage multiple stressors, including managing the impacts of multiple deployments of one or both parents, frequent change of residential address, operational stress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, injuries related to deployment, substance use and increased marital tension. Family stress models (e.g., Sullivan et. al., 2015) propose that stress factors influence children through their impact on parents and their capacity to parent. Military stressors have been found to be associated with harsh parenting practices and in turn poorer child adjustment (Gerwitz et. al., 2018). Targeting harsh parental practices by offering military families parenting programmes that teach skills to manage high levels of stress (e.g., emotion regulation programmes) combined with positive parental practices (e.g., Emotion Coaching, specific praise and play) may be one way to support military members and their families.

SUPPORT FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY Soldier On’s TIK groups are being offered on-line with our child and parenting specialist psychology team. This online forum assists busy parents to attend sessions and the group interaction and support is helpful to realise you’re not alone with the issues you’re facing in the home. For more information or EOI’s, please email: psychology@soldieron.org.au

§§ Seeking support for yourself and your family. Soldier On has developed the “Tuning Into Kids” (TIK) program to specifically assist the more unique needs for military families, to assist with the common issues of parenting as well as the specific needs of military families. #sidebyside

Employment

Simon’s story

Tenacity leads to professional triumph Simon joined the Australian Army in 1990 to join the peace effort during the Cold War. Starting his military career as a Telecommunications Officer for the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, he worked his way up the military career ladder, before leaving the Army after over 15 years of service. Today he stands proud, having recently achieved his civilian career goal – obtaining his dream job as a dynamic Project Manager.

imon recently joined Omni Executive to support a new project for them in South Australia. Meeting Simon for the first time I’m struck by his big smile and razor-sharp wit. It’s hard to imagine a time when he wasn’t so happy go lucky and was struggling to find a job at all. Fifteen years after leaving the Army, Simon is in a good place and finally achieving a challenging role in Project Management that he’s been striving for since leaving the military. “One of the inherent traits that serving in the ADF teaches is an ability to really see a problem from all aspects and approach it holistically, countering all likely challenges with an appropriate solution. Simon brings this pedigree with him into Omni and to the project he is managing. This attribute is well sought after when reviewing personnel for complex and challenging roles.” – Craig Clarke, Manager Physical Security, Omni Executive. Soldier On Pledge organisations like Omni Executive recognise the high-level skills acquired in the Australian Defence Force and make a true commitment to veteran-supportive recruitment, retention, training and workplace culture. “Omni Executive is committed to building a lasting connection and support for veterans and their families. Our vision is aligned to Soldier On’s vision to enable veterans and their families to thrive, by recognising veterans’ high-level skills, fundraising and providing a supportive workplace.” – Jon Hawkins, CEO, Omni Executive. Like many of the over 5000 ex-service men and women who discharge from the Australian Defence Force every year, Simon’s life goals and future career didn’t initially go to plan whilst he struggled to find meaning and his place in society. For those who dedicate themselves to serving in the Armed Forces, transitioning out can be a complex and emotional process. Imagine that you have worked for one employer your

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Carrie was the Pathways Officer who took Simon’s call and got him started on his Soldier On journey. Soldier On enables veterans and their families to thrive by providing holistic support services to the whole Defence family including health and wellbeing programs, social activities and the Pathways Program. The Soldier On Pathways team provides free employment and education support to veterans and their family members. Pathways Officer Carrie is a Defence Spouse herself and so understands the Defence lifestyle and some of the emotional and practical complexities of Defence employment transitions.

entire life. Dedicated to serving your country – you live, eat and breathe that work culture and lifestyle – with your social life being based around your workforce. Then you leave. All that structure and support, meaningful work and social life, is gone. It’s no wonder that many veterans struggle to find their place in society once they have separated from the military. It takes time to create new professional and social connections and re-build the same level of career and support networks in civilian life. Simon discharged from the Australian Army in 2005. He initially struggled to find employment and unbeknownst to him, Simon was also fighting his own battle with undiagnosed PTSD. For some veterans, experiences arising from service can lead to mental health conditions that require treatment. These are not always picked up straight away and can cause further complications if not diagnosed and treated. Simon’s relationship broke down and his marriage ended. Finding himself unable to find a job at all, Simon was facing homelessness and reached his lowest point. Simon explains; “It was a Thursday, a rainy day. I knew I was about a week away from homelessness. I was contemplating suicide that day. I called Soldier On – I came in and talked with Carrie, one of the Soldier On Employment Officers. She really listened and told me about all the kinds of help available from Soldier On – the coffee catch-ups, the employment support, the connections to employers.” “Thanks to Carrie I joined the Pathways Program and they helped me update my resume and find a short-term job fast. When that contract finished, the Pathways team assisted me with my job search again and introduced me to my current employer, where I secured a new contract. I’ve finally got the Project Management role I really wanted for so long and I’m excited for the future.”

Carrie said; “Meeting Simon I understood where he was at and I could see his potential and the high-level skills he could bring to the civilian workforce – it was just a case of connecting him with the right employer at the right time, who was looking for his experience and level of expertise. It was such a good feeling when Simon got the job he was hoping for – I’m honoured to play a small part in that.” “I am so thankful and proud to work for Soldier On. I work with a lot of veterans and Defence Partners and Spouses, and other members of the Defence family, to help them find long-term meaningful work. My husband is in the Air Force and I wanted to work for Soldier On to help other military families dealing with some of the same issues that I have dealt with in the past. I am excited to go to work every day and interact with the members of my military community. I want to be able make a positive difference in someone else’s life.” “Simon has proved that he has got what it takes and his career is flying. I’m so glad that Simon has got the Project Management job that he was hoping for, is excelling in his role and is excited for his future.” The Pathways team at Soldier On provides employment and education support to veterans and their families. As part of this support they host Pathways networking events and can help with connections to Pledge organisations, who are veteran-supportive companies, who all recognise and value the high-level work skills acquired in the ADF. After leaving Defence, Simon had his heart set on becoming a Project Manager. Like many veterans, re-joining civilian life wasn’t initially easy for Simon. His path to get where he wanted to be after leaving military service, wasn’t straight forward – but Simon maintained the ability to improvise, adapt, overcome. Simon said; “The thing about military people is we’re used to toughing it out – being the rock. When you’re in the military it’s  continued on page 13 #sidebyside

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Employment

 continued from page 11 great because people keep an eye on you. But when you get out sometimes being stoic can be a greater hazard than facing up to the challenges you’re facing.” “I think all ex-Defence people should contact Soldier On. Being in Defence adds a new complexity to the way you look at the world and Soldier On gets that. They understand veterans, can see the challenges veterans face, can talk to you as ex-Defence and help you.” “I’m really enjoying working at Omni Executive. There’s lots of people that work here that are ex-service, ex-sig. Some of us served in units together. There’s banter and comradery. I like that we all speak the same language. We get the job done.” Simon has now been working for the company for 2 months and is about to re-locate to his hometown. Simon reflects on his career success; “After 15 years of trying, I’ve finally got the job – I’m very happy! I’m looking forward to my future and where it’s taking me. I’m moving home, and I’ve got an exciting new Project Management role. I’m really looking forward to developing my career and also just being home and being able to spend time with my Dad on the weekend.”

About Omni Executive Founded by Jon Hawkins, a Veteran, Omni honours the service that former members of the Australian Defence Force, Police Services and Intelligence Community have contributed to the development of our community. Omni is dedicated to supporting the Veteran community by direct employment and through the support or partnerships with other Veteran support agencies and initiatives. In addition to the Gold Pledge with Soldier On, Omni sponsors Legacy, the Bravery Trust, Fearless and provides a percentage of its budget each year to the veteran community and other charities. www.omniexe.com

Pathways Program support available

Pathways employment success stories

If you’re a veteran, Defence Spouse or Partner, or Defence family member looking for work, please contact the Pathways team on employment@ soldieron.org.au or call 1300 620 380 Mon – Fri during office hours.

This is just one positive story of many, resulting from veterans joining the Pathways Program. Pathways helps to prevent veteran suicide by enabling veterans to secure their future career. The Pathways Program provides employment and education support as part of Soldier On’s trauma-informed holistic support model. Providing practical job search and job application assistance and connecting veterans with veteransupportive organisations and education partners.

The Soldier On Pathways team is here to help enable you to reach your educational goals and career aspirations, including opportunities to upskill or retrain and employment opportunities. For wider ongoing Soldier On support Mon – Fri office hours contact getsupport@soldieron.org.au

Crisis support Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians

experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services, 7 days a week. Call 13 11 14. www.lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue offers support any time of the day or night and provides one-on-one chats with trained mental health professionals, 24 hours, 7 days a week. Call 1300 22 4636. www.beyondblue.org.au

Open Arms is for current and ex-serving Australian

Defence personnel and their families when they need someone to talk to 24 hours, 7 days a week. Call 1800 011 046. www.openarms.gov.au

Over the past year, the Pathways Program has evolved and grown rapidly to support over 3200 veterans and their families. We now have a national employment and education team with staff in each state of Australia and have delivered a series of webinars to help veterans and their families prepare for the civilian workforce and secure their future career. The need for mental health support, employment and education support and social activities for veterans has never been greater than today. 2020 has been a challenging year for many, with COVID-19 having a negative impact on the mental health of many veterans and creating additional employment challenges for many. The Pathways Program enables veterans to get job ready, upskill or retrain if they wish to and secure long-term meaningful employment. Contact employment@soldieron.org.au

#sidebyside

Employment

Carving a

new business: Shining a light on trauma recovery Lydia Teychenné, Prince’s Trust Australia Veteran and former police officer Matt Lewis has found a way to combine his love for timbercraft with his desire to help survivors recover from trauma.

is new business MxM Made By Matt, specialises in uniquely designed, handcrafted Guardian Lights, using reclaimed timber and fallen logs sourced from his lime bark bush block on Queensland’s Granite Belt. Matt’s business is inspired by his experience of dealing with trauma and Post-traumatic stress disorder. He learned how survivors of trauma can develop an adversity to the dark. Matt wants to create a beautiful product that plays a role in recovery by offering comfort, and helping others feel safe enough to sleep. He admits coping methods, such as the use of child-like nightlights, often increases stigma. Matt’s business responds to a lack of purpose-designed products available on the market for recovery. “[Customers] need a small light that’s unobtrusive… something that doesn’t draw attention or doesn’t highlight a person’s need to have some sort of security or light on at nighttime… that if they wake at night it’s not pitch black, it’s not dark.” Matt chooses Australian Hardwoods and Amber Resin to pay tribute to the strength and resilience of the survivors of trauma. Matt says he finds inspiration and strength by observing how the Australian bush overcomes adversity, drought, flood and fire. His use of Amber Resin references how fire can be both destructive, yet bring new life, something trauma survivors can relate to. “I’ve always liked working with timber... Even when timber dies, it becomes life to something else. I think it’s the gift that keeps on giving”.

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Matt reached out to Soldier On at the start of COVID-19 to help him manage his mental health. Soldier On recognised Matt’s interests and referred him to Prince’s Trust Australia to join the September Enterprise Online program, a free workshop designed for the Veteran and Defence partner community. Enterprise Online supports participants to safely explore their business ideas and consider self-employment as a viable career pathway. “I really hadn’t toyed with the idea of any sort of business at all, it was really just a pipe dream. And so the opportunity came up through Soldier On, they made a reference to the Enterprise Online and I was just like ok, let’s see what that has to offer me. And what I’ve been able to take away from them, it’s been pretty much nonstop since then”. Matt hopes that through the launch of his new business, his Guardian Lights can provide hope for those suffering from trauma. “If I’m able to help them through part of their recovery, or at least start them on their journey or help them on their way, that’s a sense of accomplishment for me. Because you know, I had my help and without it, things would be a lot different for me.”

About Prince’s Trust Australia

Where to find support

Since 2015, Prince’s Trust Australia has been inspiring veterans and their families into entrepreneurship. We support all veterans and ADF family members with the confidence, skills, and networks you need to explore self-employment and prepare for the rapidly changing world of work through our free Enterprise program. Inspiring businesses we’ve helped through our program include: §§ Indira Organics

§§ Pryority Droneworks

§§ Relic Design & Craft Co §§ Jodi Allen Nutrition §§ Burnished Silver

§§ In The Knit of Time

§§ Healthy You HQ

§§ T hat Vintage Tradewind

If you, or a veteran or family member you are working with, indicates that he/she is experiencing mental health difficulties, or is reporting to you signs of distress, please contact the Open Arms veteran support service. Open Arms is a free service, funded by Department of Veterans’ Affairs, for anyone who has served in the ADF. Their 24-hour support and referral line is confidential and available on 1 800 011 046. Lifeline also offers a crisis support chat service via phone on 13 11 14 or via online communications at lifeline.org.au. Soldier On offers a variety of different health and wellbeing services across Australia. These services are free of charge to veterans and their family members. To find out how Soldier On can assist you or a loved one please email psychology@soldieron.org.au

Our programs are delivered nationally and supported by an Advisory Council, Chaired by the GovernorGeneral of Australia. Register your interest here or email events@princes-trust.org.au (Registration link: bit.ly/Enterprise2021EOI)

#sidebyside

Learning

New Year, New Career? 2021 learning opportunities available via Soldier On’s Pathways Program Soldier On’s Education Team are excited to be bringing new education offerings in 2021. We aim to enable current and ex-serving ADF members and their families to upskill, retrain and achieve their educational goals for the year ahead – helping you to find new pathways into your chosen career.

he Pathways Program Education team has grown and now collaborates with over 35 veteran-friendly Soldier On Education Partners, many of whom offer course discounts to Pathways Program participants. Not only will we be continuing to work with our amazing existing Education Partners, we are also looking at forging new partnerships to help even more veterans and their family members to get the courses they want.

§§ Better access to courses and qualifications that lead to meaningful employment. We are conducting an update to the Education Team’s web content so we can showcase more of what’s on offer, highlighting some of the fantastic opportunities that are available to you as a Soldier On participant.

Some of the things on our radar for this year include;

We would also love to hear from you. If there is something not listed above that you would like to see in the education space, please let us know.

§§ More scholarships from our Education Partners to recognise your contribution to Australia. §§ More free short courses, not only vocational courses but recreation courses as well. §§ More events, both virtually and Face to Face (Covid-19 permitting) – so you can hear more about what’s available to you in the education space. We will be showcasing offers from our Education Partners and give you insights into how to find employment in exciting fields like cybersecurity, project management, entrepreneurship and more.

§§ More partnerships with Universities that will assist, not only in pathways to entry into the university of your choice, but also to access ongoing support as a veteran.

As a Soldier On Pathways Program participant, you have access to over 10,000 different courses through our veteransupportive Education Partners, some of those come with a considerable discount exclusively for you, as well as some free digital learning opportunities. As a veteran (either currently serving or ex-serving), or direct family member, you can access all of these opportunities, so why not drop us a line and see how we can help? education@soldieron.org.au #sidebyside

Learning

OPEC College & Soldier On Scholarship winners announced Soldier On and OPEC College are delighted to announce that two bursaries have been awarded for the inaugural scholarship program.

he new scheme, which is designed to enable Veterans and their families to achieve their educational goals and find new pathways into long-term meaningful employment, had so many high quality applications that OPEC College has decided to award two scholarships. Prudence Slaughter, Pathways Program Director said; “We are delighted to announce that two applicants have been awarded scholarships from the new OPEC College & Soldier On Scholarship Program and wish the students the best for their course study. The initiative offering a fullyfunded course arose from our Education partnership with OPEC College as part of Soldier On’s Pathways Program which provides free employment and education support to Veterans and their families.” “We were very impressed with the high calibre of all applications received from members of the Veteran community. Two compelling stories really stood out and so we are delighted to announce two scholarships have been awarded instead of one as originally intended,” said David Kirkby, General Manager, OPEC College.

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Congratulation to the winners of OPEC College’s Scholarship:

Julie Hering

Julie joined the Army Reserve aged 17 before changing careers. Her husband has been in the Army for 35 years and like many Defence partners Julie has worked hard to maintain a meaningful career whilst moving around. Julie worked as a mental health nurse supporting the Defence Force and for the police, and later working as a forensic specialist on crime scenes Julie developed PTSD. Julie’s ultimate career goal now is to work as a mental health return to work specialist. On the good news about receiving the bursary, Julie said; “This course is really life-changing for me! In fact it’s lifechanging for five families – as we have grown up children with their families. By helping me this scholarship is also helping them – the stronger the career I have for myself, the better we can help our children.” “Moving around with PTSD, Soldier On has been my rock. Everywhere we’ve moved, we’ve been able to connect with Soldier On, and for me, as a Defence Partner, it’s been a good way to make friends, like at the coffee catch-ups.” “My ultimate goal now is to be a mental health return to work specialist. Thank you to Soldier On and OPEC College. This course will enable me to get there.”

Douglas Brand

After leaving the Australian Army, Douglas has spent time considering his future career options and would like to become a teacher. Like many ex-service men and women it took time to adjust to civilian life after a long career in the ADF. The scholarship is enabling Douglas to get started on his new career, providing him with a fully-funded Teaching support course. Douglas was excited to receive the scholarship; “Thanks to Soldier On and OPEC College for this exciting opportunity. I’m looking forward to the course. I’ve thought about getting into teaching for such a long time.” “Soldier On and the mates I’ve met there, have really helped me get the confidence to pursue further education and teaching. I’m excited to get started on the first step to my future career.”

Soldier On’s Pathways Program is delighted to partner with OPEC College for this scholarship Program and we thank them for their generosity. Applications for the OPEC College scholarship program are now closed. Are you looking to upskill or re-train or would like to accelerate your career? Contact the Soldier On Education team on education@soldieron.org.au

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Learning

Ambitious Army Veteran upskilling to step into Cybersecurity career Matt is no stranger to the importance of security, having worked in the Army for over 5 years. On leaving Defence, Matt wanted to find a long-term meaningful career. Initially working multiple jobs whilst searching for his future career pathway.

ix years on, Matt has set his new career in Cyber in motion – thanks to his determination, the support of Soldier On’s Pathways Program and the free online learning opportunities available to Veterans via IBM’s Skillsbuild platform. Matt joined the Australian Army to make a positive difference in the world. Working as a Chef, his military career highlights included cooking for the troops in East Timor and completing adventure leadership training to help lead others. After leaving the Army, Matt transferred to the reserves and then to inactive, to enable him to spend more time with family, as he was also working 2-3 jobs at a time. Transitioning out of the Army, Matt maintained his passion and flair for cooking. Working as a Chef at the prestigious 5-star hotel, the Stamford Plaza hotel,

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

at the same time working as a chef in an aged care facililty, where he continues to have a positive impact on others’ lives. At the same time, Matt set about researching future career options to find something that would set him up for a secure and rewarding career. That’s when he reached out to Soldier On and his future career goals began.

“A friend mentioned Soldier On, I had a look and found the Pathways option, signed up and got connected from there.”

“I’m now planning to pivot into Cybersecurity and utilise my skills and expertise that have been built up in the Army and Hospitality, and transfer them across into Cyber, where I will be able to analyse and tackle problems, finding solutions promptly.” he adds.

The Pathways team provided Matt with practical employment and education assistance, connecting him with the free digital learning opportunities which are available on the IBM Skillsbuild platform, via the Soldier On Pathways Program. This enabled Matt to upskill in areas he was interested in, which includes Cybersecurity courses.

Joining the Soldier On Pathways Program helped Matt to pinpoint his career intentions, update his resume and set his future career direction in motion. Matt was able to get started straight away on building his cybersecurity expertise via the online learning available on IBM Skillsbuild. “I’ve been really searching for the next step in my career over the past year. I delved into Cyber Security on Skillsbuild and have now set myself firmly on the Cyber Career Path,” explains Matt.

“A friend mentioned Soldier On, I had a look and found the Pathways option, signed up and got connected from there. The Pathways team is helping out me out heaps – with fixing up my resume and the education side of things,” Matt explains.

Soldier On’s Pathways Program supports current serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families, with employment and education support. The Pathways education team help enable veterans and their families to get their skills recognised, upskill or retrain to achieve their educational goals and kick-start their new career pathway.

support as they look to the year ahead and the possibility of a new year, new career.”

“I now want to step into the cybersecurity field for a stable and more rewarding career. A career where I’m learning more every day, with different opportunities of advancement and one where I can make more of a difference than I am now.” adds Matt. Thanks to Soldier On and IBM’s partnership and the courses available on the digital Skillsbuild platform, Matt is now rapidly upskilling, fitting his online studies and career development around his current career as a Chef. “I would definitely recommend other veterans to use Skillsbuild via Soldier On. It doesn’t just provide you with basic information and courses – the Skillsbuild platform has the resources on there to learn from scratch or upskill even further into a career path of your choice. There’s also mentoring and coaching available too,” Matt says.

“Don’t be intimidated by change and of learning new things. It’s never too late to learn something new and to steer your career in a different direction.”

Under the Pathways Program, over 3000 veterans and their families have access to online learning programs to gain digital and professional skills. The subjects covered on Skillsbuild span a wide range of topics which include web development, data management, customer support, cloud administration and cybersecurity. Pathways Program Director, Prudence Slaughter explains; “Soldier On’s partnership with IBM is enabling more veterans and their families to upskill rapidly at no cost, in a wide range of courses as diverse as communications, cybersecurity, to health and wellbeing courses. We’ve found at this time of year more veterans and family member access Soldier On education

“The cybersecurity courses are structured technical courses, which really helps you to learn the skills. It also comes hand in hand with practical work, so it’s not just theory. There’s some lab-based training on there, with more up and coming hands on projects – practical projects, learning experiences,” he adds. As well as completing courses in cybersecurity, Matt is also undertaking professional development in a range of subject areas including completing a course in ‘Pedagogy’ – which is all about Learning how to learn; “I would recommend the Pedagogy course to anyone – I found it amazingly insightful, really relevant and a great resource for people just starting to study or learn online for the first time,” enthuses Matt.  continued on page 23 #sidebyside

PROUD SUPPORTER OF

“We are thrilled to see so many Soldier On veterans using the IBM Skillsbuild platform. Since it’s launch six months ago, Soldier On participants have completed more than 300 lessons with many focusing on building cybersecurity skills.” “With a current job shortage in tech and the cybersecurity sectors, we are looking forward to seeing more Defence personnel, veterans and family members use the IBM SkillsBuild platform to upskill for the jobs of the future.” Jade Moffat Corporate Social Responsibility Lead – IBM A/NZ

 continued from page 21 “Don’t be intimidated by change and of learning new things. It’s never too late to learn something new and to steer your career in a different direction,” he adds. For any veterans in a similar situation, Matt recommends contacting Soldier On to access the support available and discover the digital learning opportunities available on IBM Skillsbuild, via the Soldier On Pathways Program. “Soldier On helps with employment opportunities and the education support. The Pathways team are really helping to motivate me. They are helping me to see the light at the end of the tunnel – that they can help and I can do this,” Matt explains. Matt is continuing to study and upskill rapidly. Completing online courses on the IBM Skillsbuild platform, fitting his studies alongside his career as a Chef, with a view to securing a role in cybersecurity in the new year.

About IBM Skillsbuild The IBM SkillsBuild Program is a free digital platform from IBM that gives adults the opportunity to develop technology and professional skills regardless of background, education, or life experiences. Register with your Pathways Officer now to access the full suite of learning, industry accredited courses and additional services provided by IBM through its partnership with Soldier On.

About Soldier On’s Pathways Program Education support To find out more about Soldier On’s education and employment support, or to access free online learning opportunities, via the IBM Skillsbuild platform, contact: education@soldieron.org.au Pathways Program education and employment support is available to current and ex-serving ADF members, veterans, defence partners/spouses and defence family members.

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proudly published by

Soldier On Wins Veteran Support Program of the Year Soldier On announced as Veteran Support Program of the Year at Defence Industry Awards.

ational not-for-profit organisation Soldier On has been recognised for the support it provides to the Veteran community, winning the highly acclaimed Veteran Support Program of the Year Award at the Australian Defence Industry Awards 2020. Soldier On’s holistic support services include a range of mental health and wellbeing programs, employment and education support, as well as participation and social connection activities centred around the needs of the Australian Veteran community and their families. Soldier On’s Chief Executive Officer, Ivan Slavich said; “We are honoured to receive the Veteran Support Program of the Year Award for the 2nd year running. This is a proud moment for our organisation. I’m so proud of our team of staff and volunteers. This is well deserved recognition for their hard work and dedication to supporting the Veteran community.” “Soldier On has been working hard to adapt and grow our support services to meet the expanding need for mental health support, social connection, as well as employment and education support during this challenging COVID-19 climate. Supporting Veterans and their families remains at the heart of everything we do and we hope receiving this Award can help shine a spotlight on our

support programs and the help that is available to Veterans and their families from Soldier On.” Soldier On enables Veterans and their families to thrive via a holistic support model, with support programs available to the whole Defence community. This year the organisation’s Pathways Program has grown to provide local support from staff located in every state in Australia and is now providing employment and education support to more than 3,200 Veterans and their families. Prudence Slaughter, Pathways Program Director, receiving the Award, said; “It’s humbling to receive the Veteran Support Program of the Year Award on behalf of Soldier On, especially this year, which has been challenging for so many and a year that Veterans and their families have needed our support more than ever. It is an honour to be recognised here, alongside such incredible Veteran Support organisations and Defence Industry leaders. This Award is a symbol of our Soldier On team’s dedication and commitment to supporting Veterans and their families. I would like to say a big thank you to our team, and to all of our supporters and our Pledge and Education partners – with their support, we have been able to enable more Veterans and their families to get help and secure their future careers.” #sidebyside

SOLDIER ON

GOLF VET-AM Soldier On’s newest event launches in spectacular style.

ineteen teams competed in the fabulously successful inaugural Soldier On Golf Vet-Am event at Royal Canberra Golf Course on 3 December 2020.

Brainchild of our CEO Ivan Slavich, this event marked the first of 5 rounds, to be held around Australia during 2020-2021, competing for the perpetual ‘Thompson Cup’, named after Karlien Thompson who very generously bequeathed her estate to Soldier On. Designed to give the Defence corporate community and veterans an opportunity to engage and network together, this Ambrose event includes at least one veteran in every team of four players.

 Top MC High Riminton & Soldier On CEO Ivan Slavich.  Right Hedley Property Investment Winning Team – Huia Edmonds

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

The Canberra event sponsor was Synergy, a long-time partner of Soldier On and the drinks cart sponsor was Soldier On vehicle partner Gerald Slaven Ford who have been generously providing vehicles for Soldier On since 2016.

The underlying mission of Soldier On, to enable veterans to thrive, shone brightly on a perfect Canberra golfing day, with new connections made and a greater understanding of veteran needs shared. His Excellency, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Soldier On Patron, General the Honourable David Hurley played on the day and spoke eloquently about the role of Soldier On and our achievements to date at the presentations following the game, MC’d by Hugh Riminton. Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, joint Patron, kindly joined us for the presentations. We are enormously grateful to Their Excellencies for their ongoing support of Soldier On, to event sponsor Synergy, our drinks cart sponsor Gerald Slaven Ford and to all the corporate teams for their generosity.

 Top left Team Chau Chak Wing Foundation Players: Richard Scott (Veteran), Mr Craig Wing, Mrs Anna Slavich, Mr Jim Zheng.  Left 4th Place Fujitsu Team.

WHERE TO NEXT? Check out our online calendar for all Vet-Am locations and dates. https://soldieron.org.au/ calendar-new/

Winning teams on the day were: 1st place: Hedley Property Investment

Derek Brown (veteran), David Swan, Damien Hall, Huia Edmunds

2nd place: Veteran team

Craig Rossiter, Steven Noble, Eden Richard Stubbings, Lionel Murphy

3rd place: Veteran team

Blake Edgar, Luke D’Elton, Vaugh Rixon, Ian Rodgers

4th place: Fujitsu

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INVOLVED? We cannot achieve what we do without your support. We are seeking overall sponsorship or individual event sponsorship for each of these events, as well as drinks cart sponsors and team entries. To find out more please email us at partnerships@soldieron.org.au

Colin Greef (veteran), David Bush, Trevor Londe, Andrew Harrington

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Synergy Synergy Group continues to support Soldier On in their critical work of connecting veterans and their spouses with professionals and supporting them in finding meaningful employment in a difficult market.

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Supports Soldier On

he important work of facilitating a successful transition into civilian life has become core and central to our organisation and is a point of quiet pride for our workforce. We now have approximately 10% of our workforce are vets working across a range of disciplines from Defence & National Security Strategy, Digital and Technology, Business Analysis and People and Organisational Development. The firm has been astounded at the quality and maturity of veterans, finding them highly motivated and highly skilled individuals, who are values and principle driven. The ability of our veterans to pick up new skills and capabilities has been impressive, with them completing training courses in half the normal times and putting in extra hours to hone their skills and techniques. We have also learnt to better recognise and understand how difficult and challenging transition can be for a veteran, stepping away from our traditional approaches to implement different induction and support mechanisms. Providing support and career paths for veterans and their families is now a constant within Synergy and will be a critical success factor for us going forward. Synergy Group firmly believes that the effective transitioning of the veteran population, including thousands of new veterans each year, into meaningful employment can play an important part in addressing Australia’s yawning people capability and capacity challenges in the years ahead, particularly in an important market like the ACT.

Our work with veterans over the last 3 years, from when we established our Next Steps Program (run twice annually with the specific aim of recruiting veterans and transitioning them into a career as a management consultant), has seen our support to Soldier On grow progressively, collaborating on recruiting days, pledging our support as a Platinum Partner, supporting the pilot of the Soldier On Mentoring Program, and sponsoring major fundraising events, such as the ACT Gala Ball in 2019 and the inaugural Vet-am Golf Day. Sponsorship of the Vet-Am was a natural extension of our support to veterans and their families, and it was a privilege to connect more veterans with the business community at a course of the calibre of the Royal Canberra and on such a magnificent day. Playing with His Excellency, the Governor-General, and enjoying the company of Her Excellency, Mrs Hurley, at the post-match function was a rare opportunity to acknowledge both for their great work in general, but specifically, for their fantastic support to Soldier On. Teaming serving veterans with

veterans in business and leaders in the business community, and with senior veteran influencers helped create some great shared experiences while providing an excellent opportunity for networking. Synergy Group thanks Soldier On for providing us this opportunity and we look forward to continuing our support for your great work for many years to come. #sidebyside

Canberra’s Gerald Slaven proud supporters of Soldier On

“B

eing new to the Canberra market when my family and I first arrived at the end of 2014, it was very important to me that we immersed ourselves in the region and truly became part of the community which has now been our home for the past 6 years” says Dealer Principal, Nathan Hayes.

Late last year, the dealership immediately said yes to extending their support to Soldier On when offered the opportunity to sponsor the drinks cart at the recent Vet-Am and facilitated a great deal on several vehicles purchased by Soldier On for their interstate offices and Pathways team in Canberra.

This was equally important for the dealership he took over and Gerald Slaven Volkswagen, Gerald Slaven Ford and Gerald Slaven Jeep have done just that. Supporting a wide variety of charities and sporting clubs, the dealership is committed being an active, ethical part of the Canberra community.

“I see our support of Soldier On as a significant commitment and am in awe of the work they do to secure the futures for all those who have served and continue serving our Nation in the Australian Defence Forces” says Nathan, adding “This support extends to all ADF personnel when and if they are in the market to buy a new vehicle”.

In addition to generously donating a full-time vehicle to Soldier On each year since 2016, Gerald Slaven has been the major sponsor of the entertainment stage for Rise Above’s Convoy for Cancer since 2015, whilst also making significant donations for the ‘lead bike’ sponsorship each year.

So, if you’re in the market for a new Volkswagen, a new Ford, a new Jeep or a great used car, see the team at Gerald Slaven and support the dealership that supports Soldier On.

Another charity to benefit significantly from the dealership’s support is Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia and grass root level sports including the Tuggeranong Bushrangers Rugby League Club have been fortunate enough to have Gerald Slaven’s support as a major sponsor since 2015.

Gerald Slaven

Josephson Street, Belconnen www.geraldslaven.com.au 6222 2444 #sidebyside

Entry to the RAAF Museum is FREE!! Opening Hours: 10:00am to 3:00pm Tuesday to Friday

The RAAF Museum, located at Point Cook, is home to an amazing range of historic military aircraft. A great chance to view these rare machines is at the interactive flying displays, which are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 1:00 pm (weat her permitting). The Museum has a vast collection of historical material on show, including several hangars with static aircraft, and offers visitors an exciting experience and insight into the history of the Air Force. Models, books, patches, clothing and mementos can be purchased at the Museum shop.

10:00am to 5:00pm Weekends and Public Holidays Closed Mondays, Christmas Day & Good Friday Telephone: (03) 8348 6040 Fax: (03) 8348 6692 Web: www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum Email: RAAF.MuseumInfo@defence.gov.au Facebook: facebook.com/RAAF.Museum

Accommodation and Care for the Ex-Service Community

ANZAC DAY 2021 Vasey RSL Care has a proud tradition of supporting veterans and war widows:  Ex-service Units*  Home Care  Aged Care  * for all ages

We serve those who have served our nation. Contact us today.

T 1300 602 108 W www.vaseyrslcare.org.au

Rohde & Schwarz has been a part of Defence industry in Australia for 40 years. Our staff join the rest of Australia and New Zealand in noting the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. Lest we forget.

www.rohde-schwarz.com.au

Fundraising heroes Fundraising and community support Soldier On continues to be overwhelmed by the incredible support we receive from members of the Australian public.

Shaun Buxton is another example of the diverse ways in which people raise money for Soldier On. As a serving ADF member and online gamer, Shaun celebrated reaching 1,000 followers by streaming video games on Twitch. tv for 24 hours straight and smashed his $1,000 fundraising goal by raising an incredible $1,750. Of course, the incredible Sergeant Bert Le Merton, patron of our signature fundraising event – March On, continues to walk for Soldier On in spite of a few recent set-backs. His strength and determination stand testimony to the courage Sergeant Bert displayed in World War II and continues to display in his 102nd year! As featured in our last journal, Sergeant Bert has paved the way for many others to follow by taking on the March On Challenge. Since completing his own 96km tribute to those who fought on the Kokoda Track, over 1,000 people have registered to do the same this March while raising funds to help veterans. We anticipate this number will have tripled by the time people take their first fundraising steps on March 1st and we encourage anyone who has not yet registered to do so via our website or to join Sergeant Berts’ very own team. Even in the face of COVID-19, individuals have stepped up and stepped out to raise funds which directly go toward providing our services to the veteran community. People like Barry Holland, who didn’t let social distancing restrictions get in the way of still raising an inspiring $1300 in lieu of being able to hold their annual Dungog Rumble Car Show in support of Soldier On.

At the end of 2020, we took time to reflect on the impact that service and tragically veteran suicide can have on those left behind. Soldier On provides support and programs not only for veterans but also their families and it was with this in mind that we highlighted the effects of having someone missing from the dinner table as the focal message of our annual Christmas Appeal. The response we received from our wonderful supporters was both heartwarming and generous with many expressing the Christmas spirit by making donations both large and small. To all, our veteran community and Soldier On thank you from the bottom of our hearts. #sidebyside

Ambassadors

New Soldier On Ambassador

Angela Harper! Angela joined the Soldier On team as a Service Ambassador in 2020. Angela served in the Army as a medic for over 10 years.

fter her military career, Angela went on to work as a journalist in the Canberra Press Gallery for Australian Associated Press, then working in Sydney, Adelaide and as Deputy Bureau Chief in Brisbane. Since leaving journalism, Angela has worked in politics, agency, industry bodies and most recently as the General Manager Marketing and Communications, South Bank Corporation. In 2019, Angela approached Soldier On and offered to help mentor those veterans who were transitioning, or had already transitioned, to a civilian career. She has since become a regular participant in the Pathways events. Angela is also writing a book to tell the stories of many veterans who have served or are currently still serving Australia. Angela states, “It is truly an honour to be a Soldier On Ambassador and I am both humbled and grateful to be able to help veterans start a new chapter in their lives. I have been fortunate enough to have some great mentors to help me reach the heights of my career and I am determined to do the same for those who are brave enough to put up their hand to ask for help and support”. We are thrilled to have Angela onboard, enabling veterans and their families thrive, and building awareness among the community about Soldier On services available. To find out more about Angela head to: https://soldieron. org.au/patrons-and-ambassadors-angela-harper/

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

“It is truly an honour to be a Soldier On Ambassador and I am both humbled and grateful to be able to help veterans start a new chapter in their lives.” Angela Harper

Drinks on the Lawn! O

n the 27th of November 2020 Soldier On held its inaugural Drinks on the Lawn event, hosted by our joint Patrons, Their Excellencies General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d) and Mrs Linda Hurley, on the lawns of Government House in the ACT. This event was an opportunity for Soldier On to say thank you and show our gratitude for all those who support and assist Soldier On deliver vital services. Key partners, supporters and many of our Ambassadors were present, alongside several Soldier On participants and volunteers. We thank Government House for all the support provided in organising the event and making it a wonderful success! We hope for a repeat event in 2021.

 Above Left to right: Jeff Shapiro – Service Ambassador, David Savage AM – Service Ambassador, Sarah Watson – Service Ambassador, Gary Wilson – Service Ambassador.

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Soldier On was quick to respond to the implementation of social and physical distancing measures in March with the rapid development and rollout of the Connect Hub support initiative, via the Soldier On website. The goal of Connect Hub is to support participants in meeting and conquering the personal and societal challenges of living through the coronavirus pandemic. It achieved this by adapting Soldier On’s core HELP services to make them accessible to participants in isolation and support veterans and their families with targeted and relevant information and activities aimed at helping them thrive while socially and physically isolated. These have been consolidated under the themes of Stay Connected, Keep Informed and Be Engaged.

Staying Connected Championed by the Social Connections team, participants have been staying connected with family, friends and Soldier On via a range of online activities. Hosted over several Facebook groups, Soldier On has provided something for everyone. Here’s an overview and of their activities…

Soldier IrOn Chef Before Master Chef or My Kitchen Rules there was Iron Chef, a 1990’s Japanese cook-off style television program, pitting guests against the show’s resident chefs. Inspired by this concept, Soldier On put the challenge out to participants to prepare the most creative dish each month, based around or using a specific ingredient. So far, some amazingly creative (and delicious) dishes and treats have been prepared using risoni pasta in April, ANZAC biscuits in May and tuna in June.

Veterans Review Club Given the recent opportunities afforded many to reacquaint themselves with their DVD collection, or binge-watch their favourite streaming service, this group has allowed participants to engage around the joy of media. Voting from a range of genres, our group of amateur cinephiles has watched, discussed and reviewed blockbusters such as Forrest Gump, Good Morning Vietnam and Avatar.

Operation Dinnertime We reached out to Nutrition Australia ACT, who developed a healthy and affordable cooking program specially for Connect Hub participants to wow their families and lockdown mates. Presented as a weekly video hosted by Leanne, an Accredited Practising Dietician, participants are guided through the preparation of different nourishing dishes guaranteed to broaden our repertoire of home cooked meals.

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Coffee Connection Since we’re unable to hold our usual face-to-face coffee catch-ups, we’ve taken the concept online, expanding the usual state-based offering to a wider audience. Co-hosted by our Social Connection and Psychology teams, these virtual catch-ups have proven to be a valuable avenue to meet new people, be entertained and find out more about the other services and activities that Soldier On facilitates for participants and families whilst at home. In addition, the value and success of Coffee Connection in engaging with more remote participants, who would not otherwise have access to the these gatherings in person, has meant that this will remain as a continued service to our participants into the future, beyond the pandemic restrictions.

Sweat On Personal trainer and Soldier On volunteer, Naeem, presents a weekly workout program to provide some motivation to our participants and get them moving in their own homes. Fun, challenging and suitable for any fitness level, these are presented as short videos, explaining the program and demonstrating each exercise.

Family Competitions Soldier On have been staging monthly competitions aimed at keeping participants engaged and working together with challenges designed to be fun for the whole family. These activities facilitated opportunities to work together and strengthen family bonds in the comfort of participants own homes. Our first family competition asked participants to show us their family super-power, which we found in the costumed garden heroes, Team Green Thumbs. We also found our very own master builders who, given the challenge to build a tower from things found at home, stacked a freestanding tower of shoes almost to the ceiling!

Keeping Informed Connect Hub is Soldier On’s digital initiative to keep veterans and their families connected and supported during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdown, isolation, and social distancing doesn’t mean Soldier On participants need to feel alone. Soldier On’s Connect Hub brings together incredible resources and online social opportunities for current serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families in one place:

Being Engaged Led by our team of skilled psychologists and available exclusively to registered participants, Soldier On has facilitated several online discussions working directly with small groups of participants to support them and their families dealing with the unique stressors and challenges of physical and social isolation, as well as working and schooling from home.

www.soldieron.org.au/connect-hub A true team effort by Soldier On support service teams across Australia - a wealth of online resources have been drawn together. With the goal of ensuring Soldier On participants and the wider community, have the relevant information they need to negotiate the challenges of working and living in isolation from their normal social routines and networks. These resources bring together some of the most valuable and engaging information, services, and activities from both Soldier On and across the web. These have been grouped into the following areas:

Health & Wellbeing Online Mental Health support available via Soldier On Psychologist-led group support workshops. Contacts for support services and activities to help you look after yourself and support your family, both during and after pandemic restrictions.

Participant Quotes: Family Competitions “This is a great idea guys. The kids and I had a lot of fun thinking and putting together our photo. It was fun to have a whole morning filled.”

Employment Services Get job ready and find new pathways into long-term meaning employment, even during the pandemic. Join the Pathways Program for practical assistance with your resume and job applications, access to over 1000 job opportunities and connections to help you secure your future career.

Learning Support Access incredible free digital learning opportunities via the Pathways Program. Upskill, re-train and kick-start your future career pathway. There’s a lot of terrific learning and development resources available via Soldier On and online (even for engaging the kids at home).

Participation Stay connected, keep moving and have fun - all from the comfort of your living room. Join Soldier On’s wide variety of online social activities and groups: from coffee connections: a digital coffee catch-up, to book club, keep fit, cooking, family competitions and more.

Coffee Connection “Partaking in Soldier On’s coffee catch up has surprised me by putting my head into a good space to tackle the rest of the day. The past few weeks Iʼ ve been feeling quite down and I was honestly not going to go through with the virtual catch up. But I’m glad I did because I left the catch up feeling a whole lot better. Thanks guys.”

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Australian Government Department of Defence

Defence Community Organisation

Defence Community Organisation offers a range of programs and services to help ADF members and their families manage military life. To find out more, call the all-hours Defence Family Helpline.

1800 624 608 Follow us on social media or visit our website www.defence.gov.au/dco

Ebix Australia Pty Ltd

7B Emerald Way Amaroo ACT 2914

On-demand Insurance Solutions Ebix Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ebix Inc, one of the leading international suppliers of software and e-commerce solutions to the insurance industry. Founded in 1976, Ebix strives to work collaboratively with clients throughout the world to develop innovative technology strategies and solutions that address speciﬁc business challenges.

Located at Amaroo. Buy, Sell, Lease and Rent Property through Harcourts Brindabella www.brindabella.harcourts.com.au

Ground Floor 754 Paciﬁc Highway Chatswood, NSW, 2067

Proudly Supporting the Soldier On Program

Ph: 02 6100 6525 Mob: 0410 481 260 Proudly Supporting our Returned Service Men & Women & Soldier On for ANZAC DAY.

Activities Updates Meet your social connections team! Around the country the Soldier On Social Connections team deliver a wide rage of activities to veterans and their families. Activities can range from a coffee catch up with mates to a 2 day deep sea fishing adventure.

2021 will be bigger and better so if you would like to see what’s coming up in your area, head to the Soldier On website or contact the team at activities@soldieron.org.au

Lloyd Harris

Andrew Horne

Brisbane

Kiama

Hobbies: I like to BBQ and swing kettlebells.

Hobbies: I like bushwalking, camping and water sports Quote: It’s not the size of the dog in the fight … it's the size of the fight in the dog. – Mark Twain

Quote: Success demand singleness of purpose. – Vince Lombardi

Nicole Mounser

Sandy Gregg

Sydney

Victoria

Hobbies: Love reading in the sun and the beach, eating sweet things that are not good for me and naps. Quote: Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hobbies: My hobbies include beach, exploring waterfalls, long drives, spontaneous weekends away exploring new places. Quote: You never know what’s around the corner.

Sarah Hartley

Tyler Eisenhauer

Sydney

Perth

Hobbies: My biggest hobby is gardening, particularly my veggie garden which boasts 5 varieties of tomatoes and one that is over 8 foot tall. Quote: If you want something you have never had before, you need to do something you have never done before.

Hobbies: I enjoy weightlifting, snorkelling, macrame and traveling. Quote: It’s better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way. – Allan Watts

Jody Geosits Port Macquarie Hobbies: Motorcycle riding, exercising, helping people and always looking for my next activity or adventure. Quote: Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor to late. You don’t have to like it, its just easier if you do. #sidebyside

Activities Updates Australian Capital Territory

Long Range Shooting Course

Tharwa Valley Forge Tharwa Valley Forge have been teaching people how to create amazing things since 2003. Hammers, tongs, power hammers, presses and piles of metal were used by Participants to create Camp Axes, Argentinian-style Asado Barbecues, Knifes and even Leather Aprons. Hot, hard work but how amazing to create something that can be treasured forever.

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Orange Accuracy provided a great day on the ranges at Majura. Qualified Instructors provided Participants with the training to reach their long-range goals. During the training Orange Accuracy discussed and explained internal and external ballistics, along with how the environmental conditions, including wind and how it would affect the projectile all the way out to the target. “I cannot thank you enough for the superb opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, learned some new stuff, sharpened up my shooting skills and enjoyed the company of a bunch of great blokes…and [the social connections team]” – Participant “The course was very good. I shoot long range and I’m self taught. This course built on skills, sometimes dispelled myths and I learnt new skills. I’ve got some good contacts to help me improve for which I have already reached out to assist with my shooting and reloading techniques. I’d be happy to attend again to further refine my skills. The instructors answered all our questions and took the time to discuss things. Friendly, knowledgeable and we all enjoyed the day. Well done on organising the day, please do it again.” – Participant

So many activities for Veteran Health Week A fantastic night of fun for Defence families at Solider On’s Veteran Health Week Canberra Indoor Rock Climbing. Thirty-six climbers challenged themselves, encouraged each other and enjoyed some great family time.

The Kombucha Making Workshop run by Annette Boyd was fantastic and all participants are now enjoying the health benefits of drinking their very own daily drink of Kombucha.

Come and try Dragon Boating We also took to the slopes for some indoor skiing, followed with some après ski (Wood Fired Pizza)! Thanks, VERTIKAL for such a great time.

Lucky participants visited the Robert Poate Centre and enjoyed a relaxing and well-deserved Raindrop Massage, thanks to Jennifer Lyddiard and Vanessa Lovell. Our Wellbeing Wednesday for Veterans Health Week had us walking the bridge-to-bridge loop around Lake Burley Griffin. It was a beautiful sunny day and we finished with a tasty lunch, kicked back and enjoyed the view.

Fantastic morning spent on Lake Burley Griffin at our ‘Come & Try Dragon Boating’ activity. A full boat and heaps of fun.

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Activities Updates New South Wales

Kiama Help Centre In December the Social Connection team recruited its newest Activities Officer (Andrew Horne) to their new Veterans HELP Centre in Kiama. Andrew’s role is to provide social connection activities for veterans and their families located in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands areas. The surrounding mountains, sea and everything in between are on the doorstep of the HELP Centre, providing the perfect location for diverse and engaging activities. 2021 is off to a great start, with many activities planned utilising many different areas of the coastline and its surrounds. To date, 13 participants have attended two coffee catch ups and on 30th January 2021, 28 participants will be enjoying snorkeling and Stand-Up Paddle boarding (SUP) on the beautiful Kiama Harbour. Some upcoming activities in this area include Learn to Surf, Shoalhaven Zoo and Walk, Snap, Explore through the Minnamurra Rainforest. Looking forward to an awesome year. Pictured above is Andrew Horne Activities Officer and Ivan Slavich Soldier On CEO in front of the new Veterans HELP Centre, Terralong Street Kiama.

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Newport Sailing Day 2021 Soldier On NSW, Sydney was lucky enough to attend Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s (RPAYC) first Sailing Day of 2021. It was an overwhelming success with clear blue skies and shining sun. We had several veterans come along and enjoy a wonderful day on the water followed by a lunch with a view. RPAYC will be hosting these days each month and look forward to welcoming more and more members of the veteran community.

A New Year of Social Connection in Port Macquarie Soldier On offers a range of social connection activities and programs to encourage veterans, and their family members to reconnect with themselves, each other and to build links with the wider community. Soldier On Port Macquarie recently enjoyed their first Coffee Catch Up for 2021. The benefits of our Coffee Catch Up include the formation of a network that provides support from the community, other Defence families and ultimately provides meaningful connections with others. It may also be a part of a physical or mental health treatment program.

Charity Match

Saturday 27th February 2021 Bellingen, NSW Are you interested in attending the Sgt Matthew Locke MG Charity Match at Bellingen Park? Soldier On are proud supporters of the annual match between Army Thunder and Bellingen Magpies! We are offering veterans and their families who would like to attend this activity one nights accommodation on Saturday 27th February. This is an opportunity for our participants to socially connect with likeminded others and enjoy a day of football. This is a FREE event for Soldier On current & ex-serving veterans and their families. For further information or to register your interest please email jody.geosits@soldieron.org.au Limited places available!

Sgt Matthew Locke MG Charity Match 2021 In memory of SGT Matthew Locke MG this Charity Event sees Army Thunder play Bellingen Magpies each year. The event raises money for a number of organisations including Soldier On and brings the community together.

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Leading Crane Supplier In Perth WA We are an Australian family owned company specialising in material handling. Here at Capital Cranes & Hoists we produce various types of lifting equipment and solutions to suit any application – Wall Mounted Jibs, Free Standing Post Cranes, Portal Cranes, Semi Portal Cranes and Standard Travelling Overhead Cranes from 50 kg to 500 tonne. No matter what type of crane you are looking for we can help you build it right here in Western Australia. Because our cranes are manufactured here in Western Australia using only new products, they are designed and assembled to AS 1418 Crane Code to the highest standards.

Ph: 08 9452 8988 www.capitalcranes.com.au Proudly Supporting our Returned Service Men & Women & Soldier On for ANZAC DAY!

Activities Updates Queensland Social Connections We are only three weeks into 2021 and already social connections here in Brisbane has met with amazing organisations willing to get involved and create some special experiences for our veterans and their families. Café Two 14, at their Barracks location in the heart of Brisbane, have offered to host our coffee catch ups, starting immediately. We hope this will be the start of a great relationship with the veteran owned and operated coffee company. February will see two major activities take place. Grant from Maritime Warrior will take participants and partners out from his new Sunshine Coast location for a day of sailing, learning and ocean therapy. We have a whole year planned with Grant including image capture and transfer, beach drone fishing and a 12 hour day sailing to the Tangalooma wrecks for an incredible experience. Surfing Australia will host a veteran learn to surf day at their high-performance centre in Casuarina NSW on the 20th February, which will include families. We have an amazing day of surfing, beach games, trampolining and skating planned, of which spots are filling up fast. Late in the year there is an intermediate to advanced camp over two days for the more experienced surfers. March On will start with us getting some KM’s under our feet at Greenes Falls, located in the picturesque DÁguilar National Park, to support and raise awareness for this great Soldier On initiative. We will also see our first visit to iFLY Brisbane, where our veterans will take flight and learn the basics of indoor skydiving. Garth Camac, an extremely talented skydiver and iFLY ambassador, will enable our veterans and use his own journey as an example of where ‘flight therapy’ can take you! We hope to build on these experiences throughout 2021 for our Soldier On participants and their families. The week of Anzac Day will see us head to the Gold Coast Suns Football Club for a stadium tour and to watch an open training session to get a taste of high performance sport and the culture that is being built around this young team. This will culminate on Anzac Day eve with us attending their clash against the Sydney Swans who have had the wood over the Suns in recent years. This is the start of things to come up here in Brisbane and we are super excited to see what other events and experiences we can create for our veterans and their families!

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Activities Updates Victoria

New office Soldier On Victoria have moved to a new home at Legacy House, 293 Swanson Street, Melbourne. This location will be a hub for three veteran organisations: Melbourne Legacy, RSL and Soldier On. It will provide our participants with a veteran space and the opportunity to engage with other support services available to them. The Parkville office was a place that so many of our veteran families felt at ease, but we would like to reassure you that we are continuing provide all our support services and more, to our participants enabling veterans to thrive.

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SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Reconnection BBQ Finally out of lockdown, Soldier On Victoria hosted an end of year Reconnection BBQ to celebrate 2020, the year that was! It was a challenging year in Victoria with most of us experiencing social isolation, disconnection from family and friends and lots of other changes to our lifestyles. Soldier On provided veterans and their families the opportunity to reconnect over an end of year celebration lunch at the beautiful surrounds of Albert Park Lake. The weather was perfect, and we all were able to relax and enjoy great company with our Victorian participants.

Western Australia Leeming High School Soldier On would like to thank Leeming High School for their hard work and generous donation of $1000.00 to Soldier On. This was achieved by their students with learning disabilities and their staff making muffins and selling them to the staff and parents of their school community. Soldier On was honoured at their end of the year assembly to watch their amazing dance recitals and musical performances.

Carnac Island

If you are interested in participating in activities and events, volunteering, or donating to our cause in WA, please contact Tyler at tyler.eisenhauer@soldieron.org.au

We had a beautiful family day outing at Carnac Island during which we had multiple encounters with the local Australian seal community. Charter One tours did an amazing job with the morning tea feast, their friendly and welcoming attitude, and memories that will remain with us.

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Comet Bay Defence Family Dinner Soldier On would like to to thank Claire Hunt of Comet Bay College for inviting Soldier On to their Defence Family Christmas party as a distinguished guest and to present the Soldier On Endeavour award. It was truly a great night with the Australian Navy band putting on an unbelievable show! Congratulations to the winner Jevi Pierre for his hard work and enduring positive attitude!

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Our Corporate Partners Soldier On are grateful for the support of so many Corporate partners and sponsors. Please see below for the organisations that provide vital funding that directly enable Soldier On to continue to provide support for veterans and their families.

Principal Partner

Associate Partner

Major Partner

With special thanks Partner

Media partner

SOLDIER ON Autumn 2021

Abode Hotels AeroPM Australia Ocean Logistics Australian Military Bank CMAX Advisory Count Charitable Foundation GWS Giants The Good Guys The Howarth Foundation St John of God Health Care St Kilda FC Scott Mitchell & Partners National Mail & Marketing Omni Executive Pratt Foundation Qantas Raytheon Ron Fisher Defence Consultancy Christine Shaw Properties Tallagandra Hill Winery Thyne Reid Foundation Victorian Veterans Council and Victoria State Government Viden Waves Carwash

Free counselling sessions provided by Soldier On Soldier On recognises a service member’s time doesn’t just impact him or her; it can impact the whole family Whether you are the parent, wife, husband, sibling or child of service personnel, you may feel the need to speak to one of our psychologists. Soldier On offers a range of psychology services for service personnel and families, including individual counselling for adults and adolescents, as well as group sessions online for spouse support, raising children, distress tolerance and support during COVID. Our psychological treatment is evidence-based and can address a range of mental health concerns, including trauma and stressrelated issues, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, pain, and injury-adjustment concerns. Contact psychology@soldieron.org.au for more information or to book an appointment. Psychology sessions are available via tele-health (video or phone) and can be delivered anywhere in Australia. We also have face-toface sessions available in Brisbane, Melbourne and in Sydney.

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